Favorite Cupboard ? ? ?

On Crooked Creek is excited to join our sweet hostess Shelia @ Note Songs for her second Heart of the Home Party! This time her party request is to show a favorite cupboard in our kitchen.

Since moving On Crooked Creek I have been blessed with a built~in China Cabinet. This special cabinet changes twice annually with it's interior contents. The exterior shelf changes numerous times throughout the year. 

The addition of our kitchen wallpaper was added a few years ago. I wanted desperately to paint the cabinet similar to the treatment we had given the kitchen cabinets On Crooked Creek. "Mr. Ed" on the other hand, loves wood and loathes painting it. . .so, this was our compromise.

To view the painted kitchen cabinets On Crooked Creek in its entirety you can visit the first Heart of the Home Party  hosted by Shelia @ Note Songs by clicking on the listed link:
http://oncrookedcreekct.blogspot.com/2010/10/heart-of-home.html .
Or by clicking on the kitchen photo on the sidebar just above ABOUT ME!
At the present time we are donning our Spring attire of my intense coffee and tea set collections in their soft pastel hues. Come Fall we will once again bring back our silver with all of its shine and sparkle!

China Cabinet Spring Decor. . .

. . .China Cabinet Fall Decor.

My various coffee and tea sets are a vast collection from our travels during our military career and those gifted by family and friends. With their delicate floral pastel hues, Spring is the perfect time of year for them to be showcased.

Left ~

 

 

~ Right.

My very favorite coffee set is from dearest friends. Pink roses were the flower of choice for our wedding and our friends knowingly chose this set to remind us of the love that "Mr. Ed" and I have for one another.

In the early years of our correspondence, my pen pals and I made a choice of gifting one another with birthday and seasonal gifts. This is an egg shaped Easter Tea Set from my Illinois pen pal. The pastel hues are similar to my coffee set, making this the tea set of choice to share the top shelf of the cabinet. In addition is my favorite heirloom tea cup and saucer from my dearly beloved Mother~in~law.

The middle shelf houses my collection of vintage pink depression glass Buttons and Bows and Fostoria. Tea cups without saucers fill in the void spaces with the addition of pattern and texture.

In keeping with a vintage glass theme, the right side of the cabinet showcases my singular blue glassware assortment. Fruit compote, bon bon compote and aqua marine depression glass sugar bowl; all heirlooms from my beloved MoMa and Mother~in~law. Again, heirloom tea cups and saucers add visual interest.

My continually growing vintage Homer Laughlin Epicure turquoise blue and cream china dinnerware is located on the bottom shelf for easy accessibility! This set is used frequently with Spring entertaining On Crooked Creek.

My final coffee set to be included with this china cabinet is Made in German Democratic Republic. I adore the addition of tulips along with the pink roses. What brought about this purchase was the shape of the pot and its being, authentic "Communist China".  "Mr. Ed" and I made this purchase in the later 1970's before the dismantle of The Berlin Wall.

The open display or counter top of this built~in China Cabinet changes more frequently than does the upper and lower cabinets.

A past Fall counter top display. . .



 Deck the Halls Party 2010. . .



 Let It Snow! . . .  On Crooked Creek



. . . a recent Spring counter top display.

An early Spring counter top display featuring my limited collection of Bordallo Pinheiro Portugal majolica dinnerware. My evolving collection currently consist of one dinner plate and four saucers. Quickly becoming a favorite On Crooked Creek, I am always on the hunt for more.
 

Behind the closed doors of the lower cabinet are the various Spring serving pieces!

The top shelf houses the additional Homer Laughlin collection, coffee and tea cups and saucers and my Christmas dessert and salad plates. White china and crystal glass individual bud vases, salt cellars, individual cupcake stands and a toast rack.



The bottom shelf holds larger crystal and vintage heirloom Spring serving bowls and trays, a punch bowl complete with cups and ladle, a set of stemware and crystal dinner bells.

The two drawers of this built~in are constantly put to work. The drawer on the left holds my napkins and napkin rings. The drawer on the right holds my seasonal towels. I switch out the towels on my oven door frequently. . .as you can see. . .this drawer is overflowing with lovely towels!

 

I hope you enjoyed yourself today On Crooked Creek as we peeked inside my favorite cupboard. I appreciate dear Shelia @ Note Songs for hosting this delightful Heart of the Home Party and hope you will visit other participants. Inspirations abound wherever blog land ladies gather.

Until next time. . .

Bunnies Abound!

Whew! Seems I just completed my Spring cleaning. . .and while I rid our home of dust bunnies~ these Bunnies Abound On Crooked Creek!!!

I adore bunnies!

Dear Ones,
Bunnies multiply continually On Crooked Creek.


This attached pair of bunnies (Goebel, W. Germany) was my first set from our travels in Europe. The white bunnies set the theme for the others that seem to arrive with each new season of Spring!

These little cream bunnies were a bargain find at Memories of Home Spring Open House a few years ago. Our Maurice, being born under the rabbit hutch, has many rabbit antics. Often she poses similar to that of the reclining rabbit.

Made of cast iron and purchased in Lebanon, Missouri @ Heartland Antique Mall during our Annual Trout Fishing Trip to Bennett Spring, these bunnies are my heaviest set. I chose to leave the jute bows tied around their necks adding to their charm and quaintness!

A Flea Market find,this darling stopped me fast in my tracks with his life~life eyes and his little pink nose. His pose capitivated my heart.

Stacked atop my favorite home decor resource books NELL HILL'S Decorating Secrets and NELL HILL'S Feather Your Nest by Mary Carol Garrity. . . and On Crooked Creek by yours truly, adds visual interest to this grouping. The addition of the green leaf plate holds the entertainment remotes for quick accessibility.

A concrete urn holds faux boxwood greenery and replaces the dark hued florals of the past season.

Lighter, brighter and set for Spring . . .
Bunnies Abound On Crooked Creek!

On Crooked Creek with be joining the following weekly memes. . .please join our sweet hostesses and all those who've participated. . . inspirations surely abound!

Marty for Table Top Tuesday @ http://www.astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

and   Tam for Three or More Tuesday @ http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/

Until next time. . .

The Spiritual Garden...

The Spiritual Garden

There is peace within a  garden,
           a peace so deep and calm

That when the heart is troubled
               it's like a soothing balm

There's life within a garden,
          a life that still goes on

Filling empty places
when older plants have gone

There's glory in the garden
            at every time of year

Spring, summer, autumn, winter
             to fill the heart with cheer

So ever tend your garden,
       it's beauty to increase

For in it you'll find solace,
and in it you'll find peace.

~Rosamond, Lady Langham

The above poetry was taken from May 2002 Country Living.
The bushes and plants are from the handiwork of "Mr. Ed"
On Crooked Creek.

Until next time. . .

Just a Note:
Dear Ones,
Many of you may or may not know that I faced a lay~off in January.
Since then, I have been faced with some difficult issues in my life. I have prayed and waited. Friends have prayed with and for me and waited.

On Monday, April 4. . .I will begin a new job.
I am once again employed.
Thank you to all of those who prayed with and for me and waited with me. . .with words of comfort and words of encouragement. As my profile states, "(I am) Grounded in my faith in Christ which carries me through daily joyous living or tragedy."

You continue to bless my life in the most amazing ways.
Fondly,
Pat

Dining with "The Rabbits"!

 After the long, deary days of winter On Crooked Creek, informality and whimsy have finally arrived! This darling "pair of hares" set the stage for the upcoming Spring garden planting and rapidly approaching Easter celebration.



To ground this whimsical centerpiece, I placed three green lettuce leaves atop a soft sage and ecru cotton tablecloth. Next came the turquoise planter filled with delicate pink and yellow pastel hued faux florals. This arrangement stays low enough to allow for easy flow of conversation. "The Rabbits" came straight from their Spring garden planting dressed for casual dining. A bowl of pastel speckled jelly beans close at hand for nibblers completes the simplicity of this seasonal tablescape.

Instead of place mats, I chose white dinner plates as chargers . . . followed by a scalloped sage green plate, giving the appearance of ruffled lettuce leaves. A white embossed salad plate completes our casual dining needs On Crooked Creek.

This time of year, our bubble glass water goblets hold ample amounts of ice tea, lemonade or water.  For its dishwasher safe qualities, everyday Oneida beaded flatware is my favorite. The flax linen hemstitch napkins are held in place with brown wooden napkin rings.

"Mr. Rabbit" donning his English Cottage finery looks adorable in his crisply pressed, orange collared, single button shirt and green bloomers. As a hostess gift, he has brought us a hand painted Easter egg...how thoughtful!

"Mrs. Rabbit" is fashionably dressed in a green and yellow plaid maxi~dress, covered with a polka dotted pinafore apron, complete with a touch of orange rick~rack at the neck. And did you notice how she has picked a fresh Sunflower for our table? That little rake is a sure sign that, perhaps, she helped "Mr. Ed" plant rows of Sunflowers for my viewing pleasure On Crooked Creek!

Informality. . . whimsy. . .casual dining for Spring simplicity. . . with "The Rabbits"!

http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

On Crooked Creek will be joining our sweet hostess Susan @ Between Naps On The Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Be sure to visit her blog for inspirational tablescaping ideas from Susan and her participants!

Until next time. . .

We Interrupt This Blog. . .

Dear Ones,

We interrupt this blog for a short period while I prepare for the upcoming weekend visit from a dear friend of over 40 years.

This is only a brief interruption as I dress the guest room. . .

freshen the guest bath. . .

and set a festive table.

Please standby, as I promise to return in a timely manner.

Until next time. . .

Cream or Sugar?

"Cream or Sugar?", one often ask while serving tea.
But with this post, cream or sugar takes on a whole new meaning!

Cream?



or Sugar?



Cream



and Sugar!



Cream and sugar, please!

I have been extremely blessed with inherited family treasures! But when you are nicknamed Martha, blessings can, at times, be frustrating. These lovely cream and sugars. . .creams or sugars. . .are an ongoing search for missing mates.



What now appears to be a glorious matching set was once a lonely single creamer. This pink depression creamer in Buttons and Bows was gifted to me by my dear Mother~in~law, Mary. Many years passed before I found the lidded sugar bowl. Then in this last year, the larger milk pitcher was in a local Antique Shop ~ Roadhouse Antiques. This darling little pink Fostoria pitcher was found at our local Thrift Shop! Now when I ask "Cream or Sugar?" I'm wanting to know which preference for your tea.

When asking "Cream or Sugar?" before, it was when we were searching for missing mates for the above pieces. Did I need a Creamer or a Sugar bowl?

Just this past year, I found the matching creamer to this sugar bowl. On several different occasions I had found the creamer and sugar bowl as a set. Couldn't buy one without buying the other. No one wanted to break the set. Understandable.  Now when I use this set, I can again ask, "Cream or Sugar?"

Unfortunately, for this lonely sugar bowl, my question will still continue to be Cream or Sugar? I haven't given up the hunt, nor the hopes of finding the matching Creamer. It's a new year. . .one just never knows. . .but one thing is for sure. . .the hunt continues On Crooked Creek!

www.thegypsyscorner.com

I'm joining our gracious hostess, Tam @ The Gypsys Corner, for Three or More Tuesday. Consider joining this weekly meme with three or more of some of your collectibles. Please visit The Gypsys Corner and be inspired for creative ways to display those treasured items in your own home decor.


Until next time. . .