A Change in the Kitchen

I've had a change - I have changed the dresser in my kitchen. I started off with my white thrifted soup tureen (which you can read about here) and then gathered up all the white china I could find in the house.

I lived with that for a few days but it really looked a bit 'nothing'. I'm sure you know what I mean.

I'm still going to paint and distress the dresser but as yet haven't found the time!! I'm going to see if those gorgeous chalk paints are available here in Australia yet. The colours I have seen in them are just beautiful.

The bright green apples just seem to make everything pop. They were for an apple crumble which you can see hasn't been baked yet!

I love the texture of these gorgeous woven balls.

White tulips - I have seen so many of these around blogland I just had to have some...

Daughter No 1 thought the change was so much better - much more modern she said!!!  I think that means I passed!

I hope you like my changes as much as I do!! I am reposting an earlier post about my dresser so you can see the difference. (Also cos I've just learnt how to repost - thanks girls!!).

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A few years ago when my Dad died he left me some money - not a lot but money he had worked hard for and had saved so I decided I would buy myself something really nice to keep in his memory. I thought for quite a while before I decided on a Royal Albert dinner set in Old Country Roses design. Over the years I have been lucky enough to receive lots of accessories to match. I thought I would share it with you for this week's teascapes.


























This tall glass is actually a candle that matches the colour of the roses perfectly.








































I love cups all stacked up like this - especially when they are this pretty!!









































The chintz plates are really my all time favourite - if I could have a complete dinner set like this I would be in heaven!








































I have matching placemats and coasters in two different sizes - it is amazing how many accessories there are too match.









































Even a guest book - please take the time to leave me a message. lol








































More cups piled high.








































No table would be complete without the matching salt and pepper shakers, sugar bowl and creamer. We received this beautiful sugar spoon as a wedding present - it has a beautiful rose on the end.


























Platters in all shapes and sizes...
























Even a pretty little cake stand - once again I have been baking (not)!!

How stunning is this chintz?? I love this in any colour - not that I have any others but I have seen lots in antique shops. On my wish list.....

This china is also Royal Albert Old Country Roses but in a more country style - not quite as dainty as the other.

I had intentions of painting this old dresser before I showed any photos but as usual time just gets away. I still intend painting it so I will keep you posted and show it to you once it is finished

Suzy
(Seems I am still having problems with my spacing - hope to get it sorted soon.)
This week I am joining:-

ThriftyFinds@SouthernHospitality
MetamorphosisMonday@BetweenNapsonthePorch
TuesdayTeaforTwo@ThePlumedPen
TeacupTesday@Martha'sFavorites
TeaTimeTuesday@RoseChintzCottage
TeaCupTuesday@artfulafirmations
mailto:TeaThings@Breathoffreshair
TabletopTuesday@AStrollThruLife
TablescapeThursday@BetweenNapsonthePorch
FridayPretties@iloveprettylittlethings
ShowandTell@MyRomanticHome
ShowOffYourCottage@TheHouseintheRoses
OpenhouseParty@NoMinimalistHere
FeatheredNestFriday@FrenchCountryCottage
HomeSweetHomeFriday@TheCharmofHome
FlauntItFriday@ChichonaShoestring
PinkSaturday@HowSweettheSound

Thrift store finds

Finally, I have scored a winner at the thrift store!! I admire all the wonderful finds other bloggers share from their trips to the trift store and I never seem to find anything much (sob, sob!) but this week I did. I walked in and right in front of me was this gorgeous soup tureen complete with a matching white plate underneath.

It was just perfect to add to my collection of white dinnerware.

I tried not to grab it with both hands and run... I just love it. I'm sure it has never been used.

I can just picture it now - full of yummy chowder on a cold winter's day.

I also came home with the oval platter. It is a Franco Giorgi by Quadrifoglio platter - just $5 what a bargain!

Just look at that gorgeous rim with fruit on it!

I set my $8 soup tureen and my $5 platter up on my little kitchen cupboard. I have them sitting on a beautiful rose teatowel I purchased from my sister's shop. (That cost more than my 2 pieces together!!). Thank goodness for family discount!

Suzy

I'm joining ThriftyThursday@TalesFromBloggeritaville

WhiteWednesday@FadedCharmCottage

HomeSweetHome@TheCharmofHome

FeatheredNest@FrenchCountryCottage

Show&Tell@MyRomanticHome

WowUsWednesday@SavvySouthernStyle

StrutYourStuffThursday@SomewhatSimple

FrugalFriday@ShabbyNest

LookWhatIFound@VintageRevivals

Gorgeous White China

When I was recently in Kalgoorlie I was looking around a little gift shop when I saw this beautiful china. I really fell in love with it - can you blame me???

It is just so delicate and feminine and white!!

These cute little teaspoons look just right for an afternoon tea party!!

More pretty teaspoons - this time cute little bluebirds.

I didn't even look at the price of these as I knew I wasn't able to buy them as I was in the bus with my cousins and there was hardly any room. I could see them being chipped and they are just too pretty for that!

I can just see this in one of my dressers - what a gorgeous tablescape I could make with this....

Suzy

I'm joining Mosaic Monday @The Little Red House

Sandy@RoseChintzCottage

Terri@artfulaffirmations

WandaLee@Silken Purse

Katherine@ladyKatherine'sTeaPalor

Martha@TeacupTuesday

Pam@ABreathofFreshAir

 

Just add silver...

How is it that life just seems to get busier and busier!! I have had such a busy week - my gorgeous son is recovering from his surgery really well so that is making me feel a lot better. I have had a couple of trips to see him and that is a 3hr drive each way! We have also celebrated our grandson's birthday and I have worked at school and also worked for my sister at her nursery!!!  I'm too old for this!!Today I worked at my 'real' job at school and tomorrow I am back at the nursery/coffee shop for two days. Somehow in between I managed to get a tablescape together ready for Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch. Amazing what you can do when it's something you really love!!

I decided to do a really elegant table this week in just silver and white... I had these gorgeous candles tucked away for sometime but I wasn't sure how to use them. It was a really balmy night here on the farm so I took everything outside to the pergola and just played around!

This is my everyday white china and I really love the embossed fruit around the edge. The silver chargers I bought for half price just before Christmas (my first set of chargers as we don't really use them here in Australia!!). I had bought these gorgeous white linen placemats recently at the Spotlight sale so thought they would be perfect - and they were!!

I love this little bit of extra stitching in the corner and the cutwork border - so simple!

These white candles I have had for a while - they are candles right to the base - how cool is that! Somehow they are not quite straight so I was a bit unsure of how to use them but I had these clear glass vases (leftover from DNo 1's wedding!) so popped the candles inside. I had to secure them with a little bit of blu-tak to stop them wobbling but I still wasn't sure they were right.  When I looked in my cupboard I saw some glitter I knew that's what they needed. I sprinkled them with silver glitter so they didn't look so bare.

I used the silver beads from the Christmas tree and laid them along the length of the table to add a bit of shine. These individual tea-light holders were from another wedding we attended and I just replaced the mulberry paper around the edge with plain white and they fitted right in!

I used plain white linen napkins but they looked a bit 'white' so I added a small silver paper napkin to the outside and secured them with plain white holders.

As the sun went down the silver started to really shine (probably cos I'd just cleaned it a few weeks ago!) and the table was looking very romantic.

How gorgeous are these candles??? I can't wait until they start to burn right down - I think they will look really wonderful when they are very low in the vases.

As you can see I added  a simple vase of white petunias and my vintage silver salt and pepper shakers.

Hope you like my elegant white table...

Suzy

 

I'm joining :-

Let'sDish@CuisineKathleen

Just a barbeque....

I hope you all had a lovely weekend -we finished off our weekend last night with friends over for a barbeque.
It was a lovely relaxing night - not too hot, nice food, icy cold champagne and lots of laughs - just how you want it to be!
Instead of my usual pink table last night I decided to use some of my blue and white china - these two cute little jugs were part of my centrepiece. The small jug on the left is from Crabtree and Evelyn and the pretty floral china is called Calico. Blue and white always looks so fresh - don't you think??

I started off with a crisp white cloth then used my new silver chargers, my everyday white china then topped it off with a small plate from the calico range. The napkins are from Ikea - I really love the texture of these!

Just as I was standing back admiring my work Mr FH walked in and declared "It is only a barbeque!"

Whoops! Perhaps the chargers were just a little over the top!! I have had these cute placemats for ages so decided to use these instead - much more relaxed (still not the paper plates which Mr FH thought we should use though!!)

Now something for the table centre.. no flowers around at the moment as it's been so hot so what do I use??? I have two of these cute little bowls (DNo 1 brought these back from Turkey for me when she was living in London) so thought they would look nice with tealights in them - anything looks good in candlelight I think!

The large oval platter seemed to be the ideal starter for my table centre. I just took a few blue and white jugs I had on the dresser and popped them on the platter, next I added tealights to them. The effect was lovely but I was a bit concerned the jugs might crack so I placed white pebbles in the jugs then added the candles.

I was so happy with the end result.

I can't believe how good my flatware looks now that I have polished it all up!!

See, I told you anything looks good in candlelight!!

Suzy