{A Few White Gladiolus}

We were very lucky for having a few white gladiolus in a vase, just before the tropical rain hit our part of Georgia for a full day...

Yes, this photo is taken on the dark and dreary D-DAY when it rained all day...

Guess our Gladiolus want to teach us some history as the purple ones bloomed around Memorial Day!
Towel is from Le Jacquard Français, France.

After such heavy rain, those flowers are knocked down and gone...

There were more but we could not enjoy them!

Hope you enjoy some of your garden's fresh cut flowers as well.

Thanks for your visit!

Related link:
{Gladiolus from our Garden for Memorial Weekend 2016} | previous post by me

{Cherries in our Gazebo}

Do you LOVE fresh cherries as much as I do? One of summer's treats... Especially those dark Bing cherries. They are a typical June Fruit!

Here they are in a Pillivuyt strawberry bowl.
What I love about eating them in our gazebo is that you can throw the pits on the lawn...

Otherwise we use our favorite Westmark Cherry Pitter for other uses like with fresh baked waffles or pancakes.

German silver rose pastry tong...
A fun way for using fresh cherries with our Le Jacquard Français tablecloth and napkins with cherries!

Do you love to eat fresh cherries too and what is your favorite combination?

Related link:

{Nature's Candy - Sweet Cherries} | previous post by me
{Childhood Memories - Rainier Cherries} | previous post by me

{Daffodils in a Vase on a Dark Day...}

On March 5, it was very dark and dreary looking... Not a good day for taking photos but I had to, as our lovely Daffodils already started drying up in their Mason's Patent Ironstone Mandalay Vase... I did wait for a better opportunity but it did not happen this year and the daffodils are almost gone by now. So this is what I can show you here:

Using our Mason's Patent Ironstone Mandalay Chartreuse Vase.

Placemat is French Le Jacquard Français

Tiggy-Tiger is a sad cat-girl on this dreary and dark day... They love sunshine as much as I do!

Her sister (by adoption) Spicy, is outside next to the tree.

Daffodils in fact are paper-thin flowers and they do dry out rather easy when the air-conditioning is running for heating the home.

Our Heirloom Daffodils we all selected because of their fragrance...

At least our garden did yield some lovely fragrant daffodils this year!

Do you have any at your place and could you fill up a vase?

Related link:

MASON'S PATENT IRONSTONE 'MANDALAY' 20th CENTURY | Christie's

{Fragrant Paperwhite Narcissus flowers in early December} | previous post by me with MASON'S

{Our Garden's Winter Blooms for Christmas} | previous post by me with MASON'S

{Enjoy some Fig Cake with Tea Jelly!} | previous post by me with MASON'S 

{TIP New Purpose for Cigarette Holder} | previous post by me with MASON'S 

{Wishing YOU a Happy 4th Advent 2012!} | previous post by me with MASON'S

{Our Nativity & Angels from Italy} | previous post by me with MASON'S 

{USEFUL TIP: Peppermint Tea for Anti Bloating} | previous post by me with MASON'S
{Fragrant Double Narcissus Obdam} | previous post by me showing MASON'S

{GARDENIA PASSION}

On June 12, I did manage to cut our last Gardenia blossoms. They lived a miserable life with all the heavy rain, turning brown on their edges. But they were gorgeous and they tried so hard to be beautiful; regardless the environment. So I did use them for two of our dinners as table decoration. Let me share these gorgeous blossoms with you; too bad I cannot recreate their heavenly fragrance for you to enjoy...

Such a spiraling bliss with heavenly fragrance...

These still look fine; not all got browned from the rain, depending where they were on the shrub.

For our dining room table I used this large oval Wedgwood  Cream Color on Cream Color vase.

Here you see more of the browning from the rain.

The square Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color vase I used for the round kitchen table.

Our Gardenias consist of different varieties and here you see our Aimee Yoshioka; the largest one.

Full of yummy pollen for the bees.

Showing this Aimee Yoshioka next to my hand, close to the kitchen bay window for more light on a rainy day.

This is really a LARGE BLOOM!

Together with these wax candles (battery operated) they make a perfect centerpiece...

Just setting the table near our kitchen bay window,  for you to see.

When I did host the dinner for 12, I might have had better gardenias but NO time on hand for making any photos... 

Old vintage linen damask tablecloth with roses and new French napkins from Le Jacquard Français with roses.

French Baccarat Piccadilly stemware

Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet flatware

Silver napkin ring holder from Kotagede, Indonesia

Plates are French Pillivuyt Sancerre

from GeorgiaWeather Rainfall Calculator

From April 19 (when we left for our Curaçao vacation) till July 9, we had 37 Rainy Days with a total Precipitation of 17.15 inch or 43.6 cm.

No wonder that Gardenias do show brown edges...

By the way, IKEA is selling Gardenia jasminoides as potting plants! In the US, The Netherlands and in Germany and probably other  countries as well. It's the small variety but still the same fragrance!

Related links:

{Gardenia by Royal Albert and our Garden Gardenias} | previous post by me

{Heavenly Gardenia Jasminoides 'Aimee Yoshioka'} | previous post by me

{May 22 Gardenia by Royal Albert and blooming Gardenias in Baccarat vase} | previous post by me

{Happy Second Easter Day}

• In Europe they do celebrate TWO days of Easter; First and Second Easter Day! 
• So let me wish those lucky ones a very Happy Second Easter Day!

• My Organdy Beribboned Easter Eggs in yellow and salmon...

• This is the book from which I got the idea to make those Organdy Ribbon bows...
• Photo from the millennium year with lovely Easter bouquet from our own garden!
• Tablecloth and placemat is from Le Jacquard Français.

• Yellow roses were Midas Touch but we lost them all to the drought.

Related link:

{Challenge Accepted + Easter Photos} | previous post by me

{Easter Table Setting}

• For Easter I have done a special Table Setting for you to see...

• Using photos from previous years, because we don't have any daffodils or narcissus blooming and only very few for 2013...
• Picture frame vase with daffodil and rosemary.
• Easter lamb holding the place cards.
• Easter Bunny Dad with Bunny Infant...
• Baccarat Piccadilly Crystal stemware and Villeroy & Boch porcelain egg vases...

My sister Diny did find them for me in The Netherlands after I'd seen them in a Dutch magazine!

Do you ever get something you find in a magazine? 

• Le Jacquard Français tablecloth and napkins.
• Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet flatware.
• Wedgwood cream color on cream color china.

• Heavenly fragrant Obdam  Narcissus in Wedgwood pitcher...
• Porcelain egg vases inside large Wedgwood Gardenia Bowl.

• Closeup of the porcelain Villeroy & Boch egg vases inside the Wedgwood Gardenia Bowl.
• Don't you LOVE these orchid narcissus?

• Cute porcelain egg vases with Thalia orchid narcissus!

Related link:

{Easter Season} | previous post by me

{CIRCLE Vase with Candles for Easter}

• As promised previously in my February 24 post: JUST enough Daffodils to fill our CIRCLE Vase, here is another display. The Speedy bunnies you already saw on March 22...

• On top of the glass plate I now placed candles...

• The yellow pillar candles are Müller Kerzen from Germany that I received from my German friend Marlene.
• Those pillars are called Flower Garden and burn for 32 hours.
• You can click on the above hyperlink for their info.

• Tablecloth is from Le Jacquard Français and the cups and saucers are Royal Albert Friendship series in the daffodil pattern.
• Salt & Pepper shakers belong with the egg platter that I showed two days ago.
• Spoons are ceramic from Avon with daffodil.
• Round candles are Bolsius from The Netherlands. 
• Are you a candle favorite as well?

• That's what I LOVE about our IKEA chairs, their backs are low and never obstructing the view as they barely come above the table!

• Those candles are a perfect match with the daffodils!

• Too bad that those daffodils were blooming on February 25... 
• Way too early for Easter and we didn't get any others; this was the entire crop for 2013.
• At least I have the photos for showing.

• So what do you think about the different uses for this CIRCLE Vase with glass plate to display whatever on top?

Related links:
{Daffodils in CIRCLE Vase & Leonardo Figurine Bunny SPEEDY} | previous post by me
{JUST enough Daffodils to fill our CIRCLE Vase} | previous post by me

{Hand Knitted Easter Gift from Sister-In-Law}

The sweetest gifts are often those that are hand made. We call it here in the USA; Labor of Love. My sister-in-law, Elly Van den Munckhof did knit for me six cute egg warmers. A set of Easter Chickens for placing over a boiled egg. For years already, both of us don't eat eggs but I do use them over some special egg shaped Easter candles. Have a look...

Here they are; that is four out of six. 

The Chickens to the right had a bad hair-day...

I've only given them a new felt crest and silk organdy graduating ribbons around their neck.

They held up really well.

Elly did make the eyes from a glass bead.

Nice Easter grouping... except that the weather was actually too dark to make decent photos...

A tiny bud vase with blooming Pelargonium from our Green House. 

Because we will have frost on Tuesday night, our potting plants are still inside!

Dark days with a mean and cold wind...

The lazy Chick on the yellow plate we got one year in the mail from our 'German son' and family.

The lacquered and hand polished laser cut brass Egg window decorations are from Germany, Jech Kunstgewerbe.

FAKE Egg... it is a candle in a mini-terracotta pot with gold sparkle.

The top plate is from Blokker in The Netherlands where we bough them with my niece Maartje Van den Munckhof... Three out of four survived so far!

The tablecloth is all cotton Le Jacquard Français.

So what do you say about my Easter Chickens?

Related links:
{RARE ANTIQUE ROSE: JEANNE D'ARC (1818 FRANCE)} | previous post by me showing hand crocheted doily by Elly
{Our Garden's Winter Blooms for Christmas} | previous post by me showing hand crocheted doily by Elly
{Easter Season} | previous post by me showing the brass window decorations with link
{Our Organdy Beribboned, Porcelain and Brass Easter Eggs} | previous post by me showing the brass window decorations with link

{Daffodils in CIRCLE Vase & Leonardo Figurine Bunny SPEEDY}

• As promised before, I will show you our Circle Vase again with another display. 
• Here you see our glass Leonardo Figurine Bunny ´SPEEDY´ with daffodils, displayed on top of the glass circle. 
• Nice Easter decoration; if the timing for the daffodils would have worked. 
• These photos are from February 24 and no more daffodils have bloomed since. BUT we got the photos and we have the bunnies!

• That's our CIRCLE vase again, with the 18 bud vases that are joined together.
• As I did mention in my previous blog post (see link below), there is a separate circle of glass, to use as a shelf.

• Those bunnies are made of glass by Leonardo in Germany.
• Their name is Hase (German for Bunny) Speedy.
• We got a 16 cm (6.3") Speedy and a 26 cm (10.2") Speedy.

• Can you see the glass shelf?

• Different light and only the small Speedy on the glass shelf. Now you can also see part of the bud vases.
• I used my two table cloths from Le Jacquard Français; one as a back drop.

• Love Speedy's cute tail!

• Here you see the full circle of the top layer with 9 bud vases...

• Detail of shelf and bud vases.

Hope you liked this early Easter setting.

Related link:

{JUST enough Daffodils to fill our CIRCLE Vase} | previous post by me

{JUST enough Daffodils to fill our CIRCLE Vase}

• Hah, on February 24 I did snip off about 75 Daffodils to fill our unique CIRCLE Vase... Have you ever seen one? Wait and see your first one below!

• Bud vases that are ALL joined together as ONE  CIRCLE VASE...
• Have you EVER seen one like that?

• From our entire estate I only got this total yield of daffodils for 2013...
• Using my Gardena Garden scissors.
• But I was very happy with them!

• Cutting them all short, I started arranging them inside these cute bud vases.

• They are in TWO layers...

• YES, TWO layers and all joined together... on top of my Le Jacquard Français tablecloth.

• Next you will get to see the full circle...

• There are 9 vases below and 9 vases above and it also has a separate circle of glass, for using with some displlay...
• THAT I will show you later!
• So what do you think? 
• You like this idea of vases linked together?
• I've never ever seen anything like this and below I have only two links that I found with one layer circle vases. 
• Found mine on eBay.

Related links:
Gardena 359 All Purpose Stainless Steel Garden Scissors | at Amazon.com
Circle Bud Vase | Circle with 9 bud vases, just scroll down and click on image
Glass Vases | Showing also round circle bud vases