Ladies Spring Tea ~Linda's Vintage Table

Good morning dear ones! Welcome to all the new faces on my followers list as well as those of you subscribed via feed burner, face book and e-mail. It is great to have you along on my inspirational ride through blogging and I hope you are all having a good week!

There has been so much wonderful inspiration to share in recently, that I almost forget to post on my own blog!

I recently attended a ladies morning organised by the local church in our community and my dear friend Linda invited me to share the morning with her and some other guests. Each hostess was responsible for the decoration of their own table and my oh my...what a feast it was! And, as you might imagine, being a blogger, I was superbly snap happy! I will be sharing a few more of the wonderful tables, in the coming weeks, but I am starting with Linda's gorgeous vintage table. The inspiration for the table scape came from her daughter who attended a varsity hostel reunion.

Come take a look...

allow me to translate the invite...

Spring Tea

Women with spirit, passion, hope and humour.

(the Afrikaans word "woema" is a slang word and means "women with get up and go spirit!!")

Linda used an old green enamel treasured coffee pot

for her centre piece and the arrangement was stunning.

Note how the colour of the rosebuds are shown off to perfection against the green enamel tone... Some of the blooms Linda picked on a walk, the green ones and the coned shaped yellow ones are indigenous and grows wild here.

The round rose covered tablet case on the book contained the sweetener tablets!



There were pearls of wisdom being offered all round and some of them also landed on the table...

The Tablecloth belonged to Linda's mother-in -law.

The attention to detail was astonishing...

The pincushion is just to dear for words  and was a gift.

I just love the way the blue and green teapot's lid picks up the colour of the enamel.

Gorgeous, isn't it?

And hiding inside was the final treat for the morning,,,,Shortbread biscuits and chocolates, yes inside the teapot!

What a surprise!

The functional crockery was supplied to each hostess who added her own distinctive detail to her table. Hence the white canteen cups, but who would have noted with all the wonderful intricate little details that Linda added...

Lace, ribbon and a bead add to the vintage feel...

A bouquet for Spring if ever you saw one...

The roses looks almost fragile nestled into the delicate white and of course the pearls rounds it off beautifully.

I have to mention that Linda has a fine eye for detail, is a consummate hostess and is a multi talented lady!

She also paints and her home and garden is a delight.

Watch out for both in a future post.

And, here's me eyeing up the billowy meringues....



We started with a quiche and salad.

And, how do you like the table cloth? Gorgeous...

How many of you have a similar one tucked away in the back of the closet?

Time to haul it out and parade it's intricate pattern and beauty...

See, what I mean? Details to delight!

An enamel tea pot with the locally brewed rooibos tea.

The little milk jug was borrowed from her daughter's varsity room.

And, finally, let me introduce you to the lovely lady herself. Linda and her daughter Anli.

And, of course we all had to admire the doilies belonging to Linda's mom and mom-in-law!

What a blast from the past. I am sure I own a few myself... I need to find them!

It was such a fun morning with a wonderful speaker filled with humour and fellowship.

A huge big kiss and thank you hug to Linda for a stunning morning.

I hope you enjoyed your visit .

I will be linking Linda's Vintage Table to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch with Susan here ,who hosts us all each week.

Feather your Nest Friday at French Country Cottage here

Vintage Inspiration Friday with Debra at On Common Ground here

Freshman Friday with Erin at home Savvy here

Debbie Doo's Newby Party here

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life here

Please join us for loads of inspiration.

Live Well

Veronica

xxx

all images are my own .

Please leave me with your thoughts in the comment box below. I love hearing from you and if the comment box is not enough my email is in the sidebar, if you would like to drop me a mail.

Queen of the Night

Hello dear friends. We are back in the grip of winter and finally the rain that was meant for winter is  falling all over Spring. I had full intentions to fly into the garden and snip, plant and weed but alas a Cape Storm foiled my good intentions and now I am gardening in cyber space ...

I was cleaning up my computer files when I wound some ramblings that I thought I might share with you. Do you ever do this? Muse and ramble...

Well, brace yourself...

Ramblings from a suburban garden, in constant state of renovation and renewal of sorts...

Sunny Saturday dreams under Queen of the Night...

Guava notes assail my nostrils and I take a languid sip from the glass...tropical fruit pops on my tongue and I close my eyes...hmmm, I am thinking,...this is bliss...

Reclining on a comfy deck chair, I am savouring the taste of my salmon and cucumber sarmie, washed down with a Chenin Blanch, that according to the label, has raked in more medals than team SA in India, with a lot less effort, might I add, aptly named Perdeberg...lol..honestly.

There is an ever so gentle stirring of the Washington Palm's brown hula skirts as the breeze attempts to waft across the garden. It barely makes it to the assembly of Acers in pots, perched on the camping table next to me...but it does manage, somehow, to flutter the new luminous lacy-lime- butterfly leaves of Serruga against the boyant maroony-pinky- bronze of Acer Dissectum Nigrum. Acer Moonfire interjects with a lively red glowing whirl, whilst the two toned leaves, of the one that I can never remember the name of, interjects with a flurry to add lightness...and dances merrily as I drift off into a lost in translation state of mind...

I planted myself on the reclining chair under my favourite tree, actually it's a shrub turned tree called Cestrum Nocturnum or Queen of the Night. It's contorted branches are an endless source of delight for me and my feathered friends. At last count its twiggy growth was host to twenty three nests...makes for a lot of bird poop believe me!

My Queen of the Night is an endangered specimen here on my patch. Apart from being declared a number one category invader by the Department of Conservation and thus should be removed, its chief enemy on my patch is actually, Mr Tassels!! He threatens my Queen with constant extinction as its a great source of irritation for him, what with dropping leaves in his pool, and it had to endure the sole blame for turning said pool into green- pea- soupy duck pond over the winter months. Not taking care of the pool had absolutely nothing to do with it, you understand...

But Queen of the Night will remain as long as I have a say. I have to confess though, (but certainly not to Mr. Tassels, I won't) that it is a bit messy, but it's but a slight inconvenience to bear, considering the heavenly fragrance that it exudes so generously to our entire neighbourhood when in full bud ( not to mention, an inordinate amount of leaf mould for my beds... see it has many uses. honestly, as a fellow garden maniac, I am sure you get my drift! The tiny starry flowers are all but insignificant, but, en-masse, covering the tree in the late summer, they positively glow at dusk.

I am addicted to the fragrance and can not seem to get enough of the heady perfume. I will often come out here at night and lie on the warm paving to inhale its exotic offerings. It always fills me with a  sense of profound comfort when I catch a whiff of it through the open window lying in my bed. The heady fragrance transports me to David Lamkin's " Night Jasmine Man" and his mystical and sensuous quest through the land of primal beauty. Always compelling, always Kenya.

Some things makes one feel right at home, and the other sound that signifies home to me, is the very specific rustle of the Giant Strelitzia's leaves. The waxy leaves bang out a bongo beat when battered by the South Easter. It comforts me into snuggle bug mode... Oh yes..forgot to say, the purpose of my recline apart from bread and wine that is, was to plan on where to plant my potted Acers...and so , here I am, due to consider the design implications of my planned urban forest! Maybe they are best left potted, that way I can move my jungle about...sigh...

Dangling not a metre above my reclining self, is a completed weavers nest and alongside it, the beginnings of another. I marvel at the precision engineering that enables it to swing there perfectly safely in the wind. Incidentally, the night before, as I turned over in my bed, I caught a glimpse of the shadows on the wall and there it was, quite clearly....the weavers nest dangling against my bedroom wall. How stunning, to lie in bed and see the shadows dance across my midnight wall.

Now, however, Mr. Weaver was spying me with a sharp shrill bleet from a lofty perch, a ream of my palm tree scrolling from its beak. I am kinda in his way and to close to his construction site. He is now fiercely twittering his disgust for my flagrant disregard of his schedule. But I am not about to be intimidated in my slumbering recline. He decides to risk it and flies into the frame of the chamber, all the while voicing his sheer delight in the pleasure of his engineering feat. He darts of to the palm tree not three metres away to restock on building supplies allowing me a quick sip before he returns.

It astounds me, the speed at which he nips the palm leaves and holding it in his beak simply flies of ripping it off as he goes. I am completely spellbound and such a privileged spectator that I daren't move to sip my wine until he goes to restock. My very own nature channel on tap..sigh...sometimes suburbia is not all that bad!

The Labrador, Smirnoff, lifts his head to regard the commotion with a sad look of despair at the decibels being inflicted upon his afternoon nap. He decides that it is not worth getting up on all fours for to move along and simply flops down with a sigh of resignation.

Spot the deaf, blind diabetic Pug is totally oblivious to the scene and merely stares blindly at the pool trying to figure out safe passage along the paving to the grass in order to find a suitable soft landing for his deposit

Meanwhile, robin redbreast has come across the newly filled birdbath to the right of me and bleeping his delight plunges in with a splatter, sending droplets flying in all directions. It's not often that he has exclusive use of the bathing facilities in this busy bird haven and he is making the best of it while he can. Around the bottom of the birdbath, the head of pest control is noisily foraging among the leaves of Queen of the Night. A large dove that I call Plop the Mop! How he ever gets airborne so rapidly astonishes me! There is new aviation ground...or rather, sky...to be broken here, honestly.

The mossies have decided to move from behind the confined space of the honeysuckle and the office wall to being neighbours to the noisy weavers. The have constructed a large messy platform in stark contrast to the precision engineering of the wavers and I can just imagine what Mrs. Weaver would think of the messy neighbours.

They have quite a colourful assembly above, what with bits of yellow Johannesburg Gold, some red coleus and a bit of orange phorium. The nest has grown quite large in the last two days and they dart back and forth with new bits of colourful lining to add to the decor and for the babes. They sit on their platform taking in Mr. Weaver's antics and seems to be doling out encouragement and advise on how the please the Missus...lol... she ripped the previous nest to shreds!

My Brugmansia is in bloom and the large single white bell nod from behind the Liquidamber tree. With each nod the fragrance is released upon the breeze and sails past in a barley there seductive note. I have a day fragrance and a night fragrance, well until Queen of the Night flowers and then just claims the night entirely.

Nicotiana, selfseeds every year beneath the Liquidamber and is standing stoutly erect in brilliant white. When night has fallen and the earth cools, so will he perfume pervade the starry skies. I promise myself to stake them just as as soon as Weaver is done and the Chenin Blanch is finito, or the South Easter will have them floored in no time at all.

Well, and just as soon as I am done scribbling this note, on some tiny piece of paper pressing on my recipe file, with my glass balancing precariously to the one side of the file, one eye on Mr Weaver and being splashed by robin from the other side..such is the life of a suburban mother, suffering empty nest syndrome, well, not in the tress, you understand, but in the two vacant rooms inside....

However,  the Chenin has put in a fine performance and I am totally relaxed and close my eyes to listen to the surrounding symphony. The crow conductor is squawking the orchestra into tune from atop the roof, the blackbirds are popping up from under the gutter to put in a perfect projection, the doves are cooing from beneath as they patrol the pool paving, almost right in front of the snoring Labrador's nose...the mossies offer some cheery cheeps, robin throws in an aria and percussion is provided by someones  far off thudding knock in DIY mode... tomorrow is another day...sigh...so why waste today's perfect sun...aghuna mata...

....honest confessions of a recovering obsessive gardener/urban sprout....

           

                            

 Construction continues and I will update you in due course....

Have a fab week

Live Well

Thanks for stopping by and you may leave any confessions of your own in the comment box below.

Veronica

xxxx

Joining Mary for Mosaic Monday here
Wow us Wednesday with Kim here at Savvy Southern Style

Homemaker on a Dime for Market your Biz here
White Wedneday at Faded Charm Cottage here
Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer here
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day at Mays Garden here
Fertilizer Friday  at Tootsie Time here
Poutpourri Friday with Honey at 2805 here

A freestanding fantasy...

Good Morning Everybody! How are you doing? We are having a cold spell here and all I want to do is bliss out in a warm bath.  Well, I was just going to hop into my suburban tub, top it up with warm water and some bubbles and relax to the max when I spotted a better option. Much better in fact... take a look and please keep your clothes on....someone might be watching...

 

A masculine bathroom with a magnificent backdrop mixing the traditional with high tech chairs. Of course the bath itself is a master piece and I just adore the tiles and the colours.

 

A more feminine  and romantic version of the one above. Close your eyes in your own petite chateau...   Total bliss...

You want more... well how about this one?

Isn't the colours just amazing!

I am moving in and never leaving ever again!

Take a look at the light fitting. It's like a piece of art. I am in total heaven here and can not stop swooning.

Talk about perfection!

 

The art alone has me gasping in delight....

 

 

Rustique elegance.

 

 

How very romantic...

 

 

How about a walk in wardrobe with a bath?

 

A copper bath is my ultimate fantasy....

I feel warm and glowy even before my toe touches the warm water...

 

Those doors are absolutely gorgeous used here as a screen.

 

 

I had to include this one. Besides the stunning mirror it represents so completely my signature colour palette.

 

Perfection....

Are you looking at that mirror?

And the wall paper?

...and of course the bath!

Twin tubs...

A blogger friend spent her honeymoon night in this very one... not the whole night, I guess...now ...now...behave please...

You wanna go to... Plettenberg Bay...doll!

I am getting all pruny, so I am getting outta de tub now!

If you want to continue the reverie just hop onto the bed below and float away...

Dreamy. isn't it just....

When you dock again leave me a comment please...

Happy dreaming ...

Veronica

xxx

all images pinterest

Lets recap....

Joining the following wonderful bloggers for a bash...

Mosaic Monday at Dear Little Red House

Savvy Home Made Monday

Creative Blogger's Party at Homemaker on a Dime

Debbiedoo's Newby Party

Please join us for loads of great reads

 

Tablescape Catastrophe...

Hi dear friends. Welcome to all the fab new followers and those of you who have been here for a while, great to have you along for my cyber ride through inspiration...

 Gosh, the time flies by when you are having fun. I found some things that I haven't yet shared in my photo files of the Good Food and Wine Show, and as you know, that was yonks ago already! But this is just to good not to share, both for your eyes and your tastebuds!

By the way.... the tablescape is coming just as soon as I tell you about this first, so be patient please tablescapers..

On the day I go to the Good Food and Wine Show, I usually do not have breakfast at home. Well, there is all that food to taste sample and buy....  so you understand why.

I got to the show, bought my ticket and promptly ran into a friend. After the chat I started browsing and was offered a "Green Mamba" drink by a nice young man. I inquired about the ingredients and he spewed forth the alcohol content. I promptly fled in the opposite direction in search of coffee and croissants mumbling that I would be back later..much later,  in fact! Well, and on the way to coffee and croisssants I got waylayed yet again... by this luscious looking stream of caramel coloured chocholate looking yumminess tumbling down in a steady glossy stream...

Look at that!!

Stop drooling!!

I thought is was chocholate...but it wasn't....

It was Vermeiren's  Paté de Spekulaas!

And, they had spekulaas biscuits to dip into this luscious fountain of pleasure. Think not to sweet, not to spicy, gooey and slightly warm, glossy and delish... Well there I was, halted in my tracks...coffee forgotten.

Obviously I bought a jar. A jar of paste that tastes like a spekulaas biscuit. Totally devine.

Now, I wasn't about to hall out the chocholate fountain for just me...um that is a tad greedy. So I regarded my bottle of sweet Paté and wondered what I was going to do with it...

The next morning as I was stirring my jungle oats in the pot, it struck me about my purchase and voila!

One teaspoon into your bowl of oats, sprinkled with a little more cinnamon and on occasion, a few slices of banana and you are in breakfast heaven, trust me!

Try it!

Now onto tablescapes...

Remember my post called " Ladies, Throw your Laboutins"? Have a look here

Well, now that you have all your best shoes out to lay the table I wanted to share another table that I found as well...have a look...

A lovely nautical theme...

Love the mussel cluster....

A gorgeous splash of colour...makes the whole table come alive!

Now, you might ask... Where on earth is the rest of the table?

You know how snap happy bloggers can get and I only got these few images...

Well, you see... I was busy snapping away when I ran into another friend and turned my back on the table to greet her and have a small chat. When I turned back to continue it was all gone! I was completely astonished! I had just turned my back briefly....honestly!

They whipped it all of and replaced it with the Shoe table in my post above...

So very sorry about that, but honestly, would you expect them to do that?

Now I really needed that coffee...

I consoled myself with a ....

and..

...and for shock...

and the indignation of it all...

I mused about how that could not go onto my CV,  should I ever want to apply to a foodie mag and the editor sent me to get shots of the table....

So beware of turning your back on anything that you intended to photograph!!!

In spite of my half a tablescape, I will be joining Tablescape Thursaday at Between Naps on the Porch. Click here for loads of tablescapes...more than you can get through!

Happy Thursday

Live Well

Veronica

xxx

All images, those that I managed to get, are my own...

consolatory comments may be left in the comment box below please!!!