Vintage Quimper Soleil Yellow Tablescape

(Thank you to Kathryn of the Dedicated House for featuring this post!)

Today's tablescape brings a little of the French countryside to us all, here in mid-summer.

A few years ago I attended a local auction that featured a large amount of [Henriot] Quimper faience pottery tableware in the "Soleil Yellow" pattern.  It was displayed as pictured, below.

Quimper "Soleil Yellow" as displayed at auction

There were 58 pieces in total, including 8 dinner plates, 8 luncheon plates, 10 salad or bread/butter plates, and 16 cups/saucers. I was pretty sure most people in attendance either didn't care for the yellow color, didn't know much about Quimper*, or both.  I was right, and got this set for a steal. (*see end of post for a brief history on Quimper pottery and the decorative theme seen in this set).

"Soleil Yellow" has been manufactured by the Henriot factory since the 1920's, and this pottery came from a single estate, manufactured sometime after 1930, likely during WWII.  It was a popular gift from soldiers, who were stationed in France, to their loved ones during that era.

Quimper Soleil Yellow table for four

I felt the pottery evoked a strong pastoral theme in both its seasonally sunny colors and its regional origin, so I chose to set my table casually. The octagonally-shaped Quimper includes a dinner plate, salad plate, bread and butter plate, and cup and saucer for each place setting.  There are two of each, male and female Bretons, completing this service, alternating at each setting.

Single place setting, Quimper Soleil Yellow - female Breton (Male Breton bread and butter can be seen at top right).

Napkins are a white cotton duck, trimmed with a yellow stripe.  Flatware is Oneida from the same era (1940's).  The table centerpiece includes a simple, coordinating daisy bouquet, a resting cow, and hard-working, railroad company silver (plate) cream and sugar on underplate.

Table centerpiece

This casual setting showcases the uniqueness of Henriot factory's Quimper faience, with each piece entirely hand-painted and decorated: bright and cheerful, simple and delightful. Although it would be extra special to be able to have additional serving pieces, I am content with what I have, and using other utilitarian items in my collection for serving.

As a collector, this set of tableware delights me on a number of levels.  First, it is no surprise to my readers by now that I love dishes.  Secondly, I knew the origin of these dishes when I bid on them. They come from the Brittany region of France.  Thirty years ago, when I became pregnant with my first child, I wanted to name the baby, if a girl, Brittany.  My ballet master was from Belgium, and I adored both he and his wife. I have loved all things French since studying the language in high school. So, once pregnant, I studied a map of France looking for a name that would encompass all of that, settling on Brittany. Lastly, I love a great bargain when finding vintage and antique items, and this purchase certainly filled that bill.

If you would like more information regarding Quimper collections, and would enjoy seeing more variety of Quimper, including other patterns of the pottery tableware and beyond, please visit these blogging friends' websites: Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul and Debbie at Confessions of a Plate Addict.  You can use the search tab and type 'Quimper' for a number of different posts on the subject.  Sarah is an active member of the Quimper Club International and both gals have traveled to France.

*A Brief History of Quimper Pottery:  
Although I do not claim to be expert in the area of European pottery tableware, a brief background of faience pottery and Quimper (pronounced kem-pair) seems appropriate.  Faience is a tin-glazed (oxide-based), hand-painted earthenware of a pale buff color, generally associated with the Faenza region of Italy. Faience ware revolutionized the manufacture and export of pottery around the world as early as the 15thC, as it mimicked the look of more expensive porcelain wares previously exported from China.  From various regions came their own versions of faience: the Dutch produced Delft, the English produced English Delft, and the French most notoriously produced Quimper, among other regional makers.  

Quimper is a town, located in the Brittany region of France, and has been making faience pottery since the turn of the 18thC. The man credited as the founder of Quimper faience pottery is Jean-Baptiste Bousquet. By early 1900, two other competitive factories became one, known as the Henriot factory. The Bousquet factory was sold, but retained the name Grande Maison HB. In 1968, the two factories (Henriot and Grande Maison HB) merged and became known as Henriot.

The people and the language of Quimper are Breton, with a strong Celtic heritage.  The most widely produced designs seen on the Quimper faience pottery are of its peasant countryside people, Bretons, in traditional attire. Each piece is hand-painted and decorated, and then marked Henriot, authenticating its uniqueness and manufacture.

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Independence Adventure at WV's Summit Bechtel Reserve

Mr. P. and I, along with my oldest daughter and SIL, spent the 4th of July at The Summit Bechtel Reserve, an adventure center in West Virginia for millions of youth and adults involved in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). If you know a scout, then you've probably heard of this place; if not, you can live vicariously through our photo adventure quick tour right now! Grab a seat and rest now, because you'll be tired after all the activities I'm going to go through!

Entry to Summit Bechtel Reserve - Glen Jean, WV

Brief history: the BSA had its permanent location for National Jamboree (national scout gathering held every four years) at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia from 1981 until last year (2013), when West Virginia hosted its inaugural event in the new, 5,000 acre permanent BSA home, named the Summit.  WV won in the selection process over several other state locations, mostly because of its proximity to the more than 70,000 additional acres of the managed wilderness of the New River Gorge National River.  Thirteen miles of the Summit borders the national park, which offers, among other adventure activities available, class III to class VI whitewater rafting on the New and Gauley Rivers.

It took four years from conception to completion for the Summit to be built and ready for its inaugural National Jamboree in 2013, hosting more than 40,000 scout attendees.

Aerial photo of the Summit. Photo credit: SUMMITBSA.ORG website, Todd Punch, photographer

Our adventure was part of a 2014 summer weekend, limited offer to the general public, in which we participated in a single-day pass to enjoy over 100 acres of adventure from 10am to 6pm, for just $55 per person, including ALL equipment.

At the area called Action Point, we participated in several activities, included ziplining.  We've all ziplined before at the New River Gorge facility, so in this adventure we all felt safe and confident.

Mr. P, ziplining among the trees as our canopy

Obstacle Challenge Course...

Daughter B, walking the wire with roped guardrails (3rd station of this challenge)

This course was scary!  After "ground school" and the first climb up on a cargo net, there were 4 additionally progressive and frightening walks to pass on mere wire, rope & logs, while being tethered to a wire above with a polyester lanyard and clip.  Needless to say, my legs were quivering more with each successive station, and I literally hugged the trees between points!

Mr. P. walking the tight wire on station #4 of this challenge.  The crossed ropes you see (on rt) were the only 'handles'.

Other activities at the Action Point we all participated in included Mountain Biking, but there were also skateboard and dirt bike courses. Daughter B tried skateboarding, and quit after her first ramp and fall. :)

Action Point: various activities, including ziplining, obstacle course, skateboarding, dirt bikes, and mountain biking

After a quick lunch from the only concession vendor on premise for the public, we moved on to other activities.  Next, we tried the Tomahawk Toss (daughter B has an MFA from Florida State, so we insisted on doing this one!).

Daughter B (rt), landing a Seminole-style hawk, dead center, while SIL M looks on.

After that, we moved on to Archery.

Then, on to Trap Shooting with bow and arrow.  SIL M was the only one crazy patient enough who tried this one.

SIL M, aiming for target disk in upper right corner of frame

And he succeeded!

One of the most favorite activities for me (I really liked that Obstacle Course, after it was over) ended up being the last one - Rock Climbing!  Mr. P. was tired, so he took my camera and took photos.

SIL M, Me, and Daughter B on rock climbing wall.  Instructor in foreground, on ground level.

We each made it to the top!

Daughter B and SIL M then proceeded to the adjacent Rappelling wall for the final activity of the day.

Daughter B, Instructor, and SIL M at top of rappelling wall

Our day was awesomely tiring, and our weather was a picture perfect 78°, low humidity and a northerly, breezy interruption to our normal summer weather. Our walk back to the main Conference Center and Trading Post was scenic, along the boardwalk that is part of the camp.

The pictures here barely give a glimpse into the magnitude of this facility, much of it not even available to us, the general public. There are some folks around this area who would make the argument that another secret bunker facility, much like the one I described in my post on the Historic WV Greenbrier Resort, was built here, based on eyewitness accounts of all the concrete trucks that hauled in and out during the facility's construction. It wouldn't surprise me if there was another bunker here, there's certainly room for one or two.

We didn't even come close to having enough time to take part in the available water activities, which included standup paddle boarding and kayaking. A two-day pass would have taken care of that, but those were also things we knew we could do on our upcoming vacation, so we opted out of those in our adventure at Summit. Daugher B collects shot glasses toothpick holders, and they had one at the Trading Post, which B said she will display proudly after that day of adventure.

A Portion of Lake Goodrich at Summit Bechtel Reserve

One section of campsite tents for scouts

If you know of any scouts who may be considering this facility, whether it's for a short-stay camp, the National Jamboree, or future employment, I can vouch for how wonderful a place it is, and it's just about an hour south and east of Charleston, the capital city. Of course, being in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia, you'll be passing through remote areas, with road names like Lick Fork Rd, Paint Creek Cutoff Rd, and Coaldale Rd before you get there. ;)

The young adult instructors were from places all over the country, including California, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Georgia, just a few named from those we asked.  Campers and staff stay in 8' x 10' tents in designated areas, and have conveniences like WiFi, Water and Portable Restrooms, more than plentifully planted throughout the acreage.

WiFi, Concession Vendor (Primarily for Visitors), Water Station

Huge bronzes of various benefactors, scattered on the property

Sampling of wonderful structures throughout the property

For more information on the Summit Bechtel Reserve, check out their website:  www.summitbsa.org. Go big, go wild, go West Virginia!

NOTE:  This post is not sponsored in any way.  It is strictly my review and opinion of my visit there!

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Surprise Garden Flowers, 2014 Progress

I suppose you would call my garden Southern traditional.  I have plantings that started from a plan in 2004, with various perennials repeating throughout the mulch beds, making a nice display, from spring through fall. I have evergreens with year-round interest so that the garden doesn't look bare in winter.  I also have annual flower beds, mostly in the front of my house and front gate.  What I don't have is much in terms of cottage-style, wildflower plantings.

The last few years, however, I've had a little surprise in my garden that is totally random, thanks to my birds. I've seen sunflowers grow beneath the birdfeeder out of leftovers from winter feeding.

The first year they grew, they weren't very strong (below), and a heavy storm knocked them over before their prime.

Last year, I had some really big blooms, and they smiled happily toward the sun.

They made the birds and bees happy too.

Again, this year, I am seeing my sunflowers.  I even rake under my feeders at the end of winter, cleaning up the mulch beds beneath so as not to attract unwanted wildlife that may start with those leftovers and move on to eating other plants.  I only feed hummingbirds in the summer months.  The rest of the birds are on their own, until my flowers are spent, in which case they become fair game. Goldfinches love my black-eyed Susans.  Check out this year's free-form flower patch (below):

Already the stalks are higher than the 6' brick wall, with multi-blooms on the thick (!) stalks. You can see the birdfeeder on the left side, obscured by the flowers when viewed from the front.

I staked the biggest stalks this year, in case we get some strong storms.  I'm pretty excited about the random patch of happy flowers. Look where else I have a random sunflower growing (below).

This sunflower is growing out from the edge of one of my hydrangeas, at least 20' away from the sunflower patch.  I guess it's trying to make up for the fact that I have no hydrangea blooms this year (as a result of an intentional hard pruning last fall).  

In other garden bloom news, my first Lord Baltimore hibiscus blooms appeared on the last day of June:

Remember the hibiscus, and the process of staking the stalks?  These plants have grown from this in April (below):

April view of garden: hibiscus barely emerging in foreground

To this in May....

May view of garden: hibiscus 12-18" tall, before staking

To this in June....

June view of garden: hibiscus staked, growing

To now this, in July.  Soon these will be full of saucer-sized blooms. I am happy to say that I will no longer be staking hibiscus, strong storms or not!

July garden view:  hibiscus stalks more than 6' tall, blooms starting!

Other flowering plants that are making a big show right now are my bee balm, which hummingbirds love:

Bee balm

I staked my bee balm this year too (you can see the garden ties near the base, wrangling the patch together). They're getting a little out of hand, crowding my knockout rose (see trellis on left side of frame), and all the black-eyed Susans.  I've already separated some of the bee balm, but need to do more.

We love a crowd!  Bee balm, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers merging behind spirea, hiding the salvia in between

Other plants are showing their resiliency in the perennial beds.  The butterfly bushes are starting to bloom, and the lavender is pushing new growth after a devastating winter.

Resilient butterfly bushes, starting to bloom (early July)

My annuals are filling out nicely after weekly fertilizing throughout June.  Here are a few collage photos, comparing various annuals from mid-May and my last garden post (top row, when first planted) to the first of July (middle row, and bottom row for closer looks).

2014 Annual beds Comparison: Top row: mid-May; Middle row: July 1; Bottom row: detail July 1

2014 Container Comparison: mid-May (L) to July 1 (R)

2014 Courtyard Containers Comparison:  mid-May (L) to July 1 (R)

Here's one last surprise for you, as seen by Mr. P. and I, as we exited our front gate to start our early morning walk on the July 2nd (below):

In front of ours, as well as almost every property along our 3 mile walk path, there was at least one of the American flags you see in the flower bed above, placed on our properties sometime during the night before. There were 3 business cards on the pole (easily removed by sliding off), all from affiliated and local, family-run businesses (realty, construction and cleaning). Smart, and looks great in the neighborhood too!

What's new in your garden?  Any planned or unplanned surprises popping up in your flower beds?  Are your gardens cottage style or more formal?  Are your flowers flourishing so far in 2014?  I love them all, just give me flowers!

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I Was Simply Obeying the Law!

Mr. P. and I have been walking earlier and earlier, the hotter it gets.  Lately, it's been around the time the early bird gets the worm.  As we were walking a week or so ago, we turned the corner, about a half mile from home, and I saw this:

Being the law-abiding citizen that I am, I simply obeyed the law!  Actually, the pile looked like this as we were walking:

As we made our way back around the area, I saw a teenager exit one of the houses that straddled the properties behind the signpost at the corner, where this pile was stacked.  I asked if it was from his family's yard (yes), and was it out for trash (after checking with parents, yes).  Could I have a few pieces of it (yes)? I told the young man to tell his parents what I would be driving in case they wanted to know.  Before I could finish these three questions, Mr. P. was already a block away, walking as if he didn't even know me!

After finishing our walk, about an hour or so later, I grabbed my yard gloves and drove over to the honey hole of chippy treasures. Thankfully, my back car door lock had been repaired this past week (expensive!!), so I'm back in business, just like Sanford & Son. ;)

I pulled out three sections of the chippy wood treasures and stacked them in the rear of my car, and off I drove. The three sectional pieces are in the photo below.  The section on the left has a corner piece with two slats - it's standing on its own, and I really like that.  It is the same height as the section on the far right, and the section in the middle is taller than the other two.  I had my Panoply sisters in mind when I took three sectional pieces.

Until a vignette is planned (or nixed) with my Panoply cohorts to use these in a display, I put the chippy goodness away for now. They'll keep good company with flowerpots and some other worn wood slats (piled on top of the pots in photo below) I gathered from another neighbor's discards for...well, guess what?

Just days after I penned this post, a niece of mine got on Facebook with the photo below from the blog My Love 2 Create (Mindi Carwin) and wrote this:
"LOVE this idea!!! If anyone has an old picket fence or knows where I can get one...please let me know!! My son T has joined the military and I would LOVE to be able to display this outdoors for all to see!"  

So guess where the wood slats went?  Yep, I told my niece, "I'm your girl".  She picked them up this past weekend.  She and her son are going to build it - with only one condition - she takes pictures before, during and after the project, lol.  I still have the fence sections, but the slats are gone.

Recycling at its best - I love it!

Do you like early-bird specials? What's in your neighborhood lately?  Have you ever 'rescued' from the side of the road?  In your neighborhood, or not?

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