A Redbird Christmas ****.* by Fannie Flagg
I’m joining Jain with my Edible Book Review at Food for Thought, a delicious blog for readers with an appetite for the written word.
My love of books is no secret~ factor in birds in a Christmas setting and this is a recipe for happy holiday reading. For me, a bird book in the hand, is worth a few bird dishes~ so that was the perfect excuse to fly over to Pottery Barn recently for this set of four assorted salad plates. . .
. . . so I’m also joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday as part of this Edible Review.
Receiving a diagnosis from his doctor Oswald T. Campbell leaves behind the cold climate of Chicago to spend what he believes to be his last Christmas in the warm and welcoming town of Lost River, Alabama. Lost River is just that. . .a sleepy little community that time seems to have forgotten. A place full of unforgettable characters, among whom are a postman who delivers mail by boat; the store owner who nurses a broken heart; the ladies of the Mystic Order of the Royal Polka Dots Secret Society who do clandestine good works; and Patsy Casey~ an abandoned young girl.
Last but not least, a little Redbird named Jack, who is at the center of this tale of a magical Christmas.
Food is abundant in Lost River. . .on Oswald’s first day after a huge breakfast, he eats a lunch of baked chicken, a bowl of fat lima beans, mashed potatoes, three pieces of cornbread with honey & butter, and two pieces of red velvet cake. I made Red Velvet Whoopie Pies for Food for Thought. . .
I couldn’t resist adding a little Red Bird Peppermint Candy to the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies~
Red Bird Brand Peppermint Puffs, made in North Carolina
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, mix from Sur La Table
I think you’ll find this book warm & comforting~ like a cup of Hot Chocolate sprinkled with Red Bird peppermints~
“Isn’t it amazing how one little bird changed so many lives?”
“Flagg is a gifted storyteller who knows how to tug at readers’ heartstrings, winding up her satisfying holiday tale with the requisite Christmas miracle.”
May your Christmas be one of Magic & Miracles ~
Thank you for your visit & thanks to my hostesses:
-
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for providing disaholics everywhere a place to play ~
-
Jain at Food for Thought, for Happy Holiday reading~
I love these plates! Beautiful post!
Merry Christmas and all the best in 2011, Mary!
Very beautiful…Merry Christmas to you…
Great post as always..I really like those wicker chargers..How pretty.Your whole post..You and Jain..share so many of the same tastes..
IT’s great looking and reading your posts.
omg you have put me to shame! what a fantastic table! the bird cage, the dishes, the setting… sooooooo beautiful! i need to visit pottery barn now, its not nice to covet thy food for thought cohort…
and the little eggs everywhere… pitter patter, pitter patter…
tell me about the ornaments, what are they, just adorable!
hot dang on the whoopie pie, i wanted that, but didn’t need it, sooooooooo excited to see yours! red bird brand… dang you are sooooooo good at this!
that cocoa is pure art…love all your shots, again huge freakin smiles galore!
how exciting to see your redbird christmas, truly made the start of my day take flight!
thanks so much for such a wonderful year with you~
I read this book last Christmas and enjoyed it very much! You’ve written such a beautiful post around it – your table and the whoopie pies look wonderful!
What a delightful way to present this book. The plates, the ornaments, the bird cages, and then the Red Bird peppermints. They are my favorites! I’ll have to try them with red velvet whoopie pies. Fantastic! Thanks for yet another special gift for the season. ~ sarah
Mary, your bird plates are absolutely beautiful-I love them! Wishing you and your family and Merry Christmas and all the best in 2011:@)
A very beautiful post. I loved the story and boy do i love those plates. The chargers look wonderful too. Your whole table just speaks to my heart. Merry Christmas.
I really like your table! The cardinal is one of my favorites…I adore their sweet chirp. I love all the different textures you used and those gorgeous napkins! Thank you so much for sharing and have a very Merry Christmas!
I read that book a couple of years ago — I adore Fannie Flagg! What a pretty Christmas table — love those bird plates.
Oh my goodness! I’m crazy about this entire post. Not only is that one of the prettiest tablescapes I’ve seen (period), but loved your food and book review too. It makes me want to read that book.
Seriously, I love your table. That centerpiece is gorgeous, and I love the bird plates.
Once again you blow me away! The plates of course are fabulous, but the details you surrounded them with just astound me. Those incredible little birdhouses on the napkins and of course the napkins themselves. Little touches of pine here and there and red bird peppermints?!!!! Killer. Your presentation on the whoopie pies and the hot chocolate are also over the top. Visual eye candy. I consider this post a real Christmas present. Thank you dear! Have a wonderful Christmas.
Your post has everything. Good book, lovely table, great food and ends with hot chocolate. Just gorgeous. Have a wonderful Merry Christmas.
What a fabulous table setting! Would you please share the name of the beautiful bird plates? I’d love to track some down. Merry Christmas.
The bird plates did not have a name, they were referred to as “decoupaged bird plates” at Pottery Barn. I noticed that they are no longer on the website, the ornaments of the same design are still available…
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/natural-disk-ornament-set/?pkey=e%7Cbird%2Bdecoupage%2Bplates%7C56%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NLA_Feature_Marketing_Rule-_-
What a lovely post! I was smitten with your fabric on the napkins, then WoW the birdcages nearly knocked me out of my chair! Thank you for this inspiring nature themed tablescape.
Fondly,
Pat
What a wonderful idea to create a table around a book you love. That totally appeals to my sense of fancy, and you, as always, have done it just right. Happy holidays.
What a beautiful table with so many incredible elements!!! I love the details! The use of the various sizes and shapes of birdcages is really great! I hope you and yours have a fantastic Christmas!
Your birdscape is interesting and charming, but what initially caught my eye was the Flannie Flagg book. I am a fan of Fannie Flagg, and will be sure to read this book.
You’ve given me some great ideas for a tablescape. I’ve got a collection of bird plates, pictures, etc., but you have taken it to a new level.
Charming.
Thanks for sharing.
Linda
I do love an aviary theme, and you have done a beautiful job with yours. The plates are gorgeous…and Red Velvet Whoopie Pies…it surely can’t get any better than that, can it? Thank you for sharing your charming design. Happy New Year! Cherry Kay
I really enjoyed this book, but you have brought it to life more beautifully than I could ever imagine. I lusted after those dishes from Pottery Barn all season long, but then waited long enough until they were out of stock and missed out. Beautiful arrangement and a lovely tribute to the book.