FABBY: Italian Tablescape

 Hi my dear sweet friends!  Here is my Italian tablescape for Let's Dish at Kathleen's and Tablescape Thursday at Susan's.  I will enter more parties too, as I am such a party animal!..hahahaa

 The tablecloth is an Italian antique silk brocade, all embroidered in silk threads, with bows, butterflies and flowers. This beauty was my dear MIL's and we're so lucky to have it to enjoy.

 The dishes I chose for this table are from my Italian Tognana set, which is one of my very favorite. I used my Turkish glass chargers in gold, as I love them with the silk, gold tablecloth.

 The etched-stems comes from an antique set we have from my Mil's also and I always liked to use them for shrimp cocktail. The other stems I chose for this table, to continue with the Italian theme are Bormiolli Rocco, from several years ago.

 The pretty crystal flower vase it's also Italian, from several years ago.

Some of you are asking me if I have used the tablecloth before and I'm so happy to say yes, on two occasions, for formal dinner parties. I washed it once in cold water and it also irons well. My Mil also washed it, I would think, several times even, as she had it for, I don't know how long, as this is an antique.

 The antique brass candle holders were a gift from my Mil and she said they were from a church, originally. I don't know where they're from, but Martine Aleson said they looked "British", not French..which is what I thought, because they have "Fleur de Lys" on the feet.

 I love the center embroidery of the tablecloth...I took this shot from high up so you can appreciate it better.

 The tablecloth also has ribbons and flowers woven throughout.

 Here you can see the butterflies embroidered on it too, along with the flowers.

 The cups for some coffee, or tea after dinner. The putti tray is Capodimonte.

Our dining room set is also Italian style, it has brass angels on the buffet doors and it has marquetry on the table and buffet as well.

 This painting of the lady with our pug, Benito, who died almost two years ago, was made specially for us,seven years ago, by a famous lady artist, Adela Tobar, who likes to paint dames from the fifties and sixties holding dogs. I just couldn't take a good, clear shot, it kept on shining, with or without the flash, oh well... so Ben didn't come out to clear. My daughter Sofia has a beautiful painting of the same artist with a pretty lady with a shitzu dog, so cute! You can see it on her home's post I did a couple of months back.

Here is the center embroidery of the table cloth. The crystal Italian flower vase.

The weekend is getting closer than ever and here I thought I was wishing everyone a great week just yesterday, Tuesday! April is practically over and soon it'll be Christmas, at the rate we're going! Therefore, I hurried on making a table scape with all my Italian goodies, starting from my dining room set, which is Italian style too, with brass angels in the buffet doors, and marquetry. I might add that the brass chandy is also Italian. 


As always, thanks so much in advance for all the wonderful comments you always leave me, my dearest blog friends.. they are sooo very appreciated!

LOVE,
FABBY


Thank you wonderful hostesses for always having me at your fabulous parties!


Table scape Thursday at:  http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com
 Let's Dish at: http://cuisinekathleen.blogspot.com
A It's a Party at:  http://acreativeprincess.blogspot.com
Vintage Thingies Thursday at:  http://coloradolady.blogspot.com
Open House Party at:  http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com
Share Your Cup Thursday at:  http:// haveadailycupfrommrs.olson.blogspot.com
Feather Your Nest Friday at:  http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com
Vintage Inspiration Friday at: http://commonground.blogspot.com
Inspiration Friday at:  http://thepicketfence.blogspot.com 
Feather Nest at:  http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com
Inspiration Friday at:  http://thepicketfence.blogspot.com
Beverly's Pink Saturday at:  http://howsweetthesound.blogspot.com
Seasonal Sunday at:  http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com
Sunday Showcase Party at:  http://underthetableanddreaming.blogspot.com
Thank on these Things at:  http://withagratefulprayerandathankfulheart
Masterpiece Monday at:  http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com
Amaze Me Monday at:  http://dittledattle.blogspot.com
Marty's Table Top Tuesday at:  http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com
Beauty it Monday at:  http://bringingbeauty.blogspot.com
Lady Katherine for Tea Time Tuesday at:  http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com
Tea Cup Tuesday at:  http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com
Trish's Tea Party Tuesday at:  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com
Tea Time Tuesday at:  http://rosechintzcottage.blogspot.com
Tea Time Tuesday at:  http://sandymyyellowdoor.blogspot.com
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at:  http://coastalcharm.blogspot.com
Knick of Time at:  http://knickoftime.blogspot.com
Your Cozy Home Party at:  http://cozyhomescenes.blogspot.com
Tuesday Cuppa Tea at:  http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com

FABBY: I'm Such a Copy-Cat!!

Home made angel food cake with country eggs, which have very yellow yokes, that's how the cake comes out yellow as well.. like this one.

 

 

 

 

   I decided to fix my bedroom today, Sunday.. and in the foot of our bed we have a table where I have layers of decorating magazines of all types!

I spent an entire afternoon looking through them and then an old issue of a decorating magazine showed up and I remembered where I copy-catted our stained glass-sky light for our new kitchen, almost two years ago.  So, this is the third copy-cat thing I've had made in the past and posted, who knows, maybe I'll remember other ones too! Artisans here, in Cuenca-Ecuador, are so skillful that you almost want to copy-cat everything you see in magazines, or Internet, lol...at least I do!!

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 BEFORE: Here is the beautiful window, with the red roses in stained glass on the pages of an old issue of an Old-House INTERIORS magazine,  which I had fallen in love with, many years ago and saved it, just in case!

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 AFTER: Here is our kitchen's sky-light I copy-catted, almost two years ago, when we remodeled our kitchen. If you notice, I did added blue hummingbirds to the beautiful red roses, for an extra touch, as they remind me of our past home where we had so many in the garden..and the magazine designe didn't have...so I guess you might say, more than a copy cat, it was a GREAT inspiration.. lol..

 

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 In the day light the colors look awesome and at night with the lights on underneath the pretty stained glass colours, take up such brightness and we enjoy looking at it so much. I'm also blessed hubby almost always agrees with my decorating ideas...but believe me, when he doesn't, that's it!!

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 This is a new vignette I made today with my hand decorated Delft from Holland pieces in blue and white, my porcelain doggies and a vintage Chinese wooden box from my Mil.  Before I had the big mud Foo Dogs here, along with the silver framed photos of us, which I kept here.

 This beautiful chest is an antique Spanish style piece that belonged to hubby's grandfather. The carvings on it are beautiful.

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Ok, you saw the magazine and our kitchen, stained glass-sky light, for you all to compare.

Thank you my friends for your wonderful and generous visits, they're very appreciated.

Thank you gracious hostesses for having me once more.

LOVE,
FABBY 

Sunday Showcase Party at, Under the Table and Dreaming
On the Menu Monday at, Stone Gable 
Mix it Up Monday at, Flour Me with Love
Metamorphosis Monday at, Between Naps on the Porch
Masterpiece Monday at, Boogie Board Cottage
Amaze Me Monday at, Dittle Dattle
 Show Off Your Cottage Monday at, The House in the Roses
Blue Monday at Smiling Sally
Mod Mix Monday at, Mod Vintage Life
Beautify It Monday at, Bringing Beauty
Marty's Table Top Tuesday at, A Stroll Thru Life
You're Gonna Love it Tuesday at, Kathe with an E
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at, Coastal Charm
Knick of Time Tuesday at, Knick of Time
Your Cozy Home Party at, Cozy Home Scenes
Riverton Housewives Round Up at, The Real Housewives of Riverton
Magazine Copy Cat Challenge at, Debbiedoo's

FABBY: Earth Day Tablescape

 I decided that I should use my country Spanish dishes for this "first" Earth Tablescape for LET'S DISH at Cuisine Kathleen's great and fun party.  See ya'll there!

 The "Zebra-Cow" and the whimsy looking "Corn" with different color kernels and even some in gold!  These sculptures were made at our Former Ceramic Co., but designed by famous Ecuadorian artist, Gonzalo Endara Crow. He also used to make these sculptures, gigantic, for parks and malls. He used to paint a "Magical Realism"...hence, the zebra-cow and corn and many incredible sculptures he created. I used them to represent the earth's crops and the animals.

 I found the globes at my daughters' rooms and so I worked around them...I wrote about them at the end of the pics..and I will give them to my granddaughters next time. Here is another angle of the cow, she also has hooves, horns and teats in gold..lol

 The globes are so cute on top of the champagne flutes.. and I'm so glad I remember them and found them!

 This strange looking fern is so interesting. Here they call it; "hand-fern", because it resembles long hands with long fingers.

 The Corn ear on a platter with all the terrific color kernels, plus gold ones too, by Ecuadorian Artist, Gonzalo Endara Crow. You can look him up, he's paintings went for $20,000 and more, depending on the size. We inherited a medium size one from my Mil and I love it so. The artist died in the late 90's with cancer...at around 55 years old.

I shopped home and found these cute leaves, napkin rings.

 The Zebra-Cow.

 I found on a drawer four of these pretty silver leaves, so I thought they'd be just perfect for my Earth Day Table scape.

 Another shape of a leaf.

Another leaf.

     I wasn't going to make an Earth Day table scape, first of all because I've never made one before and also cause I just didn't know where to begin... and then all of a sudden it dawned on me that my daughters had some small world-globes laying around some where in their "youth" rooms..and sure enough I FOUND them!  Therefore, around these three world-globes I started my table scape specially for LET'S DISH at Cuisine Kathleen, as this was the theme she chose for this week's party.  So..here you have it, not as great as some of yours, but I made it!

I also would love to point out that in our town, here in Cuenca-Ecuador, we've been RECYCLING since more than ten years ago!

As always, thank you so much for your generous and lovely comments you always leave me.  Of course, many, many thanks to the wonderful hostesses and terrific parties I will be joining.  Starting at Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen.

Table scape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch
It's a Party at A Creative Princess
Open House Party at No Minimalist Party
Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady
Feather Your Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Picket Fence
Potpourri Friday at A Potpourri Life 
Share Your Creations Party at Kirsten's Creations
Berverly's Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Say G'day Saturday Party at Natasha in Oz.
Think on these Things at A Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart
Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper
Over Flowing with Creativity at It's Overflowing 
Addicts (not so) Anonymous Linky Party at Addicted to Decorating
Masterpiece Monday at Boogie Board Cottage
Blue Monday at Smyling Sally
Show Off your Cottage Monday at The House In the Roses
Amaze Me Monday at Dittle Dattle
Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes
Beautify it Monday at Bringing Beauty
Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life




 

Fabby:Antique French end-tables & TITANIC Tea Homage

     Our daughter Sofia, who was here two and a half weeks ago, to pick up our granddaughters to take them back home has INSPIRED ME, (like I need much inspiration!) to change my living room end tables. She thought maybe more of an antique, ornate look would be more appropriate and of course, I obeyed my child right away!!...heheheee..

Than I headed straight to the European Antique Shop and of course, saw just the perfect vintage French end tables. Hope you like them too!

 BEFORE:  The end tables you see in each end of the couches is what we had and were an 'Ethan Allen' look, which I'm sending my daughter Alexandra as night tables.

AFTER:  Here is the first end table I saw and it's an antique, French marquetry, marble top bombè, Louis XVI table with drawers, also with lovely engraved ornate brass pulls. I was smitten with her immediately! The Chinese lamp is also an antique, as it was one of my Mil's presents for her wedding, 71 years ago.

 The second beauty is this one and I fell in love with her too.  She also has a marble top, bombè shaped, Louis XVI like the first one, with drawers and brass pulls and feet. SO! I just hop them up my car and took them home to live with us...needless to say, hubby loved them too!...anyway, I'm glad he did, as they were going to stay home for sure!!

 Isn't she just gorgeous! Look at all the brass insets.

The other beauty..love her chubby look and brass pulls and feet.. so cute.

 I also loved this bronze antique French, Art Nouveau figurine of a boy from early 20th. century. I can't make up what it says, but there's a signature and it also says, bronze-Paris. The couple of dogs are antique French too from way back. The plate is hand made in Chelsey Pottery, England. Alejandro has two, since he lived in England when he was single in the early 70's. The beautiful ormolu in the center is hand decorated, Delft Imari from Holland.

 I also bought this antique French jockey boy with the same mark as the other. I thought of Alison from The Polo House when I saw him.

 This is how they look from the front. Yeah, you can't see much of the one to your right.. all at once, but when you're there, you can, as the couches are too close to each other.

 BEFORE:  You can see the green moire chair at your left, well...our pug dog Ben, who died almost two years ago, when he was a puppy, made so many accidents on that chair's back!... although I had it professionally cleaned, the stains NEVER came off completely, so I didn't like it anymore, therefore, this chair has a new look too!

 AFTER:  Here she is looking great with a new upholstery in green, yellow and gold checks, which matched great with the fringes it already had. The throw pillow is English brocade.

 My small homage to the 100th. year of the sinking of the mighty Ship The Titanic, I had some English fruit tea on my birthday month, Royal Albert, October teacup. The oval plate is Minton, bone china from England and it holds a couple of coconut macaroons and some cheese sticks I love.

The burned-orange marble coffee table was made to order, here in Ecuador, which I copy-catted it from an Architecture Digest of
Interior Design magazine from the Paris apartment of French writer Francoise Sagan. I did a post last year about it.

 I didn't invite hubby cause he prefers coffee and he drinks tea when he's sick, like he was last week.  Thank goodness he's well again!

Last Monday I just headed for the European Antique stores, (there are two stores)as they had just received a few containers with, as always, beautiful European antique furniture and lovely antiques and vintage decorating elements. I started to browse around and found the two "French marquetry-marble top bombe, Louis XVI table, with drawers and with engraved and ornate brass pulls" I shared with you on this post.  Again, I took pics of them with my cel-phone to show dear Mr. Living, who had a cold in bed and said: "if you like them, get them!"  So I obeyed my husband immediately!!


Hope you liked them too!

Thanking you sweet ladies for your wonderful, lovely and generous visits, and they are very appreciated!

LOVE,
FABBY

I will be linking to some great parties and I also want to thank the wonderful hostesses that invite us every week. Hope to see you there!

Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming
Sarah's Homemaking Link Up Weekend at Blogging While Waiting
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Masterpiece Monday at Boogie Board Cottage 
Amaze me Monday at Dittle Dattle
Show Off your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses
Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes
Beautify it Monday at Bringing Beauty
Monday French Obsession at link Party at, Le Chàteu des Fleurs by Frenchy
Tea Time Tuesday for a TITANIC Homage, at Rose Chintz Cottage
Table Top Tuesday at Marty's, A Stroll Thru Life 
Knick of Time Tuesday at Knick of Time 
Tuesday Cuppa Tea at Antique and Teacups
Trish's Tea Party Tuesday at Sweetology 101
Tea Time Tuesday at Sandi my Yellow Door
Tuesday Tea Time at The Plumed Pen
Tea Cup Tuesday at Time was Antiques Family
Victoria-A Return to Loveliness at Martha's Favorites
Lady Katherine for Tea Time Tuesday at Lady Katherine Tea Parlor
Friends Sharing Tea at Berneedin's Tea Time Blog
Riverton Housewives Round Up at The Real Housewives of Riverton

Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants
Bunny Hop Party at Bunny Jean Decor and More
White Wednesday at Faded Charm


 

FABBY: English Chicken Pot Pie

  Hi lovely friends, how are ya? Another weekend of April is coming soon...wow, where is 2012 flying to??

 Although this picture came out dark, I kind of liked the window view from the breakfast table window.

 Now it's clear. Here is the Cream of Veggies, very healthy and light too. Our alabaster breakfast table.

 I used my dinner plate with an orange rim I have; as chargers, because the dinner plate on this vintage dishes are quite small, almost like a salad plate and it's here, under the soup bowl. The small bowls are for the dessert...natural yogurt, fresh fruit, coconut, walnuts and many other ingredients.

 The Calla and star lilies I have them since last Good Friday...I posted a small tablescape for two and the lilies are still blooming.

Place setting with soup bowl.

 Here are the individual Chicken Pot Pies, they came out really delish, but then, they always do, the English recipe from my good friend is really terrific! "Look for the recipes at the end of this post."

 The individual pies were made on pretty bowls made at, or our past ceramic co. Without the pie on them, they have pretty roses decorated inside them, lol..

The English pie setting.

Mother comes every Wednesday to have lunch with Alejandro and me and I must add that Ecuadorians' custom is to eat a hardier lunch, than they do dinner, therefore, I decided to make a very healthy and really light Cream of Veggies that my mom loves, as the antrè. As main course I cooked a wonderful Chicken Pie, that the recipe was given to me by an English girl that was married to a friend of "MR. LIVING", in the late 70's. I always remember her when I make her chicken pie and this time I made individual pies for the three of us. Sadly, cancer took Jeanette's life more than fifteen years ago.  For dessert I served Plain yogurt with fresh fruit, coconut and walnuts, it's great, easy and perfect for a luncheon.

ENGLISH CHICKEN PIE 

For the dough:

In your food processor put the following ingredients:  2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup margarine, 1 egg, 1 tsp. salt, 3-4 Tb. spoons cream and process til it forms a ball...if it's to dry you can add 1 Tb. cream more. Take it out and roll half of it to form whatever shape of greased pan you want to use...individual ones, like I did, or one pie plate. Sometimes the dough breaks, just mend it with some rolled dough.  Use the other half of the dough to cover a big pie plate or small ones.


For the chicken filling:


Cook a big chicken breast, or two small ones. When they are done, reserve the chicken and with 2 cups of the chicken broth make a French sauce, or Bechamel, already with, salt, pepper, garlic powder, (or fresh-mashed garlic) a dash of nutmeg and just add like a 1/4 cup milk, that's all. If it looks to dry add some more broth. Set aside.
Meanwhile, have cooked some mixed veggies that come in the frozen bags. Some can mushroom buttons, some cooked cubed onions, or leek rings, I like the latter cause they're more elegant. Mix it all with the Bechamel sauce and add 2 Tablespoons of sherry, or white wine, if you have. Lower the flame and mix it all well. Now add cubes of the cooked chicken you reserved and mix well.  Fill the prepared pie plate with this mixture, or individual ones as I did.  Roll the other half of the dough to cover top of the pie plate, or the small ones, like in my pics.  Bake in hot oven at 350F for around 35-40 min., check your oven.


CREAM OF VEGETABLES

This is easy and goes as follows:  Use veggies that you like, it doesn't matter.  Like cooked carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchinis, celery, red and green peppers, spinach, etc.
In a deep soup pot put 2 Tablespoons cooking oil, or olive oil and 1 med.cubed onion, saute. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and cumin...if you like it.  Add broth, water with chicken or a meat bouillon cube and cook, than mix all your cooked veggies. Once it's all done, take it to your blender or Cuisinart and blend it all until it resembles a cream soup, add a 1/2 cup of half and half, or plain milk like I do...(less fattening). This is it. You can serve it with, a poached egg inside like my Mil used to and we love, bread cubes, or nothing. 


 Thank you lovely and sweet friends for your wonderful visits, they are always sooo very appreciated!


Thank you lovely and gracious hostesses for having me at your terrific and fun parties.


Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch
It's a Party at A Creative Princess
Open House Party at No minimalist Here
Delightfully Inspiring Thursdays at The French Cupboard
Share your Cup Thursday at Have a Daily Cup from Mrs. Olson 
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Inspiration Friday at The Picket Fence
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum 
Shine on Fridays at One Artsy Mama 
Beverly's Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Adicts (not so) Anonymous at Addicted to Decorating
Chari's Sunday Favorites at Happy to Design
Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper
Over Flowing with Creativity at It's Overflowing
On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable
Mix It Up Monday at Flour Me with Love
Masterpiece Monday at Boogie BoardCottage
Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes
Beautify it Monday at Bringing Beauty
Show Off your Cottage at The House in the Roses