Ribboned Sweetness. . .

Thank you to our dear hostess,
Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life for 
extending an invitation to participate in 
A Winter Cloche Party!

While preparing My Sweet Little Valentine Tablescape,
I brought out all my fabric valentine's 
made from vintage elements and materials.

Last year, after purchasing these handmade Valentine's
locally @ Roadhouse Antiques and Gifts,
I displayed them in our entertainment Center
On Crooked Creek.

This year, the Vintage Valentine's 
were moved to the built~in china cabinet off the dining room.
I've paired them with some heirloom silver 
and vintage ironstone in keeping with a lighter decor scheme.

Once I removed the mercury silver snowflake ornaments,
I needed something seasonable and short 
to fit under my cloche.

This petite shadow box 
 filled with a heart made from creamy ivory buttons
and framed with soft buttery yellow grosgrain ribbon
atop Frenchy script paper is a gift from a former co~worker.

Beneath the cloche,
I layered my Gold Crown China. . .
a bowl, a bread and butter plate and a dessert / salad plate.
Then, I dropped a few soft buttery yellow faux petals
and tied a double bow in satin ribbon of the same hue.

This sage green urn is one of my favorite pieces 
for decor in the dining room. Its height and the mouth
allow for easy and stunning floral arrangements!
This is a lighted cherry blossom bush. . . ^sigh^. . .
now they have battery operated ones!!!

I placed the vintage Valentines along the buffet
to fill in the voided spaces.
Bringing them  front and center required the use of easels!

A vintage ironstone platter placed as a backdrop
tones down the red of my wallpaper for this subtle hued vignette.
The miniature vintage Valentine 
rests against a crystal votive holder.

Trying desperately to capture the lighted cherry blossoms
with my camera lens!!!  

Practice, practice, practice!

Sweetness, either in the miniature Valentine 
or the heirloom cream and sugar 
that accompany my heirloom silver coffee urn,
sweeps across the buffet.

Below are some random photos 
of these intricate vintage Valentines for you to enjoy. . .

Vintage buttons, trailing embroidery, seed pearls 

and a stamp~size Edwardian photo!

Strands of pearls in various hues and sizes 

making strands at the base!

Seed pearls, a miniature locket 

and a crocheted lace rosette!

Delicate seed pearls, lace and linen fabric blossoms 

with vintage button and seed pearls!

Vintage buttons and lace in various hues and sizes, 

embroidery stitches, ribbon and seed pearls!

The Edwardian postage stamp~size photo 

is the essence of femininity!

Vintage buttons, Battenburg lace, 

seed pearls and a lace bow!!!

Ribboned sweetness in these vintage Valentine's
is the added romantic touch needed On Crooked Creek's buffet!

Until next time. . .

www.astrollthrulife.blogspot.com

On Crooked Creek will be joining

Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life for

Table Top Tuesday's 

Winter Cloche Party!

AND. . .

www.commonground-do.com

Debra @ Common Ground for
Be Inspired Friday!

Be sure to visit

for you’ll come away

filled with amazing inspirations

for use in your own home décor!

My Sweet Little Valentine. . .

Retirement and finally having time to spend together 
has certainly made a new twist in how "Mr. Ed" and I 
will celebrate Valentine's Day  2013!

I met "Mr. Ed" when I was 13!
We are High School Sweethearts. . .
but this Valentine's Day On Crooked Creek
is all about celebrating the love of our family!

Together, we've created a Valentine centerpiece
with heirlooms and memorabilia from the 1950's ~ 1970's!


Once the Christmas decor was put away,
I wanted to utilize my cloches 
that are stored in the upper level Guest Room closet.


Because my largest cloche is really tall,
I knew I would need to fill the space 
from the tabletop to the bottom of the cloche.

As my eyes glanced across the numerous hues
and titles from my collection, they landed upon  
A Key To A Happy Heart by Chet Stein.

On the same shelf was The Locket by Richard Paul Evans.
Books, cloches, hearts, keys, lockets. . .
everything needed to make 
My Sweet Little Valentine tablescape!

I began with the books,
then I added a sweet white handkerchief  with red hearts
belonging to my beloved Mother~in~law. 
The silver embossed locket, a gift from my MoMa,
holds photos of "Mr. Ed" , our son as a toddler and I.

Three skeleton keys tied with two hues of ribbon
represents the bonding of "Mr. Ed's" family and mine
which ultimately resulted in the making of our own family! 

"Mr. Ed's" Aunt Elinor Stein 
is the dear lady in the photograph beneath the cloche.
Chet Stein, author of A Key To A Happy Heart,
is her husband.

Beneath the smaller cloche 
is a miniature heart made from vintage lace
and embroidery stitches on brown velvet!
The gold locket is a gift from my late neighbor
which holds a photo of "Mr. Ed". . .my sweet little Valentine!

Not wanting to distract from the family heirloom centerpiece,
the place settings are composed of simple elements.
Vintage Johnson Brothers China from England
in creamy ivory serves for our dinner plate. 
It is topped with our ivory reticulated salad plates for romantic ambiance. Each place setting holds a silverplated heart tied with a sheer white bow featuring embossed French words of love. 

Soft, muted floral napkins are drawn together 
by dragonfly wrought iron napkin rings.

Once again, 
I've used my beloved Mother~in~laws
silver flatware for our heirloom table setting.

My favorite vintage rose etched stemware
mimics the floral theme from the place mats and napkins. 

My sweet little valentine's completed place setting. . .

and

                                                                              a place setting for me!

Incorporating two table cloths,
I've created soft layering and draping,
for a more dramatic and romantic appearance.

 A square, vintage ecru linen table cloth
with detailed scallops gives the illusion of ruffles!
Beneath is a creamy ivory,
rose embossed damask tablecloth!

Brown velvet lumbar pillows
with sheer ribbon rosettes,
combined with ivory seat cushions,
make for more comfortable seating 
with our farmhouse dining chairs.

On Crooked Creek,
celebrating the love of family with an heirloom tablescape 
for My Sweet Little Valentine!

Until next time. . .

On Crooked Creek will be joining 

Susan @ Between Naps OnThe Porch for

Tablescape Thursday. . .

www.betweennapsonthporch.net

AND. . .

www.astrollthrulife.blogspot.com

Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life for

a Winter Cloche Part @ Table Top Tuesday! 

AND. . .

www.dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com

Mary @ Little Red House for

Thursday's Inspirations!

Be sure to visit

for you’ll come away

filled with amazing inspirations

for use in your own home décor!

Candlelight Table for Two.

As most of you already know, I'm a hopeless romantic. This year I had the privilege of the presence of "Mr.Ed's" company for dinner on Valentine's Day. . .so~o~o, I set a Candlelight Table for Two.

The two of us have, truly, been enjoying our new chairs that Santa brought early On Crooked Creek. Most of the time they reside in this position next to the over sized checker game. I surprised "Mr.Ed" with this game for Christmas a few years ago. Our son, talented designing engineer that he is, made this table to hold the game. It is exactly 36" X 36"! EXACTLY!

Miss Maurice, our princess, wasn't at all sure about the idea of invading her "house" on the lower level. Then when I moved all the checkers off. . . well,  just saying she wasn't happy would be the understatement of the century!

See that evil glare in her eyes?

Once I removed all the checkers. . .I was ready to proceed. . . with or without Maurice's approval! Because this is such a lovely piece, I added lots of padding to protect the game board.

I used a vintage, scalloped, open fretwork, linen tablecoth in an ecru hue. Originally belonging to my beloved grandmother, paused down to my beloved mother, passed down to me. Oh! the love that was already surrounding "Mr. Ed" and I, at times, began to overwhelm me!



Still wanting to be assured that the game board would be properly protected, (in case of a spill) I layered the tablecloth with a 36" X 36" quilted table topper. This  piece was sold in an Antiques Shop as a doll blanket. I adore the hues of sage greens, muted pinks, reds and beiges. It is one of the most versitile and utilitarian pieces used regulary On Crooked Creek.

The table topper was placed on the diagonal as there would be no room to add placemats!

"Mr. Ed" prefers the fleur~de~lis open fretwork plate. . .

. . .while I prefer the lacey open fretwork plate.

I don't know how noticable they photograph, but I've been working on some new napkin folds for an upcoming Fellowship

4 X 4 Dinner Group. The fold I used for this evening is an accordian fold then rolled at the center before placing into the glasses with only a slight fluffing. It gives the optical illusion of a jack~in~the ~pulpit. Breathtaking through the bubble glass stemware!

Completing each place setting are our everyday beaded stainless steel, our sage dinner plates and I. Godinger and Co. salad plates in the softest shade of cream. 

The rarity of fresh flowers On Crooked Creek was ignored for this special evening. For tonight is all about romance! What better way to celebrate our Candlelight Table for Two than with a pale pink long stem sweetheart rose reminiscent of the ones used at our wedding?

"Mr. Ed's" favorite candy. . .Pecan Turtles are waiting his arrival On Crooked Creek!

A romantic Candlelight Table for Two

from the Love of My Life's point of view. . .

                                                           

                                              . . and from My Loving Wife's point of view.

While I lit the candles in the fireplace for suttle ambient lighting during our dining. . ."Mr. Ed" quietly placed my favorite White Chocolate Lindor Truffles on my salad plate! Then, he helped me turn the chairs for dining.

The Menu:

 Green Salad

with Cream Mustard Vinaigrette

Chicked Almondine

 Chicken Noodles

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Raspberry Yogurt

Columbian Coffee



Since this was such a special occasion and our dining table so small, I set up my beloved grandmother's tea cart with our coffee and dessert. I don't ever remember Grandmother using this in her dining room. I remember it on her utility porch with pots of African Violets.

I used a vintage Grape Leaf open embrodiery ecru linen table cloth to disguise its utilitarian qualities.

Matching place mats were used on both levels of the tea cart. The bottom shelf housed our water pitcher and served as a place to stack used tableservice. The top held our utilitarian coffee carafe, white embossed cups and saucers, my Mother~in~laws depression saucers for our cake and bowls for the yogurt. I added a faux pot of miniature roses to enhance the flavor of romance to the evening.

We chose to linger in front of the fireplace for the evening. To savor our Valentine's Day spent On Crooked Creek, "Mr. Ed" turned on his reproduction vintage phonograph and enlighten us with one of my favorite vintage LP's ABBA / Arrival. . .and one of his . . .Danny Davis & Willie Nelson with the Nashville Brass.

I shall long remember this Valentine's Day with the Love of My Life On Crooked Creek.

http://www.betweennnapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

On Crooked Creek will be joining hostess Susan @ Between Naps On The Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Inspirations abound each week as the ladies of blog land share their labors of love from their own home decor with us. Be sure to stop by for a visit.

Until next time. . .