Instant Glamour (on the cheap)

One silver-plated wine bucket from a weekend rummage sale.  (I think it may be from Bombay & Co. originally.)  Plus one small vase.

Isn't this a great price?

Polish it up (oops, I missed a spot) and add peonies from the garden. 

 Voila!  Instant glamour, on the cheap.  ;) 

 Happy Tuesday, dear bloggers!  

*********

Look for my big 500th post giveaway tomorrow. Wait till you see what I got just  for you.   I think you will like it!

Mosaic Monday: Flower Power

Welcome to another Mosaic Monday!   We have had so much rain this spring that sometimes I've felt as if it was just another three months of cabin fever.  But the upside is that the flowers have been glorious.  Oh, how I love spring.  :)

So, let's have some mosaic fun!  Here are the instructions:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post.  This will lead you to the static link for your post.  The static link is the page with only that post on it.  Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it!  It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me:  mrcarroll(at)optonline.net.  I can't wait to see your mosaics!  Here is Mr. Linky:

Forever Raining

It was raining like crazy yesterday, so I went out and cut some of my poor flopping peonies.  I've always been reluctant to cut anything from the garden, but I've got to say that having these peonies inside has made me a convert.  Even with this dark and dreary day, they make me smile every time I see them.  :)

We will be taking my son back to Philadelphia on Sunday, so I may be a little later than usual in putting up Mr. Linky for Mosaic Monday.  But I promise to get it up by 10:00pm at the latest.  I hope you will join me.  :)

Perennial Beauty

I have some more garden photographs for you today.  These were taken at the Cross Estate gardens, which I showed you here earlier in the week.  In addition to the shade garden I showed you, there is also a beautiful formal walled garden, filled with gorgeous perennials.  Don't you love these soft yellow iris?

Yes, the garden has  very formal bones, but the plantings billow out over the paths in a very romantic style.  Love it!

The brick pergola is covered with wisteria.  In early May, it is alive with the drone of bees, visiting the long purple racemes.  It is a wonderful spot to sit and contemplate the whole garden.

Isn't this peony beautiful, with it's soft pink colors?

I think I've already said that blue is my favorite color in the garden.  Isn't this beautiful?

Mmmm, gorgeous columbine.

Oh how I love this large Italian pot, surrounded by dianthus and lamb's ears and other beautiful flowers and herbs.

Dictamnus -- old fashioned gas plant.  Such a funny name for a pretty plant.

Oh how I love that stone wall, too.  Gorgeous!

A gate out through the pergola leads to a rhododendron walk.  I hope you enjoyed our little tour.  Have a wonderful weekend, dear bloggers.  :)

Tablescape Thursday: Red Spode Dinner

A few years ago, my dear friend, Robin, was on a mission to visit every HomeGoods, TJMaxx and Marshalls in the northern half of New Jersey.  Of course, I had to tag along.  After all, what are friends for?

My husband and I had just had our kitchen renovated, and had a dishwasher for the first time in our married lives.  So I decided that we needed to get a set of good dishes that we could use in our red dining room, and that could go in the dishwasher.  And I happen to have a thing for transferware.

So I spent about six months gathering a set of reproduction Spode transferware.  No two dishes are the same, and I love to look at all the different patterns.

Over the years, I have collected a few vintage and antique pieces as well.  This covered sauce boat is one of my favorites.  See my husband's salt and pepper shakers?  Also my favorites.

So, a little more about the actual table settings:  The glassware is Waterford, in the Donegal pattern.  The linen napkins are edged in pink, and embroidered with a monogram.  (No, it's not my monogram.)  ;)

The centerpiece  is my old standby faux flowers.  The candlesticks are antique; bought in England years ago.

Bone-handled knives and coin silver spoons are from my collection of rag tag flatware.  We never registered for gifts when we got married, so I have had a lot of fun collecting dishes and flatware in thrift stores and antique shops.

So that's my red Spode dinner.  Many thanks to our sweet Tablescape Thursday hostess, Susan.  Please visit Susan's blog, Between Naps on the Porch, for more wonderful tablescapes.

A Garden Romantic

OK, first you need to know that I'm a sucker for enclosed gardens --  anything with a wall, be it stone or brick or wood, and a sense of enclosure.  Isn't this wonderful?  It's one of my favorite local gardens, the Cross Estate Garden.

Just look at this sea of beautiful white anemones.  You have to love anything that spreads with such abandon.

I guess I have a thing for blowsy, too.  Just a little too full, definitely overabundant.  Am I a garden  romantic?  Absolutely.

I have no idea what this flowering shrub is, but it smells wonderful!  And the variegated ground cover below?  Sorry, no idea what that is either.  But isn't it pretty?

So tell me, what is your garden style?  Enclosed or wide open?  Formal or informal?  Regimented or chaos?  

Are you a garden romantic?

Three or More Tuesday: Estate Sale Silver

I seem to remember telling you a while back that I would show you the other purchases I made at an estate sale a few weeks ago.  

Ooops.

Well, better late than never, right?  So here they are.  First, seven coin silver spoons, monogrammed.  As many of you probably know, I have a thing for monogrammed silver.  I really don't care if it's my monogram -- I just like the pretty, curly letters.  :)

Here is a close-up of the monograms (below).

I also got two sterling silver fish forks.  Mind you, no one in my family actually eats fish, but I just fell in love with the shapes.  Yes, I know.  I need to tweak my meds.

I also got this silverplate serving piece.  I'm not sure what it's for, but again, I liked the shape.  And this one actually does have my monogram.  

So that makes it alright, right?

My monogram, see?

I'm linking this post to Three or More Tuesday, hosted by the very sweet and talented Tam.  To see more collections, please visit Tam at The Gypsy's Corner.