Welcome to my site! Parsimonious Décor Darling is the moniker I have adapted to convey the sentiment you do not need to be extravagant to be fabulous! I love DIY projects, gardening, tablescapes, and incorporating thrifty finds and antiques with finery! My aesthetic is classic and traditional, with a touch of whimsy. Let's share!
The punishing heat of Summer's days are soon at an end.
Another year begins; to school, the children I will send.
God changes the trees, the weather, and all of the land.
No more swimming, surfing, or running along hot sand.
Glorious Fall arrives, over Summer ne'er shall I weep.
In my heart, its memories shall I cherish and keep.
It's almost Fall, Y'all!
-Until next time
Clumsy attempt at poetry, yours truly
Flowers, local grocer, not bad!
Little bucket, bought plain from Tai Pan Trading. French detail and lettering was added by yours truly. You may view the tutorial of how to add lettering to a galvanized bucket in the archives here.
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I hope that everyone is enjoying the summer, and staying cool wherever you are.
This Summer, with the temperatures here in southern California soaring well past the 100s, it definitely makes me think of the Mediterranean countryside. If you have read any of my posts, you know that I am an avid lover of music; thus, as par for the course, today as I plan a special dinner, I am listening to and reflecting upon one of my favorite composers, Isaac Albéniz. He was a pianist whose works were originally composed solely for piano. Several of the pieces were later transcribed for guitar, and have become classical guitar standards. The Suite Española is one of my favorite works in classical music. Comprised of several pieces, the works reflected the area for which they were composed. You may listen to one of my favorite pieces of the Suite Española entitled Sevilla as interpreted by famous guitarist John Williams here: It may not work via my site, but the YouTube window will open up upon clicking.
Albéniz was inspired by the cities of Andalusia, and the pieces were meant to reflect the region.
The area where we reside is very warm and it resembles not only Mediterranean countries, but Tuscany as well. There are even an abundance of wineries nearby; the terrain is so similar which is perfect for cultivating grapes (this is also why I have vines on my property). Today, I am taking my cue from Maestro Albéniz by bringing a bit of the beautiful Mediterranean countryside to my table, and also adding a dash of Tuscan charm, just right for entertaining during the late summer. I also will be participating in a fabulous blog hop hosted by one of my favorite bloggy pals, Katherine from Katherine's Corner. We would love to have you visit all of the wonderful posts in this fun summer tablescape hop! I hope you enjoy!
The table began with a simple white cloth, embellished with a rustic burlap runner.
A runner of grape vines and bougainvillea fresh from my garden adds a bit of Summer romance to the setting.
Isn't this bounty beautiful?
Placemats of rattan emulate the provincial elements of the countryside.
I kept things simple with white china, shown here:
and clear glass. Shown here.
Each place setting was outfitted with a mini pedestal to designate seating.
I wanted a casual atmosphere, so extra flatware for dessert was displayed in this rustic wrought iron silverware caddy.
I planned a special menu for this dinner party, and the elements were also meant to reflect the beauty of the region. The menu is situated at the head of the table in wrought iron.
A close look at the evening's menu:
Premier: Salade de Bougainvilliers et les feuilles de vigne avec les fraises
I wanted to keep it whimsical, so the salad was served in a fun silver wheelbarrow with an accompanying pitchfork and shovel style fork and spoon.
So cute.
If you would like to view the recipe for this salad, you may do so on my blog Parsimonious Pabulum here.
Plat Prinicpal: Gaspacho Blanc
The gazpacho was served in a simple silver bowl placed inside a wrought iron trivet.
If you would like to view the recipe for my white gazpacho, you may visit the post here on my blog Parsimonious Pabulum.
Après: 1. Gâteau au Citron avec infusion des raisins blancs 2. Glace au Vanille à la Lavande
1. I plated the Naked Lemon Cake with White Grape Infusion on this antique-styled cake plate.
If you would like to see the recipe for this very delicious (and simple, a boxed cake was used as a base...shhhh) you may view the post here on Parsimonious Pabulum.
2. The Lavender Ice cream was served in the aforementioned simple dessert glasses.
You may view the recipe at Parsimonious Pabulumhere.
Vin: Moscato d'Asti
Completed table.
The evening definitely was a success, and I hope you have enjoyed this post. These ideas are perfect for a mid-summer's siorée! Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Please be sure to visit all of the other lovely bloggers in this wonderful hop!
***Update***
I was so preoccupied with my sick poochie, I forgot to list where all my pretties came from!!
Apologies!
From my collection:
White Dinnerware, Ralph Lauren Whipstitch Collection, Horchow/Neiman Marcus Rattan Chargers, Target Silver Flatware, Wallace Silversmiths Antique Baroque Collection, Horchow/Neiman Marcus Beige Crocheted-edge tea towels, Boutross Linens, Horchow/Neiman Marcus Wrought iron silverware caddy and trivet, SteinMart Silver Bowl, Ralph Lauren Wentworth Collection Silver-plated Wheelbarrow, Pitchfork, and Shovel Set, Godinger, Horchow/Neiman Marcus Wrought Iron Book stand used for menu, Tai Pan Trading Antique-style cake stand, Tai Pan Trading Dessert glasses, generic, Homegoods Wine glasses, generic
Mini cupcake stands used for place settings, American Atelier Bianca Collection, TJMaxx
If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives! You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling. You might like to visit my other blog hubs,
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Warning: If you are late to the game (as I was) and have not watched Downton Abbey, this post may contain spoilers.
Hello, dear friends!
Thank you so much for stopping in to visit my blog. August 14-18 2017 is Afternoon tea week in the UK, and what better way to enjoy it than with a binge of brew, baked bites, and brilliant television?
My kiddos have just started another school year, and because chauffeuring, checking homework, and navigating the day-to-day for four children takes effort and lots of dedication, I spent the last meager hours of their vacation binge watching Downton Abbey.
A sweet antique tea cart filled with all the accoutrement necessary.
A silver coffee service used for tea on a footed silver tray.
Some of my favorite teacups of very fine bone china.
Some delish noshes on a footed silver plate.
Finally, the series, served also in silver. We are binging on Downton, after all. ;-)
I know, I know...I am very late to the game. I didn't learn about the series until it was already in its third or fourth season, so I decided to wait patiently until the whole series was available on DVD. Oh, how I wish I'd discovered it sooner!!
This drama has me completely ensnared; I love it! A fantastic cast of characters face the turmoil of war, death, love and loss, romance and strife, the storylines are so eloquently told!
There are characters you will find endearing, such as sweet and beautiful Sybil, who had an untimely death during childbirth.
The dashing Matthew, who met an unfortunate and tragic fate via a car crash.
There are characters you will love to hate, such as Thomas and O'Brien, and yet even they have some admirable tolerable attributes.
Although the series is a drama, I must admit, I really enjoy the bursts of laughter I have had due to the snappy one-liners via The Dowager Countess and Mrs. Patmore. Here are a few of my favorite moments:
Lady Violet:
And my favorite thus far:
I also quite enjoy Mrs. Patmore's acerbic no-nonsense wit. A few of my favorite scenes:
Who could forget this expression as Mrs. Patmore tried to explain to Daisy that Thomas just was not for her?
I feel like Mrs. Patmore always has that exasperated expression, haha. This gave me a chuckle:
I especially liked this scene:
I can't wait to see what happens next, so please don't tell me!! If you have watched this series, who were your favorites?
Silver Service, all, Sheridan
Footed silver tray for service, Sheridan
Footed silver tray for cookies, Godinger
Footed silver bowl for Downton DVD, Wallace Baroque
Bone china teacups and saucers, Haviland France Limoges Ranson and Marseille Collections
**My apologies for the tardiness of this post, my sweet puppy Brody was very ill, and ended up having a surgery to remove bladder stones.
If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives! You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling. You might like to visit my other blog hubs,
Follow me on Pinterest!! Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest! Thank you!
Hello, sweet friends! Won't you join me in the garden? A sweet little corner to enjoy the femininity of teatime...just in time to celebrate Afternoon Tea Week, which will commence in the UK this year on August 14th.
A bountiful basket of nature's beauty (wink wink)
is the perfect compliment to ultra-feminine pretties.
A topper of pretty pinks and sweet subtle greens begins the setting.
Simple plates of celadon,
pretty china on which roses dance merrily,
followed by delicate saucers
and demitasse cups of intricate detail. I love the scalloped pattern, and soft gild; so darling!!
Closer look.
The matching chocolate pot plays gracefully
with a delightful hand-painted creamer and sugar with nesting plate and
pretty pink hemstitched serviettes.
To add a bit more elegance, each tea serviette is outfitted with pretty petals fresh from my garden.
Such a pretty selection. There's nothing more charming than that!!
I started each napkin with a stem of Senecio Silver Dust,
followed by a pretty Petunia Surfinia Purple Vein,
a Guara Lindheimeri Gaudi Red (Whirling Butterflies),
and finally, a pink Mexican Petunia (Pink Ruellia Brittoniana)
all tied together with a bit of raffia.
The flowers really compliment and showcase the details of the china!
A rustic antique silver champagne bucket makes for a wonderful smaller centerpiece better suited for guests.
Oh, it's the simple things...
such as dainty pastry forks and teaspoons...
that make my heart sing!
Completed tablescape.
Place setting.
A perfect way to enjoy a wonderful Summer's day, especially during Afternoon Tea Week!
Enjoy the beautiful weather!
Until next time...
From my collection:
Floral topper, local vintage
Hemstitched tea serviettes, local vintage
Demitasse cups, saucers, and chocolate pot, hand painted Malmaison Rosenthal Bavaria, Alice pattern, local antique shoppe
Hand-painted creamer, sugar, and nesting plate, Lois White's CreARTive Treasures, you may visit the website here, but I found mine via a local antique.
Saucers, Princess House Hammersley for Spode Champagne bucket, Pilgrim Silver, P705, antique.
Celadon plates, thrifted
If you are a tea enthusiast like I am, please join me and other lovely bloggers at Bernideen's Tea Time Cottage and Garden for a blog hop in honor of Afternoon Tea Week. The Celebration will begin on August 16, and we would love to see you there!
If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives! You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling. You might like to visit my other blog hubs,
Follow me on Pinterest!! Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest! Thank you!
