It's A Southern Sort of Book Club Meeting

Good morning Tina here.

Last week I went up to Camino for a luncheon meeting with my book club group (a side line of the Placerville Shakespeare Club). We are called the Blue Stocking Sisters. A "blue stocking" is defined as a woman with considerable literary or intellectual ability or interest.  We mostly read the classics, and try to read at least one Shakespeare piece a year.

This day we were discussing our reading of "Gone With The Wind"by Margaret Mitchell.

We met at the home of one of our members, which sits on a wooded piece of property in the heart of what we in El Dorado County call Apple Hill. Her home was absolutely gorgeous. Tall slanted ceilings met high above with skylights in the center. As you walked in the front door a two-sided fireplace met your eye, and beyond was a cozy room with plenty of seating, and two antique stained glass windows drew your gaze immediately. Along every wall and in every nook were Hawaiian and oriental nicknacks. This family spends part of each year in Hawaii at their second home.

Janet and Bernice were the hostesses. Mother and daughter. They recently have begun living together in the house that Bernice (the mom) has lived in for over fifteen years. The stained glass windows were found by Janet's father (who is now deceased) in an antique shop in Southern California, and they were in pieces. He painstakingly restored them, and they grace this wonderful home, one letting in light from the east and one from the west. They are incredible!

We were seated around a table with a beautiful magnolia blossom strategically placed so we could all get a good sniff.

As we settled in and soaked up the southern scent, we were offered our choice of sweet iced tea, an Arnold Palmer (iced tea and lemonade - non-alcoholic, if you add bourbon it is called a Tipsy Palmer), or a mint julep with a touch of Kentucky bourbon from a very old bottle that Janet found way in the back of Bernice's cupboard, forlorn and forgotten. (Guess what I had? It had a bit of mint in it.)

One of our number, Pat, always loved the movie Gone With the Wind since she was a child, and her daughter helped fuel this passion with gifts such as almost every book about the movie ever published, and these two delightful dolls shown below, dressed in two of the most iconic costumes Scarlett flaunted on screen.

I think the little Madame Alexander Scarlett is contemplating a sip of Pat's mint julep, while the taller one feels she might be too young to imbibe. Below Pat shows one of the costumes from her 1939 movie book.

We had a wonderful lunch (I wish I had thought to take photos) of a succulent ham, juicy fruit salad, buttermilk biscuits, potato salad to die for, and a chocolate pecan pie that just about left me speechless, served on vintage china, with the prettiest silverware which sported a single rose wrapped around the stem.

Out of the many tchtochkes (a Slovic word meaning trinkets) my favorites were two frames filled with
mysterious long feather items. They turned out to be hatbands crafted in Hawaii, and collected and worn by the same gentleman who rescued the stained glass windows. I saw at least sixteen different ones framed, and apparently he had more of them. They were very beautiful, although I am concerned about what happened to the birds.

The time came to say farewell, and after that meal and the julep, I thought about a nap when I reached home.

                 

Ishi and Robbi apparently had the same thing in mind and acted on it.

Next week I will once again take you along with me on a trip with the Wagon Train.

More Vintage Vera Neumann: This Time, For The Table

Often times, while out "thrifting", I may find just a single cloth napkin.
If it's vintage Vera, that is fine by me:

 I actually found two of these vintage vinyl placemats with butterflies on them - they are on our kitchen table right now!

 And the pretty napkins you see below are for sale at the shop where I have a space (A. Flowers in Jamestown, California); I might have to buy them:

The beautiful boxed set in the picture below belonged to my mother-in-law, and I am very sorry that I sold it years ago.
I know.
 I don't want to talk about it:

 The sunflower napkin in the following photo was another single find.
It's shown atop a Vera tablecloth that is a particular favorite of mine. I've had it for years; it is very special to me because it belonged to my mom:

This table setting below features pretty Vera napkins in blue.
It was designed by Ellamay Barber and was featured in an article in The Los Angeles Times Home Magazine in September of 1966:

The next two images are a set of cloth napkins I found at a thrift store:

I had mistakenly included them in my last post about scarves, and I want to give a special thank you to one of our loyal readers, Diane for ever-so-politely bringing my error to my attention!

It's such a pretty set with bright flowers that pack a powerful punch!

And I will close today with one more single cloth napkin I found:

Often when I come across a napkin or place mat, they are only a quarter - so of course I bring them home!
How can I resist?

First Vera Neumann Post Of 2015

I found some Vera Neumann items in a vintage (1970) catalog from the I. Magnin Department Store.
The catalog was here in the house; it belonged to my mother-in-law.
I have looked through it a number of times before, but, apparently, I didn't look at everything closely enough!
I was flipping through it again the other day, and I thought to myself, "Doesn't it seem as though there might have been something from Vera Neumann in here?".
Well, what do you know?
There was!

Vera's honeycomb printed pant set...

And also something for the hostess - AND her table!

A skirt, and matching table linens in a vivid poppy print by Vera:

"Here's to the hostess", indeed.
Now, if that doesn't get you into the mood for a garden party, nothing will!

The El Dorado Roses attend a Luncheon

Good morning, Tina here. 

Last Sunday I, along with seven other El Dorado Rose Association members, attended the 16th Annual Fall Luncheon held in support of the Mother Teresa Maternity Home, at the Gurnell Hall at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Placerville, California.

It was a beautiful, almost too warm, clear day.

The attendees were met at the door by a very welcoming hostess who served a choice of ice water, coffee, mimosas or champagne. There were also some little fruit tarts. What a nice start as we waited for the doors to open!

Claudia and Suzanne met up with me at the door, dressed in their finest Rose clothing. We always include hats and gloves in our outfits. This day our hats all featured birds, since our table's theme was "Going to the Birds".

A few of us had decorated the table on Friday and Saturday and as we gathered there we had a few additions, including the ostrich feathers.

I walked around before the luncheon started, checking out some of the many tables (There were 29!) and their themes. Above is "Cat in the Hat".

One of my favorites, above, with noose napkin rings, gold pan "plates", bags of gold, and mason jar wine glasses, is "Old Hangtown".

Another favorite, since the Gold Country Girls' mom collected the Autumn Leaf design, was "Harvest Blessings".

Another "Cat in the Hat". Colorful and fun. I wonder where they found that hat!?

"No Place Like Home". Their tin man was amazing.

I didn't get the theme name of the table above, but I bet it had something to do with Hawaii or travel.

"Tea in the Afternoon".

The young granddaughter of a friend of mine from the Shakespeare Club (who was the luncheon chairman) planned and executed this table "Stick It!"  The placecards were hand stamped with gymnasts, and decorating the table were actual silhouettes of McKenna in gymnastic poses. The lucky ladies sitting there each had a "gold" metal to wear, made of candy coins.

This yummy looking table was called "Candy Land" and it had bowls of candy all over!

"Enchanted Garden" complete with fairies and moss trees and even twinkling lights.

"Froggy Goes a Luncheon" by a mother and daughter team, who just happened to be our next door neighbors for a while when we lived on Woodland Drive in 1969.

"Just Clowning Around".

"Autumn is Here", this is the table where the priests sat. Best behavior please!

"Let's Take a Road Trip", Very clever, and if I had to guess, it might be where our retired sheriff, who also helped serve the wine, dressed in a tux, sat.

I didn't get the name of the table, above, but it included a beautiful ceramic nativity set and this wonderful crocheted tablecloth.

These rather surprised and grumpy looking goldfish were in one of three bowls on the table entitled "Under the Sea"

Back at our table, where we Roses were part of the decorations with our hats we each designed ourselves, the only direction we were given was that they were to have birds on them.

I neglected to get a good shot of the plates, which were each decoupaged with a lovely bird illustration from an old book.  We also each decorated a miniature bird house.

Dianna and Sharon check out a photo.

My place at the table.

Claudia and Kathy (hidden by feather) are served ice water by Mary Kay, whose hat was decorated with an actual bird's nest.

Carol made little edible bird's nests out of Chinese noodles, and filled them with Jelly Belly "eggs".

We had fun trying to photograph ourselves and show the tops of our hats at the same time. Easier said than done! This is Kathy in my favorite hat of the day.

Sharon had lovebirds on her hat! She specifically said this is the only time she would ever wear it.

I just love this shot of Suzanne, above.

We had a great time, and enjoyed supporting the young mothers, some of whom were there with their little ones, one little girl in a polka dot dress wandered a bit, visiting and gracing us with her delightful smile.