Chewing on Mottahedeh’s Tobacco Leaf

Entertaining
November 3, 2014

Good Morning Lacquered Lifers! Today we’re going to spotlight on one of my favorite china patterns, Tobacco Leaf by Mottahedeh. This pattern has long been a favorite, and while I didn’t register for this pattern, it was definitely in the running. Honestly, I had gotten so excited about my own china patterns over last year, Herend Fish Scale and Meissen Ming Dragon, that I had almost forgotten my love of Tobacco Leaf … until I went to New Orleans this spring. It was in New Orleans that I popped into Leontine Linens, met the wonderful Jane Scott Hodges, and found myself starting right at the Tobacco Leaf pattern atop an extremely chic monogrammed placemat, and layered with an equally chic monogrammed napkin. See photo above. The pattern, which was developed circa 1780, depicts a flowering tobacco leaf, which we all know was of extreme importance to colonial trade. As I said above, my love affair with Mottahedeh’s Tobacco Leaf was rekindled when I visited the Leontine Linens showroom, however, that fire was stoked when I received my copy of Jane Scott Hodges’ Linens for Every Room and Occasion and saw that Tobacco leaf is featured prominently throughout its pages. The best part? Jane Scott has paired Tobacco Leaf with Herend Fish Scale. And it looks fabulous. Uh oh – I see a collecting opportunity here. Tobacco Leaf Rim Soup Bowls here I come.

Photos by Lacquered Life & Via Linens for Every Room and Occasion & Scully & Scully

Mottahedeh Tobacco Leaf is available at Scully & Scully

Turkey Table Time

Entertaining
October 22, 2014

Good Morning Lacquered Lifers! Thinking about my Thanksgiving table this morning and how I would like it to feel this year. The photo above, from LisaMarieBlog, gives a bit of an indication of the casual & homegrown vibe I am going for. I really love the magnolia garland down the center of the table. I think that is something I will definitely be doing. If I could serve Thankgiving dinner outside, that would be amazing. It wouldn’t be totally out of the ordinary to have a beautiful warm day here in Charleston, but you can’t really plan on it. So instead I’ll bring the outside in!

I am planning on using my blue Spode Heritage plates, and I think a little orange (not too much) will be just the ticket.

Here is the flatware that I am thinking about using. This was a total score at Terrace Oak Antiques here in Charleston – it was quite the steal. I have yet to use them because I am so attached to my silver (also a steal), but I think Thanksgiving is the perfect time to bring these babies out! Below are some additional items I have either purchased or am planning on purchasing for the table. I love this Cut Edged Washed Linen Tablecloth from Terrain. While I would love to show off the table’s wood, I have to seat more people than my antique table can take, so I have to put a tabletop on it. I thought this tablecloth might give off just the right relaxed vibe I’m looking for. I love these Rattan Chargers from World Market. At a fraction of the price of other rattan chargers, these are a great buy for Thanksgiving. Also, I think they will help connect the blue and white plates to the more natural look I’m going for. These Tortoise Votives from Ballard Designs are just the right color to nestle amongst my magnolia wreath. Thinking that my hit of orange may need to come from these Mark & Graham Linen Satin Stitch Dinner Napkins. I also would love an excuse to buy some inexpensive monogrammed napkins. I am not usually a fan of napkin rings, but then I used them at Easter and couldn’t have been more pleased. I thought these Oak Branch Napkin Rings from Terrain were quite beautiful – and again they add that connection to nature I’m looking for. And finally a photo of my dining room, to give you a sense of where this is all taking place! I really love my table, and I wish so badly that it were bigger so I could set the table like this, but I think that tablecloth from Terrain might be just the ticket! You can find pictures of my Thanksgiving 2012 table here.

Dinner with Jackie … & Patricia, & Giancarlo, & Cornelia …

Entertaining
October 9, 2014

Good morning Lacquered Lifers! Making plans to do some entertaining at home this weekend? Well then do I have a book for you. Available from Assouline is Dinner Diaries: Reviving the Art of the Hostess Book by Daniel Cappello. Taking you into the homes and the minds of some of today’s best hosts/hostesses, Cappello presents each person with a questionnaire about hosting dinner parties, “what music, what food, what lighting” and they respond to his questions in their own handwriting – which just feels so chic. Below are some of my favorites … In addition to these completed questionnaires, Cappello includes some blank ones for you to fill out yourself, or for you to distribute to some of the great hosts/hostesses in your life, so that you may capture their expertise forever. The book also contains some invaluable tips for both the guest and for the host and hostess. Below are some of my favorites.

Tips for the Guest:

– A good guest arrives ready to interact with other guests. Read the newspaper, a magazine article, or have an interesting story to tell. Avoid talking about yourself.

– When it comes to dinner conversation, make love, not war. Avoid talk of politics, but welcome talk of sex and love.

Tips for the Host & Hostess:

– Dinner is theatre, and as the host or hostess, you are the director.

– As a host, try to toast your guests at some point during dinner. Even a very simple, “We’re so glad to have you all here!” is all it takes.

– A good hostess enjoys her dinner party as much as her guests do.

In addition to tips and questionnaires, Dinner Diaries features a section in the rear which is like a traditional hostess book. The traditional hostess book provided a place to list the menu, seating arrangements, flowers etc. of a particular dinner party so that you could remember what was successful and what wasn’t, what was served, who came – to prevent repetition and encourage creativity. The book provides you with enough space for ten dinner parties, but let’s be honest, after reading Dinner Diaries we are going to be hosting much more often! So once you have filled the pages that Cappello provided in Dinner Diaries, it might be time to invest in a hostess book from Graphic Image.Available in three colors and the ability to be personalized, these Graphic Image Entertaining Books are exactly what you need to record all the fabulous dinner parties that you have hosted. Move over Jackie.

Dinner Diaries: Reviving the Art of the Hostess Book is available through Assouline.