Signs of the Season

This year, I'm anticipating the arrival of fall more anxiously than in

years past.

Perhaps the many months spent laboring in the 

sweltering heat—restoring the gardens and clearing the barns—has

 intensified my desire for cooler temperatures.

As a matter of fact, I've been so engrossed in these tasks

that I've almost let the first signs—ones that signal fall is on its way—slip

right past me.

The purple, white, pink, and blue wildflowers that graced our fields, just

a short while ago, have given way to a more autumnal array.

Their bright cheery faces are but one of the many

things that make fall my favorite season.

I'm actually quite nostalgic about this particular time of year.  Some of

 my most cherished childhood memories revolve around

autumns past.

And...

we celebrate my Yankee sweetheart's birthday each fall...

in addition to our anniversary.

But it's also the colors of the season that make it so appealing to me.  The warmth

 of the saturated hues wrap around you like a well-worn,

 cozy quilt on a crisp, cool evening.

And...

around The Brambleberry Cottage, fall also means

it's apple picking time.   ; )

Those juicy, wholesome orbs find their way into pies,

cobblers, and a wide assortment of taste-tempting treats...

and, hopefully, this year, even fresh apple cider.

I'm so looking forward to gathering the benches, chairs, and tables

from the barn, and...

rounding up the extra quilts and pillows for our fall festivities.

It's a time when our family and friends assemble to enjoy

blazing bonfires beneath star-studded skies.

Happily, the signs of the season are upon us...

a season for celebrating a few of life's

 simple country pleasures.

Joining

It's Fall Ya'll: Outdoor Spaces Party with Thrifty Decor Chick

Mary's Share the Love Wednesday,

Tracie's Cottage Flora Thursdays, Susan's Tablescape Thursday,

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Cindy's Show and Tell Friday,

Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday, Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday,

Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Time Travel Thursday #50 - Purple Passions

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.

Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

~Jeremy Irons~

Welcome to the 50th Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

I love to display fragrant, fresh-cut flowers throughout my little cottage, whenever

I get the chance.  And during the months of spring, there is always an

abundance of beautiful blooms with which to do just that.

But by the time the intense heat of our Southern summer settles in...

the lovely blossoms of spring have all faded away.

Determined to find SOMETHING from nature that was both beautiful and fragrant—

with which to decorate my tiny abode—I took a little stroll around the farm today

to see what my eyes could spy.

Provence Lavender

The lavender lovelies growing in my vegetable garden are past their prime,

but pretty, nonetheless.

So I thought of gathering a bunch to display in the cottage, but...

for a while, there was a standoff...

 between a swarm of these little fuzzy creatures and me.

Having been stung twice in the past month, I had to spend some time considering just

how badly I wanted these pretty pastel picks.

After a few seconds of quiet reflection, I decided to take a walk around the cottage to

see what else I could find—that didn't involve the threat of pain.  ; )

Hosta

Currently, the ONLY thing in bloom in my flower gardens are the hostas.

I thoroughly enjoy their fairy-like flowers but prefer to keep

them dancing daintly outside.

What to do, what to do?

Rather than risk another run-in with the wicked little winged stinkers stingers, I

extended my search to the edge of the woods.

Heal-all Mint

This particular type of wildflower—quite common around our region—didn't appeal

to me in the least.  So...they were left as decoration for the foxes' dens.

Spotted Star-Thistle

I DID, however, find these flirty purple thistles quite lovely

and gathered a small basketful.

Queen Anne's Lace

While I was busily clipping the thistles, I caught these lacy ladies 

out of the corner of my eye.

They grow quite profusely around here.  And since I love the combination of white,

green, and purple, I gathered a handful of them, as well.

On my way back to the cottage, I tossed in a few more odds and ends from nature—

to help round out my arrangement.

As I approached the back steps, I glanced once more toward the vegetable garden

and my lavender plants.

With clippers in hand—AND a bit of trepidation—I walked cautiously to the plants...

to lay claim to what was rightfully MINE!  The bees were

none too happy with my decision.

But I had a plan...

and it involved THOSE lusciously-scented stalks!

Armed with the bounty of my morning walk, several pieces of vintage white ironstone

 from inside the cottage, an old wicker table with chippy-green paint—

borrowed from the front porch...

and an abandoned nest—with an empty eggshell, found on the ground below it—I went

to work to create a sweet floral vignette 

outside one of the barns.

I love how the prissy flowers play with the primitive elements and how

the refined beauty of the ironstone contrasts with

the rustic, timeworn wood of the barn.

Who would have thought that weeds could be so charming?

Personally, I think WEEDS are just beautiful flowers that have gotten a bum rap!

What do you think?    

Now all I need to do is grab a few comfy chairs and some munchies and invite a few of my

gal pals over to watch the nightly firefly spectacular.  ; )

 

Linking also to Susan's for Outdoor Wednesday, Mary's for Share the Love Wednesday, Suzanne's for Vintage Thingie Thursday, Susan's for Tablescape Thursday, Tracie's for Cottage Flora Thursdays, Cindy's for Show and Tell Friday, Tootsie's for Flaunt Your Flowers Friday, and Meg's for Everything But the Kitchen Sink.

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.



Serving Up Serenity

If you recall, last week I took you on a little shopping excursion
with me to one of my favorite stores—Marshalls.

Remember all those wonderful Valentine's dishes?

Well…
it just so happened that the day I was there,
I didn't make a single purchase.

But, a day or so later, I decided to go back and buy
several place settings and a number of serving pieces.

When I returned, there would still be plenty of pieces to choose from—right? 
After all, the display had been overflowing with goodies.

 


But...
when I returned, the entire display was missing.
Oh, no! Where did everything go?

I searched the store, thinking that perhaps
they had just shuffled things around. And, indeed,
they had moved those dishes—at least the handful that were left.

 

I went to three stores—yes, three—and could only come up with
 a fraction of the pieces I had intended to go home with.

Armed with those few pieces, I scurried back to the cottage to mull over
how I was going to use them.  Then inspiration hit!

I love to dine al fresco. There's just something about being
out in the open air that makes food taste so much better.

But, there's a difference between just eating outdoors—at a barbeque
or picnic—and having a genuine dining experience.

So…
I ventured outside the cottage
to look for that special place to create just such an "experience."

Unfortunately, it’s the dead of winter here.
Consequently, things are looking rather dismal.

The only color in the landscape at present is...
 brown, brown, and more brown—except for the lively green of the pines.
Thank goodness for the pines!

As I surveyed my surroundings, I thought of how pretty, prissy, 

and feminine those dishes were and how rustic and primitive

the landscape appeared at present.

As a matter of fact, the only color to be

found anywhere, other than the pines,

was the white blooms of my camellias—if you consider that color. 

And I'm sorry to say…they had been kissed one too

many times by Mr. Jack Frost!

As I stood in one of the fields behind the cottage,

 something occurred to me. The Yankee and I have such divergent tastes that I'm constantly

challenged to strike a balance between the rustic and the refined.

Hmmm!  Rustic surroundings, refined tableware—

I could just blend the two...

as always!

I gathered a table and some chairs from one of the barns, gave

everything a thorough cleaning, and proceeded with my plan of attack.

I chose a rather large piece of lace from my stash to cover the table,

 some simple lace-trimmed napkins, and several old lace curtain panels

to toss over the backs of the chairs.

I knew I would have to soften things up a bit for those dishes to shine.

My goal was to create a light-reflecting, colorful table setting
that would nicely contrast with the somewhat stark countryside. I decided that
a splash of vibrant color would complement the dishware
 from Marshalls quite well.

So, I brought my favorite vintage ruby red goblets into play.

Though I dared not use anything with a flame in this environment,
I absolutely had to display the incredibly ornate candlesticks
that I found at—you guessed it—Marshalls.

Their beautiful sparkling crystals would be the perfect accompaniment
to my assortment of vintage crystal and clear-glass accessories. 

The shimmering sunlight reflecting from all those gleaming glass surfaces
would present a nice alternative to the absence of candlelight.

To bring yet more color to the setting, I assembled

some pink silk roses, Queen Anne's lace, and silk greenery to make

 floral arrangements to place atop the candlesticks.

While I was at it, I fashioned four simple napkin rings
from other silk flowers I had on hand.
 

I really love the instant character that vintage

and antique items contribute to any setting.

And, I prefer to mix and match my pieces—especially silver flatware.

In this particular tablescape, I used three different patterns of vintage silver.

I also delight in uniqueness.

 For that reason, I dispensed with protocol,

reversed the normal layout of the flatware, and placed the knives and spoons to barely peek

 from the lacy opening of the napkins—which were placed at an angle.

For a touch of whimsy, I decided to incorporate these cute,
 inexpensive glass votive holders from the Dollar Store—two for a dollar.

They made simply charming salt cellars, and since they were
 heart-shaped, they tied in perfectly to the Valentine's theme.

Notice how sweetly they repeat

the hearts splashed all over the plates and bowls?

Though the field where I was hosting this little Valentine's soirée

was a bit drab and lacking in color, the serenity that enveloped you there would

certainly make a wonderful dining experience.

When all is said and done...

I think rustic and refined play pretty well together.   ; )