Where Do You Keep It All?, 2013

"First things first...We are truly blessed to have the means to set a pretty table and invite our friends to join us for good food and fellowship. I am mindful that many are not so fortunate. My daughter has a passion for the work of the Food Bank. As a singer-songwriter, she has written and recorded a song that is the anthem for the world wide Crop Hunger Walk project. Her song, "Raise Your Voice" is featured in their video. I've included a link in the side margin of my blog. I hope that it will encourage you to support projects in your community that contribute to the effort to overcome hunger.

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Each year, The Tablescaper poses the question "Where Do You Keep It All? This time I have something new to add to the mix. Last Fall, Sweet Mister announced that he needed another closet for his out of season clothing. He observed that I had every extra closet in the house filled with dishes, crystal, and accessories. He was correct. He thought that he would have a carpenter come build a cedar closet for him in the third garage/storage room. I suggested that he could indeed do that....orrrrr....I could make a clothing rod available for him in one of the guest rooms, and he could have his carpenter turn the third garage/storage room into a china room for me. Oh my gosh....he did it!!! It took several months to complete; Sweet Mister designed the whole thing with the carpenter. I'm still deciding which of our patterns I want to keep in the china room, and I am thrilled with his generous gift. This week, I want to share the China Room with you...Come on in...

An assortment of tureens and bowls sit atop the cabinets on the right side of the room. Some day I plan to replace those ugly light strips with a couple of chandeliers.

Cake pedestals plus some additional tureens live on top of the cabinets that run down the left side of the room.

This oddly shaped table is really my slab roller that I use when I work in clay. It's always been in this room, and I really didn't have any place else to locate it....and I didn't want to get rid of it. I covered it with a large canvas tablecloth/drop cloth, and I placed sliders under each leg. If I ever want to pull it out for clay work...easy peasy. It's become a staging area when I move things in and out of the china room to the house.

A humble Rubber Maid cart has quickly become my new best friend. Once loaded, it takes but a few moments to transport my china for luncheons and parties to the kitchen door. Now let's take a look inside the cabinets...Yes, it's all color coded...

The whites and creams...

Each section of cabinets has three upper and three lower shelves...

Middle shelf, left to right: Ovington Brothers accent plate; Wedgwood Queens Plain; Royal Crown Sutherland, unknown pattern name; and Castleton Regal. Lower Shelf: Wedgwood Countryware; Cherry motif glass accent plate; Reticulated B&B plate; Haviland plain white luncheon plate; and Wedgwood Majolica Cream Leaf plate. (I displayed as many of the patterns as I could.)

Upper shelf: Royal Doulton RD199 Luncheon plate. Middle shelf: Copeland Spode Jewel; Pottery Barn Enamelware plate; Coalport Kingsware Lady Diana. Lower shelf: Maryland China Company Minuet charger plate.

The pinks and reds are next...

Upper shelf: Coalport Exotic Bird Z3137 luncheon plate; and Royal Doulton Lowestoft. Middle shelf: Schumann Dresden Empress Flowers; Copeland Spode Irene; and Royal Crown Derby Olde Avesbury. Lower shelf: Royal Doulton Old Chelsea; Coalport Old Coalport; and Copeland Spode Red Aster.

Upper shelf: Royal Worchester Regency. Middle shelf: Copeland Spode Mayflower; and Haviland luncheon plate. Lower shelf: Copeland Spode Luneville; and Coalport Sevres Group.

My wonderful blues...

Upper shelf: Minton Cobalt and Gold; Castleton Old Empire Blue; Coalport Spearpoint; and Minton Consort. Middle shelf: Copeland Spode Peacock luncheon plate; Ridgways Lynton; Wedgwood Albion; and Copeland Spode Ermine. Lower Shelf: Coalport Kingsware Blue Calico luncheon plate; Meissen Blue Onion; Haviland Meadow Visitors; Wedgwood English Countryside; and Copeland Spode Wildflowers.

Upper shelf: Spode Blue Room Warwick Vase; and Aynsley Delphine. Second shelf: Haviland Rani; Haviland Saxon Flowers; and Haviland unnamed luncheon plate. Third shelf: Royal Staffordshire Louis XV!; and Spode Blue Room Byron Group. Lower shelf: Spode Blue Room Portland Vase.

The greens and orientals...

Upper shelf: Wedgwood Napoleon Ivy; Antique Rose Famille; and Jadeite Alice. Middle shelf: Bernardaud Artois; and Wedgwood Majolica Green Ivy plate. Lower shelf: Bordallo Pinheiro Leaf plates; Arita Imari Fan; Coalport Cathay; and Coalport Exotic Bird Green Z3137.

Upper shelf: Royal Crown Derby Old Imari; Mottahedeh Sacred Butterfly; and Coalport Corean Temple. Middle shelf: Coalport Chinese Willow; and MacKenzie Childs Courtly Check Charger plates.

And the browns, golds, and charger plates

Upper shelf: Luneville Louis XV Honey; and Copeland Spode Delamere. Middle shelf: Alfred Meakin Fair Winds; and Staffordshire Heritage Hall. Lower shelf: Coalport Athlone Brown; and Royal Doulton The Beaufort. The charger plates were too large to display vertically.

The lower bank of cabinets hold open drawers which house...

Assorted bowls...

...placemats...

...and napkins...And finally...

I ended up with the cedar closets. These are the tablecloths for the formal dining table. They were moved to give Sweet Mister the closet that he wanted in the house for his out of season clothes. Thank you, Sweet Mister! I can hardly wait to see where you 'Keep It All"! I'm always looking for new and better storage and organizational inspirations.

Wednesday is the 64th edition of Cuisine Kathleen's meme, "Let's Dish". I'm excited to be a charter member. Pop over (pun intended for the Chef Supreme Kathleen) and join the fun!

Lots of great ideas to be gathered when you visit Yvonne at Stone Gable for Tutorials, Tips, & Tidbits. Don't waste another moment...hurry on over!

Thank you, yet again, to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting her magical meme, "Tablescape Thursday." Hop on over and check out the myriad of marvelous tablescape designs, after 10:00 AM on Thursdays. You'll be glad that you made the trip...it's a wonderful adventure.

June is here, and the Tablescaper has invited us to join her for "Where Do You Keep It All?. I'm always a bit surprised when I participate in this one. I could only trust this to a group of fellow dishalolics. How about you? With thankfulness for her dedication and efforts, I'm joining the multi-talented Tablescaper for her fabulous meme Seasonal Sunday. Hope to see you there!

You can check out KC's music at www.kcclifford.com, on iTunes, and on YouTube. I hope that you'll take a few minutes and give her a listen. You'll also enjoy reading back through her blog on this site. The girl can really write! Her latest CD is called "The Tag Hollow Sessions"" It is available on iTunes or through her website. I hope that you'll give her music a chance. I know that I have zero objectivity where she is concerned, but I think that you'll fall in love with her music and her!