{Roses and Tea}

We did have some lovely looking roses in our garden. With the emphasis on 'looking' because for handling them they were not lovely! Very sharp thorns and thus rather prickly for arranging them inside this crystal Baccarat vase.

Looks lovely though; or not?

A healthy living snack... home baked almond cookies; my version of Amaretti cookies.

Tea and some fresh fruit.

You can see the many thorns on those stems!

Grapes are seedless...

Husband Pieter LOVES my home baked Amaretti cookies!

Sad thing is that Trader Joe's discontinued the Organic Coconut Sugar... Whole Foods Market does have it too, but they're far more expensive!

Are you also using the low glycemic index Coconut Sugar?

Related link:

{Coconut Palm Sugar with Glycemic Index 35} | previous post by me
{Antique French Gilt Metal & Glass Biscuit Box with Handle} | previous post by me

{Antique French Gilt Metal & Glass Biscuit Box with Handle}

On the French eBay I did come across this beautiful Antique French Gilt Metal & Glass Biscuit Box with Handle. The only problem was that one side of the handle had a missing threaded rivet... When I asked my husband if he could repair that, he said yes I can. So off I went and bid on it but the person was NOT willing to ship it to the USA. Well, I asked friend Janny from Rozen van Papier (Paper Roses) if she could help me out. She graciously did so and that's how I ended up being in possession of this antique French Biscuit Box. Only at Christie's I did find something similar: A VICTORIAN GILT METAL BISCUIT BARREL AND COVER WITH CUT-GLASS LINER, LATE 19TH CENTURY... Have a look at ours below, it is the same size as the one at Christie's above but not as valuable. But this is now our treasure!

Would you not have fallen in love with it?

One of those threaded rivets on the side of the handle was missing...

So what did I do to find a matching one?

Husband Pieter took the two off from the glass lid and replaced the one missing on the handle with one of them.

Than I went on line for finding two new ones for putting on the glass lid again.

Guess what? I ended up at Restoration Supply Company in Escondido, California where I ordered my two round threaded rivets and nut hex! 

We received excellent service from Miss Brandi K. Gay!

To the right is Brandi K. Gray.

A very caring company with OUTSTANDING customer service!

So refreshing to learn that such high courtesy companies still exist...

Somebody had tried to glue them to the glass top...

Tricky for removing all that gunk without damaging but Pieter managed to do so.

On top of the lid are the two new round threaded rivets with their matching hex nut that Pieter did saw to fit.

This Gilt Metal & Glass Biscuit Box measures 18.5 cm x 12 cm and 11 cm high or 7.3 inches long and 4.7 inch wide and 4.3 inch high. Quite a size and I filled it up with home baked Amaretti cookies made from almond meal.

Quite lovely or not?

What a history this biscuit box has had... wish it could speak!

So glad it arrived here safely in one piece; all the way from France.

Love those ball feet! Very nice beveled corners too.

If you like to sit down for a while, I will make you a tea or coffee to go with these Amaretti cookies.

ENJOY!

{Our 1939 Sweetness Daffodils}

• Yesterday we had two big nosegays of fragrant 1939 Sweetness Daffodils. One for a dear friend and one for us to fill a white ceramic vase. What a bliss for having those in January. That is extremely early. Do any of you have bulbs blooming right now? 

• 1939 Sweetness Daffodils and china from the Daffodil of Royal Albert Friendship series...
• This china pattern can be found at Replacements Ltd, click the above link.

• Fragrant Sweetness Daffodils; Sunshine and Tea...

• Dark chocolate Pomegranate from Costco.
• Amaretti cookie hearts from Mariette's Kitchen...

• Teapot is a French Pillivuyt

• The ceramic spoon to the right is an American Favorites Porcelain Spoon from Avon. It is the 1988 pattern with Daffodils.

• The sterling bon bon or nut spoon is a H44 H J Howe with daffodils.

• 1988 Avon Daffodils spoon

• Matching cocktail napkin with daffodil embroidery.

Sorry that you cannot smell their fragrance...

Related links:
{DAFFODIL OF ROYAL ALBERT FRIENDSHIP SERIES} | Previous post by me

{Our Ehrlicheer, 1934 - Richly Fragrant Daffodils}

Today I had a vase filled with our Ehrlicheer, 1934, richly fragrant daffodils.

They are available at Heirloom Daffodil Bulbs ← click it.

The china is Sanssouci Rose from Rosenthal ← click it. It is available at Replacements Limited.

You have to call ahead of time for enjoying some home made chocolates or Amaretti cookies!

In the back you can still see our {My ROZALEA® CORAL PINK birthday gift} in bloom on the kitchen windowsill.

The chairs in the kitchen are from IKEA, see: {Our new IKEA Nordmyra Chairs}.

Home made chocolate hearts and Amaretti cookies...

May spring time arrive soon to each of you and brighten your days with flowers.

{Our Fragrant Double Narcissus bloom!}

The weather has been so perfect all week! We walked in our bermudas around the pond at our local hospital where our fitness center is. This was wonderful doing so after we worked out on the machines; instead of using the treadmill.

So uplifting to see the Japanese magnolias in bloom and other trees. In our garden the {Fragrant Double Narcissus Obdam} (< click to see previous blog) bloom again.

Nice spring display on a Le Jacquard Français towel from Gerardmer, France with daffodils. We had a French exchange group in March 2005 and one of the chaperones stayed with us and gave us a present from her region.

The daffodil plate of the Royal Albert Friendhip series you can see in my prievious post: {DAFFODIL OF ROYAL ALBERT FRIENDSHIP SERIES} < click to open.

For a dear friend who had her birthday today I'd baked last night Amaretti cookies in heart shape and also made chocolate hearts. This is just a sampler...

Today was also Mom & Dad's 62nd wedding anniversary! We did talk to them by phone.

{Amaretti Hearts & Rose - Love - Romance}

We had such a lovely and sunny day, that I could make photos on the balcony! Maybe it does cheer up all those that have miserable and cold weather. Just trying to send some nice things your way. These very unique and lovely square cups & saucers are available at my Zen Cart on line boutique Mariette's Back to Basics: Romantic Square Cup & Saucer with Roses

Last night I did bake a batch of 30 Amaretti hearts (my own version of the Amaretti di Saronno cookies from Italy) in my Demarle Flexipan small heart tray. My oven is but a small European size Miele of 24". To put the Flexipan tray into the oven you also need an aluminum perforated baking sheet. Both are available at Demarle at Home via their consultant locator or on line, just click the hyperlink. It is a very famous French brand and I love to work with it. Great idea for Valentine's Day and I did use the cookies to take to our friends' home tonight, where we got invited over for dinner. 

Today we had about the same temperature as for Saturday, tomorrow. That really makes one HAPPY to feel the sun!

Twenty four (24) hearts inside this personalized bag.

Cupid in action and roses all around... Heart plates are made in Italy.

The sun peeking through the cut-out tray...

Rose ...♥... Love...♥...Romance

Perfect ingredients for Valentine's Day and for many more sunny days!

{Camellia Debutante & Chocolate}

What do you think about our three gorgeously pink Camellia Japonica Debutante?

They look so romantic against the beautiful table linens from Cottimaryanne, Firenze. 

Made of 100% Egyptian cotton damask in Florence, Italy. 

A scalloped treasure from the time that we lived and worked in Italy!

Camellias and chocolates...

 Almost rose like... and that for this time of the year!

 Displayed in my favorite silver ROSE vase...
Johanna, from the blog: Silber+Rosen loves this silver rose; no wonder she wrote the book: Rosen-Bestecke (Rose-Flatware) about it!

Teamed up with the romantic Royal Albert Princess Anne China in which I placed some hand made chocolates. Learn from Mariette.

Just click the following link to a post where I mad chocolate Angels and Roses:

{STIR UP ANGELIC TEA FOR TWO} Also Hearts I made... This is my second trial of angels and roses, click on the enlarged hyperlink to see the other ones. Now I've made them with Splenda so they're sugar free!

Also I tried my own heart shaped version of Amaretti di Saronno cookies.

In the summer I had no time doing that but now is the season to make them again. Perfect as a gift too.

Would you like me to make a cup of coffee or do you prefer tea?

Just eat your heart out...

{Easter Season}

• Just want to start with wishing all of you a very Happy Easter!
• Spring is here so it will be a great time to get into the garden and bring the blooms into the home.

• In my heart shaped tin, from Amaretti cookies, I do keep all the special window decorations to be hung up once again. 
• Also in that tin I do keep the organdy egg ribbons, I've made one year, to go around white and brown eggs.

•  These chicks also were inside the tin, waiting for their time to hang in the bay window of the kitchen and look into the garden where each day more and more green shows and where sun rays keep them warm.

• On the very bottom of that tin were the large egg shaped window decorations with the chicken and the bunnies. 
• Let's show them here...

• They are from Germany, made out of brass that has been polished and lacquered, to prevent them from tarnishing. They are hung from a silk cord, either from a suction cup or else. I found them years ago when we attended one of the International Mushroom Science Congresses in Regensburg, Germany. Of course one always finds some time to explore the city and its special gift shops. The owner of the shop did give me the information of the producer of these window decorations and I have ordered over the years quite some pieces. For Christmas they have a great variety too and they even will create your own design, provided you order a minimum of 100 pieces. For a club or special occasion that would work well. I did design a happy mushroom family, which I sold all over the world at congresses and such.
• Gut, für die deutsche Leserinnen hier die Info über die Jech Kunstgewerbe Fensterbilder 
• Okay, let's go into the garden and see what we can gather up in the special flower basket that Pieter, my husband, got from Erika Wald, with some packets of seeds...

• Here we are with the yield: some gorgeous blooming Obdam Narcissus and white Thalia "The Orchid Narcissus" for use in my Villeroy & Boch Easter eggs.

• In the basket are also some fresh sprigs of rosemary and double yellow daffodils to be used in the picture frames, for each table setting. I will introduce them to you, just be patient...
• Don't you agree that these Orchid Narcissus are one of the loveliest of all daffodils? Two or more graceful white flowers adorn each stem. The petals reflex slightly backward "like the wings of an angel". Of course these heirlooms are fragrant too!

• Here are the special Villeroy & Boch eggs that my dear sister Diny did find for me in The Netherlands after I'd seen them in a Dutch magazine. 
• You just fill them with water to become small vases and there are the Thalias... just perfect for that purpose. 
• I first put them in this large Gardenia Bowl from Wedgwood cream color on cream color, that I often use for floating candles together with fresh flower heads.

• Well, why don't we have some guests for dinner? The setting is just perfect so let's put the Le Jacquard Français tablecloth on and use the napkins with the silver napkin rings, the Baccarat Piccadilly glasses and the Wedgwood cream ware plates. The cute bunny that we did bring from Germany last year and the sheep to hold the place cards, get out of their tin as well; a different tin -- that held the champagne we received from Pieter's brother and his wife for a special birthday. Lots of stories to tell. That is the nostalgia of keeping traditions alive, each time you pass those special items through your hands, stories will come to mind again.

• Now let's see... I think I will set those eggs free. Isn't that sheep cute with the place card? And what a beautiful vase full of Obdam Narcissus in that Wedgwood cream color on cream color 8 oz pitcher which I use as a vase.

• Indeed, this looks better and even the sheep agree, as well as the bunny with the baby-bunny!
• Ah, now you can see those picture frames made of Delft white, they hold water and I've added in each a sprig of rosemary with one daffodil head. Using some paper towel to steady them works fine.

• Now, let Joe & Joanne come to share dinner with us...
• Always good to sit around the dinner table with special people to share a home cooked meal and to set the table in a special way.

Wishing each of you All Happiness For Easter!