And second, I saw a tablescape someone had posted online showing some very pretty salad plates they had found at Home Goods, themed for St. Patrick’s Day. And that reminded me that I still had a Home Goods gift card that I had not redeemed yet!

When I walked into my local HG, it was like stepping into Springtime overload: silk florals, pastel colors, and Easter-themed decor everywhere. I made my way over to the tableware section where I found one endcap that had the St. Patrick’s themed items, but alas none of the salad plates I was looking for. I did find several beautiful plates, though, and eventually chose four of these by Grace Teaware.

They remind me so much of artwork by one of my favorite artist/illustrators, the Dutch watercolorist Marjolein Bastin. And, standing there in the store, I was also able to think of several items I already owned that would go nicely with them – so that made them seem like the best possible buy out of everything I had considered.

The final tally for my shopping trip was four dinner plates, four placemats, and a set of three kitchen towels. My gift card was for $50, so with all of this I only spent $8 of my own money!

Of course I had to immediately set a table with my new items when I got home and decided to go for a French country look. I’m sad to say my phone camera is kind of washing out the pink tones of the placemats – please consider them a true muted dusty rose color. Here’s the table!

The thrifted tablecloth is a champagne-colored damask – although, funny sidebar about the color: I used to have a car in this color, and my mother referred to it as “muckledon.” That term has Scots-Irish roots (as do I, on my mother’s side), and is often used to describe an animal that is the color of gray-brown mud or even manure. It’s not entirely complimentary… which is why it always makes me laugh, but also why I prefer the term “champagne” to describe this soft hue that is just past ivory but not quite tan.

Salad plates are “Nautica” by Pink Sands Tableware (thrifted). They are a soft pink and green plaid, though a bit washed out by my camera. The Grace Teaware dinner plates are called “Magnolia Garden,” but that seems odd because the primary flowers depicted look more like roses to me. The unique placemats, also from Home Goods, are very thick and a woven texture, the primary color being more of a pink than is showing up in the photos.

Napkins and napkin rings were thrifted and already in my stash. The napkins are perfect for this color scheme and vibe; I love the woven texture, short fringe, and subtle color scheme of these napkins – they feel just a bit rustic to me! !

The metal napkin rings with verdigris finish also look appropriately rustic, like aged garden urns.

Flatware is the beautiful stainless “Napoleon Bee” by Wallace – these were an Amazon purchase a few years ago. Here’s an affiliate link, meaning I do earn a small commission if you purchase though it doesn’t increase the price. If you purchase, thank you! (Stainless Napoleon Bee flatware by Wallace)

Glassware is a columnar tumbler in a rose-pink color; I think these are highball glasses in pale Amethyst by Libbey.

I decided to use fresh flowers for this table, so on my way back from Home Goods I stopped at Trader Joe’s and picked up three bundles including roses, baby’s breath, and filler greenery. I found what I think is a perfect French Country vase in my stash, so they look very pretty even if unprofessionally arranged.

Silverplate salt and pepper shakers are Oneida Community “Henley,” and were thrifted.

Here are a few more views around the table!

Here’s a birdseye view from the top of the step stool!

And of course the put-away shot, with everything ready to go back into the cupboards – except of course for those lovely roses, which I’ll be enjoying for the next week!

And finally, here’s a Pinnable image in case you want to save this post for future ideas… or, just to save a picture of those gorgeous dinner plates!

I’ll be linking my French Country Home Goods tablescape to Susan’s long-running link party, Tablescape Thursday, as soon as next week’s party goes live – for now, have a look at her blog “Between Naps on the Porch” and past tablescape link parties!

The post False Spring-Inspired tablescape with beautiful new items from my Home Goods haul appeared first on VFCstyle.com.

Of course there’s that most famous meal of all, depicted as The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1495:

Alas, not a cruet set in sight. But seriously, as important this painting is, I wanted to fast forward a few hundred years and delve into the era of Impressionism, roughly 1860-1890, which speaks to me because I’ve been fortunate to have seen several original paintings in person from that time period. Of course, not all paintings of this period were Impressionist pictures – in fact, “Impressionism” was at first panned by the art establishment of the era. But the movement influenced many artists, even if their individual styles were not technically in that realm.

Impressionist or not, here are a few favorites uncovered in my search!

Up first, Pierre August-Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party, 1881. Renoir is one of the most enduring of the Impressionist painters, and one of the original members of that movement. You might be familiar with Two Sisters (On the Terrace) or A Girl with a Watering Can. My personal favorite is La Loge (The Theater Box). But for a glimpse at casual period dining, it’s hard to surpass Luncheon of the Boating Party. The picture features a group of friends (in reality, Renoir’s own artistic friends) having a meal on a terrace (perhaps a boat deck?), and depicts a dining table laden with wine, glassware, and fruit. And a dog’s butt, because little dogs are as French as it gets!

Along with Renoir, Claud Monet, and a few others, Berthe Morisot was one of the original members of the Impressionist movement. She was already an experienced working artist, having shown her work at several previous traditional Paris salons (art exhibitions) working in watercolor. But by 1874 her style had become more aligned with the Impressionists. She endured as one of the better known artists of that movement, and in 1866 she exhibited In the Dining Room at an Impressionist salon. While this picture doesn’t emphasize the table itself, it has a wonderful domestic feel to it that is typical of Morisot’s work, and I love it because it gives kind of an “upstairs/downstairs” vibe. The little dog at her feet and the objects on the table are also wonderful details.

The Impressionist movement was centered in France, but other nations produced renowned Impressionist painters who worked or studied in France. Belgian painter James Ensor created The Oyster Eater in 1882. The picture features his sister Mitche seated at a lovely table, surrounded by linens and tableware. Her companion seems to have temporarily left the table, as evidenced by the discarded napkin – possibly it was the artist himself, since this and other scenes were painted in various corners of his art studio. For me this picture seems to especially capture a luxurious quality in the table linens.

The Russian painter Konstantin Korovin was also an accomplished Impressionist. After training exclusively in Russia, he traveled to Paris in 1885 where, among the Impressionists, he later wrote that he “found everything I was scolded for back home in Moscow.” His 1888 picture At the Tea Table depicts three women and a gentleman in uniform, enjoying tea on a balcony. The picture beautifully captures an informal table and the casual figures around it. Although the tall silver samovar (hot water vessel) is prominent, I especially like the detail of the little stack of bowls.

While all of the above are captivating for several reasons, my favorite of the table-themed paintings that fell within the Impressionist era has got to be Hanna Hirsch-Pauli’s Breakfast Time. Pauli was clearly influenced by Impressionism, studying in Paris during that time period, but she wasn’t technically considered an Impressionist. Still, her ability to capture ever-shifting sunlight – especially on glass and metallic surfaces, as well as fabric – was extraordinary. Breakfast Time was criticized as being “sloppy” by critics at the time, but there were also those who (like me) found – and still find – it brilliant. And just look at that cruet set!

Like all art styles do, Impressionism began to evolve fairly quickly. An off-shoot of the style, which also faced harsh criticism from the traditional art community, was Pointillism. The most prominent painters here, George Seurat and Paul Signac, experimented with the way the viewer’s eye might instinctively blend tiny points of color into cohesive images. Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is probably the most famous Pointillist painting. I was awed to see that picture in person in the late 1980’s at the Art Institute of Chicago, but to be honest, I do find Pointillism quite cold compared to the untamed, fleeting brushstrokes of the Impressionists. Paul Signac’s Breakfast elicits a feeling of distance between the characters, each of whom seems to be in their own little world… while the simplicity of the table contributes to the lack of warmth. The picture is a technical achievement in the Pointillist style, though, and I’m drawn to any painting that depicts pretty tableware and tea things.

As we move into the 20th century and the Post-Impressionist era, two pictures by Jules Alexandre Grun are particularly memorable: The Dinner Party in 1911, and The End of Dinner in 1913. While the former features a gorgeous porcelain tureen at the center of the table, the latter is my favorite for the gleaming silver tea things and those amazing epergnes on the table, and for the friendly faces on the Edwardian figures.

I started this journey in search of paintings depicting dining tables – specifically, I wanted evidence from the Impressionist (late Victorian) era of the use of cruet sets. Pauli’s The Breakfast Table was ultimately the most beautiful example that checked all those boxes, but in my search I also found many beautiful depictions of dining tables that are compelling for other reasons. I also found many illustrations (as opposed to paintings), particularly from the Regency era of the early 1800’s, that could easily be compiled into their own post – a project for another day!

Meanwhile, here’s an image to Pin in case you’d like to save this post for future reference!

Do you have a favorite dining-themed painting? Tell me about it in the comments!

The post Nine paintings featuring dining tables from other eras appeared first on VFCstyle.com.

I recently learned that Chandelier was introduced in 1976 – which means that in 2026 it’s officially 50 years old. So it’s a great time to say Happy Birthday, and celebrate this versatile, durable, and beautiful stainless pattern!

The journey for Chandelier began in 1931, when the General Mills Company (creators of the Betty Crocker homemaking persona) partnered with Oneida Community to launch what would eventually become one of the country’s most popular and enduring consumer loyalty programs. A unique offer for it’s time, General Mills put coupons into Gold Medal Flour which homemakers could redeem for free pieces of flatware. The first pattern offered (made originally by William Rogers & Sons, which was acquired by Oneida in 1936) was the silverplated “Queen Bess” with its pretty floral motif.

Eventually the program evolved with coupons being offered in a much wider variety of products, and could be mailed in along with token payments of cash to expedite the collecting process.

The idea of coupons for products took off for Betty Crocker, and they introduced a catalog showcasing their coupon/premium items in 1962. They partnered with Oneida to offer new and beautiful patterns over the next four decades and beyond. The Betty Crocker Coupon Catalog was at one time the largest distributor of Oneida flatware in the United States.

While Betty Crocker (via General Mills) had the products and marketing channels for distributing the coupons, Oneida itself brought to the partnership a reputation for quality workmanship, attractive pattern designs, and durability. The company had begun in 1848, producing steel animal traps and chains before turning to flatware in 1899. Their silverplating and stainless steel techniques produced a wide variety of flatware patterns. Popular silverplate patterns from the company’s early history included Bird of Paradise, Avalon, and Morning Star. Among their stainless patterns, Beethoven, Voila, and Allegiance were a few that were offered in The Betty Crocker Catalog.

It was into this catalog that Chandelier was introduced in 1976. Unique for its combination of beautiful scrollwork, glossy finish, and pierced handles, the pattern was produced and sold from 1976 until 1985. I love to think that my aunt received her catalog one day, along with millions of other homemakers, and fell in love with the pretty new stainless pattern by Oneida. Chandelier has remained popular but affordable on the secondhand market, readily available on eBay (which is where I found my own copy of the 1976 catalog!) and via Replacements.

Over time, Betty Crocker expanded their catalog offerings beyond flatware sets, eventually adding a range of housewares such as glassware, dinnerware, storage solutions, and more.

For me, Chandelier has been part of my family’s daily dining since its first appearance in the Betty Crocker catalog. I personally have been using this set daily since 1990, and of course before that it was Aunt Hazel’s daily flatware. I love it because it’s durable and beautiful even after 50 years, and because it’s incredibly versatile. Here are a few of the tables I’ve set with it, showcasing its chameleon-like ability to enhance nearly every tablescape style!

Chandelier can be romantic! Here it’s set with pieces from my small collection of Rose Chintz by Johnson Brothers – coincidentally, this was Aunt Hazel’s dinnerware pattern, though these were not her pieces. This combination of plates and flatware carry a lot of fond memories for me.

And here it is on its 50th anniversary, used on this year’s Valentine’s table.

Chandelier can also be festive. Here it’s set on an “old world” Christmas table with Lenox Holiday Tartan.

Chandelier can herald Spring! Here it’s used on a light-and-bright Springtime table.

Chandelier can look international! This pretty table from 2019 was inspired by the colors of Provence, France.

Chandelier can look antique! It’s right at home with this sweet dessert plate in the Allegheny pattern by English potter Thomas Goodfellow, produced between 1828-1854.

Chandelier can be spooky! I knew it was going to be the perfect choice for my Gothic-themed “haunted house” table.

And so many more tables, enhanced by this beautiful pattern! I expect to use Chandelier as my daily flatware set for the rest of my life. Its beauty and durability ensure I’ll be able to pass it on to my daughter someday if she wants it – it’s been part of her life, too!

Happiest of birthdays, Chandelier – you’re looking fabulous at fifty!

Here’s an image to Pin in case you want to remember Chandelier!

The post Happy 50th Birthday, Oneida Chandelier! appeared first on VFCstyle.com.

Because it’s Valentine’s Day, I of course only set the table for two. I used a pretty square of upholstery fabric, set on a diagonal, to ground the setting, then stacked chargers, dinner plates, and salad plates.

The salad plates are not marked with a pattern name, but they are by Seltmann Weiden.

Dinner plates are the simple and gorgeous “Empress Golden” by Sango. I love the subtle pattern of that outer gold band.

The chargers – don’t let the lighting in my home fool you, they are a deep rich red acrylic with a lot of depth in the finish. They were originally from Pottery Barn, according to a sticker still remaining on the back of one.

The napkins and rings were also thrifted some time ago – again, my camera isn’t capturing the deep red color, and they are a very heavy – almost luxurious – woven damask.

Glassware by Villeroy & Boch – these are a generous size and a similar pattern to vintage Indiana Glass Diamond Point.

Flatware is my inherited “Chandelier” by Oneida – handed down from my great-Aunt and, between the two of us, in daily use since its inception in 1976 – yep this pattern officially turns the big 5-0 this year!

I kept the centerpiece low and simple, to encourage those loving looks across the table I used an opalescent ruffled hobnail bowl by Fenton to hold dark red silk roses, flanked by two gold-tone candlesticks that carry through the gold rims of the dinner plates. The candles themselves are thick textured tapers, and again are a deeper red than they appear. All of these items were also previously thrifted.

Here’s a birds-eye view – I’m not sure why this shot feels like a must-have for all my tablescape posts, but it does! I guess I feel like I’m not giving it my all if I don’t risk life and limb by climbing up on a step stool and hovering my phone precariously over the breakables on the table.

And of course the put-away shot… I’ll be setting this table again on actual Valentine’s Day later in the week, but in the meantime I need to move it out of the way for our more casual meals. So in this case, this is more of a “put aside” shot. Another favorite type of tablescape picture, because my tables are not always planned thoroughly in advance, this shot always shows whether and how well my impulse decisions came together in the end.

And of course, here is a Pinnable image in case you want to save any ideas here for future inspiration!

I’ll be sharing my Valentine’s table over at Susan’s long-running blog link party, Tablescape Thursday, at Between Naps on the Porch.

Hope you have a lovely Valentine’s Day, whether or however you celebrate!

The post Rich red Valentine’s table for two appeared first on VFCstyle.com.

Late in the 17th century, as dining rituals began to coalesce among European aristocrats (each region developing their own rules and standards, of course), the culinary use of oil and vinegar also began to grow in popularity. Along with common seasonings like salt and pepper, this brought about the development of a caddy to corral condiments that would need to be shared around the table. In upper class homes where footmen served the many courses, the caddy – called a cruet or caster set – sat on the sideboard and was carried around the table and offered to each person as needed. In middle-class homes, the caddy would have been placed directly on the table within reach of the diners.

By Victorian times, the cruet set had become a standard piece of tableware both in Europe and the United States. It’ll come as no surprise that the finest homes had sets with a frame made of ornate silver, and the glass bottles were of cut, colored, or etched glass. With the rise of silver-plating in the mid-1800’s, cruet sets became more affordable for middle class homes and also became popular wedding gifts of the era.

The frames held from three to eight bottles, but three and five slots were the most common configurations. Victorian sets included shakers for salt and pepper, and cruet (stopper) bottles for oil and vinegar. But what was in the fifth spot? This, oddly enough, became something of a mystery after cruet sets went out of general use.

Historians in the mid- to late 20th century had quite a time reaching a conclusion, but the general consensus based on primary sources (including period advertisements, catalog listings, and cookery books) seems to be that the fifth bottle (or third, in a three-piece set) held powdered mustard. In the days before refrigeration, which would have been required for pre-mixed cream mustards, each person at the table would use a portion of powdered mustard mixed with water or vinegar to create a custom meat seasoning.

Rather than being a shaker, this bottle often had a hinged lid with an opening into which a very small spoon could be set. Less common theories suggested white pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper as possible inhabitants of the last bottle, but most evidence supports the use of powdered mustard.

Popular oils on the table would have been olive or sunflower, while vinegars may have been malt (common in Britain), white wine, infused/flavored, or balsamic.

Of course, times and tastes change, and as this happened the need for cruet frames and sets began to wane. By the 1920’s, prepared cream-style mustards such as Grey Poupon (introduced in 1866 and first imported into the U.S. in 1901) could be safely kept and set out on the table as needed in small pots. Oil and vinegar were also used at the table less frequently.

There was a brief phase where a three-slot frame included a toothpick holder in the third spot, but eventually frames were reduced to two slots for salt and pepper. Today, frames have largely been eliminated with the notable exception of salt-and-pepper caddies used in restaurants.

Side note: One of the things I love about researching stuff like this is that you can often discover something else you didn’t know about. In this case, I found a beautiful painting depicting the use of a cruet set! Below is just a small frame of detail – but, do look up “Breakfast Time” by Hanna Hirsch-Pauli (1864-1940). Since the piece was painted in 1887, I would consider it a primary source showing a period form and style of cruet frame. Be sure to click the link in the caption to see the full painting.

Finally, just to show you (as if you needed proof) that I am susceptible to being influenced by my own research rabbit holes, I give you my latest acquisition: a beautiful five-slot cruet frame with gorgeous cranberry glass bottles. I found it on Ebay “for a song,” as they say. It arrived badly tarnished, but cleaned up beautifully!

We haven’t been able to precisely date it, but cranberry glass reached its height of popularity in the mid- to late-1800s, which was also the height of the five-slot cruet caddy. And, the technology of electroplating silver to various base metals was beginning to eclipse previous plating technologies around that same time. Silverplated cruet sets reached a peak as popular wedding gifts in the 1880’s and 90’s. So I think it’s safe to say the set is from the second half of the 19th century, probably around 1890. That’s just a guess, of course, but it’s based on the convergence of several factors. What a beauty!

Are there elements from tablescaping history that you’re curious about? Let me know about them in the comments – maybe I can cover them in a future post! Meanwhile, here’s an image to Pin in case you want to save the info in this post for future reference!

The post On the table: Cruet sets made condiments portable appeared first on VFCstyle.com.

I do still have fun with annuals, though, filling a variety of containers each year.

In 2025, the only annuals I did in-ground were the zinnias, Four o’clocks, and sunflowers, which I plant every year from seed. Honestly I don’t think I’ll EVER stop growing these – they’re just too easy, too beautiful, and too much fun!

One of the reasons I like gardening in Iowa (I’m Zone 5b) is because we have four seasons, and one of those is an “off-season.” That means we get a break from about about November through February, where we’re not actively working in the garden. It’s a nice mental and physical break that always seems to come just as I am losing momentum, motivation, and interest. And then, by the end of February, I’m itching to get started again – somehow it just always seems to work out!

For early Spring color, I’ve found it’s hard to beat pansies and violas. I don’t have the indoor space to start these from seed, but it seems like the garden center at Lowe’s starts carrying them just as I’m itching to get back outside. I loved these pansy combinations from last year, and because they are so long-lasting I was able to move them around to several different containers until well into June:

And, these happy yellow violas are a refreshing pop of early color!

And this year, for EARLY early color, I’m expecting crocus and daffodils for the first time because I did plant some bulbs last Fall. I’m anxious to see them come up!

There will also be Bachelors Buttons – these tend to self-seed, but I also add new seed every year. I’ve also learned that my perennial clematis is an early Spring bloomer.

By May, some of the perennials will be blooming such as the creeping phlox, iris, and peonies.

There are also several summer favorites, including coreopsis, salvia, echinacea (coneflower), wild geranium, hostas, and garden phlox. I’ll save those for another post, and I’ll also try to do a post about specific plans for what I’m hoping to achieve this year. But for now, suffice to say I’m looking forward to another year of gardening!

How about you – what are your favorite annuals to use in containers, and do you have a favorite perennial that seems to successfully fill in your flower beds each year? Tell me in the comments!

Here’s an image to Pin in case you want to save this post for future reference!

The post Garden dreaming appeared first on VFCstyle.com.

Have you ever looked closely at a piece of Johnson Brothers Old Britain Castles dinnerware and become curious to learn more about Blarney, Cambridge, or Stafford Castle? If so, then you’ve experienced the hidden super-power of classic transferware!

In the early 19th century, British potteries began producing large quantities of illustrative transferware aimed at a growing American market. The pieces produced by Clews, Ridgway, Enoch Wood, Johnson Brothers (pre-Castles), and others depicted American pastoral landscapes, architectural scenes of New York and other cities, river scenes, and natural wonders such as Niagara Falls.

These dishes were affordable and beautiful, and the designs subtly served as visual history lessons at a time when books were expensive and literacy was not universal. Dinnerware could literally show Americans what their country looked like beyond their front door, and build a sense of national identity through depictions of events, landscapes, and architecture.

In her collector’s volume The Blue China Book, first published in 1916, Ada Walker Camehl states “… this group of English pottery is not only a valuable record of the American country and cities as they appeared a century ago, but is at the same time a surprisingly complete history of the first three centuries of our national life.”

As it turned out, Americans – who at the time still believed that superior pottery came from England – were eager to snap up these pieces, seamlessly blending history into domestic life. For transferware at this time was not relegated to display cabinets – it was handled, washed, stacked, and used daily. Through repetitive use, the imagery of transferware became part of our collective conversations and knowledge.

What’s interesting about the images themselves is that, for the most part, they were created by illustrators working from pictures by established, “published” artists. While a few potteries sent their staff artists “across the pond” to make their own sketches, more often they worked from existing paintings, prints, and even sketches from the notebooks of returning English tourists.

For example, the Irish-born artist William Guy Wall is one of the most influential figures for American-view scenic transferware. His successful print series known as the Hudson River Port Folio was eagerly adapted by English potters. These pictures depicted scenes of a naturally beautiful but culturally refined America, where nature coexisted peacefully with civilization. Educated in European artistic traditions, Wall created carefully balanced compositions showing that America had landscapes equal to those in Europe, believing that they deserved to be seen and remembered. Wall wasn’t just painting scenery – he was stylizing, editing, and curating his pictures to depict how America wanted to see itself and how it wanted to be seen by the world. Because of the established popularity of the pictures from the Port Folio, pottery depicting these images was practically guaranteed to be successful on the commercial market. Thus, many Staffordshire plates trace their origins directly to Wall’s compositions.

Additionally, although they depicted American subjects, the wares were engraved and produced in England. As a result, early American history was filtered through British artistic conventions and romantic ideals.

These additional filters, or layers of interpretation, explain why American buildings sometimes appeared slightly altered, landscapes were softened or felt grander than reality, and proportions leaned toward the English Picturesque style. These visual choices reveal not only what was depicted, but literally how history was framed for consumption. The dinnerware did not merely reflect culture; it actively participated in shaping it.

Despite the English artistic influence imposed upon American scenes, Camehl nonetheless concludes in her book that “So thoroughly did the early nineteenth-century artists perform their task of securing sketches of American scenery… that it is quite possible by means of the decoration… to enable the student of our early history to make a fairly complete tour of the land, and to look upon it as it appeared a century ago.”

By the early 20th century, as American tastes changed, the educational direction of transferware had also shifted: English potters began introducing American consumers to British history and heritage. One of the most beloved examples is the afore-mentioned Old Britain Castles by Johnson Brothers introduced around 1930 and still widely collected today, almost 100 years later. These scenes of castles, abbeys, and ancient ruins invited American buyers to romanticize Britain’s deep past.

Beyond Old Britain Castles, English potteries produced many transferware patterns aimed at American buyers that showcased other British architecture, landmarks, and scenery. Johnson Brothers itself also produced the Old Britain series, featuring cathedrals, manor houses, bridges, and rural landscapes. Their Coaching Scenes series featured historic coaching inns and roadside taverns.

Additionally, potteries such as Enoch Wood, Ridgway, Davenport, Clews and Wedgwood produced designs focused on historic British homes, landscapes, and architecture. These designs traded themes of American patriotism and identity-building for the romance, ancestry, and allure of the Old World – qualities that resonated strongly in U.S. homes from the late 19th century onward. They taught British geography and architectural history through repeated daily use, much as earlier wares had done with American themes.

Another more modern example of transferware that educates – or at least ignites curiosity – would be Royal China’s Currier and Ives. Introduced in 1949, this American-made pattern was beloved by mid-century homemakers and families for over four decades. The scenes depicted on the dinnerware were taken directly from commercially successful prints produced by American lithographers Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives from 1835-1907. These prints, popular and affordable in their time, depicted romanticized scenes of American farm life, historical events, and other subject matter. Prints chosen for the dinnerware line included The Homestead in Winter, The Old Grist Mill, The Rocky Mountains, Maple Sugaring, and others.

I think it’s probable that English and American potteries did not intentionally set out to educate anyone – I doubt we’ll ever unearth an upper-management memorandum directing the marketing department to find a way to teach history through dinnerware! These companies were, first and foremost, commercial ventures with the end goal of making money. They studied the American market, and produced products they believed would sell. By carefully choosing images that spoke to the American desire to evolve a national identity (and later, to a sense of collective American nostalgia), and by putting these images on something as ubiquitous as dinnerplates, the potteries unwittingly became visual historians. Ultimately, they had an unintentional but very real educational impact.

What collectors hold today, in antique and vintage transferware, is not a photographic record of the past, but a carefully edited artistic vision of it. For tablescapers, this adds another layer of meaning. When you place an American-view transferware plate on the table, you are sharing not just a scene, but an artist’s interpretation of a young nation filtered through British/European (and later, nostalgic American) eyes.

Furthermore, mixing American-themed transferware with British scenic patterns creates a table that reflects a transatlantic conversation about mutually appreciated and interpreted history.

By collecting and using transferware, we are not just preserving beautiful useful objects. We are curating fragments of cultural education that was delivered without books and in the most family-centric way possible: around the dinner table. By bringing these pieces back to the table through present-day tablescaping, we’re allowing history to once again take pride-of-place, and reclaim its seat beside us.

Here’s an image to Pin in case you’d like to save this post for future reference!

A note about using antique or vintage dinnerware: Many antique and vintage dinnerware pieces were produced before modern food-safety standards were established. As a result, some may contain lead, cadmium, or other materials that can leach into food and beverages, particularly when used with acidic or hot foods. While lead leaching does not cause immediate ill effects, repeated exposure over months or years may cause eventual health issues. Children and pregnant women should not consume food from dinnerware that is not certified as food-safe. Do your own research so you can make informed decisions for yourself, your family, and your guests about whether to actually use older dinnerware.

The post The hidden power of classic transferware – or, how transferware brings history to the table appeared first on VFCstyle.com.

The solid-colored tablecloth was a thrifted find several years ago – it is a beautiful, deep cranberry color with a subtle fruit-and-leaf pattern. For this table I needed something that would complement the red band in the dinner and bread/dessert plates. With the cranberry color being diluted by the overlaid lace, I think it worked really well.

Dinner and bread/dessert plates are Aristocrat by Salem Century (Ebay finds), and the salad plates are thirfted Bancroft by Noritake.

Flatware for this lovely table is silverplated Flair by 1847 Rogers Brothers. I received this lovely set from my grandmother, which she had received as a wedding present.

For glassware, I’ve paired Dublin by Godinger (an Amazon purchase you can find here – Dublin water glasses by Godinger – affiliate link) and vintage thrifted King’s Crown with cranberry rim.

Centerpiece elements were all thrifted and include an antique bone china biscuit jar, vintage silverplate candlesticks, and vintage Henley/Oneida salt and pepper set.

Earlier I mentioned that I really ended up liking the lace overlay tablecloth from Amazon. My expectation was that it was going to look and feel cheap, and that the white would be too bright for the table. I was pleasantly surprised at how soft and delicate it was, and also at how much the bright white was toned down once it was laid over the red cloth.

Here are a few shots in candlelight, which was also quite lovely.

Here are the birdseye view and the put-away shot!

Finally, here’s an image to Pin if you would like to save this post for future ideas!

I’ll be sharing this post for Tablescape Thursday over at Between Naps on the Porch, hosted by longtime blogger Susan. Be sure to click through for more tablescape inspiration!

Meanwhile, for even more tablescaping ideas, be sure to check out the Thrifty Tablescapers group over on Facebook, where members share tables created with thrifted and other secondhand finds!

The post Lace overlay tablescape with Aristocrat dinnerware appeared first on VFCstyle.com.

In one of my favorite episodes, he discusses with chef Anna Haugh the difference between a dessert called a Baba and one called a Savarin cake. They prepare what is essentially an orange rum cake – a favorite of Edward VII, who was King from 1901 – 1910. (He put the “Edward” in “Edwardian!”)

The finished cake looked amazing and I wanted to try to make it, but the show doesn’t provide recipes or even amounts for any of the ingredients – it’s more of a history program than a cooking show. So I went to Pinterest where I found several recipes for babas, savarin cakes, and orange rum cakes… and ended up combining and adapting a few different ones for the cake, the sauce/filling, and the glaze. I’m sharing the plan I eventually put together, and the many challenges I had making it!

Now bear in mind, this is historically a ring cake, today made even more elegant by using a bundt pan. But I didn’t have a bundt pan, so I used a springform pan. Thus my cake looks nothing like the bundt versions. Also, because I wasn’t using the called-for pan, my baking time was way off from what was stated in the cake recipe. The only downside to this, other than my patience wearing thin, was the deeply-browned appearance of my cake vs. the golden color of the bundt cakes. Happily, none of this mattered in the end because my cake was nonetheless delicious!

For this recipe you’re going to bake the cake, poke and drizzle it while warm with an orange rum sauce/filling, and then glaze it when cool with butter rum glaze. Here are the recipes for all three elements – using a bundt pan!

Semi-Edwardian Orange Rum Cake

For the cake:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2-3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons orange zest
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup dark rum

Pre-heat the oven to 325 F. Spritz your bundt pan with a light coating of oil. (Tip: if your bundt pan is multi-faceted, like the one I eventually acquired, be sure your oil gets in ALL the crevices to avoid sticking.)

Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the unsalted butter and the sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time; beat in vanilla and orange zest.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and rum, until all are thoroughly combined. Spoon into prepared bundt pan, and smooth the top. Bake 55-60 minutes until a knife inserted through the cake comes out clean.

Late in the baking stage, prepare the rum sauce as follows.

For the rum sauce/filling:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest

In a medium saucepan, heat and combine the sugar and butter. Stir in and combine the rum, orange juice, and zest. Heat thoroughly.

When the cake is done, remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Using a toothpick or knife edge, pierce the top of the cake all around then drizzle the warm sauce all over, allowing it to soak into the cake. Let the cake cool.

When cake is cool, use a serated knife to cut off/level any portion that has risen above the top of the pan. Once cut, invert the cake onto a serving piece that has a lip to catch any drips. Prepare the glaze as shown below.

For the final glaze:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dark rum

Warm all ingredients in a sauce pan and boil low for about 2 minutes. Pour the warm glaze over the cake so that some covers the top and some cascades down the edges. Do a final dusting with powdered sugar if you like.

I do now own a couple of bundt pans so I will likely try this cake again in the near future. But for now, my cake – being only 3 inches tall and deeply browned all around (though not burnt) made the most wonderful “wet sponge” sound when sliced, and had the most delicious orange-and-rum flavor.

So, even though it looks homely and inelegant, I have no regrets over the way this came out!

Pretty sure that party-boy Edward VII would have loved this cake even from a springform pan!

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