St. Germain

Recently, we brought home a bottle of St. Germain, (admittedly as much for the bottle as the contents), and I really enjoyed this artisnal liqueur. Trying it out has been hanging over for me months and I was finally spurred on by the recipe for a cocktail called Gemini published in the June, 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

The Gemini, and the mixed St. Germain cocktail, are, in my book, an unnecessary but understandable guild on an already show-stopping lily. St. Germain is sweet, floral, citrusy, and even a little syrupy, depending on the palate. It is the syrup consideration which no doubt caused Living to create Gemini which is a prosecco/ grapefruit/ vodka cocktail (but, oh, stop already - that's enough stuff) and the kind of thing better dissected by true mixologists like Cocktail Hacker and Underhill-Lounge.

For me, St. Germain is perfect straight or up. Put it in a pretty glass and let me reflect on how lucky I am to have it my hand: It is a limited yearly run of liqueur made from hand picked elderflowers from the French Alps. Now that it is popular and trendy, we can count on there being ever so much less available. The booze guru here told me that it was a new customer-request item in his store and that most of his first shipment is gone. Get it while you can, ice it in a shaker, pour, consume, and if you don't love it, put the bottle center front on the bar or send to me.

And while you are at it, you might enjoy the story of the liqueur and the process found here.

Lovely invites

Sharing with you now a couple of the invites we received this season.



This pretty lazy daisy is so refreshing. I imagine a cheerful, bright, easy-to-adore wedding when holding this invitation. I absolutely want nothing more than to go and be among the unassuming but glorious daisies in North Carolina that weekend. I love invites that mix formality with ease and joy. My wedding invitations were so restrained; this one really made me think.



Same here. The undulating sand effect and starfish got me excited for a beach wedding again. this invite surely got guests up north dreaming of this Florida beach and the promise of a great party in the waning tropical sun.

Ah, how the Hostess loves a wedding.

Pattern Spotlight: Giraffe by Laurie Gates

More like a dessert set than place settings, this pattern is modern but whimsical for accent pieces on a neutral table. Giraffe, by Laurie Gates. Here.

My fickle friend, the summer wind

A perfect summertime Hostess gift or guest room touch: Voluspa, Limited Edition, Soliel. Like summer, gone before you know it.

Pattern Spotlight: Femme Fatale by Monique Lhuillier

Designer to the A-List, Monique Lhuillier's tabletop line for Bloomingdales, introduced in April of last year, continues at retail. Which is good news: Increasing the likelihood those who buy it will be able to get more of it if there is breakage. But, be sure to register for extra just in case if you choose this line, it never hurts to plan ahead, as I have mentioned before.

Moving on to the pattern, Femme Fatale, indeed. This pattern make my heart skip a beat. And I like the gardenia in the shot but I would love this arrangement more - as regular readers know, the Hostess is obsessed with that bowl of stems and petals.

If you are not familiar with her wedding gowns, which are her stock-in-trade, her are just two I love.

They are magnificent. As are her gowns for red carpet events and fashion iconography:


Hilary Swank. The gown is unbelievable, I sort of wish it were on Scarlett Johannsen instead.

Now you can have a bit of fashion history at home.

Bread and Butter Letters

The logic of “bread and butter letter,” a term first appearing in print in the US in the early 20th century... The writer is thanking his or her hosts for their hospitality (and food), but the letter is also a basic social formality, not likely to contain any exciting content. A “bread and butter” note may not be eagerly awaited, but it’s the sort of thing expected and probably noticed most in its absence.
- Word Detective

The "bread and butter letter," might be an old-fashioned term but it is one an important concept for a mannered life: Writing a thank you note for hospitality.
Except in the case of immediate family dinners and events, if one has had a meal, an overnight, a weekend, or any other form of generosity bestowed upon them in another's home, a bread and butter letter should always arrive to the host/ess promptly. There is an urban-hostess legend that circulates about one Type-A hostess who carries her thank you notes, with the envelope stamped, in her car. So that she does not forget the details of the evening or weekend, she writes her note immediately and drops it in her mailbox on the way into her house. This process appeals to me though I find it a dangerous step beyond my own compulsiveness.
If it works for you though, I admire your process.

Ultimately, you need to get the note out right away. Assuming you brought or bestowed a hostess gift, it should only be a note. If you went empty-handed, now is your chance to get something in the mail to redeem yourself (it need not be costly: An enlarged photo from your visit with us alone would be forever cherished in my realm as I would guess, in all.)

And you need to write the note, regardless of your penmanship, in your own hand, and put it in the mail. That is just as important because it indicates you went to some trouble. An email is not sufficient.

A few notes then on what this note should include:

1. Date. Salutation.

2. Initially, advise the address/addresses that your note is one of thanks for yourself and anyone else who attended with you from your household:

"Dear Marissa.
A note of many thanks for this past weekend in Malibu. The gift of your time and friendship is always precious to me. And your picturesque home the perfect antidote to my wintry, compressed New York. I am so glad to catch up and I feel like a new person. I am so very grateful..."

3. Always include details in thank-you notes:
"The views were amazing. I cannot believe I was lucky enough to awake in that setting. It was paradise..."

If there was additional generosities, remember to include those also:
"Dinner at Nobu was incredible. I am still star-struck from being seated next to Mena Suvari."

If she or he has paid attention to every detail on the guests behalf, do not allow their effort to go unmentioned:
"The sheets were cool and calming and smelled like jasmine, what a thoughtful touch."

4. Always remark on, and specifically use the word, "generosity."
"I was spoiled by your generosity."

5. Whatever you write, keep the tone light and pleasant.

Batik Asia

When I typed the word "batik" the other day I think I frightened some. There is a lot of Woodstock and fanny pack-esque bastardizations out there. Let's leave those go, forever. Promise me?

When I traveled in Indonesia, I bought piles of magnificent batiks which I have used for all manner of items since: Sarongs, pillows, table coverings, art. These unbelieveably gorgeous pieces could sparkle with golds and silvers or several tonalities of one color. They bear no resemblence to the so called "batik" prints at many crafty venues. The Hostess tries not to think of such things for fear someone will have to break out the smelling salts.

Long story short: I'm here now and I could not find anything stateside which compared to the pieces I love most from Indo. Recently I found Batik Asia while looking for a big batik to fill a huge gilt frame. They are a good deal closer than any place else I have found, I hope you enjoy this interlude.







>
Just keep in mind: Batik print is generally not a treated fabric. It may not be colorfast, washable, or stable. Use it in places where it is regarded carefully because even hand washing may alter it for the worse.

Things of Beauty: Gianna Rose Diffusers

Gardenia and Jasmine ceramic floral diffuser

A few drops of the scented oil onto the porous ceramic flowers yields days of gardenia and jasmine. For the Hostess, or your self, no? Gianna Rose Atelier

Orchid and Honeysuckle

Spotted at the spa

Love these gorgeous spa stone-inspired soaps. Why should the bathroom, or any room, be a zen palace?



Here.

Pattern Spotlight: Amaryllis by Haviland

Someone expects you'll put food on top of these plates. What a nut. As if I could stop looking at these long enough to cook something and then somehow be willing to put food on top of it. Never. Amaryllis by Haviland Limoges, here.

Heartsick

I want to tell you about something cheerful below as it might help: My young dog is sick again and we spent last night in the ER together, lying on the floor as we do too often now. He is here at my feet again now, the place where he has gratefully chose to make his life. I ask you to think of him today and please send good things his way. I do not ask for much emotionally in this life of caring for a military family but that I have a trustworthy guardian for us when Josh is not here. I don't know what I would do without him. This is an agonizing time, please bring whatever form of mercy to which you subscribe to bear for him today.

Now, I have acquired one of these. Just one. It is also seated next to me as I write to you. A little joy in this frightening day.

This hybrid orchid is called phalaenopsis (fal-en-OPP-sis), the "moth orchid".


Citrine and heliotrope. It was impulsive, but I thought it would be lovely on the buffet. Impulsive, because they are notoriously fickle plants which bloom only for short periods through the year. I discovered this variety was a long bloomer after buying it: maybe it will have flowers for three months once a year. That is okay by me, no one can turn it on all the time.

Orchids seem to make a cult of their admirers and I am not into cults: Too time consuming and single-minded. I just wanted this one, maybe two, in the interest of symmetry. And I will learn something from a houseplant, which have long been flora non-grata here.

I have plans to read up. We'll see how it goes. All of it.


Understanding Orchids, William Cullina. Here.

Spa-tiquette

I was lucky to be loitering at the spa yesterday (as a gift for being a deployment widow and really cool/ exhausted sister with two infants), and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Did I feel like a new Hostess! If you happen to be in Ponte Vedra, be sure you get there. They run all kinds of deals year round to make this very upscale spa accessible a couple of days a week so you have no excuse. If you are coming this way, sign up for their emails. Anyway...

It seems a good idea to review just a couple of take-away's etiquette-wise which might improve the environment (so hard won, for some of us) for all resort spa guests. Just little things, easy enough to get away from, but why not take the opportunity to improve on a lovely experience?

Mr. On-The-Phone-At-the-Spa-Pool: Unless your last name is Obama, your call is not critical enough to take in the zen-sphere. I do not care that you shot 118 this morning, Shankopotomous. You are the reason there are those no-cell signs on every wall in the place.

Miss Spread-Eagled-in-a-Bathing-Suit-on-a-Spa Lounger: The only place for that anywhere, ever, is in an exercise room. Contrary to your best guess, this kind of thing does not improve your tan. Also, it is not the greatest when you get plowed drunk on pina's and howl in response to every verbal cue.

I found great things while there, but I will separate these posts in order that your mind forms no relationship between the two. You don't have to thank me.

Things of Beauty: Embroidered Florals

These two emborideries are far more beautiful in person than in photography but I want to share them with you regardless. The linen handtowels in both patterns are particularly glam.



Red orchid.



Cherry blossom.

Here.

Devon 2009

If you have a little time on your hands this week and you want to have a glass of champange while watching a historic and well attended Grand Prix, come on over to Devon.



One of the oldest hunt seat venues in the nation, Devon is still one of the greatest and most picturesque.



The best jumpers, hunters, and pony champions await. Devon Horse Show, Devon, PA. May 21st - 30 th. Grand Prix to be contested Thursday evening.

Blushing loves Camellia Montagne

My darling friend, Rebecca, just gave me some gorgeous birthday gifts. At the top of the stack was this beautiful pagoda toile box holding my dreamy new favorite candle, Seda France's, Camellia Montagne. A scent to live for.

Another thought: How many candle lines look this spectacular in their packaging? A great Hostess gift if ever there was one.

John Robshaw

For Barnes and Noble; A collection most inspired.

Impossibly chic design

In a lipstick tube. Yes, you just read that. You also missed my birthday. I'm just saying, is all. Coincidence? I think not.

Meet Rouge G de Guerlain Jewel Lipstick Compact designed by Lorenz Bäumer of the ultra exclusive Place de Vendome jewelry salon. The lipstick is a cool million less than it would cost to possess many of his other pieces.

Do you... tweet?

Okay. Let's give it a try in earnest.

I have been avoiding this Twitter thing - reinforced by rumors it can cause addiction a la John Mayer - for more than a year. But it is going to be a part of our lives for a time like Napster, RIP), Kids, so let's get cracking.

You can find me, and my witty, thoughtful, party-enducing updates here, follow me - now, ad nausea.

p.s.: And what is the past tense of our new verb, "twitter," anyhow? Is it, as they say, "to twote?"

Raspberry Limeade

Did you think I was going to give to a drink recipe? No, just daydreaming.

Almost Peony in the Morning Mist

I took these photos a few days ago at home in New York. I have since gone off to Florida and I am pining for these peonies. My Mom does not leave comments to tell us if they have bloomed, maybe nearby neighbor by town, the gracious and talented Patricia van Essche of PVE Design and the notable blog by the same name, will let me know if the peonies are yet open in Westchester...

Great and small

We made it back to Florida finally. After being gone forever, Josh's deployment finally ending in the meantime, giving birth to a baby, and my Mom and Dog (the latter causing The Hostess to miss the golf party, er, I mean, The Players Tournament at Sawgrass) having had major surgery, we are a family once again, for a moment, anyway.

Sacrifices are made to provide this great nation with military leadership. We make a few of them here. This moment is a priceless perk, not a sacrifice:



Realizing that is a six months of unread magazines behind your champagne glass is not so priceless, but also not a sacrifice.



Do great things with your freedom; there are a lot of families out there who will not have this luxury today and will be glad to know their lost moments have served you well. And keep in mind an older woman I met recently, probably one of the most magnificently beautiful women I have ever met in every sense of the word: She sent her thanks to my Husband and my family for their service and sacrifices. I could not believe she would thank us after she told me her Father did not return from World War II. "I am grateful for every sacrifice that keeps me free," she said, "great and lesser."

Fatherless Ridgefield, we thank you.

The No-Sew Bedskirt at Carolina Panache

This is a great and playful idea for an expensive bedskirt, or if you can only find the pattern you want in tea towels, via the ever-so-lovely blog, Carolina Panache.

Pattern Spotlight: Southampton by Charlotte Moss

An engaging charmer for summer: Southampton by Charlotte Moss, here.

Reed and Barton at One Kings Lane, Kate Spade/ Vineyard Vines at Rue La La

Kate Spade (including the above shoes which I blogged on earlier this season) and Vineyard Vines are on sale right now at Rue La La. Email me if you need an invite at cccoughlin@aol.com.

Ditto for this group...

The Reed and Barton online sale at One Kings Lane has begun.

A Sea of Blue

I recieved the announcement for this line of OPI for Sephora nail color called Mediteranean Sea this morning. Everything about blue nail polish tells me it is not adviseable. I have worked on lines which used it happily for runway shows but in real life....

I love looking at this color arrangement, though. Wouldn't it make a beautiful batik or even a room? I would be more concentrated on the room here in Florida were we not in the midst of a monsoon.


via House Beautiful. Punch it up with that deep peacock blue somewhere and welcome to my dining paradise.

But, you know. It could be anything, it should be everything.


Raynaud Limoges, Cristobal Turquoise. Here.

It is water and water is life. I cannot look at that combination long enough.

Pattern Spotlight: Alain Thomas Collection for Haviland

Love the tropical intensity here but momentarily confused by the choice to place this sophisticated bird on a rustic bench in a fall-leaf scene... anyway, Alain Thomas for Haviland Limoges. Here.

Get out

Picnic By The Lake

The other thing is quality of life; if you have a place where you can go and have a picnic with your family, it doesn't matter if it's a recession or not, you can include that in your quality of life.
- Jim Fowler

Take your food, guests, and kids outside. If it rains, find an enclosure in a park. It is time for a little fresh air.

If you have 20 minutes to make your own picnic food, The Minimalist at the New York Times shares 101 quick, delicious, and nourishing picnic dishes you can make in a snap. If not, one can run by a local grocery or specialty food counter for a box lunch. And here is a checklist to help you remember everything.

For a few years, my family suspended our Mother's Day restaurant brunch tradition and began to pack picnics. We would all gather in a local park and eat food I made the day before. This tradition ended when we inadvertently missed the sign with closing hours for Mountain Lakes Camp and enjoyed a leisurely lunch by a lake deep in the park only to be locked in the grounds. It was a protracted process to find an attendant and be let out, and a really long walk.

That aside, some of my favorite memories of my adult life are picnicking in Newport while we lived there, by ourselves, or with my parents when they visited. Sometimes I cooked, sometimes we picked up fabulous sandwiches from the now shuttered Market above First Beach. I loved those days; they were not more simple, but they were different. The one thing about having a spouse attached to the U.S. Navy in the Surface War capacity is that you live in a lot of beautiful places with picnic areas so picturesque I have often considered the view and the memories one of our greatest perks. We have been lucky to live and picnic in Charleston, Newport, Boston, Padre Island, Amelia Island and now we await news of Josh's next stop.

This is an exciting and unsettling time; a picnic will help calm my nerves because one never knows what will happen next, especially in these war-entrenched years.

My Mother came across a vintage picnic basket at the thrift shop where she volunteers a few years ago. It was untouched inside which made me sorry for the person who donated it. They had missed out on so many wonderful moments, laughing and smiling in sunshine with the people they enjoy. They had also missed the remarkable interior of the basket: completely fitted out to hold a complete set of flatware and delicate white and blue pottery plates and coffee cups for four. It has ten sturdy Tupperware storage containers, two thermoses, four wine glasses (real glass!) and various other considerate items for a perfect picnic. It cost someone a fortune and was remarkably thoughtful. It was a gift given with the hope it would encourage memory making. It fulfilled its mission with our family. My hope for you is that you find one you enjoy and use it constantly. I found a few you might like to have or give:


In the style of a vintage suitcase, this would make a pretty decor item on an exposed shelf when not in use. Here.


This mod basket for two is such fun. Here.


Trad and masculine. Here.


Stuff it yourself. A great color for a new-old item, and a great decor piece for the porch in summer. Here.

I have two large, lined picnic cloths from Crate and Barrel like these. They are great:

They have a pretty new stripe each summer season.

This eco-chic mat is another great idea:

Here.

If you will need plates and utensils for additional guests, these are stylish and earth sensitive:


Biodegradeable birch utensils, here. Crate and Barrel has a bamboo version which is quite sturdy especially for cutting grilled meats.

Paper plates, not that I am harping, do no one any favors because rarely does anyone take the time to see they go into paper recycling. The plates below are completely reasonable and biodegrade in landfills and compost to allow you to rest easier:


By the same token, do the generations that follow a favor and try some discardable bamboo plates which are a little more moola.

I mean, you would not want to go picnicking on the earth and hurt it with what is left behind. Right? Have a great picnic, ya'll, but leave no footprints.

This seemed like a fun idea

I love the pretty green grid melamine plates from Target for the outdoors called Grid Green which are not on their site. They are like Grid Blue below but in citrine-y green. There were several pretty patterns in store when I was shopping for corgi sustinence and it seemed fun to highlight a couple for you. In going over their site though, I got myself into a quagmire of pretty outdoor plates. I made a valiant effort here while typing with one hand and feeding a baby with the other but really, there are dozens and you should have a look for yourself.

And just a side note, the Hostess finds plastic cups hideous but in some cases below, they were in the shot with something worth noting. One other note: Horchow, let's get real on the plastic plate thing, huh?



Zak Pazio

Whitewash Dragonfly

Floral Chocolate

Vine and Flower

Asian Floral

Grid Blue

Lime Flower

Ripples

Black

Bimini

Blushing Loves Smashbox O-Gloss

At first I thought my lips were going to dance from my face. It was confusing, I had never been so aware my lips were there, they were always easy-goer's. Now I know they are for certain and while the Hostess detests sticky glosses to which one's hair sticks in a breeze, this fire-up-your-face gloss does not have that problem and it really does re-hue according to your chemistry.
Not cheap, but awesome. At Sephora.

Bummed

When the Hostess noticed a great fabric designer did a little something with tabletop, well, she was over the moon; Amy's fabric prints being one of the Hostess' happiest encounters but...



it is all paper which is said to be "eco" and "recyclable". Though, no entertaining scenario the Hostess has ever seen has sucessfully separated the recyclable items and categorized them into trash bins - one of the many reasons the Hostess does not use paper or throw-away plastic in her home. Say what you will, the earth has karma and if one carelessly tosses things upon it, one should not expect to be spared the same in return.

So, Amy: Bamboo or reuseable melamine (which is not fabulous, but at least better)
because I really love these prints. K?

Long Hot Summer

Matthew Williamson's new collection of St. Barth/ boho beach chic hots and cools at H&M is one of the greatest lines I have seen in... ever. Top of the price range is $59. What, I ask you, is better than that?

Think ahead

I love these university and prep school blazer buttons from Ben Silver of Charleston (the Hostess' most beloved men's retailer). This tradition of college graduates from Oxford and the like in England was brought to our shores by Ben Silver and according to my research, Ben Silver remains the only place to find them in jeweler's quality and 14K gold in the Americas. They have nearly every notable school in the US available but they are generally made to order and will take a couple of weeks. So get started now.

While the above buttons are in color, my Husband's buttons for Tufts are all gold and therefore are just a nice twist on a gold button for his navy blazers rather than something so apparent like the above buttons. I think they are fabulous and a small, thoughtful nod to an alma mater he really enjoyed.

These also make a wonderful grooms gift to the groomsmen, especially when they are to wear navy blazers for the wedding: What a lovely touch for them to find these buttons on their blazers, and so much better than a flask...

Queen to Prince Phillip: What this place needs is a bar.

Oh, come on. Do you think the Hostess makes this stuff up? I could not if I tried.

According to the Press and Journal, the Queen's royal household at Balmoral has made a formal application to open a bar, largely for 150 employees who should not, not, not have to drive nearly ten miles to find the nearest bar. Dearie, no. Stay right here at work and knock back a few brewski's with the old girl, why don't you?

As I have told you before, should you find yourself sidling up to the monarch who just cannot wait to dislodge that fierce crown from a day full of knighting-of-the-realming and so forth, at, say, a bar in a castle in the Highlands, you can offer to buy her a gin and Dubonnet.

Quickly now... Serena and Lily at One Kings Lane

Serena and Lily, perhaps my favorite novelty linens people, are one huge, preposterous sale at One Kings Lane now. You will need an invite if you are not a member yet so email me at cccoughlin@aol.com and I will look after you.

Ah-hem. And see the pink duvet above. I just scored two for Twinkle Toes' room for $59 each.

And incase you do not know who Serena and Lily is, they appeared here only yesterday. The Citrine Dream room is theirs.

Happy shopping!

So you are writing a blog

And you want people to read it. In my humble opinion, it is all content and staying within your niche, not knocking off others, and waiting out the time it takes to build loyal readership. I do also think Problogger.com's recent post entitled: How Not to Promote Your Blog: Top 10 Broken Blog Promotion Strategies is a helpful guideline.

We probably all get emails asking us to link up which is great if it is a blog I read and comment upon but if not, my rule of thumb is that I read the blog for months usually before putting them up on a reading list. Part of the niche here at BH is that my blogs of note are also best-in-class and complimentary-subject entities. That list over there, on the right, I'm committed to those blogs. I read them seemingly forever and now that they are there, we have a partnership: I don't throw other blogs up there of any old thing just whenever because it detracts from the quality of my blog and does not indicate to other bloggers on the wall that I take them seriously to put them among the best company I could find. See? That barely scratches the surface of the read-comment relationship and the essay above will help in this area.

I think the Probogger essay can give clarity to those new to the blog community. It seems a misunderstanding that because one comments, one will make the billboard list. Furthermore, comment hounds are a little creepy, no? Business self-promoters? People who leave one comment hoping you will become one of their readers and make it on to your blog roll but never recognize you or visit your blog again? Ugh. Yes, there are a few things that make me a little uneasy...

So, kind Readers, do you have advice you can offer new additions to the blogosphere? It seems there are a lot of new sites which be well served by your experience.

Nap time for The Hostess

Citrine dream.

Thing of Beauty: Melamine Dalhia

These beautiful floral appetizer plates are melamine from Target. Would I kid you, Pal?

Here is your link.

Nancy Clarke, Chief White House Florist, to retire

The Hostess stares deeply into every White House photo searching for the ever-present floral arrangement. The woman behind them, Nancy Clarke, is retiring and the flowers were nice. Kind of the way they are in a funeral home; fine because you're not expecting to be too jazzed about them. But I would say, that to call recent arrangements (albiet the few we get to see) "modern" and "edgier" since the Obama's arrived is to ride the nonsense train into retirement. And another thing, the florist who was dusted off to comment for the WSJ article would do well to keep in mind that while the White House is a period structure, it belongs to all and it would occasionally do well to nod to those of more modern tastes.

Read it here at the Wall Street Journal.

No thanks, The Hostess will pass

First of all, it has a misleading description: The ebay seller wants to confuse you, maybe. For $10 you can have an "authentic", "original," service plate from the first class section of the HMS Titanic, which is also "new". Huh.

Look, even if she had not taken most of her plate service with her to her watery grave, even if this were a legitimate pattern, or the real thing were not in very advanced White Star collections selling for fortunes, I have no interest in eating from her actual or reproduced china or drinking from the cup in Lee's saddle bag as he approached Appomattox. Some things should just be left alone.

Pattern Spotlight: Jute, Vietri

Somehow luxe and rough hewn all at once. Texture in placesettings instead of chargers and placemats. I love it. Jute, by Vietri, here.

Amy Butler Bedding and Holding my Breath

That's right, Amy Butler will have a bedding line at Bed, Bath, and Beyond launching in June.
I have just finished rounding up some yardage for a project for Twinkle Toes' room and cannot wait to see what this line looks like. Really, really hoping it is great and there is a Midwest Mod presence from the fabric collection because this would save me several years of cut and sew for
twin beds. Read about it here.

Cultured Pearls

I adore oysters and all manner of oyster cusine. Not the least of the sensory pleasure I associate with oysters is the cultured oyster service plate. I sigh deeply each time I come across oyster plates in an antique shop: It is the double whammy butler's pantry antique: People don't serve oysters at home any longer. And when they do, they will slam them down on any old thing, as if they do not have a home or a place of their own. For example:

Traditional Home and the recipe for a New Orleans original, Oysters Bienville.

The plate above and the food upon it is pretty and it has been painstakingly stylized to be so. But in reality, this is a service nightmare. They look like they slid around the plate on the way to the table because they did. A little messy. A little disorganized. Very unneccesary: Someone, please kindly throw a bed of salt underneath these gems to help them keep their places. They want you to notice the plate, so we understand why they did it. But that is a magazine shot; in reality, if you drop Oysters Rockefellar in my lap, I will not be interested in gazing upon your comely plate so it is indeed important to select the right vessel.

This is the animal that prevents the serving disaster most associated with shellfish:

Southern Accents

Ah, the shellfish plate. Do not get too hung up on the scallop pattern, these plates are intended to service all manner of mollusk (one would have to be a very fussy pantry person to have separate plates for each variety). Once, these seemed archaic Grandmother's-pantry items: Right up there with depression glass fruit cups, they were creatures from an age long since dead which serviced foods we do not serve at home any longer or could not be easily utilized in a modern enviorment.

People do not serve oysters at home very much anymore. There was a time when they were common place especially in the Christmas season in the South. Certainly, when standing at the fish monger's shop, the oysters are intimidating looking, aren't they? But they need not be off-putting. The fish monger will happily open the oysters and shell them into a container for you with the liquor (which you will want for chowders and bisques). He is charging you for the whole oyster, and will be just as overjoyed to throw the shells into a bag for you to use for cooking or serving. You will need your cheerful monger to do this for you for many oyster (clam and scallop) dishes as the brineness of cooking Oysters Rockefellar, Bienville, and Florentine and countless others contributes to the flavor of the dish. If you wish to serve oysters and clams on the half shell or as shooters at home, this is how it is done to avoid shucking them yourself.

Oh! You were not thinking the Hostess shucked these herself, were you? Indeed! While teetering on my Kate kitten heels or wearing white pants, I busted out the chain mail gloves and rubberized apron as the guests arrived and greeted distractedly as I pulled oyster shell bits from my blow out. Oh, no, stop, that makes me giggle.

No, no. The fish guy shucked the oysters below for me. I chopped them. If I am making fried oysters at Christmas time, I take them home whole and serve them on oyster plates in their shells because it is so pretty. This oyster fritter could have a shell under it also, I suppose, but really, I have enough to be neurotic about.

This is a picture from an ordinary weekday dinner in our home. I did not make the remolade. Nor did I set the table or take the picture, there are still some guests who help out and are learning, ok? It appears here to demonstrate just how conquerable this food type is for everyday meals. And there is my favorite oyster plate: White and dishwasher safe. Nothing Granny or fussy about it. But, induldge me here, I will come back to that in a jiff...

Antique oyster plate collectors have a wealth of pieces to seek out and gather. These are just a few examples I selected from the impressive collection belonging to Patrick at oysterplates.com. You will note they date from the 1880's to latest, the 1950's, which is about the time oysters at home began to fall from hostess favor. I selected just a few but as you can tell, they were all manner of plate: Porcelain, pottery, hand painted, majolica, minimalist and ornate. Once, they were as regular a part of a refined bridal registry as a coffee pot. One will have few choices when buying these new today, undoubtedly they were no longer revenue-generating assortment pieces not unlike another rarely heard from item: The shellfish fork. But once, the artistic pursuit of a glorious oyster plate was vigorous, as you can plainly see.

Wedgewood, Pensies. 1880's.

United Porcelain Works, American. 1900.

Moustiers, France, Tolosane Kaki. 1920's, the Hostess' personal favorite.

Badour, Beligium, Gold Rim 1920's.

Limoges, France, Lanternier. 1920's.

Limoges, Cobalt and Gold. 1920's.

Choisy, France. 1920's.

Sarreguemines, France, Digoin Roquefort. 1930's.

Longwy, France, Vanielle Fraise. 1950's.

Antique and vintage oyster plates featured above are courtesy of Patrick at http://www.oysterplates.com/
where a 10% discount for Blushing readers is available by using coupon code HOSTESS.

As you can see from the above, the oyster plate is not obliged, even in antiquity, to look old-fashioned or lack style. In my estimation, the pieces above would suit many modern variants and should be reconsidered for the plate battalion as should the oyster itself for the menu.

If you are interested in collecting oyster plates, you will be pleased to know that in 2001, a notable book on the topic of collecting antique and vintage oyster plates was published and is available here.

And while the Hostess is all for reading, you need not feel you need a comprehensive shape and pattern education. Like anything you put in your home: Love it or do not buy it. No one worth inviting to the table would dream of turning a plate over to check the mark, so do not buy self-consciously, it does not pay.

If you are intersted in attractive, reasonable, easy care options, these two are fabulous:


I love the two piece set above from Target. These come with the sauce cup which is great and are a fun option for beachy gatherings or just a little nod to the ocean.


Cordon Bleu Oyster Plate, cooking.com . Pretty, easy care, not over the top and not coincidentally, the one I use which I actually found for $1.00 a piece at Homegoods.

In the less reasonable category are these lovely plates still made private label for the Historic Charleston Foundation.

While oysters are, by some logic, best not consumed in the month of June, I will otherwise serve them all the time. And if Kumamotos are available, I will eat them six meals a day. The Kumamoto, for those of you thinking you cannot stand oysters, is a marvelous place to reintroduce yourself: Cool and tasting identical to a cucumber, it is the perfect hot afternoon treat or dinner on a frigid night in Boston with Sarah, champagne and all. Take a moment, if you can, to rediscover your Grandmother's old oysters plates as well if you are so lucky as to have them with you.

If I could

I would build a huge, soaring, circular pergola: The most glorious pergola in all of the America's and Britain. I could wander in it for hours able to lose complete track of my location but for somewhere inside it. It would take 12 tons of English Oak and an army of carpenters to execute. I would spend a life time teaching the vines to wind their way up, over and down. I would place lovely chairs in the center and, with the view beyond the pergola obscured by the climbing flowers, never have any idea what direction I was facing. In the pergola, things like that would be of no concern.

Or I could appeal to British race driver James Morgan to allow me to sit in his (above), at Woodway House.

This most magnificent of all pergolas was the work of the admirable English Garden Carpentry Company and the photo via same. Worth a visit to Woodway's architectural firm's site while there, their project list allows peeks into some very swank joints in the British Isles and beyond.

Spring Showers

This is the season for all manner of showers, including the deluge that struck Twinkle Toes and I at the garden center today. I thought I would pass along two favorite ideas for those of you throwing showers.

I love this first idea: Sterling baby cups for small arrangements. But any would do if not sterling. Tiny french bouquets would be stunners here in several shades of blue or pink if one really wanted to get gender specific. And if not, yellows, greens, and a little white.

This cake is fabulous. In the style of a large petit four it would be great fun and a departure from all the frowning bore cakes that make the rounds at these things.


photos: marthastewart.com

Shower with ease

This is a great idea for shower-throwers with little time to get the party together: The pre-packaged parties below are available from Social Couture in completed groupings (only those with bamboo and reusable melamine are featured as BH does not dig paper goods and neither does the earth.). A great find for a little peace of mind.

Pattern spotlight: Ch'ing Garden

Seriously. How many beautiful things can you get on one dinner plate? Ch'ing Garden, Mottahedeh, via Mayfair House.

Honey bee

Could a honey house be any prettier than this? William Yeoward at Sue Fisher King.

I don't think they'll mind...

if I spoil Mother's Day gift giving for them. Our Mother's have almost always been sent cut flowers on this weekend every year. This year we decided to do something with a little more sustainability than a week of blooms in the house.

My Mother's plants and pots around her home and grounds in previous years have included a lot annuals which are expensive in time and money to install and maintain each year. Josh's Mom is also a tremendous gardener who was known for the enormous sustaining vegetable and fruit garden she created each year which put fresh organics into all her glorious babies for all the years they lived at home. After a short break, I understand she will begin her garden anew at her new home.

All of this gardening skill deserves some reward and sustenance: I am replanting my Mother's house with perennial and decorative herbs and new rose varieties for cutting.



And Josh's Mom is getting a mess of fruit bushes from Spring Hill's small fruit selections: Blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry. Food and antioxidants in a combination of berries for planters on porches (great for city and condo dwellers, also) which even come as a kit with the planter, and berries for the ground which can literally be planted anywhere and pretty much grow wild thereafter.



I went to the local garden center for the herb garden items. An herb garden of any size is easy to construct even in a little planter and this is the time of year to get started. I choose Spring Hill for shipping plants, and Jackson and Perkins for roses because both guarantee their specimens.

Are you giving something sustainable this year? I'd love to read your ideas.

Centerpiece whimsy

The shower season has arrived and blumebox.com has a tons of fabulous color-coordinated centerpiece boxes and ribbons to allow you to design a perfect centerpiece and the Hostess loves enough choices to be exacting and ...

glam.

clean and crisp.

matchy-matchy.

There are literally tons of box color and ribbon style choices to complement any table or inspiration.

And placecard choices to coordinate to your theme.

They went on to lead and charm the free world

The Host and Hostess are exhausted but happy. I love how real this photo is and how very human the moment and the subjects.

Frivolous problem solving

Sterling plated single and double ice cream servers, Source Perrier

Here is a so-called problem: How to serve ice cream without putting a carton within view of the guests.

This was my Mother's instruction on the subject: The ice cream needed to be softened in room air for ten or 15 minutes, preferably during dinner. Then, if it would be in a pleasant shape when removed from the carton to a serving bowl, it could be scooped from the block in the bowl in the dining room or on the buffet. If it was not in a pleasing shape or de-cartoned badly, there were a few options: Soften and reshape into a serving bowl from which it could be scooped, pre-scoop it into a serving bowl and place it back in the freezer until it was rushed to the dining room, or it could be scooped into portions in the kitchen (in other words, it would not be served family style). Finally, just do not serve ice cream.

Under no circumstances, ever, is a carton, label, bottle, or dispenser ever to be placed on the dining table: No ketchup bottles. No soda cans. No ice cream cartons. The only exception is red wine bottles in wine coasters.

Don't get me wrong. Bottles are not foreign to me (I love Heinz ketchup) but even in the course of my everyday life they are decanted into bowls to go to the table or used only in the kitchen on the food before it goes to the table. I have been known to take orders on condiments for burgers for this reason. I cannot tolerate looking at bottles on a table, it just makes a table unappealing in every way.

When I saw these ice cream servers, the problem was partially solved. Though, I wish it also kept the ice cream cold.

Around the horn

Horn and nickel. Gorgeous. Here.

Faded Glory

I've been stumbling around since I saw these centerpieces belonging to a celebrity wedding. When I say there is a lot going on around here, it is an insane understatement. These arrangements at inStyle Weddings make me think of something calm: A concept which thoroughly eludes me of late. It is all I can do not to be found pitching dirt in every direction on the lawn and installing a garden which grows nothing but these flowers in order to always have them winking at me in the house; So cool and tranquil, and somehow reminding me of Newport in summer and all those lovely rose hedges on the Cliff Walk above First Beach.

These were boxes covered in silk dupioni and then packed with amnesia roses, Café au Lait dahlias, pink Antik roses, lavender and faded grey hydrangea, and lavender Astrantia.

The muted shades of these blooms is easy on the heart. Nothing frentic. They would be lovely in a softly colored dressing or guest room or on a table before a banquette in a sunny window.

Here, for example. Where I would keep them to myself.

Traditional Home

Here. Where I would consider sharing them with the ruffians of inner peace always navigating in these parts.

Veranda

Or here. A room which would be roped off with velvet to prevent said ruffians involvment with all things calm.

Greystone via Veranda



These are curious varieties, rare and difficult to get. If you are considering this arrangement for a centerpiece, I advise enlisting the help of a well-schooled and connected florist with talent to spare; this was no easy feat of planning. Give them plenty of warning to get good sources. Or, you could grow your own. I am thinking of trying. Since it seems I have loved few arrangements more, why not get hitched.

The first is the amnesia rose: I have just told you everything I know about it and was able to find out but for some generalizations mentioning "hybrid tea...". It is lavender with green tips and a rare flower if ever there was one. I still have not located a decent place to buy the root.

Then the Cafe au Lait Dahlia. A pretty almost-neutral, it could be a work horse in arrangements around the house.

easytogrowbulbs.com

Lavendar bronze hydrangea.

growersbox.com

The more faded heads of the hydrangrea known as Nigra.

Wayside Gardens

And these funny interlopers, lavender Astrantia.

Dutch Bulbs

Finally, the pink "antik" rose.

Antique Rose Emporium

I hope you are enjoyed a moment of calm here, even if only imagined, like mine.