An Anniversary Breakfast

China...he wanted something masculine; I wanted something feminine.  Somehow, we compromised with this blue and white pattern. That was seventeen years ago.  I thought it was befitting to pull it out for our anniversary.  While I love the more feminine patterns of china, this blue and white design paired nicely with the little Royal Copenhagen 'creamer' and simple blueberry and gardenia arrangement.  The blue and white creamer was passed down from my grandmother.  I am told that my great, great aunt used this little container to fill the small cups with wine or grape juice for communion Sunday.  I used it today to hold maple syrup for the apple turnover.  The big slab of bacon is just absent from the picture!  The blueberry bushes were so beautiful with the early morning dew!

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Instead of a newspaper, I photocopied a picture from our wedding and wrote a note on the back chronicling the years of our marriage.  Happy Anniversary!

  A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. ~Ruth Bell Graham

Join me at Table Top Tuesday , Tablescape Thursday and Show and Tell Friday!

A Little Gift

Some very sweet and new friends of ours celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary.  Their daughters threw them a surprise party!  Sadly, we could not attend, but sent this little gift to honor their special day.  It was very simple and the 'House Blessings' book was such a sweet read.  Before the hydrangeas bloom, I am on the hunt for great containers.  In May and June, my friends with special occasions can expect they will get something filled with the flowers!  I attached a little quote that I just love...

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~Simone Signoret

For more gift ideas, see A Gift for the Gardener.

Check out other great ideas at Between Naps on the Porch!

For Mosaic Monday check out Little Red House!

A Little Bit of Sunshine for the Kitchen Table

The herb box was found in the little coastal town of Southport, NC.  I covered the pots with different kinds of moss and wedged a little bird's nest in the middle.  As the tulips died down, I changed them out with different potted plants.  I love maiden hair ferns, because they are a little messy...kind of like my kitchen drawers!

Check out other tablescapes at Between Naps on the Porch!

I am linking this to Sunday Favorites at Chari's Happy to Design!

A Pink and Green Morning Picnic

 Early in the morning before the air is so thick you can hardly breath, we headed to a beautiful park for a picnic and to feed the geese.  Parks are free, the food is simple, the air is pleasant in the early morning, and my children are easily entertained by the wildlife.  Since my girls brought their dolls, it was a great time to practice manners and 'setting the table.'  We still have some work to do on the table setting!   'Blunders, a Game of Manners' is a fun way to teach manners and is a simple game for even my four year old.  For more fun summer things to do with your children, click here! 

    Our little pot of golden honey was taken from the bees below!   To see more pictures of harvesting our honey, click here!
 

Check out Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch! 

I have also linked this post to Sunday Favorites at Happy to Design!

Cottages by the Sea

Just south of Wilmington, NC sits a small little town called, Southport.  Our family traveled to the beaches near Southport for a family reunion.  I managed to sneak away for several hours to walk around the town.  Southport is getting ready for the Fourth of July Festival.  The festival hosts all kinds of vendors, and many folks that sell on ETSY set up shop here for the long weekend.  We attended the festival last year and went home with some great treasures!  I was sad our trip didn't overlap this year!  It was fun to watch the transformation of the town and all the little cottages as they began their display of red, white, and blue and patriotic decor!  If these little houses could talk, what lessons of simplicity might they offer!  In my mind, heaven looks like this...little cottages by the sea! 

See  Met Monday for more great ideas and transformations!