Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Kings Corners for the Queen Bee

Welcome to my blog, Panoply. Today we are celebrating the great pollinators of the world - the BEES! What better way to celebrate than setting a table to honor the Queen Bees of the world?! If you've buzzed over from Mary's blog, you've already learned about Hive Rules in her clever way with words and vignettes.  

The official World Bee Day designated by the UN is May 20, which coincides with the birthday of Anton Jansa, who in the 18th century pioneered modern beekeeping techniques in his native Slovenia. 

Pulling together elements for my tablescape just so happened to give me a buzz - a happy buzz! All the elements were either direct representations of these powerful little insects, or subtle nods to what they are, where they dwell, and what they create. A cameo appearance of the supporting cast - the all-important flowers which help the bees pollinate and thrive - also made their way to the table.
The table runner was a happy accident. I found it while shopping with my sisters in early April. Its colors were perfectly suited to how I was envisioning my happy tablescape. My vintage pitcher used for the centerpiece of California poppies has a honeycomb texture, as do the hammered mercury glass votives. The candles are made from honey beeswax. As you can see, the Queen Bee carries the weight of attention on the table among other, smaller scattered bees throughout.
The flatware pattern echos the honeycomb, punctuated with Wallace Napoleon Bee teaspoons. I paired my MacKenzie-Childs Kings Corners salad plates with their hand-painted, cheerful flower borders together with Fiesta ivory dinner plates. Both the crosshatch centers of the plates, along with the rattan chargers hint at beehive patterns. Even the trellis pattern on the napkins hints at the honeycomb pattern. The beehive honey pot was a vintage find. 
Guests' takeaways are from a Western PA bee farm: seasonal clover honey, in vintage-inspired bottles embossed with a bee skep, corked and wax-sealed. They came from our local salt works farm/gourmet shop here in town, as did the honey beeswax votive candles used on the table. 
So, the table was set, but I still had a bee in my bonnet that inspired me to go a little further.
I baked a batch of honey-lemon beehive pound cakes to add one more element to the table. These little cakes are so good, with or without the glaze drizzle. Mr. P. loves honey and most any sweet, so these are a hit each time I bake them. They also freeze so well! The recipe came with the specialty bakeware pan.
Mr. P.'s been eyeing the honey bottles on the table ever since I set it. I guess it's only fair he have one since I used much of his pantry bottle in the recipe for the cakes.
I always like to share my source list with readers, but there is no affiliation or revenue generated in my doing so. It's also a nice way for me to catalog my inventory, both for household items and for items I'm fostering for resale in my antique booth spaces. 
Kings Corners for the Queen Bee Tablescape
Rattan Chargers, Trellis Napkins - Pier 1
Table Runner (April Cornell), Honey Pot, Honeycomb Pitcher - Vintage Finds
Dinner Plates - Everything Fiesta (Outlet Store)
Salad Plates (Kings Corners), Gold Bee Napkin Weight - MacKenzie-Childs 
La Rochere Bee Stemware & Nordic Beehive Cakelet Pan (not shown) - Sur la Table
Flatware (Fortessa Luca), Silver Bee Dip Dish, Spreader - Horchow
Wallace Napoleon Bee Teaspoons - Williams Sonoma
Glass Cake Plate - Gift
Small Bees on Table - Amazon
Rose Mercury Votives, Faux California Poppies  - Afloral
Honey Bottles, Honey Beeswax Votives - J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works
I hope you enjoyed my homage to the Queen Bee, and found a bit of inspiration for yourself. My hobby of selling items in our local antique mall with my sisters is always an impetus for my hunt for vintage finds, but fostering finds a while and using them at home is a way to share inspiration and energize others to want to visit your local antique malls. We are small business owners, and take pleasure in finding unique items and bringing them to the public's attention.

I would like to say a special thank you to Debbee from Debbee's Buzz for the invitation to join and celebrate in this tablescape event. 

The list of the other stylists joining in the fun are below. I hope you'll visit each of them. You are sure to be inspired by their creativity. Next up is one of Ann's always cute tabletops, Sweet Yellow & Grey Bee Tablescape.

French Inspired, Royal Bee Theme Table & Napkin Fold ⚜ Debbees Buzz 
Hive Rules  Home is Where the Boat Is  
Sweet Yellow & Grey Bee Tablescape  Corner of Plaid & Paisley
Buzzing About  Hyacinths for the Soul
Bees & Sunflowers Tablescape  Life & Linda
Bee Table for Two  Zucchini Sisters

Thank you so much for your visit today. I love reading your comments and taking time to reply and respond to any questions you may have. Have a bee-utiful day!

Rita C. at Panoply

32 comments:

  1. Your table came together bee-utifully Rita with trademark mixing and matching of new and vintage finds. You’re so clever with your post title and your table is perfect for the Queen Bee. I covet your sweet vintage honey pot and the Kings Corner plates are beautifully paired with their pastel pattern and colors with your paisley runner and vintage pitcher. I love how you added the one Napoleon Bee teaspoon to pair with your honeycomb-esque flatware. I’ve made those honey-lemon beehive cakes so I can attest to how good they are! As always it’s a treat to join you at the table and hop with you. Happy Wednesday ♥

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  2. Lovely, as usual! I'd love a closer look at your Wallace Napoleon Bee teaspoons. Such a fun day for Bee day.

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  3. Such a bee-it-ful table Rita. Love the queen bee theme. Mixing old and new is a lovely look. Great find with the colorful paisley runner. How perfect the honeycomb pitcher is and your flatware. Love the sweet honey 🍯 pot. I absolutely love your MC plates, paired perfectly with your Queens Corner plates. The little cakes would be heavenly right now with my cup of coffee. I can see why Mr. P. Was eyeballing your table. I am sure he is ready to indulge. A pleasure joining you Rita on this fun bee themed blog hop.

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  4. How delightful Rita! Your table is "abuzz" with beauty! I love the MKC King's Corner's paired with your pretty new runner and honeycomb pitcher! The honey favors are adorable, and so perfect for World Bee Day! Your cakes look wonderful, and I love the airy white poppies, just lovely!
    Jenna

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  5. Rita, what a lovely table celebrating the bees! The runner and the vintage pitcher holding white poppies has me all a flutter! Love, love, love the pitcher. You always do a fabulous job mixing old and new for an eclectic vibe that I appreciate. The little pound cakes have me drooling...I sure hope Mr. P got to enjoy!

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  6. Rita, I love your eclectic styling in setting a bee theme table! So many charming details and wonderful layers as you mix vintage, textures and patterns. We like so many of the same things --- the Wallace spoons, La Rochere glasses, etc. Still, I was surprised to see we also have the same delightful silver bee dish. Curious the honey source from my neck of the woods? Your adorable dessert has me salivating. Plus, the little hives are just so darn cute! Thanks for sharing your talents in the hop --- it just wouldn't bee the same with you Rita!

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  7. Beautiful table Rita. I read the post where you found the runner a few days ago and was wondering where you would use it. The runner, Mackenzie plates and Fiesta ware ties in well with the theme and colors. They say, using honey that is local is best to help our immune systems, so giving it to the guest makes it special!

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  8. Darling post with so many bee delights. Those little bee hive cakes are adorable and perfect for your table.
    I do appreciate your detail source list. I always learn something from you.
    You do a great job weaving your blog themes with tablescaping. Now, I will be noticing honeycomb patterns because you have piqued my interest. I think the only bee related item I have are beeswax candles. I can't begin anymore collections at this point but after reading the bee blog hop tables I am very tempted.
    Charming post.

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  9. Oh Rita!! I love your new runner -nd it just pairs beautifully with you gorgeous MC plates!! Love that combo!! I have learned more about bees today than I ever had in my lifetime!! I am enjoying this hop so much!!! It is always such a pleasure to see what found treasures you use on your tables!! 🐝❤️

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  10. Rita, I buzzed into this fabulous post first thing this morning, but was on my phone and didn't make a comment. I'm back tonight buzzing up and down these beautiful images and wonderful descriptions. Your table is indeed bee-utiful! I was smitten with the table runner when you shared a photo of it in a previous post. Those are my kind of colors and perfect for MacKenzie-Childs ceramics. Love the King's Corner pattern. I don't have anything in that pattern, so should at least add a plate to my stash. Each of my plates are a different pattern, which is how I collected. That way my table is a mix.
    I had planned to make some honey cakelets, but refrained as we are limiting sweets here. Love that pan and those delicious bites! Thanks for sharing the beauty and inspiration. It's an honor to hop with you and the others.

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  11. Oh, those little honey-lemon beehive glazed cupcakes are SO adorable!

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  12. Strolling through this article this morning, you make me want to do a spring pollinator inspired tablescape! It looks just wonderful Rita. Plus you add cake on top of it?!? I bet one (or 3 of those) would go great with my morning coffee.

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  13. Rita, this is certainly a "Bee-utiful" table setting! I do love your play on words for this darling post along with the gorgeous MacKenzie-Childs kings Corner salad plates. The April Cornel runner is a perfect choice for your table along with the rattan chargers. The stack really is lovely and lets the salad plates pop. I have a few pieces of Kings Corner and it is such a happy pattern. The honey bottles are spot on for your table. I'm always on the watch for honey saving the bottles for displaying fresh flowers. Oh those little cakes look divine. You've hit a home run Rita with your "Queen Bee" table!

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  14. What a 🐝-utiful table, Rita! I’m swooning over your vintage pitcher and that silver bee dish. I’ll bet your hubby did love your beehive cakes. The honey jars are a wonderful gift for your gifts to take home. Great job!!

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  15. Right away I looked at that table runner and thought, “THAT is clever!” Like the field of flowers just beckoned the bees to the table! Fun bee table, and even better are the treats that come with! I’ve seen those beehive pans (Williams-Sonoma, I think), but I’ve never been brave enough to buy one. Miniature cakes and I just don’t seem to fare well together!🙃 They look so cute, though! (I think I fill them too high? They always spill over and become totally misshapen.🤨)

    I hope you have a bee-yoo-tiful weekend! Take care!

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  16. Your tablescape is gorgeous! Who doesn't love bees?!! I have tarnished silver-like metal bees for shower curtain holders. I also have artists' renderings of bees in my library. I have bee rubber stamps, too.

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  17. Rita, Your table is gorgeous and fit for a queen bee. The table runner, plates and pitcher are such pretty patterns and I love the colors. The cakelets look delicious and are so cute! Hopefully you and your husband got to enjoy them. Your bee spreader dish is lovely. This was a beautiful post which was most enjoyable to read. Your table runner really was a wonderful find. The colors are perfect for your plates. Enjoy your day sweet friend. Clara ❤️

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  18. Yum to the cakes and what a bee utiful table. Had to get in on the puns too! Loves those unique plates. Have a great day. xoxo

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  19. Your table is pretty. Have to celebrate bees. Where would our gardens bee without them? I know very bad joke but I tried. The cakes are cute and look delicious.

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  20. Rita, this might be one of my favorites of your tables. I love everything about it, down to the part favors (for which I'm sure Mr. P is delighted). The theme is wonderful and it looks terrific but one of the things I liked best were your punderful words!

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  21. This is such a beautiful tablescape, Rita, and perfect for this time of year too! All the bee and hive touches are fabulous. I can't wait to find something similar to add to my table too. Hope your week is a special one, CoCo

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  22. Rita,
    Just me stopping by to check out what all of the "buzz" is about!!! OMG what a beautiful tablescape, fit for a "QUEEN"......"BEE!" I'm off to check out the "other hives" as well.
    Kathleen

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  23. Rita, I love this post! I love bees and just yesterday drew one and plan to paint it in the next few days. Just in time, apparently, for World Bee Day, which I had never heard of! Love all things "bee" and have used nothing but beeswax candles for decades. Your tablescape just knocked me out!

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  24. I am picturing you buzzing around setting this up! It's lovely....and could you share the recipe for the darling bee hives? We utilize our local honey, using it everyday. What a fun blog....love your sense of humor!

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  25. What a charming tablescape, Rita! I just love the color palette of your table...the hues and patterns of the table runner and salad plates coordinate so well together. You were clever to add some subtle nods to the bee theme, such as the honeycomb patterns on the pitcher, napkins and chargers. Of course, I love the vintage honey pot! It reminds me of my cottage ware tea set. The honey-lemon pound cakes look so good! I'd love the recipe. It was fun hopping with you again, my friend!

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  26. This Queen Bee is happy to celebrate World Bee Day on the 20th May, as it is my wedding anniversary, too. The pattern and colours in the table runner are perfect and so pretty. Such a serendipitous find. Love the little, silver bee plate and the honeycomb textured, vintage pitcher is gorgeous. I wouldn't mind the pitcher gracing my table. =) Rita, I am always astounded as to the many beautiful elements you find for any given themed tablescape. You never fail to delight. Another beautiful post overspilling with gorgeousness.

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  27. Rita, this is lovely, and the beehive pound cakes are darling! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!

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  28. This has to be my favorite tablescape of yours Rita. Every detail is just perfect including the adorable cakes! I'm so happy to feature your post this week at our Tuesday Turn About Link Party!

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  29. Absolutely gorgeous Rita! I love all your tablescapes but this is over the top perfect! The beehive cakes are adorable and you've tied it all together beautifully. I also love your new header! Have a great day!

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  30. What a beautiful table and the perfect theme for spring! I love the colors in your new table runner and your dishes coordinate perfectly. Honey is a great idea for a table favor for each guest and is something that they are sure to enjoy. You honey-lemon beehive pound cakes look so tasty!!

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  31. Rita you always set the most beautiful tables! I love it. those small bees on the chargers are just the cutest. I love the honey for guest takeaways, such a great idea. Those lemon honey pound cakes look like they would melt in your mouth. Not only is your table bee -utiful, but is pretty amazing also.

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  32. Your table is beautiful and such a lovely tribute to our pollinator friends! I admire your wonderful eye for decorating and each one of your settings is gorgeous and the vintage bottles with honey add such a nice touch!

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