Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Playing around with Easter place settings




I love to set the table--sometimes I am more interested in the china and accouterments than I am in the actual food ! Well, most of the time I am if truth be told. I love to view the table settings at ABC Carpet and Home in NY and in the departments stores in Paris. Caspari has a concept store in Charlottesville, Va. that is a dream for table scape people. They mix real china with Caspari paper goods and lacquerware and it is just striking -well worth a visit if you are in that area.

The small pink plates with the monkey are ISIS Ceramics and hard to find and a bit pricey. I only have the four plates in this size but I mix them with glass plates and other pink plates as shown here. The glass plates with the bunny in the middle and the accompanying bunny covered dish came from Horchow Home a few years ago. I think this will be my table setting for Easter dinner.

My silver flatware is an old Reed and Barton pattern called Love Disarmed a partly clad woman and a cupid or a baby in her arms. She may be Venus I have heard different descriptions of this pattern. Love, love love it.

It also goes well with an old pattern called Cupid which am just starting to collect. I love unusual silver. I try and use it a lot no good sitting in a drawer waiting for "something special" use your silver life is short enjoy your finer things that is my mantra.

I feel I am getting a handle on my Easter table settings might use real flowers for center of table or I might use my lavender covered large bunny topiary. I will decide that at the last minute.

Have a PINK day!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Big bunny love!


Look who has joined our household!! He is a big ceramic bunny with lots of carrots . I saw him at Vintage and Vogue shop on Cindy's My Romantic Home blog . I called and the shop still had him and shipped him regular mail to me. With good bubble wrap you can ship anything!


He is too handsome to just use at Easter so he will be out somewhere in my pink home all the time. Pink Boy thinks I buy so many bunnies because I want a real one --true -- but I think even if I had a real one I would still get them.

We are on the home stretch to Easter now still lots to do-and as the White Rabbit says, "Mustn't be late!

Have a PINK day!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Pink houses in Charleston continued...







To continue a previous post here are more pink houses in Charleston, S.C.-- so lovely and all so different.

I continue to look for pink houses where ever I go. I wish I could paint my little house pink but we have rules in the subdivision that prevent using certain colors.

Charleston is a walking city so you can take your time and really look at the textures and colors all around you. Savannah and San Francisco I classify as walking cities also. Hmm seems most walking cities have a ample supply of pink homes--wonder what that means?

Maybe when I retire ( if I ever do) I can find a little pink house near water to live in--that is my dream. I like the water nearby -the majesty and power of the ocean, the serene beach at dusk, the soothing sounds of waves and the soulful cry of ocean birds are all things I enjoy.

Until then I keep having fun finding pink houses and making my world as pink as possible !

Have a PINK day!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

You are invited to a private performance


My tiny little theatre arrived from Amada at Over the Top Studios-- it is a tiny piece of perfection and such a fun thing to look at.


Marie Antoinette loved to perform and had her own stage constructed. She was, by all accounts of the day, a gifted performer -she sang danced, acted. She also designed all the costumes! What fun. Remember everything was lit by candles back then-- it must have looked so special.

Back to present day--I can look at my tiny theatre and stage my own production in my mind.

Everything Amada does is so wonderful- check out her blog to the right.

Have a PINK day!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Miss Teeny bunny --an Easter creation




It is PINK Saturday ! Well around this blog it is usually pink anyday I am obsessed with PINK.
How I love bunnies, real and handmade. This cutie bunny was created by Lori Karla of the delightful My Faerie Window blog. Miss Teeny is in my Easter basket looking very fetching with her tutu and bow! She had a little trouble getting back into her pink nut cup-- she is so tiny she had to struggle but she made it!

So is so tiny and delicate--I couldn't let my girls get near her . I am afraid they would think she is a toy for them and might eat her or tear her. She is a treasure to be sure. I am lucky that Miss Moss my cat doesn't climb up on things. She looks but never bothers any thing not even the Christmas tree!

Please go to Beverly's blog and visit some other PINK Saturday bloggers. Her blog is How Sweet the Sound.
Soon Easter will be here and all my Easter pretties will be played with and admired-I am always sad when Easter day is over. More Easter pinkness to come!

Have a PINK day!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Oscar you've done it again!


The whole world seems to be turning pink--and nothing wrong with that! I have always loved Oscar de la Renta. Classic, elegant, style over trend are words I use to describe his creations. I also have always thought that he is an elegant, decent person. Maybe someday they will open one of his boutiques here in Atlanta.




In the meantime I enjoy looking at Vogue and other magazines to see his work. This pink fur coat just grabbed my attention. I don't normally like fur coats--too bulky and hot but something about this pink dyed fox fur is just so ethereal!




As we finally are emerging from one of coldest winters with more snow than most Atlanta residents can remember I look longingly at this pink coat and think-- I needed you this winter but now I feel a hint of spring in the air!




Have a PINK day!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Macon Cherry Blossom Festival





We went to Macon today and were so disappointed none of 300,000 cherry trees were in bloom! The only cherry blossoms we saw were these in vases and in arrangements on mail boxes etc all fake. It is due to the very cold spring we are having. Today was 70 degrees but next few days will be chilly so no blooms till mid week at the earliest.
Macon has some wonderful old homes and it is a very PINK city I think I could live there. It does move at a slower small towm pace.

But we enjoyed all the people and dogs in pink, the pink city trash cans( I wonder if I could buy one?) and the pink lines down the streets leading to the festival site
Have a PINK day!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

White cats and party hats... oh my!







My neighbor has a white cat. They named it White Cat. White Cat is my friend. She rushes over to see me when I pull into driveway or in the mornings if I sit out on my little patio she comes and has breakfast with me. She is lovely. My cat ,Charlotte Moss, is a bit jealous of her.



Charlotte Moss loves to wear her pretty bows-- just for the sake of being pretty. I make her bows and I made one for White Cat to wear too.

I love to celebrate the girls and Miss Moss's birthdays! Since we have three Maltese we celebrate them all at once. They wear their party hats. Simone-Marie is the one with the hat down over her eyes--hers always falls forward and she is shy anyway so it sort of matches her personality. Sydney-Marie loves to wear stuff and loves to have her photo taken-she usually sticks her tongue out and littlest one Sophie-Marie is in the center spot.

See all the bows I made for Charlotte-- I must make some other for Spring--I might do one of tulle or organza that would be really pretty and ethereal. I sew them and glue them too so they do not come undone.

Have a PINK day!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Easter surprises..sshhh








The Easter bunny has directed me to help him this year. I told you I had a secret! I have been in a collaboration with a wonderful pastry/cake artist in San Francisco --Marilyn. She has created sugar panorama eggs for me to give out and some delicate pink chocolate eggs as well.


I don't think these photos do them justice but here is a sneak peek! My Easter baskets at my house we use year after year- they are rather unique a wire frame covered with green leafy vines I have never seen them again and the place I bought them doesn't have them this year.


I will have to very carefully box these eggs for shipping to far away friends! Marilyn does them even more elaborate but shipping those is very tricky so we have opted not to do too much icing or things that stand out from the actual eggs.


You can email Marilyn for future orders at Victoriansweets@yahoo.com she is as sweet and delightful as her creations!


Have a PINK day!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Bunny pink breakfast!!





Pink Boy is an excellent breakfast maker! On Sunday we had PINK bunny shaped pancakes and some of my bunny and cabbage collection graced our table. What a nice surprise and soon Easter will be here. The pancakes were really a lot pinker in person.


We ate in the little breakfast area in the kitchen. The kitchen/family room area is all pink and green. Many bunnies reside in this area all year. On walls, and on counters and inside furniture.


Williams Sonoma makes the pancake molds I also have hearts and circus animals. Kids love them and I suspect I may be just a big kid.


Have a PINK day!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Charleston window boxes-quick fix of Spring!







I am really trying to rush Spring. I can't wait for things to bloom. So to amuse myself until my roses, peonies, saliva, iris, foxgloves etc bloom I went through my Charleston photos and found these lovely window boxes-- I love a full window box and so it seems do Charlestonians.


My house is not really a window box kind of house. I must get my window box fix in other cities.

Have a PINK day!



Saturday, March 20, 2010

A white rabbit with a secret


This cute little bunny has a secret-look at the way she is looking over her shoulder and keeping both paws on her basket! Look at that pink bow so festive!
She is a cookie jar but that is not the secret-- the secret will be revealed soon.

Have a PINK day!

Friday, March 19, 2010

La Dame aux Camelias







Camille, the 1936 American movie version of the Dumas novel with Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor is one of my favorite movies. Garbo is so fragile and mysterious and alone as Marguerite Gauthier. She doesn't "milk" the dying scene. From that Dumas novel came many movies, versions for the theatre and ballet and opera adaptations.


I loved her apartment and her beautiful dresses. I love that it is in black and white somehow that seems fitting for the woman in white.


Here are a few of my own camellias that are blooming right now. I love the soft pinks and I also have a pink and white striped one.


When I saw Moulin Rouge with Nicole Kidman it was basically the same story with the same ending but with a lot more music and drama. I loved it!


Camellias hold a special place in Southern gardens and when they start to bloom I know the other flowers of spring are soon to follow.


Have a PINK day!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Cherry blossom time is near-Hanami




I am so lucky to live not far from Macon, Georgia and the annual cherry blossom festival there.

Some years I don't get to go but this year I am going for sure!! Macon actually has more Yoshino cherry trees than Washington, D.C. and Macon goes all out for the festival. One woman dies her white standard poodle pink for it! I am told the pink dye washes out and doesn't hurt the dog. Macon has about 300,000 Yoshino trees.


When you drive down a street in Macon that is lined on both sides with Yoshino's in bloom it is rather other worldly-- people tend to whisper and walk or drive slowly-almost in awe of the beauty. In Japanese it is called Hanami the viewing of the cherry trees and it is a major cultural event there. Photos above are from BBG web site.

One day I would like to go to Washington, D.C. and see them there . And this year the Brooklyn Botanical Garden has its cherry blossom festival May 1 and 2. They have many other Japanese events going on at the same time. I want to go see the trees of course and to see the Japanese dancers show in the photo above. It will be a real treat to participate in two Hanami!!


Up close one sees the blossoms are a light pink but when light is on the tree it appears almost white and very ethereal and cloud-like.

Have a PINK day!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

A rose by David Austen is a good thing




In a previous post I showed my climbing New Dawn roses. I have several around the fence and over a few arbors. My favorite bush type roses are the Old English style roses that come from David Austen of the United Kingdom. He does so many beautiful roses in soft rose colors.You really feel like you are in an English rose garden--or an old French rose garden.

The photos above are from the most recent David Austen catalog--you can also go on line to see his catalog. I like to give roses as gifts for wedding showers, birthdays--if I know the person is a gardener. The thing I like about the Austen roses are they are hardier and more disease free and most smell divine and they are less work.
My first love will always be peonies and sweet peas but the soft velvet rose petals of these beautiful pink roses will always have a place in my garden as well as in my heart.
Have a PINK day!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Tea treats







I am always looking for unique and pretty tea time treats- silver, china etc. I found these lovely colored sugars at Beautiful Gatherings web site. The sugars are made by Sugars by Sharon and there are so many holiday ones and ones suitable for a bridal shower, baby shower and just pretty ones in sea shapes, flower shapes. They would make a unique hostess gift also.



You can buy them in small amounts too for a specific party. My girlfriends will enjoy these when they come for tea. And I plan on giving some away in Easter baskets. The come well packed not one was broken.

The tea cups came from a yard sale--they are Haviland. I love old china. The pink china egg is one Godiva did years ago filled with treats.Alas, the treats have been eaten and I think found a home on my hips! There is my other prized silver tea strainer.
It is all in the details and presentation. Going these extra small steps really makes guests feel special.

Have a PINK day!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Library of my dreams







Even though my life is so PINK I do love other colors. I just wish I had more rooms or another home to decorate! All my life I have been a reader-I love books- and since I have so many hobbies and love art history and fashion and gardening I can sure accumulate the books. I do a major purge of books yearly giving most of my paperback mysteries to the local library.


I've wanted a real library room forever! And about 2 years ago I finally got it. Turning a 3rd guest bedroom upstairs into my little library. The walls are painted a deep apricot almost what I would call burned apricot and I took an old sofa and recovered it in a deep apricot damask and put down in the cushions--not practical --but so comfy and poufy looking! The fabric hanging on the left of this bookcase is a Japanese obi belt- the colors matched so well had to display it.

A friend made the book cabinets to fit all my books and a TV and I hung some of my Japanese Utamaro prints on the walls. A small lady's chair and an old radio finish it off. It is cozy and quiet and my favorite spot to sit and read or watch a movie. All my reference books are at hand and all my books relating to French travel, culture and French life are in one area. If you are a reader you know what a joy this is!! So even though the library is not pink it is pink in that it brings me peace, happiness and a cozy corner to relax.

Have a PINK day!



Sunday, March 14, 2010

Egg art


I saw this pretty egg on line and Lori of My Faerie Window made me one in pink of course! It is like a tiny jewel box! I set the Easter baskets out early and put some things in them right away. The rest the Easter Bunny must provide.

The girls love all the holidays (they get that from me) and Sydney-Marie and Charlotte Moss are still hoping for a real white bunny. In the meantime we must enjoy the pretty treasures we have. Sydney likes to dress up as a bunny for Easter I have to find her "ears" don't know where I put them. I collect bunny things so Easter is always full of bunnies new and old.

Have a PINK day!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Pink and Glittery Easter !


Happy Pink Saturday!! Go to Beverly's blog How Sweet the Sound to look at more pinkness !!


This is a new Easter basket I got from Joann's Holiday Frivolities blog! I will use it for the girls Easter treats. I try and get them healthy treats. I love all the glitter and all the pink! And the white bunny on it too.


Have a PINK day!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Driving Misses Maltese





I had a dilemma .(see last post) How to take my three girls out and about? One day I was at this cute pet boutique in Marietta- Top Dog and I saw a doggie stroller. I had seen strollers before but they were usually for one dog and hunter green or black. Not at all proper for my feminine girls.


This stroller was PINK and had room for three or four small dogs!! I liked it even more because it had an area where they could go and be shaded. I could now take all three for long walks.

Tiny girl dogs can't walk two or three miles like I like to walk-- they literally stopped and I had to carry them rest of way-not fun.

In Ohio, when I had just one Maltese, I used a child's pink baby-doll carriage I found at a garage sale to walk her around for long walks. The neighbors came to Pink Boy and asked him (seriously) if I knew Zsa Zsa was a dog and not a real baby! That in a nutshell is the difference between North and South! Up North I was delusional -down South I am eccentric or borderline normal! Southerners celebrate the eccentricities of human nature.ha

Back to the pink big stroller, it was pricey-- I waited till it went on sale and told Pink Boy how much they would love it. He bought it grumbling entire time that it was a waste of money (he is very good about buying things usually for the girls) and I'd use it once and that would be it.

As soon as we got it home and I showed it to them and opened the door on it all three scrambled inside so fast and his jaw dropped. And off we went. Been rolling along now for a few years and I added a parasol and I always take bottled water along too for them and snacks for a really long walk.

We still cause heads to turn and brakes squeal quite a bit when we are on main roads but we are styling in our pinkness and we don't look back!

Have a PINK day!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Puppy pink memories







Sydney-Marie is 5 now. She has a litter brother Ollie and another litter sister Chloe. Sydney-Marie stole my heart when I went to Florida to look at the puppies and choose one. She fell face first into her little water dish. I said ,"Oh she is clumsy just like me!" And after a few weeks she came home to Georgia to her forever home. Linda, her breeder Mom, called her Sydney for me and when she arrived home (after throwing up several times in the car on the way to airport. Thank you Delta airlines for helping me clean her up before the flight) she already knew her name and was wee wee pad trained.! If anyone wants a healthy, well adjusted Maltese contact Linda at Talin Maltese --they have a web site. The second photo is at about 16 weeks I think. She was roly poly puppy and then she grew into a swan. She is the youngest of my 3 girls

I couldn't resist dressing her up from time to time as a puppy. She is still good about dressing up. All my girls liked to have a binky as puppies and still do sometimes. I get them the Mams binky's and they suck on them and take them in and out of their mouths like a human baby. I never leave them alone with the binky just to be safe. I don't think they would bite it off but better safe than sorry.

I used to drive down Peachtree St in Atlanta with my first Maltese Zsa Zsa in her doggy car seat with a big pink bow on her head and a binky in her mouth on a pink ribbon so if she pushed it out it didn't fall on floor of car. Several cars almost crashed because people would look at her. I had to get her a lower car seat.

My girls like to get out and go places--it is harder with three. I will show you soon the solution to my three on the go dilemma. We still stop traffic sometimes!!

Have a PINK day! woof

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Hippity hop hop...



Pink Boy helped me bring all my extra Easter decorations and bunnies down a few days ago while it was snowing here. It sure didn't seem like Easter is on its way-- but it is of course and I am ready!!

Sydney-Marie ( photo to right) wants a real ,white, dwarf bunny to keep company with. Charlotte Moss also wants a bunny she says it won't bark at her! Is that a hint? I doubt they will get their wish. Simone-Marie and Sophie-Marie (mother and daughter) just want treats and extra attention. Maltese remind me of bunnies sort of anyway.

I am busy assisting the Easter Bunny gathering goodies for baskets and making some treats myself for some special little people we know and love and a few big people we know and love.

One year, when I was small, my Dad found a lady in Ky (I am from Ky) who took goose eggs dyed them a skin tone color, made hair (it was pale pink!!) out of cotton or something and painted a pretty face and added tiny, tiny pearl earrings and made a collar of lace which was the egg stand and a hat too. I had a very special egg in my basket! The egg was hollow and blown out. I kept that egg for over 15 years till it finally got crushed during a move. It is amazing to think what impression something like that will leave on someone. I really treasured that egg. I also still have my metal wind up chick and the key!
I am off make Easter memories. I hope they are good ones for the children who are special to me.
Have a PINK day!


Decorated shoes for the Atlanta Ballet




It took me long enough--- some times I am slow as molasses. I finally finished the shoes for the ballet gift shop to sell to help Atlanta ballet. I want to do some other things to help with ballet. I've always loved ballet and want to support our troupe not all cities have own ballet company. Some glitter and rosebuds and little flowers on the signed pair. I hope they sell.


My favorite ballet is Sleeping Beauty- it is also my favorite fairy tale too. I saw the Sadler Wells ballet company perform it years ago and it was so amazingly beautiful that I still recall the sets and the way the male dancers were able to leap so high-so much power in their dancing.

I made Pink Boy come to a ballet class with me one time years ago. He soon realized how hard it is and how not flexible he is! I know now that many football players take ballet and I see the correlation between the two worlds.

If you live in Atlanta area there are still a few ballet performances left this season check one of them out. Here is the link click here for all the information http://www.atlantaballet.com/

Have a PINK day!


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