{My Hand Knitted Silk Lace Shawl in Peacock Pattern}

It is about time that I show you my Hand Knitted Silk Lace Shawl in Peacock Pattern. Most bloggers know that it takes time for styling things and it's even harder for items you have to wear! The weather at home had been quite dark and dreary so we thought we take all those pieces with us in the car to Florida - to the SUNSHINE STATE.

Well yeah, SUNSHINE behind those gray clouds...

Here we are again on September 19, at the Hyatt House Miami Airport, our favorite home away from home.

Never mind, their botanical garden is still great for making photos!

So here is my hand knitted (yes, by ME!) shawl from Swiss Lang Yarns in a 100% taupe silk, which  I had obtained from New York by the box, wholesale. 

Closeup of the Peacock Pattern in Silk

As a matter of fact, I did three of these silk shawls. One was a gift for a dear friend in Australia and one I donated to "THREADS OF LIFE: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S TEXTILE ART" from the Georgia State University. You can read more from my LinkedIn profile.

Knitted after this Anna Burda pattern.

The skirt is my own sewing creation in a matching tropical wool from Britex Fabrics, San Francisco with silk lining from Britex Notions.

Shoes are Charles Jourdan from the Outlet.

Pantyhose are +Wolford from the Outlet

Bag is from Chanel from I Magnin, San Francisco.

Cotton peplum shirt is by Escada from the Outlet.

Gold Cameo brooch is a gift from Pieter, bought in Eindhoven, The Netherlands as an estate piece at a jewelry store.

Cane I used only because the model in the Anna Burda held one...

Watch is a Rado from Switzerland; tax free.

Pearl Majolica earrings are from Singapore airport; tax free.

Pearl bracelet by Majolica is from Neiman Marcus at Oahu in Hawaii.

When shopping frugally at Outlets and tax free, one can afford some little luxuries... 

Closing my eyes... dreaming of SUNSHINE.

That's a FULL size 4 or European 34

Related links:
Rose lace pattern with rippled diamond edging | blog by Astrid from Sweden with lace knitting shawl
GEBREIDESJAALS | blog by Mieke who is a Dutch artist in fine lace shawl knitting
Faden Stille | blog by Anett who is German artist in lace knitting, living in France
Träumereien Angel Smile | blog by Brigitte from Germany who does also lace knitting
Bergzauber stricken | blog by Marlies from Switzerland showing a knitted silk lace shawl

Britex Fabrics

Britex Notions

Mariette on Google+

{Antique French 19th Century 950/1000 Silver & Crystal Muffineer, Sugar Shaker, Caster Sifter}

French Antiques are often of a unique beauty. So is this 19th Century 950/1000 Silver & Crystal Muffineer, Sugar Shaker, Caster Sifter. Use it for sifting powdered sugar over your pancakes, waffles or other desserts. Also great for using as Cinnamon Shaker!

Voilà!

A very rare beauty and in PERFECT CONDITION!

Only ONE availabe for sale at my Zen Cart powered boutique on line Mariette's Back to Basics: Antique French 19th Century 950/1000 Silver & Crystal Muffineer.

This Muffineer is quite tall with its full 13 cm or 5.1 inch in height.
The rich antique patina on the solid pure silver I leave for the new owner to be removed.

PERFECT CONDITION; no dents, no chips or whatsoever!

A unique piece and it will look great on your Dessert, Brunch or Tea Buffet.
Again I have used it with our large Gardenia flowers and the beautiful hand crocheted lace table topper done by Susan from Ava Grace's Closet's Mama.
A most treasured Gift from Blogger Friend!

Showing you where the French Goddess Minerva head is being punched.

It is sideways...

Next photo you will see it better...

A perfect French Minerva is visible here.

French Minerva means it is 1st standard silver, showing the Goddess Minerva with a number 1 (which I have circled red) beside her forehead.
This number 1 denotes a silver content of 950/1000 or almost PURE silver and higher than the usual 925 sterling silver content!

Signature Antiquite - Les Poinçons (link to above screen shot)

Sorry Sold out...

My private collection of Silver Muffineer and Sugar Sifter Spoons with WAFFLE
see link below post

Muffineer used for this romantic dessert with Strawberry Rose Petal Cream...
Do you use powdered sugar often?

Related links:
{1862 Christofle Sugar Sifter Spoon 'Filet Violon'} | previous post by me showing Silver Muffineer
Christies Danish Silver Muffineer | Christie's Auction of Danish Silver Muffineer 1919-1927
English Heavy Silver Sugar Shaker or Castor | Example of Silver Muffineer
French cristal argent massif saupoudreuse | French 19th Century Crystal and Solid Silver Muffineer
Saupoudreuse en cristal taille et argent | French cut Crystal and Silver Muffineer

Mariette on Google+

{Antique German REPOUSSE Silver ANGELS Napkin, Letter or Card Holder}

Offering here a very rare and unique Antique German REPOUSSE Silver ANGELS Napkin, Letter or Card Holder for either the Office or your Tea Table. It is such an elegant addition. Below this post you find more links with also photos as a Card Holder. Hope you enjoy this special piece of silver work by German Silversmith ADAM MANNS & SOHN. This Holder is from before 1938 when they added a dot to the AMD silver mark after son Wilhelm took over. You will see info below.

Frolicking ANGELS or PUTTI decorate this beautiful Napkin, Card or Letter Holder...

Used here with hand crocheted cocktail napkins.

This rare antique piece is available for sale at my ZenCart powered on line Boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics: Antique REPOUSSE Silver ANGELS Napkin or Card Holder. 

This will adorn any tea table or hors d'œuvre buffet in a very romantic way!

Again I did use the gifted hand crocheted lace table topper made by blogger friend Susan from Ava Grace's Closet's Mama and of course our favorite Gardenias, the Large variety.

Don't you love these frolicking ANGELS together with the lace and flowers?

Creating a little bit of heaven on earth...

This is the back side, which is exactly the same as the front.

Different angle...

Showing you its bottom part and width, with feet.

Closeup of those frolicking ANGELS... PUTTI

The Silver Mark 800 AMD by ADAM MANNS & SOHN

This is the older mark from before 1938 as it is in a different sequence and without the • (dot) behind AMD as later was used by Adam's son Wilhelm

Sold out...

Once more, thanks to the help of +Johanna Gehrlein's exceptional book about Silver Rose tableware I found all the info in her book: +Rosen-Bestecke  

THANKS a lot Johanna! 

Do you love anything ANGELS?

Related links:
{Antique German REPOUSSE Silver Roses Napkin, Letter or Card Holder} | previous post by me
{Happy New Year - 2012} | previous post by me showing a Silver Cards Holder with 2 Angels
Giovanni Raspini 925 Silver Letter/Napkin Holder 2 Angels | heavy silver holder protected against oxidation at my ZenCart powered Boutique on line.
Antique REPOUSSE Silver Roses Napkin or Card Holder | at my ZenCart powered Boutique on line
{Violets from our Garden and on French Country Style Wooden Tableau} | previous post by me showing silver card holder with 2 Angels - SCROLL down please for Card Holder photos!
PUTTI PLAYING GAMES, 'EN GRISAILLE' | CHRISTIE'S CIRCLE OF PIAT-JOSEPH SAUVAGE (TOURNAI 1744-1818)
PUTTI PAINTING AND DRAWING, 'EN GRISAILLE' | CHRISTIE'S AN ALLEGORY OF THE LIBERAL ARTS - MANNER OF PIAT-JOSEPH SAUVAGE

Mariette on Google+

{Antique German REPOUSSE Silver Roses Napkin, Letter or Card Holder}

Offering here a very rare and unique Antique German REPOUSSE Silver Roses Napkin, Letter or Card Holder for either the Office or your Tea Table. It is such an elegant addition. Below this post you find more links with also photos as a Card Holder. Hope you enjoy this special piece of silver work by German Silversmith Christoph Widmann since 1919. 

Here you see the front side of this exceptional silver piece in Repousse Roses.

I used it here as a holder for cocktail napkins to be used for hors d'oeuvres or tea.

This is available at my ZenCart powered on line boutique Mariette's Back to Basics: Antique REPOUSSE Silver Roses Napkin or Card Holder. Feel free to share!

Now showing you the equal back side of this fine master piece in silver.

Again showcasing the beautiful hand crocheted lace table topper by blogger Friend Susan's Mama from Ava Grace's Closet.

Back to the front and a bit closer...

Our last Gardenias look great with this masterpiece!

A real closeup...

The Christoph Widmann Silver Mark

Once more, thanks to the help of +Johanna Gehrlein's exceptional book about Silver Rose tableware I found all the info in her book: +Rosen-Bestecke 

THANKS a lot Johanna! 

Do you love anything roses?

Sorry Sold out...

Related link:
Christoph Widmann, Pforzheim Germany
Antik Silver | Manufactured as if still in the 19th Century - select napkin holder from dropdown
{Happy New Year - 2012} | previous post by me showing a Silver Cards Holder with 2 Angels
{Violets from our Garden and on French Country Style Wooden Tableau} | previous post by me showing silver card holder with 2 Angels - SCROLL down please for Card Holder photos!

Mariette on Google+

{Silver Grape Scissors with Roses and Champagne Grapes}

On August 22, I was finally able to make some outdoor photos, using our Silver Grape Scissors and the Champagne Grapes that we found at Trader Joe's the week before. I had not seen them in quite a while... 

So it's off to our balcony, the new polyurethane balustrade and railings are not yet painted but nevertheless.

Here they are... Silver Grape Scissors from Sweden, on our silver gallery tray.

Again it is shown with two gifts that I received from blogger friend Susan, the author of Ava Grace's Closet; the filet lace hand crocheted doily that lines the tray and the very finely crocheted lace table topper.

On the silver gallery tray are two Baccarat Champagne glasses...

Susan's Mama did such an excellent job on crocheting these pieces.

Thanks again Susan!

Have you ever tasted Champagne Grapes?

They are so sweet and a lot tinier than regular seedless grapes.

Here you can see the roses and leaves on the Silver Grape Scissors.

Some sweet golden wine is poured into the Baccarat champagne glasses.

Some laughing cow cheese and crackers from Costco, to go with the grapes and wine.

Mary's Gone Crackers are ORGANIC • GLUTEN FREE made with Whole Grains & Seeds and contain no added oils or trans-fats, sugar or dairy.

Why don't you join?

China is French GIEN ROSE.

For the moment, the sun is shining...

Related link:

What are Champagne Grapes? Champagne grapes are the name given to a specific type of grape, the Corinth. They are also being used for black currants.

Mariette on Google+

{Meaningful GIFT from The Fairmont Empress Victoria}

Certain days sometimes are full of surprises, such as the mailman delivering an unexpected package. This time it came from dear FRIEND Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista, author and speaker... Carefully unwrapping and finding a very Meaningful gift from the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, Canada. What a joy! Both of us have stayed at two of the Fairmont hotels, the Fairmont Château Frontenac in Québec City on August 13 till 16 of 1998 and the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa from 18 till 20 August of 1998. 

Voilà... A beautiful cobalt blue with gold tin 'TEA at THE EMPRESS with 10 tea bags!

A lovely golden pouch holding this precious tea.

THE FAIRMONT EMPRESS Victoria...

From the Province of British Columbia, Canada where our daughter Liz is born!

THANKS a MILLION Celia for this precious gift and all the fond memories that it did evoke!

We used to live on 304 Fairmont Drive...

As said above, our daughter Liz is born in British Columbia, Canada...

Top seasonal quality tea from e.g. South India... where we have worked!

On our way to work we drove past those tea plantations.

TEA at THE EMPRESS

The South Indian component (Nilgiri mountains)... where we have worked!

So often we passed those tea plantations on our way to work high in the mountains when doing consulting in India for Pond's India for about a decade.

There is one more GIFT from another Canadian blogger FRIEND.

Susan from Ava Grace's Closet sent me this incredibly fine hand crocheted lace table topper; made by her Mama!

So here I did pair it with some fresh Gardenias from our garden on June 22, in our front porch since it was not light enough inside the home. I just finished my photo shoot before another tropical thunderstorm came up!

Using the 1930s teacup and saucer from my dear Mother in Law; blue transferware from Société Céramique Blue Boerenhoeve

Here it is: TEA at THE EMPRESS...

Hope you enjoyed this Meaningful gift of delicious tea!

THANKS again dear Celia and thanks dear Susan!

Related link:

{Our Hydrangea Trio and Tea in 1930s Blue Transfer Ware} | previous post by me

{Mother-in-law's 1930s Société Céramique Blue Boerenhoeve Transferware} | previous post by me

{Difference Between Coffee & Tea Cups} | previous post by me