Ridgways Tuscan Rose Purple Transferware Table for Two

A simple setting for two out on the deck 

(which I am still working on....)

The plates are circa 1814-1837  by John & William Ridgway  and the pattern is Tuscan Rose.  An abundance of flowers overflow from a stylized urn while a small moth hovers above.   The plates have a scalloped edge and beaded border.

Wreaths with green leaves and lavender and purple crystal berries were used as opposed to traditional place mats.  

Footed glasses are from TJ Maxx.  They are ribbed inside.

The flatware is vintage but I think it has a modern look.  It's by Noritake and has ceramic handles that are a deep eggplant color.  I found these some time back while looking online for purple flatware.  I just have a few pieces.

The table looks even prettier at dusk, with the addition of a single tealight candle.

The upper deck overlooks a wooded area in back.  These small, pale pink flowers are growing rampantly.

It's really a pretty sight from above.

It's a nice place to sit, read and rock your cares away...

  

More of my purple transferware tablescapes can be found by clicking the titles below:

 are Lavender Genteel,  Purple Polychrome Tablescape and Romantic England Tablescape

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American Poets Transferware Plate + a Winner!

By now, you all know that transferware and poetry are two of my favorite things, so what could be better than a transfer printed plate featuring seven amazing poets?

This plate depicts some of America's most noted poets.  It is a commission by Rowland and Marcellus, who were importers operating out of  New York as early as 1860 though were most prosperous between 1893 and 1938.  They specialized in souvenir wares.  Often referred to as R & M, the firm commissioned with numerous Staffordshire potteries the making of plates, platters, pitchers and other wares for the American market implementing the use of their own backstamp.  So, while pieces are marked with the country of origin (England or Made in England) they were simultaneously marked with either an R & M or Rowland and Marcellus stamp, and sometimes even the name of the specific retailer.   Many of the scenes depicted on R & M pieces are historical in nature, specifically American.  They acted both as retailer and wholesaler distributing to higher end shops throughout the country.  Collectors tend to favor blue and white pieces and plates with rolled edges.

I've included one of my favorite quotes from each author and a close up of their portraits on the plate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Fresh air is good if you do not take too much of it; most of the achievements and pleasures of life are in bad air. 


~Oliver Wendell Holmes~

 

Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad. 

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~

Knowledge is knowing that we cannot know.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Give fools their gold, and knaves their power; let fortune's bubbles rise and fall; who sows a field, or trains a flower, or plants a tree, is more than all.

~John Greenleaf Whittier~

Where one person shapes their life by precept and example, there are a thousand who have shaped it by impulse and circumstances. 

~James Russell Lowell~

Poetry is that art which selects and arranges the symbols of thought in such a manner as to excite the imagination the most powerfully and delightfully. 

~William Cullent Bryant~

They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.

~Edgar Allen Poe~

And now, the winner of the Shabby Apple dress, chosen via Random.org is:
Comment #9 from

Pauline Milner said...

At the Shabby Apple store, I adore the MING dress.

I will send you an email, please contact me within one week to claim your lovely dress.

Congratulations!

p/s Is anyone else having trouble uploading photos via Blogger?

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Girls Room Update: Embroidered Eyelet Sheets & Window Treatment

I've been dying to show you these sweet, widely embroidered eyelet sheets for the girls bed, compliments of my newest sponsor, The Bed and Bath Hut.

But first, let me remind you all to enter my current giveaway...a dress from Shabby Apple.  Enter HERE.

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you all one of the rooms we've, for the most part, completed at the house.  It's Kalyn's and Ashton's room which you can see more of HERE and if you want a real shocker, you can see what it and the rest of this house looked like before we moved in HERE.

The white sheets are 400 thread count and have a deep, eyelet lace embroidery.  They're beautiful, and soooo soft.  I surprised Kalyn and Ashton by having them laundered and on the bed when they returned home from a night at Grandma's and Grandpa's house.

They also come in all of the colors shown below, and for only $59 you get the set (two pillowcases, a flat sheet and a fitted sheet) ... delivered to your door!  No shipping fee!

Isn't the detail in these sheets lovely?   I just love the crisp pop of white...it's so fresh looking.  Eyelet is so dainty.

Here's the bed made up BEFORE, without the eyelet sheets 

And AFTER, with the addition of the eyelet sheets:

The Bed and Bath Hut carries a full range of bed and bath linens ...almost 4,000 different items!  They have comforters, baby bedding, quilts, bed in bag sets, duvets, and 2000 or so sheet sets.

I have my eye on this set of Battenburg sheets for my bed.  

I also made some changes to the window treatment in this room.  The drapes (fabric shower curtains) are hung on an extra rod which hangs on coat hooks rather than traditional drapery hardware.  Above them, in between the hooks, is a matching topper.  Before, and because I just used the first thing I could find that I already had to hang these on (I am impatient), I used a silver rod...we've swapped that out for another one I had and just got unpacked.   It is a perfect match to the gold tones in the leaves of the hooks and window topper.  See the difference.

BEFORE with the silver rod


AFTER with the antiqued gold rod.  Better, don't you agree?

The girls don't have a view outside their window so we also hung an embroidered cotton panel to allow light to flow in. Although my photos are not good, I love the way the sun shines through these light cotton panels, highlighting the embroidered work.

I am still working on the rest of the house and will share more updates soon. 

If you visit , please let them know that I sent you over.

I used to lie between cool, clean sheets at night after I'd had a bath, after I had washed my hair and scrubbed my knuckles and finger-nails and teeth. Then I could lie quite still in the dark with my face to the window with the trees in it, and talk to God.

                          ~Frances Farmer~

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