Happy Birthday, America!

The Fourth of July is Monday, July 4th. Independence Day commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Celebrations include fireworks, family reunions, concerts, barbeques, picnics, parades, and baseball games. Do you have a specific tradition in your family to celebrate the Fourth of July?🇺🇸
I've set a  Patriotic table outside today. 

Join me for a yummy fruit dessert. The blueberries and strawberries were so sweet and any fruit is good with whipped cream. 

Gardenias were blooming in my garden and their fragrance was heavenly.

A reticulated white tray held blue and white chinoiserie vases with red roses, gardenias, and American flags for a patriotic centerpiece. Fringed red, white, and blue stripe napkins added additional texture. For some reason, I always prefer my matelasse tablecloth.

The plate stack consisted of a white Ikea charger, solid red plate, Royal Stafford blue floral salad plate, and a vintage blue and white floral bread and butter plate.  

Whatever your menu or activity, red, white, and blue celebrates July 4th! Happy Birthday, America!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Here are several links to older Patriotic Posts.

                               God Bless America

My Country Tis of Thee
Grateful for our country. May God Bless America!

Summer Celebrations

Welcome to my garden and a tablescape set just for you. Summer has not officially arrived on the calendar yet but our weather in south Alabama says summer has arrived. My garden is shady so I invite you to have a seat and let's visit. 

I am participating in a Summer Tablescape Blog Hop sponsored by Rita @ Panoply. There are 23 table stylists participating in this blog hop. You can find the links to their tablescapes at the bottom of this post.  Please leave them a comment so they will know you enjoyed their post.

My hydrangeas are blooming and I had a delightful time cutting blooms and making an arrangement for this small table in my garden. 

It has been a number of years since I had enough hydrangeas to make a large arrangement and still have  other blooms left in the garden to enjoy. I look forward to my hydrangeas blooming all year.

 This tortoiseshell vase is one of a pair given to me by my daughter-in-love's mother. I wish she could be here and have a cup of tea with me. I used the tortoiseshell vase in another tablescape here.

The cheetah dishes are fun to use and work nicely with the tortoiseshell vase. I've been amazed at how many accent colors work well with these cute dishes from Hobby Lobby.

The checked tablecloth was also a gift, from my husband's aunt when she downsized. I'm getting a lot of use from the things she passed on to me. Thank you, Joyce. I loved the pattern and color play it added to the tablescape.

 The bamboo flatware is new for me. I have secretly wanted some for years and when I found them on sale I gave in. I love the variety and texture it added. I keep learning that all the elements of design each play an important part in design but I think texture really makes a difference. The vintage brass teapot is another example of variety and texture pleasing the eye.

This little bistro set from Lowes bought years ago normally resides on my porch but I could not resist a photo op in front of the hydrangeas. These hydrangeas are an old variety named Nikko Blue.
"In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explode, and every sunset is different." John Steinbeck

Memorial Day was on May 30th. It is the day we honor those that have fallen in the service of our country. We had an informal dinner party for six for the occasion. It had been so long since we entertained because of all the problems with Covid. It felt so nice to have friends over again. Our menu was: Rack of pork, potato casserole, green beans, and Key Lime pie. 

I did a smaller than usual arrangement for the table so as not to impede conversation and enjoyment. You will chuckle at this comment from my husband. As I was setting the table, he said, "Now Bonnie, don't get carried away. Just keep it simple! "
Summer has two patriotic holidays, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. Memorial Day kicks off the beginning of summer. School is out. Life is at a slower pace.  Picnics, ballgames, swimming, biking, hiking, camping, vacations, and on and on will be happening. Let the celebrations begin. In the tablescaping world, the sky is the limit for your imagination in planning a fun summer tablescape. Enjoy the links below to jumpstart your imagination for a summer tablescape.
Click on the links below to view the blog hop tablescapes.

Pandora's Box - Stars, Stripes, and Checks - A Summer Tablescape

Bluesky at Home - Easy Summer Outdoor Table Ideas

Life and Linda - A Taste of the Tropics

 Plaid and Paisley - Yellow and Blue Alfresco Setting

Everyday Living - Celebrate Summer With The Red, White and Blue

Panoply - Summer Garden Party Tablescape

Hyacinths for the Soul - Tis the Season of Patriotic Tablescapes

Home is Where the Boat Is - Anchors Aweigh on the Pontoon

Debbee's Buzz - Botanic Garden Floral & Butterfly Summer Table

My Hubbard Home - Easy Alfresco Dining Table | Tips for Summer

Me and My Captain - Camping, Fishing And Summertime Fun

Thrifting Wonderland - Butterfly Garden Table Setting

My Thrift Store Addiction - Honeysuckle and Hydrangeas Summer Tablescape

The Little Yellow Corner Store - Sweet Old Summertime

Red Cottage Chronicles - Dining Al Fresco - A Summer Tablescape

Celebrate and Decorate - Inspiration for Designing a Bright and Cheery a Summer Citrus Tablescape

From My Carolina Home - Summer Sunshine Tablescape and Hop

Living With Thanksgiving - Summer Celebrations

Zucchini Sisters - Red and White Tablescape in the Park

The Bookish Dilettante - Beach Reading Tablescape

The Painted Apron - Let's Go Fishing

Belle Bleu Interiors - A Summertime Luncheon in the Garden

Dinner at Eight - Summertime Blossoms on the Table

Have a great summer.

Alfresco Table in April

The weather has been beautiful in April. My foxgloves are blooming and I was inspired to set a table outside. I chose an oblong shallow chinoiserie dish as my centerpiece container. Yellow and red tulips from the grocery store complimented the Thibaut fabric that has so many wonderful designs and beautiful colors. 

Since the tablecloth has birds, I immediately thought of my Cloisonne bird that had just the right colors.

You can see some of the beautiful designs in the fabric in this picture.

The foxgloves in my garden are not all open yet as you can see. They are all the same variety this year and have larger spires.  Last year, I had several shades of pink and white. This year I have more plants and some in another place. November is the best time to plant in our area but I haven't had luck with them coming back the next year. They are beginning to wane now with temps in the high 80's all week.

This photo shows how large the plants can get. Look at the third plant from the left. It has multiple spires! Gardening has many surprises.

The botanical name for Foxgloves is Digitalis Purpurea. The drug Digitalis is derived from the Foxglove plant.

As you can see from the bent plants these foxgloves were affected by the wind and rain while I was out of town. Look on the right and see if you can see the Cardinal in the picture. I remember something red out of the corner of my eye and I was pleased he was in the picture. Behind the foxgloves, you can see the hydrangeas. 

I read somewhere recently the buds were like little broccoli! I am eagerly waiting for my hydrangeas to bloom.  The weather has affected my hydrangeas for a number of years so I am hoping to have many blooms this year!

 Most of my amaryllis have faded but this apple blossom has just opened. I love this variety.

A few days later.
 The early morning light filtering through the trees in my garden is beautiful. As I glaze through the window it beckons me outside. The beauty of the foxgloves is captivating. As always with me, when I see the sunrise or sunset, birds, butterflies, or flowers I rush to get the camera but can never fully capture what my eyes are feasting upon. I keep telling myself that is God’s gift to me and just for that moment. Thank you, God, for your magnificent creation! However, when something is good you want to share. 

In my location, which is zone 8, daytime temps have been in the 80’s, so sadly, the foxgloves won’t last much longer. Our nights have been cool so that has helped prolong the foxgloves and my garden is also shady. My friend’s foxgloves are already gone whose garden gets more sun than mine.

Do you plant foxgloves? 

The elegant spires are endearing to me. I think of traditional English garden borders I’ve visited in books. I've been to England to the typical tourist areas but not to their gorgeous garden tours. How I would love to visit England firsthand in the spring and see their elegant gardens.

My garden view from the kitchen window in the late afternoon. Spring has been lovely but in the deep south summer is very close. Gerber daisies on the table await being planted. I'm not sure where I should plant them.
I have been out of town again for 13 days recently so I have missed some of your posts. Our granddaughter was in a play of the Lion King at her school and our grandson was a stagehand managing the props for the performance. So we visited family in Texas, Colorado, and north Alabama and have been catching up for the last two weeks. Thanks for your understanding when I miss your posts. 
Living Thankfully,

The Joy of Spring

Happy Tuesday and Happy Spring! Springtime is a joyous time of rebirth and brings us such joy. The first day of spring is March 21st. Easter is April 17th this year.  Christians celebrate a risen Savior on Easter which is Christ the Lord.

 Welcome to a Spring and Easter tablescape blog hop sponsored by Rita  @ Panoply. There are 18  bloggers participating in this blog hop. You can find links to their tablescapes at the bottom of this post. Stop by and show them some love by leaving them a comment.

For my tablescape, I have set a table outside on the patio. The birds are singing and I just saw an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, my first butterfly of the season as I was setting the table. I was hoping it would stop on my centerpiece and I could capture a picture. How exciting that would have been! 

Botanic Garden Portmeirion makes me happy because there is a different flower on each plate. The sunflower is🌻 the national flower of Ukraine and has become a symbol to us of their fight for freedom. Continued prayers for 🇺🇦 Ukraine. I am thankful for the countries that are taking in refugees escaping the horrific war.

I added azaleas from my garden to supplement the grocery store flowers of tulips, sunflowers, and hydrangeas. My curved willow vase accented the seagrass wicker glasses.

My aucuba scrub in my garden is great for flower arrangements. It adds color and variety and holds up very well.

"Golden Sunshine, a world of green, a world of blossoms, a breeze so clean; the redbirds whistle, the

bluebirds sing, my heart rejoices: 'tis spring,' tis spring!" 

Caroline Henning Bair

The sweet pea plate reminds me of my DIL's bridesmaid's bouquets. The ribbed depression glass sherbets hold strawberries and blueberries.

The plate stack consists of a white Ikea charger, Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage plate, and a hydrangea Portmeirion plate. I am hoping I will have a lot of hydrangeas to bloom in my garden this year. 

I was delighted to find tulips in the store for my centerpiece to coordinate with the tulip plate.

Have you ever heard of pine berries? What I thought were strawberries are (Berry De Blanc) pineberries. Note the light color. They are from Austin Farms in Plant City, Florida. They have a slight pineapple taste.

They were intriguing since I had not seen them before.

Springtime Fancy

It may be just springtime fancy, 

but it always seems to methat in the spring the flowers sing, and every leafy tree.
The songs of birds from every branchseem just to lead the wayfor all the earth to join in songto greet each coming day.
It may be just springtime fancy, but all nature seems to sing: hail to this happy time of year, the joyous time of spring.
Virginia Katherine Oliver
I feel so blessed this spring to have blessings of freedom, peace, comfort, safety, food, and shelter. We have all witnessed the horrors in Ukraine and could never have imagined this happening just like we couldn't imagine a worldwide pandemic. Thankfully, my hope is not in this world. The joy of spring gives me hope. The joy of Easter gives me hope.



The links for Spring and Easter tablescape blogs are listed below: 

Everyday Living - The Joys of Easter

The Little Yellow Corner Store - Funny Bunny Fern and Her Breakfast Tablescape

Me and My Captain - Spring Is In the Air

Red Cottage Chronicles - Fruit and Flowers Spring Tablescape

Living with Thanksgiving - The Joy of Spring

Life and Linda - Bunnies Pedaling Toward Easter

Hyacinths for the Soul - Garden Party on the Terrace

Home Is Where the Boat Is - Hop To It

Panoply - Blissful Signs of Spring / Easter Tablescape

My Hubbard Home - Busy Bunny Easter Table

My Thrift Store Addiction - Rabbits and Roses Garden Tea for Two

Thrifting Wonderland - Easter Table in Black and White

Karins Kottage - Children's Easter Table in Bright Colors

The Painted Apron - Spring Piggy Party!

Corner of Plaid and Paisley - Bunnies in the Garden

Dinner at Eight - A Field of Tulips on a Spring Table

The Bookish Dilettante - Casual Easter Tablescape

Pandora's Box - Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Wishing each of you a joyous Easter ✝️and Spring🦋. Counting my blessings✝️ and living thankfully,