Happy Birthday!

I'm probably a little old for getting excited about birthdays but I just had a wonderful "50-something" birthday on June 23rd.   Our family celebrates our birthdays with dinner out and then usually cake and ice cream at our house.   So I picked the restaurant and away we went.  Dinner was delicious, as always, at a wonderful restaurant...then back for cake.

"Old Country Roses" is my favorite pattern of all of the dishes I have.  So I set up dessert with these.  We didn't need much in the way of silverware.  No one wanted anything hot to drink so there were just cold beverage glasses.  The flowers were given to me by my co-workers.  My boss got flowers too.  Her birthday is just two days before mine!

Here is a little closer view.  The napkins are pale pink damask but it doesn't show very well.

The buffet held the wonderful coconut birthday cake, which was delicious!!!  I put "Old Country Roses" plates on the silver tea tray but didn't really have any reason to use, it's just so pretty!  

 Here's a closer look.  The cream and sugar is there in case anyone wanted coffee or tea. but alas, no takers!

I received just great birthday gifts...a "squirrel proof" birdfeeder from my sister P and her roomie S.  I've been watching the birds eating and a little chipmunk trying to get in on the action.   A great radio with an MP3 docking station for my desk from my sweet husband. It's wonderful while I am working.  Lots of pink (my favorite) desk accessories from my sister N. already setting there and being used. And my sister L. really surprised me with a cake plate and four dessert plates.  She and I are so very different in our tastes, but she picked perfectly! (She was concerned that I wouldn't like it-can you believe it???)  She found the set at an antique mall.  It's Noritake.  Look for it on a future blog!

The edge is the prettiest green.  I don't have anything green so this opens up a whole realm of possibilities

The cake plate is beautiful and in perfect shape

The matching dessert plates are a nice large size and also in beautiful condition

It was such a wonderful birthday and I thank my entire family for making it so!!!

Now for the dish on the dishes:

• The china is "Old Country Roses"
• The silver is Reed and Barton "Rathmore" silverplate
• The vase is "Old Country Roses"
• The undercloth is from Linen's & Things ages ago
• I don't even know where I got the Quaker lace tablecloth but have had it for years
• The glasses are crystal from ebay
• Napkins are damask also from ebay
• The cake is on a pink pedestal from ebay
• The silver tea tray is an ebay purchase too...I have been looking for one for ages. (LOVE ebay!)

Thank you for coming by to share my birthday!!  Love to hear your comments.  Oh, and be sure to visit Susan at "Between Naps on the Porch" (her button is up on the right)

Tess

Dishes, dishes everywhere!

I love peeking into everyone's cupboards to see where all of you store your treasures!  I plucked up the courage to show my slightly disorganized storage spaces (which are certainly not enough!).  I don't have the magnificent collections that others have, but mine collection still requires more storage than I have!!  My family is very small so I don't need a lot of place settings.  I have mostly service for 4-8 and that is plenty.  I do have one set for sixteen, but have never needed that many.
I hope you  enjoy my little tour...let's go!

We'll start with our dining room buffet...

(Our dining room is much darker than these walls look in photos)

Some placemats and napkins

Napkin rings and cake cutters

Candles of all sorts

More drawers of table cloths and napkins

All of the silver serving pieces are in the side sections of the buffet

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Like others, I keep my favorite treasures on display in the dining room china cabinet

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And underneath the display area is the majority of my china with some serving pieces (and please ignore the dust...it's apparent I have!!!!)

This china cabinet drawer holds my favorite silverplate by Reed & Barton, as well as several service pieces

 (Pssst...peek here in the pantry...those three boxes are sets of silver flatware...among other stuff in the pantry)

The other center buffet drawer has more linens

Our dining room has two corner cabinets...this lower part of the cupboard also holds my cake stands which are out on loan right now

China, place card holders, tea and coffee pots in the other corner cabinet

Now on to the cabinet in the living room...this holds my teacup collection

This is not the end of it...I have a set of Polish china in quilted cases in the attic.  The Christmas dishes are in a box up there along with seasonal decorations.  There is also crystal from Poland that isn't even unpacked from our move 5 years ago!!!  But I have nowhere to put it!!

Thank for taking this tour...after seeing beautifully organized storage, I think I have some work to do!!!  And MANY thanks to The Tablescaper for her anniversary "party"!  Please visit her great blog!!

Tess