Transferware set to a Beach table and Longfellow poetry

The Secret of The Sea ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Ah!  what pleasant visions haunt me
As I gaze upon the sea!

All the old romantic legends,
All my dreams, come back to me.

Sails of silk and ropes of sandal,
Such as gleam in ancient lore;

And the singing of the sailors,
And the answer from the shore!

Most of all, the Spanish ballad
Haunts me oft, and tarries long,

Of the noble Count Arnaldos
And the sailor's mystic song.

Like the long waves on a sea-beach,
Where the sand as silver shines,

With a soft, monotonous cadence,
Flow its unrhymed lyric lines;-

Telling how the Count Arnaldos,
With his hawk upon his hand,

Saw a fair and stately galley,
Steering onward to the land;-

How he heard the ancient helmsman
Chant a song so wild and clear,

That the sailing sea-bird slowly
Poised upon the mast to hear,

Till his sould was full of longing,
And he cried, with impulse strong,-

"Helmsman! for the love of heaven,
Teach me, too, that wondrous song!"

"Wouldst thou,"- so the helmsman answered,
"Learn the secret of the sea?

Only those who brave its dangers
Comprehend its mystery!"

In each sail that skims the horizon,
In each landward-blowing breeze,

I behold that stately galley,
Hear those mournful melodies;

Till my soul is full of longing
For the secret of the sea,

And the heart of the great ocean
Sends a thrilling pulse through me.

My table is an old spool for cable wire.  I just flipped it on its side and now we've got an outdoor table! ;-)  It's got a hole in the center so I can add an umbrella! 

Brown transferware ship plates available HERE
Almost everything else in the tablescape is available at Simply Abundant.

This Ebay store offers a truly 'abundant' selection of home goods, table linens and more.  They carry over 4000 beautiful items!!!  I've provided links for the items I got from this shop and used in this post.  The selection is wonderful and the owner is a joy to work with.

Heritage Lace crab damask placemats in linen
Heritage Lace crab damask runner draped over stool in blue.
Heritage Lace Shell Runner draped over stool
Heritage Lace Beach Sandscape Runner across table and hanging over the side


Napkin rings:  are shower curtain hooks.  I tied a knot around each of the hooks.
Wine bucket:  is a waste bucket
Side plates:  are soap dishes
(these are from Simply Abundants BLUE WATERS collection)

Shell Candle holders:  I fashioned these from  wine bottle stoppers adorned with sea shell napkin rings and small votives.

Centerpiece:  Shell Pillar Holder lined with a Blue Mercury glass votive holder.  I placed this in a vintage glass compote and around the shell base scattered tonal blue, aqua and clear glass beads.

Aqua goblets:  Park Design from Simply Abundant, available in three colors.  These are beautiful, large and have a nice weight to them.  Rocks and Tea Glasses also available.

Pineapple Cake...yummy and came from a local bakery! 



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Miss Mustard Seed

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Show and Tell Friday 

Homemade Ginger Ale & Parisian Glass Coasters

Who doesn't love a glass of ginger ale or lemonade after a day of gardening in the hot sun?   The kids and I spent some time today pulling weeds, mowing the yard and planting a few flowers in my container garden.  After the work was done we had some homemade ginger ale with a twist of lime.  Slightly sweet, lemony, limey and ice cold, this homemade ginger ale hits the spot.  It's better than store bought and easy to make.

I served the ginger ale in these cool glasses from Simply Abundant.  I've mentioned her fabulous store before for the vast inventory of tablewares, linens and decorative items they carry.  These are extra large goblets, with a nice weight.   Although these come in amber (of which I am a huge fan of), clear and the aqua.  The aqua just looks so summery.  It's such a soothing color,  conjuring up memories of the Caribbean and the cruises Shawn and I have taken there together. 

I had to squeeze a little brown transferware in to.  I love this Aesthetic Movement  piece with its swirly pattern on the face and trimmed in flowers and cartouche's that resemble family crests.

The tray I served on needed a little burst of light and the white pottery added just the right touch.

Now, for one of my favorite places to shop online...you've got to check out Tzaddi Home on Etsy.  The shop owner, Vicki, is a former textile and wall paper designer who has transferred that creativity into her own line of jewelry creations and home decor.  She designed and made these glass coasters using her developed method of decoupaging.  These have a vintage Parisian theme and come in sets of four, each with a different scene.  They are bevel glass coated atop and finished with a suede backing.  Practical as well as beautiful, these can be used as wall plaques or displayed on a plate holder.  I'm excited to show you more of Tzaddi's work, or just click the link above to see her shop full of beautiful works.

  I'll be featuring some of her jewelry in upcoming post and am so excited to share it with you!

This swirled, aqua colored Mercury glass votive holder adds a warm glow.

 Blues and browns mixed with a little greenery are some of my favorite color combinations and are so popular right now.

I use lots of silk greenery, florals and berries from Decorators Friend, another wonderful online shop with  a sweet heart owner.   In addition to greenery, they offer a unique selection of housewares, garden, decorative and gift items.  Love this shop!

Now to whet your whistle, here's the Ginger Ale recipe!  Enjoy!

HOMEMADE GINGER ALE 

• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (Champagne yeast works well without a yeast aftertaste)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• water
• sliced lime for garnish

Into an empty 2-liter soda bottle, put the ginger root, sugar, yeast, and lemon juice. Fill the rest of the way with water. Screw the cap onto the bottle as tight as possible. Shake the bottle well, then leave at room temperature until the bottle is too hard to squeeze, about 1-2 days. Refrigerate. To serve, pour through a tea strainer. 





















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