I was looking for a little Valentine’s table inspiration, feeling uninspired and a little blue with the cold, gray weather outside.
My mother-in-law has been cleaning out her house to put on the market, and ran across this sweet Valentine given to her mother sometime prior to 1923, when she was still a ‘Miss’.
She also unearthed this cheery tea towel
that has a blooming garden of flowers on it.
Made in Germany, this three-dimensional Valentine
has a pair of lovebirds and a bird delivering
Love’s Greeting from Willie Nash :)
In need of blooming flowers,
I decided to cut some camellias
to brighten my spirits & bring indoors.
You never know when or
where you’ll find love. . .
or table inspiration. :)
My husband’s grandmother’s china
has birds in flight along with flowers. . .
Two things that always boost my spirits!
Back in July, I found a 95-piece-bouquet
of flatware, in search of a Flower Fix.
At a bargain price of what the 14 knives alone
would have been at Replacements.
And the floral equivalent of paying for a single rose
and receiving 2 dozen long-stemmed ones instead. :)
Birds have flown in on a camellia-filled pitcher
and on teapots to nest on the table.
And Meringue Nests from World Market
seemed appropriate for a lovebirds table
for Valentine’s Day.
Quick to put together and easily filled with fruit,
whipped cream, lemon curd, or chocolate.
Or you can find a recipe to make
your own meringue nests, here
Love’s Greeting Table Details:
Dishes/ Crown Ducal Pink Bristol
Gracie China Victorian Bird Tea Pots & Pitcher / TJ Maxx
Flatware/ Oneida Community Evening Star
Stemware/ unknown
White Chargers, Napkins & Napkin Rings / HomeGoods
White Plates/ Paula Deen Whitaker
Wishing you a Flower Filled
Valentine’s Day!
Thank you for your visit, sharing with:
That’s a great Valentine Card Mary, I’d say Mr. Nash was quite smitten:@) The tea towel is beautiful too. This is a very pretty table and nice tribute to your hubby’s Grandmother!
Beautiful Valentine post filled with wonderful treasures and lots of memories!
Reading your blog is such a treat. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home and inspiring us to use the pretty things that surround us!
so gorgeous as usual. You started out my day with some great inspiration!
thank you for this lovely valentine tablescape – i needed a lift from the gray-blue cold days!
Loving the red and white dishes and the floral silverware is beautiful. Glad you found it for a song.
Between seeing the beautiful vintage Valentine and the gorgeous camellias, this is the most beautiful Valentine post that I’ve seen. So beautiful.
Mary, your Valentine’s Day table would definitely lift my spirits and in fact makes my heart sing. Your inherited dishes are the perfect set for celebrating love, both in color and sentiment. The camellias are so pretty. Ours are but memories now. Thanks for sharing the special valentine that inspired this table. Have a happy day!
always love waking up to one of your beautiful posts. Thank you and Happy Valentine’s :)
Oh my gosh..you have the most beautiful tablescapes! Do you leave these on your table for awhile or just set them up for your photo shoot? Love, love, love the old Valentine!
Blessings,
Gert
WOW……and DOUBLE WOW…..and the pictures just kept on coming! what a beautiful way to wake up ….have my coffee , and view your photos…..It was such a treat , and you …once again , skillfully photographed a most beautiful treat for our eyes! Thank you …ever so much !
Mary, all of your photos are gorgeous, but the one with a single camellia blossom is just stunning! That vintage valentine inspired a beautiful tablescape filled with a wonderful combination of old and new!
We just had a blizzard here in New England, and we’re buried under 2 feet of snow. (Let the shoveling begin.) How wonderfully refreshing to see all your lovely birds and flowers. It’s like a breath of spring. –Lucinda
a great way to lift my spirits on this cold Feb morning…
flowers and chocolate, your tablescapes are beautiful.
What a simply stunning table! The mix of the china, the tablecloth, the vintage valentines…all just makes me swoon!
What a beautiful table you’ve set with your DH’s grandmother’s dishes, Mary! I remember when you found that pretty floral silverware, too. They look very vintagey (I just made up that word) pretty together. The teapots are especially pretty…I’m a sucker for anything involving tea!
My table is set with similar components & colors but yours looks so much nicer. *sigh* I want to be like YOU when I grow up. Thanks for sharing so I can continue to learn from the best.
Warm hugs,
Rett
Your camelias make my heart skip a beat! I love them and wish there was ANYTHING alive in this neck of the woods:) Your dishes are beautiful and what treasures your MIL has unearthed! I remember when you found the silverware, THAT was the steal of the decade!!! Thanks for lifting MY spirits. Have a beautiful weekend. XO, Pinky
What a beautifull valentine card that you inherited! A treasure for sure and nicely coordinated with your beautiful tablescape. Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed reading this as I look out at the 14 inches of snow in Westchester County, NY. How I am longing for spring…I think I have SAD as I have no motivation other than to hibernate and read my blogs….Here’s to Spring!
What a lovely Valentine’s table! So much to look at – I loved it.
What an incredibly beautiful table inspired by lovely family heirlooms, the valentine and tea towel!! Your photography is gorgeous, and inspired me to ask for a zoom lens for my camera for my recent birthday. I am looking forward to some close up shots, though they’ll never rival yours. Have you ever considered doing a book of your tablescapes? What wonderful Valentine inspiration!
I love how you’ve paired the china with the floral napkins — all making love to the sweet vintage valentine. This is an absolutely beautiful tablescape, made with love. :)
The fact that your grandmother kept it must mean that Mr. Nash was important to her too :) How wonderful that your mother kept it and now you have it. What a lovely antique greeting card! Love the flower fix too since it’s quite white and monochrome outside here.
Very pretty, Mary! The china and silver are perfect with the sweet valentines and flowers. So many pretty touches…your heart was in this! :)
XO,
Jane
A beautiful post, Mary! Perfect to brighten my day, 2 feet of snow fell last night and awaits shoveling!
Love the china, the valentine, and of course the flowers, just lovely!
Thanks in advance for linking to Let’s Dish!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Mary I love that card! So pretty. You know I collect antique and vintage cards and share them at Free Graphic Wednesday. I love your table! Everything is so lovely. Thanks for sharing with us. Hugs, Peggy~PJH Designs
A very old-fashioned and romantic table….Valentine cards of yore were so sweet and so much more romantic… Everything works well together…I particularly like the white teapots!
I held my breath through your whole post, Mary, hoping that she became MRS. NASH after such a lovely Valentine, but I guess not… :( (I’m a hopeless romantic; what can I say??). It’s a beautiful post and table. The china is beautiful, the silverware is…enchanting, and the card lovely. What a find for inspiration! As soon as I saw the meringue nests I thought, “I’ve GOT to go make some,” then you gave me a shortcut–off to World Market! Lovely as always. ~Zuni
PS – You must tell us where you store all your flatware now! :)
I’m telling you…we throw away so much stuff in our lives, but we just have no idea how saving just a few personal items might bring someone such joy years and years down the line! I have a box marked “Memories” that I hope will bring a smile to someone’s lips a hundred years from now! This simple, sweet Valentine that your mother-in-law unearthed was the start of a gorgeous table in celebration of the most romantic day of the year. The birds all play perfectly into the overall theme along with the red & white! I love the idea of meringue nests. Man, oh, man would that make dessert a lot easier…and so pretty! (Not nearly as fattening as the butter-laden crust for a pie, either!!!) Lucky you with blooming camellias this time of year!
It is remarkable a card like that survived but I am glad it did. The camellias and red&white china are lovely together. I am afraid my large pink camellia is not going to bloom because it has been far to warm here-same for our peach crop. xo, olive
What a treasure to find the old card and that it has survived the years of time! So wish I had camellias in my area. Beautiful red and white china for your lovely table.
Mary, How lovely and romantic. You inspire so many. Thanks. Hugs, Anne
I love the mix of china, silver, crystal, and fresh fruit and flowers all wrapped up in lush colors of red, pink, and white! Such a traditional combination executed in such a gorgeous manner! I second the motion of a tabletop book with all your table settings and vignettes listed seasonally!! And I’d like to be able to purchase your first copy (after friends and family, of course!)!! Can’t wait!! :-)
What a nice feast for the eyes. I have always thought that food just tastes better when the table is invitingly put together with love and loved china of the one whose table you are invited to enjoy or your own guests. In our 60 years of marriage we have shared our table with many wonderful family memebers, our children (young and grown and with their families), home wedding receptions, 25the anniversaries for friends and our own children.
In scripture Our Lord did everything important around a meal to show us how precious is the gift of ‘breaking bread[‘ is with others and then to give us the most precious of gifts ‘take and eat, THIS IS MY BODY given up for you’.
Your post is much appreciated and I absolutely love your husband’s grandmothers china. I grew up in Bristol but not in England. I have never seen that transfer ware pattern before. How you must enjoy using each time and give thanks to the giver of the dishes, n’est-ca pas?
With gratitude,
Sylvia Faye
such a sweet post on so many levels…
This is TRULY GORGEOUS, Mary!!! One of the prettiest Valentine’s tables I’ve ever seen. I love everything about it. I love your Crown Ducal “Bristol” dishes, the beautiful silver flatware, the floral napkins, the white table cover, and those fresh Camellias. The pretty red strawberrries and the meringues filled with chocolate are the crowning touch.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your Sweetheart. :)
Denise
Beautiful romantic table! Love the quilted cloth with the red transfer ware dishes, and the way the multicolored floral napkins add spark to the red and white. The camellias are gorgeous!. And the meringues with chocolate and strawberries look so yummy! Since we don’t have a
World Market here, I will try making them. I love to cook, but I don’t bake much; these look like something I could do. Thanks for the recipe resource. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Hi Mary. Of course I am in love with this post. The camelias are wonderful.
I am so glad you found something at Aldi.
My new pill helps with heart rate and adrenaline. I felt like I was at the end of a workout after doing the least little thing, like setting a table and taking picures. I just kept on going though. Energy level and stamina much better now.
Well, I for one am totally inspired by this sweet tablescape with the lovebirds and the meringue nests. :D That Valentine is such a precious find. I wonder who the lad was who sent it.
I hope you had a lovely weekend! We sent down to New Orleans and dodged tornadoes and flooding rain all the way home. So happy to get home safely!
xo,
RJ
Its all so beautiful Mary. And I am so touched about those old valentines. What a treasure!! Your flowers are gorgeous as always, your tablescape is devine and those meringue nests are adorable. It has put me in the Valentine mood now. And it’s about time since the big day is almost here.
What a treasure to find the old card! I am tempted to try the meringue nests for a dinner party I am hosting since the theme is “spring is in the air” and there will be birds nests. The Bristol china is lovely for your sweetheart table.
Popped over here from BNOTP and so enjoyed all the beauty! My niece has a full set of the same dishes except in Mulberry, found at a garage sale. Love your flatware, too!
I’m visiting for Seasonal Sunday. Your table is beautiful and very romantic. Just perfect for a sweetheart Valentine. I always love your posts and have tried to follow in the past but for some reason it didn’t take so I’m going to try again..Happy Monday..Judy
How beautiful, the valentine, table setting, everything!
Fell in love with the valentines, the dishes, oooh those dishes, the flatware. It’s a lovely post. Hope your Valentine’s was fabulous. xo marlis
Your Bristol Crown Ducal, stemware and silverware are beautiful. What a gorgeous table. I love that you have the Valentine to your MIL’s mother from the early 20s. SO special.
Karen
Beautiful table as always. Pretty food, dishes, linens, a great theme. You do it all so well. I love the floral napkins with the transferware and your camellias are gorgeous. So healthy. Mine did not do well this year. Your card is indeed a treasure!
Camelias and red transferware–gorgeous, Mary!
As usual, absolutley stunning. Your dishes and accessories are gorgeous and that quilt is exquisite. Thanks for joining TTT. Hugs, Marty
You do inspire so many! This is just beautiful Mary! Thank you for joining Home Sweet Home!
Sherry
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by error, while I was browsing on Google for something else, Regardless I
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I love everything in your post, with all of its vintage-y goodness! Your photos are gorgeous as well. Thank you for sharing it all with us.
Such a pretty post! I have some of the darling bird china from TJ Maxx and I love them! Have a great weekend!
XO Barbara
Mary I was looking for this dish pattern for Valentine’s Day. I love, love, love it! I will feature tomorrow at Home Sweet Home.
What a precious treasure to have that fabulous Valentine. So glad she saved that. It definitely would inspire me too. Your table is so lovely with the fresh flowers and the beautiful flatware. That was a bargain indeed. I am going to have to visit our World Market. It is an hour drive but I love to go once in a while. Those nests are perfect and would be a wonderful Valentine’s Day treat.
Love the card and especially since it was your MIL’s Grandmother’s. It’s really cute- love the detail. Those are great dishes and silverware. Love the pictures of the flowers.
An exquisite table: LOVE the transferware dishes, accent pieces and your tablecloth takes my breath away. So very well done! Rosie @ The Magic Hutch
I just wanted to write to say “what a beautiful table! Such lovely pieces!
Beautiful table…love the vintage valentine. That transferware is to die for…
Just lovely and how special to have a family treasure like that. We’re both using red transferware on our Valentine tables this week!
It will be MANY months until I see my camellias. Seeing yours brings hope.
Hope you have a great Valentine’s Day however you choose to celebrate.
– Alma, The Tablescaper
Mary, my camellia has been covered with buds that don’t seem to want to open. Your sweet blooms are lovely! Love the beautiful dishes and the special valentine details. Seeing your meringue nests has me adding a stop at World Market to tomorrow’s errand list. ‘-)
Your vintage valentine is just precious! What an inspiration.
Beautiful! I love vintage Valentines. And what a find with the silver! I am featuring Bristol by Crown Ducal today too at my blog. They came from my grandmother. Love that pattern!
What a lovely story of the precious Valentine! The birdies have come to celebrate your tablescape. Your red Asian Pheasant china is the perfect accompaniment. The flowers add to the white teaware for a lovely centerpiece. Hope you will take a peek of my red and white Valentine’s table for you might enjoy it! Have a great 14th!
Pam
Your table is stunning. The silver is a great find.
oh my goodness Mary, I can’t believe I missed this last week, [I attribute it to a once again snow FREAK out] it is so especially adorable~I know you were thrilled with your treasure of rose covered flatware and the long ago valentines~ I love that you have such a great relationship with your MIL [mine is pretty much a nightmare] and you are a master at placing blooms in a tea cup :) Made my day~
Jenna
Mary, what a charming tablescape! Each detail is truly enchanting, from your Crown Ducal Pink Bristol dishes, gorgeous Victorian Bird Tea Pot & Pitcher, lovely white chargers and colorful napkins, all truly delighful! So happy I found your blog, it’s wonderful.
Nancy
Very pretty…especially the red and white dishes. Lovely!
This has to be in my Top Ten all time favorites.
Very pretty! I hope your beautiful tablescape brightened your day, it sure did mine this morning. It’s lovely, and I love the old valentines card. The camellias are gorgeous! Joining your from Tablescape Thursday.