It’s been a mild winter and things are greening up and blooming early this year. We’ve had weeks of 60 and 70 degree temperatures which inspired me to do some spring cleaning around the Potting Shed.
In my cleaning and organizing, I ran across a pair of plates and platter I found at HomeGoods a couple of years ago and had tucked in a drawer of my grandmother’s pink chest.
I was all aflutter once again when I spied the pretty design on the platter of the flowers, flatware, butterflies, teapot and teacups with the French graphics.
I couldn’t resist taking a break from cleaning and having a little tabletop fun, pulling out teacups, a transferware teapot and butterflies to feather my nest.
Everything here is gathered twig by twig, constructed by theme, rather than concern for matching pieces or sets.
Williamsburg Aviary by Wedgewood is one of my favorite cups with the bird and botanical pattern.
And I’m always on the look out to add a blooming knife or spoon to my garden of vintage flatware pieces when I find one at a consignment store or antique mall for a $1 – $2.
A metal teapot holds transferware teacups with the multicolored blooms of Johnson Brothers Staffordshire Bouquet.
Flatware and hydrangea blooms with butterflies and dragonflies adorn a plate. . .
Bird napkin rings hold napkins with butterflies, flowers and dragonflies.
A dragonfly votive holder holds green twine, ready for tying and training flowering vines.
Birdhouses and a woven rope pocket provide places to roost. . .
And a Grace’s Teaware bird teacup flew in . . .
Along with a bird nest plate.
A transferware pitcher and creamer hold hydrangea blooms. . .
Johnson Brothers Windsor Ware Dover teapot was an antique mall find several years ago.
And a knife with an engraved bird design was picked up at an antique mall.
A favorite urn with birds is ready to be filled with a Chick-fil-A Bouquet.
Nesting Table Details:
Transferware teapot / Johnson Brothers Windsor Ware Dover teapot
Bird teacups, Williamsburg Aviary by Wedgwood and Grace’s Teaware
Metal teapot/ HomeGoods, used here
Teacups in teapot / Johnson Brothers Staffordshire Bouquet
Woven Chargers / World Market, several years ago
Bird Napkin Rings and Jute Runner / Pottery Barn, several years ago
Bird plate / Tim Coffey, Creative Co-op
Napkins / Kohl’s
Flatware / assorted vintage
Engraved knife with bird / Anchor Rogers AA
Salad Plates and Platter, marked with {B} on the back / HomeGoods, several years ago
Dinner Plates / Portmeirion Botanic Garden
Bird urn, retail days
How absolutely beautiful! Your tablescape is like a breathe of Spring! I love your iron tea pot. So unique and gorgeous! Thank you for such a lovely blog post today!
Good morning Mary, our weather has been record breaking this past week calling for 70 today and back to winter on Saturday with snow. I love the metal tea pot such an inspiring piece. I have my grandmothers set of dishes called Belvidere and my great grandmothers dishes “Karsen LE Bavaria” with the number 7613 on each dish. I don’t have much space to store many dishes but these will be passed to my daughter. Truly enjoyed the potting shed today.
That tea pot! How cute it looks filled with tea cups and saucers! Reading this post was like unwrapping one of those old fashioned surprise balls, where you would undo the wrapping and every layer revealed a delightful prize! Wonderful fun today Mary, every photo brings a smile…love love love the way the plate & china patterns are tied in with your accessories and all your brilliant detailed touches-
It IS a dose of spring to read and study the lovely photos of your potting shed. I love everything. Here in Indiana it will. Be in the mid 70s today, but our cooler weather will return by weekend. Thanks for your wonderful blog. It is always a treat!
Wonderful springtime post, Mary. Your presentation, your dialog, and your exquisite eye for design never fail. “Twig by twig …” I think it would be a marvelous experience watching youas your creative mind goes about creating these delightful vignettes of pure charm.
Well, you are the best twig by twig gatherer that I know. LOVE your plates you had forgotten about. The fresh hydrangeas are beauty to behold! I agree with Sarah, your creative mind is amazing and such pleasure for us.
What the previous gals said!! Lovely, inspiring; spring in Southern Indiana can’t get here soon enough. Are your hydrangeas in bloom already? I have daffodil leaves about 3″ high. That constitutes my promise of spring for now.
Love your bird theme. I try to add to my collection of bird nests and bird related items whenever I can.Hope this early spring here in N.C. is here to stay. Just picked a big bouquet of daffodils for my kitchen table and see that my bluebird are busy home shopping! Thank you for your delightful blog.
Love it ALL, especially the bird urn and that metal teapot is pretty cute too! I am itching to get out to my shed and totally pull everything out and reorganize (again) and put most back. ha. We are having unseasonably warm weather this week, but I’m sure it won’t last for long. March usually comes with a snow storm around St. Pat’s day, but we know Spring isn’t too far off. Lovely pictures, ~ soothing for the soul. Thanks Mary.
Spring Fever!❤️🌷☀️🐦
Lovely display and sweet reminder that spring is on its way. We are enjoying a strange interlude of weather in the 40′ s and 50′ s in the upper peninsula of Michigan. It has made lakes of melting snow on sidewalks and roads, but we are all sun drunk with pleasure. Flip flops in February for winter weary residents!
As usual I want it all! Your tablescapes are always inspirational and start a google hunt for me!
Love that teapot and I think I could just live in your shed.
Very very pretty.
How refreshingly Spring-like, Mary!! Sooo pretty with all those sweet birdies & tea things. ♥♥♥
I bet this was especially fun to put together. Cute patterns mixed together, and of course I love the birds, nests, and houses. We are bombing our back porch today, so all the accessories, etc are out of there, and we will have to scrub it down afterward. Will be fun to see what I come up with, Grins, if it doesn’t snow. LOL.
Your creativity is amazing. Such a delight to enjoy!
I’m glad you found those dishes in your grandma’s pink cabinet, Mary, for they certainly inspired you and put a smile on our faces. My heart is aflutter ove the JB teapot and the wedgewood and grace teacups. Of course, I always love seeing your mismatched flatware. Do you have to do a lot of polishing on the pieces? I’m going to be on the lookout for some. Enjoy the rest of your day playing in your beautiful potting shed!
Playing in the Potting Shed fits right in with the beautiful day we are having here in New Mexico. Sun and NO snow on the ground and should be 60. Glorious day and countershape to make Sandy all happy. Yes, I just invented another word “countershape”. Gotta love it.
Mary, I have to confess, I have shed envy. Only you can put it all together and then take these amazing photos.
Thanks for cheering us up today.
Beautiful, love the dishes and the napkin rings!
You have some very cool and unique finds. I want to shop your shed!
Mary, all of your details are stunning. I agree with Rita, I would love to shop your potting shed!
Just beautiful as usual!!!! Makes my day every time you blog!!! Thank you.
It’s always nice to take the time to play Mary:@) While maybe not as warm as you, it’s been pretty mild in Philly too. Of course that has us a little nervous about what March might bring…
Love how you bring out all of the elements in a pattern such as the teapot and the lovely image of the teapot in the plate…You must have so much fun creating these beautiful settings and vignettes in the Potting Shed as it shows in each beautifully creative image … The Potting Shed, a magical place where we can always count on feeling as if we are part of an enchanted story!
This is such a whimsical and charming post! I loved it.
Mary,
Love your posting. Your tablescape is beautiful. It is a bright spot in my life right now. I lost the Love of My Life on February 1st to cancer.
Melodie
Oh Melodie… I’m so sorry for your loss. Thinking of you. ♥
Mary,
Thank you. I’ve had a lot of support from family and friends. I was blessed to have known Rich for 23 years and 20 of those years we were married. He was my best friend.
Melodie
Oh Mary, this is delightful! I wish I could play in your shed, it would be so much fun. Each time you do a scape in here, it is magical. The way you combine dishes and other elements in a theme is inspired, and inspiring!
What a lift!!! Spring fever is setting in…but alas, snow and teens this weekend in our area!!! Oh well, more time to get things in order in the house….the platter with the nest is fabulous!!! Thanks for sharing… ❤❤❤❤❤
Just gorgeous! Your posts are always so creative and artful, they take my breath away!
Vibrant and whimsical, pretty as a song. Your tabletop holds the essence of spring . Love the teacups placed inside the wire teapot; and the silver butter knife is exquisite. The green yarn makes me think of all the vines that are coming to life. We are dropping to 27 degrees Saturday night, and I plan to cover the butterfly bushes, daffodils, and hydrangeas. I hope you escape the cold snap!
That’s beautiful Mary. Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home.
What a treat to see all these pretty things! Don’t you just love it when you find something tucked away (like your plates) in a drawer or a chest . . . something that you might have forgotten about. It’s like finding a new treasure. Pretty pictures!!
I really like the way you pulled the table setting together. I like all the different china patterns together. It looks great.
Since we are still having snow and cold in Wisconsin, your post certainly has me excited for Spring. I fell in love with you bird plates and metal tea pot. Your mixture of tea cups are so charming. I feel like I am bird watching in my back yard but I haven’t even stepped outside. Your nests and eggs convey such hope for warmer weather in Wisconsin. I love to hear the birds sing. Thank you for the beautiful and uplifting post.
Love seeing my old Staffordshire teacup pattern. I collected the whole set from our local supermarket in the early to mid 70’s as young homemaker and let them go at a yard sale. The cups and plates have real character and complement your tablescapes beautifully!