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Sunday, December 27, 2015

Panoply 2015: It's a Wrap!

I started this collage photo summary format last year as a way to capture my year in one fell swoop. It's been another great year, a true panoply, and putting these collages together by subject matters that matter to me are my way of remembering the best of 2015. 

There are no lengthy descriptions, but there are links back under each photo collage header (in the captions). If you're so inclined to read, you can click on the captions, each comma separating different posts on that header. The one marked in bold under each header was my most viewed of that subject. You can also type the subject into the search block just above my photo on the right sidebar (e.g., garden, tablescape, etc), and related posts will come up, and you can feel free to dig in. Enjoy!  
My Garden Journal - the Four Seasons
 Winter Sightings, Lemon Plant PropagationGarden Essentials, Spring Working Hard, Garden Color Burst, Mid-Summer Garden SnippetsLavender Stages, Fall Garden
Collections Shared
Bust & Statue CollectionCherubsFlapper Girl AccessoriesMiniature BooksJadeite Kitchen & Jadeite TablewareChatelainesPurse EphemeraReligious RelicsIronstone & QuimperSterling & SilverplateBeaded & Mesh Purses
Home Decor - the Love of Home and Seasonal Changes with Collections
Spring Flings, Mid-Summer Home, Fall Home Tour, Christmas Vintage
Panoply Picks - the Love of the Hunt: Estate Sales, Auctions, Antique Stores
Spring Pickin', Shopping Naples, Estate Sale Spree, Summer Shopping Loot, Longest Yard Sale, August Acquisitions, Sept Acquisitions, Junky Chic Acquisitions, Dealer Friend Picks, November Acquisitions
Panoply Displays - the Love of Styling our Antique Mall Booth Spaces
Winter BoothsOpen for Business, Panoply Expands, Early May Switch-Ups, May Overhauls, Summer Transitions, School Daze/Booth Maze,  Early Autumn Redo, Holiday Booths
Travel Adventures
Barn-style family weddingDC cherry blossoms, Leesburg & LuckettsNaples FL, Wild & Wonderful West Virginia, including New River Gorge trails and bridgewalkCass Scenic Railroad, and Stonewall Jackson Resort
Creating Tablescapes with my Dish and Tabletop Accessory Collections
Jadeite Tableware, Azaleas in Bloom, Garden Sunflowers, Pumpkin Cream Mist, Winter Wonderland, Building a Hot Drink Stand, Christmas Checks & Plaids, Wintergreen
Adventures in Tales of the Traveling Totes - with Fellow Bloggers
Maiden Voyage, To the Park, Autumn Joy, Holiday Rush
Once again, I've enjoyed meeting so many new friends throughout the year, and look forward to more still in 2016. I've also savored growing the friendships of a few of those whom I met in years before. Thank you to all my loyal readers, and for those who may be new, I hope you'll continue to visit. I love your comments and hope that you'll find my style approachable and welcoming.
Best,
Rita C. at Panoply

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Thursday, December 24, 2015

Heavenly Peace

"Behold! The Lamb of God..." (John 1:29)
"For unto us a Child is born..." (Isaiah 9:6)
"Round yon Virgin Mother and Child,  Holy Infant so tender and mild." (1816, Joseph Mohr)
"O come, let us adore Him." (attributed, 1700s, John Wade)

And the lion shall lie down with the lamb. (secular interpretation, Isaiah 11:6)
"...and a little Child shall lead them." (Isaiah 11:6).
Charles Bosseron Chambers', "Light of the World"
May  heavenly peace be yours, and may love surround you in this season, and always. Wishing you a heartfelt Merry Christmas.
Rita C. at Panoply

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Wintergreen Tablescape

Today I've set a simplistic, wintergreen breakfast tablescape for four. It's appropriate for the holidays, but can certainly be used beyond. In my typical fashion, it is all prepared with vintage items.
Starting with the vintage table linens, I am using a white cotton matelasse tablecloth, upon which I have set hand-sewn, quilted placemats by WV Mountain Artisans. The damask napkins are shaped into a tree fold, as used in my Winter Wonderland tablescape

The plates are white ironstone, and the sherbet / fruit glasses are Imperial Glass, 'Boopie', in emerald green. 
Ornamental silver balls look like ornaments on each place setting's tree napkin, and the serving utensils (silverplate) on the table carry out the bulbous theme in an old-fashioned kind of breakfast.
On the right, in the foreground of the above photo, is a roll-top butter serving dish. The lid rotates back to a flat position, and there is an articulated inner plate, on which ice and butter pats would be placed. The base bowl catches the melted ice. On the left, in the background of the above photo, is an egg coddler/warmer. It is an antique, a serving utensil from which one would remove the lid, lift out the four-part, center ring tray, and place the coddlers (typically also silverplate from this circa 1900 model) within the ring. Water would be placed in the base bowl, and the eggs would be cooked inside from the burner beneath. 
Wintergreen.
Just to the right of the butter server in the above photo, is a vintage toast rack. Everyday drinking glasses are vintage also, monogrammed ('C').
Rounding out the table service is my American Brilliant period (late 1800s, early 1900s) cut glass pitcher. 
As always, your visits, comments and loyal readership are welcome, and much appreciated!
Rita C. at Panoply

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Celebrate and Decorate
Zucchini Sisters


Thursday, December 17, 2015

Christmas Morn Checks and Plaids Tablescape

One Christmas tradition my husband and I have is hosting a big huge buffet dinner for all my immediate family and their kids on Christmas Eve. Another tradition we have is hosting my adult girls and their husbands on Christmas morning for breakfast. The table is now set for Christmas morning breakfast!
When I shared my latest adventures with Miss Luna C (read: checking off the Christmas to-do list), I showed you a little somethin' somethin' I bought from the MacKenzie-Childs' holiday line.
These mini stockings were the inspiration for my Christmas morning tablescape: simple, yet cozy, just as I plan to be in my "morning after" pjs. Typically, I stay up waay past my bedtime after the party the night before, cleaning up all the dishes, either putting them away or stacking them out of sight of the kitchen work zone. My girls and I will then cook and drink lots of coffee together in the kitchen - again - while our guys sit nearby in the sunroom, relaxing and laughing about the party's antics the night before.
We usually have scrambled eggs and bacon, biscuits, cinnamon French toast sticks, juice, milk and coffee. Lots of coffee. Of course, we scan all the leftover sweets from the night before to savor after the meal. One of the best perks of hosting is having the choice of leftovers!
With immediate families living nearby, my kids typically have other places to go on Christmas day after breakfast, but it's my final encore for Christmas entertaining. I will linger for the rest of the day without any commitments.
I will, most likely, pick up a book or magazine, and relax in the sunroom, taking my good, sweet time with the day doing nothing else.
Well, maybe I'll get into a few more leftovers. One thing's for sure - that chaise lounge in the sunroom will be calling me on Christmas day.
I hope whatever you do on Christmas morning, you find yourself in a happy place. Go ahead, mix your plaids and checks, and/or stay in your pjs all day. Who cares?!

Tablescape details:
Table runner - handmade gift from daughter 
Matelasse tablecloth - vintage 
Vintage Stamp holder Coffee Tree in Basket - here
Plaid chargers - Michael's (this year)
White Dinner Plates - Mikasa 'Magnolia' vintage
Tartan Salad Plates - Sasaki and Arita vintage
Flatware - Oneida (everyday)
Glassware - Anchor Hocking 'Georgian' juice & , monogrammed 'C' water (both vintage)
Mini Stockings - MacKenzie-Childs (this year)
Paper Napkins - Vanity Fair

As always, your visits, comments and loyal readership are welcome, and much appreciated!
Rita C. at Panoply
(A special thanks to the gals at the Vintage Inspiration Party for featuring this post!)

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Creating Christmas with Vintage, Antique Items

There are many reasons why I love Christmas, but my topic today is mostly about my love of vintage in my holiday decor. I keep things mostly in a traditional theme, but it's really a great time for me to be playful with my vintage items as well. I mix vintage into almost every room of the house during Christmastime, often with just subtle touches. Let's take a little tour through our holiday house, and I'll point out some of my vintage and antique additions.

Dining Room
As you enter the dining room from the front hall, below is what you'd see on the left side of the room. The beaded sashes on the chairs were from Target years ago, and the sheepskin on the wingback chair was part of my gift card reward in a Frontgate® Holiday Inspired Pinterest Challenge. All but the dining table and chairs and the textiles in this room are either auction, estate or antique shop and show purchases.
This is the first year I've put the Capodimonte Madonna and Child on display (sourced from an antique show several years ago). It is so delicate in its porcelain detail, I've been too afraid fingers or wings would be broken by hanging it (it's heavy), but I've placed it on an easel in the dining room. It may get moved before Christmas Eve dinner, as we're expecting toddlers among the 27 confirmed family member guests for our annual buffet dinner.
Just to the left of the area pictured above is my vintage bar cart, full of antique & vintage items, except for the greenery.
The right side of the room houses my silver collection in an antique French vitrine (partially seen in the far corner).
You've already seen part of my silver napkin ring collection which is stored in that cabinet (and used for Christmas Eve buffet dinner).
The table centerpiece is simple: hurricane glass / candle, with greens and vintage glass bell ornaments, is resting on an antique pedestal mirror. The orbs hanging from the chandelier are also vintage glass.
There's a swing door from the dining room to the kitchen, and the view pictured below is what you see when looking back. This ammo basket is another new vignette I showed in my Creating Christmas with Silver and Gold post.
Just across from this door is my wet bar. While the dining room is formal, this area is part of the open floor concept of kitchen, breakfast, and family room, so it becomes more casual in decor.
We are not drinkers, so I decorate the wine rack. and utilize the much needed surface space for serving purposes. I shut the water off on Christmas Eve and cover the sink with a serving tray. As you can see, there are several more vintage pieces on that display. Even something as simple as yarn and thread spools are repurposed as Christmas trees.

TV / Family Room
This is our gathering space, where we place our Christmas tree. Probably one of my favorite vintage (an antique, really) additions to TV / family room is the rocking horse by the fireplace. It came from another retired dealer friend's personal collection a few years ago.
He's weathered and worn from age, but still displays remarkably well. His mane and tail are both genuine horsehair. He's mostly out to pasture (storage), but comes out to play in my holiday decor. (Another item that may have to be corralled on Christmas Eve to keep toddlers from wanting to saddle up).
Master Bedroom
Beyond changing textiles, I don't do extensive decorating in any of the rooms upstairs. One thing that remains on display year round is my wire tree, with a portion of my mesh purse collection. It stands in the corner of the MBR, next to a large armoire.
With a string of lights wound through the center 'trunk', it transforms into a festive seasonal display in the evening. The watercolor detail on some of the mesh bags is really beautiful. I have at least one that depicts a country church with steeple (foreground of photo below).
Another part of my purse collection is displayed in a nearby curio table. One of my seasonal favorites displayed there is the winter scenic beaded purse you see in the photo below.
On the opposite side of the armoire in the MBR is another small vignette, touched up for the holidays with a simple boxwood tree and votive candle.
Living Room 
Coming down the stairs, you get a glimpse of my foyer and living room. The Nutcracker display at the right of the doorway is a mix of vintage items, including a pair of old pointe shoes - a nod to mine and my daughters' dancing years with the Charleston Ballet.
In the living room, my holiday decor includes a vintage ceramic tree, Santa, and fabric angel.
Sunroom
I've continued a woodland theme in my casual sunroom for a few years, and this year I've been playing with my vintage stash a little more. I created the vignette pictured below for my table in the sunroom. A sweet rendition of the Lamb of God, I used my vintage metal lamb cake mold and Hummel angel, and placed a votive candle in the center of the metal crown. I simply gathered shed pine needles from beneath neighborhood trees for the base of the wicker tray.


My favorite vignette in the sunroom has to be my fallen birch tree logs in olive bucket, by the French doors. Lights transform any ordinary display into a festive one.
*********************************************************************************
I've already shared a few of my vintage things in vignettes created for this holiday season in previous posts. There was the cloche filled with silver baby cups and a string of lights added....
....my vintage French market cart-turned-floral arrangement...
....my hot drink stand....
...and my Winter Wonderland Tablescape...
Christmas is the one time of year Mr. P. doesn't mind 'stuff' around the house and, in fact, expects to see it. I treat that as my wild card and, as you can see, I play that wild card with abandon during Christmastime.

What's your favorite way of incorporating your vintage and antique items into your home displays? Do you have certain vintage items that only get showcased for specific holiday(s)?

As always, your visits, comments and loyal readership are welcome, and much appreciated!
Rita C. at Panoply

Sharing with any given number of these fine hosts:
French Country's FNF