table settings & table stylings

Share Your Style #345

May 11, 2022May 11, 2022 French Ethereal

Welcome to this week’s Share Your Style #345! Happy Wednesday to y’all, dear friends!!

This link party is for home decor, DIY, crafts, recipes and the like, but you are more than welcome to share any of your family-friendly posts with us all. Please feel free to share this post too and join my small but loyal band of friends. I appreciate you! I appreciate your subscribing, also. As always, I am glad that you are here… 💜

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

Welcome to another Wednesday Share Your Style, friends!!! I apologize for getting the party up late this evening. I have no excuse other than I got five hours of sleep and it’s the end of the school year. No posts for me with the heavy work outdoors schedule but I will be back writing and sharing what’s new here soon!

I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day either for yourself or celebrating with the significant women in your lives. My daugher sent a Tiff’s Treats box of chocolate chip cookies and another of truffles. They are getting eaten sparingly!

Later on Mother’s Day, I was out planting again in the 90 degree heat and thankfully there was a great breeze. The soil is well roto-tilled and now it is just a matter of just digging holes, fertilizing and getting plants in the ground. It was pleasantly comfortable outside, even if hot. All of the plants are doing well with water every morning or every other day, depending. Trying this new strategy this year. A post with the south fence all planted will be coming soon!

Well, this week’s party is all about patriotic crafts, tablescapes and some travel ideas for summer holidays!

Let’s get to the party, shall we?

And here are this week’s featured posts…

DIY 4th of July Wreath — First up is this fun Patriotic Decor DIY American Clothspin Wreath by **Kippi at Home**. So easy and fun to do with the kids!!!

**Jeanie from The Marmelade Gypsy** shared My New Neighbor in this sweet birdwatching post. Wonderful news for spring!!

Cheddar, Chive And Ham Muffins: How To Make — **Claire Justine** shares how to make these delicious muffins for any soirée ~ Cheddar, Chive and Ham Muffins. Yum!!!

**MaryJo from Master “Pieces” of My Life** shared this fun tablescape from her post ~
Breakfast at Tiffany’s. So pretty and perfect for any occasion!!

Another beautiful tablescape to copy comes from **Lori from Dining Delight** in her beautiful post ~ Mother’s Day Tablescape in Spring Colours. Just lovely!!

**Debra from Common Ground** shares this lovely door basket in her patriotic post ~
Easy Patriotic Decor with Vintage Flags. Love it!!!

**Debra** also shared this lovely post using her gorgeous tableware ~
Lilac Basket with French Faience ~ our double header this evening!

The Strong Museum of Play, Shelbee on the Edge — **Shelbee from Shelbee on the Edge** brings us a fun travel idea post ~
The Happiest Place on Earth and Link Up #293. Do stop by and check out where they went!!! Love this!!!

colle san Pietro potsandplanes.com — Last up this week is a trip to Verona, Italy’s City of Love… with **Mary from Pots and Planes.** Ooooohhhhhh!!! Look at that gorgeously clear water!!!

Thank You so much to everyone who linked up this past week. A special thank you to everyone for always promoting Share Your Style on your blog and on your social media channels! I do see it when I stop by and I appreciate the love. 💜

If you’d like to follow my Share Your Style board on Pinterest I’d appreciate it, thank you! I do post all of the featured posts from each week’s SYS there. 💜 Thanks so much!!!

Happy linking,

Barb 🙂

Home Decor, Pinterest Challenge, Tablescapes

An Ethereal Springtime Basket in Whites and Silver

April 26, 2022April 26, 2022 French Ethereal

Hello, dear friends! Springtime baskets are on the menu for you in this month’s Pinterest Challenge. Thank you to Cindy from County Road 407 for hosting this hop and for giving us this basket challenge!

If you are stopping by from Michelle of Thistle Key Lane for the first time, welcome! Didn’t you just love what Michelle has created with her basket? Sooooo pretty!!

Well, our inspiration photograph this month comes from Emily at Le Cultivateur. I love her style and this centerpiece is just up my alley!

Love all the greenery with the whites and silver ~ which is what I picked up on!

When I first went over to view Emily’s post, I saw her Easter centerpiece version of this basket with it’s large white rabbit and it is still perfect (to me, anyway) for an after-Easter springtime table topper!

Here is the photograph I decided to copy:

This tableau just says, “Spring has sprung!”

What I loved about this basket

Whites everywhere! ~ a large white basket to hold spring plants, a large white rabbit with his adorable lace bow, the painted white raised board. A rumpled, white dresser scarf with lace around its edges added its softness.
Silver ~ I love silver candlesticks and they add just that touch of elegance!
Greenery ~ inside the large basket, live plants are nestled together with a grapevine hoop added as a “basket handle.”

What I put in my ethereal springtime basket

Whites ~ I looked at my handled baskets but they were too small, so I went with this whitewashed flat tobacco basket as my “board” and basket. I tried it with a white wood cake plate but it didn’t look right, so I just added my newer Lowe’s stone rabbit, a white paper mâché rabbit, a small white plant pot, white inside a clear tealight holder, plus a white birdhouse.
Silver ~ copying our inspiration, I chose two silver mercury glass candlesticks plus one white metal one to hold softly pink tapers. Depending upon the lighting, each of the rabbits and the basket take on a silvery glow.
Greenery ~ This lavender-pink amaryllis stalk is the first to bloom in our northern sideyard and was my inspiration for this laying out the table in month’s challenge! It’s simple beauty paired with a faux paperwhite in a white plant pot bring in some of the greenery from our inspiration piece.
Table runner lace ~ I have dresser scarves but would have had to wash the one from our bedroom, so I looked in my linen closet and found this sweet, tatted window curtain to use on my table instead! I love its French Country farmhouse look and the rumpling on either end adds just the right look to this tableau.

Not having any Spanish moss to add to my basket, I added a garden saucer with moss balls I made last year paired with a couple of woven grass balls. This helped bring in more greenery to my table’s look.

I love the simplicity of this basket centerpiece and for me it is simple, ethereal elegance! If you are looking for something to decorate your table for Mother’s Day, just replace the rabbits with a bowl of garden roses or other flowers. That will give you more greenery and less of an Easter look.

Now let’s see what Carol of Bluesky at Home has created for you…

And please do stop by my other friends on today’s Pinterest Challenge tour!

Happy springtime,

Barb 🙂

Home Decor, Share Your Style, Tablescapes

Share Your Style #338

March 9, 2022March 23, 2022 French Ethereal

Welcome to this week’s Share Your Style #338! Happy Wednesday to y’all, dear friends!!

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

Happy almost spring to you! (Even if the cool temps outside say otherwise…) Sorry I am late getting SYS up again. I came home, laid down and promptly fell asleep for 1 1/2 hours. This past weekend was really busy helping unload Mr. Ethereal’s mom’s storage units and moving all those items and boxes into her house and garage. She is really happy with her new home but for now is still living with us while she “sets up shop.”

So needless to say, I didn’t get any posts done this past week but next week is spring vacation/Easter break so I’ll be back at it. Thanks for sticking around while I haven’t been up to much!

Speaking of Easter… this week’s Share Your Style is full of fun Easter ideas as well as St. Patrick’s Day ideas as well!

Also, in case you hadn’t heard, as I hadn’t until just a few days ago, I wanted to let you know two home decor bloggers you may know recently passed away: Paula from Virginia Sweet Pea and Michelle from The Unpainted Hinge. Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers, won’t you? I’ve blogged with them for many years, as many of you have, and I hope you will stop by their blogs and enjoy their beautiful writings and photography in memory… 💜

Let’s check out this week’s featured posts, shall we?…

And here are this week’s featured posts…

**Lois from Walking on Sunshine** shared her recipe for
Traditional Easter Bread. Sweet with the nested egg!

Things To Do In The Smoky Mountains In March — Planning a little holiday for spring break? Check out this post ~
Things to Do in the Month of March in the Smoky Mountains ~ by
**Amanda from Veravise Outdoor Living**. Yeeeesssssssss!!!!!

shamrock rice krispies treats recipe for st. patricks day — **Jody from Premeditated Leftovers** brings us a bit o’ the green in her post ~ Shamrock Rice Krispie Treats. Yummy!!!

visiting national parks in april — Along those same lines, newcomers **Dave and Jamie from Photojeepers** shared their post for Visiting National Parks in April. I really need to get out there, how about you??
Welcome, Dave and Jamie!! 🙂

**Lisa from Fresh Vintage by Lisa** shared this fun idea for spring ~
Thrifted Potato Masher Turned Recipe Holder. Great repurpose!!!

Kindle-Annalee-leprechaun-figures-trio — **Debbee from Debbee’s Buzz** shared this cute post with these fun leprechauns ~ Traveling Irish Shamrock Cloth Tablescape.
Top o’ the morning to ya!

**Debra from Common Ground** brings us her beautiful entryway table in this post Welcoming Easter Entry with Paperwhites. Lovely!

Macadamia And Raspberry Goldies: How To Make — **Claire Justine** shared this yummy post ~ How to Make Macadamia and Raspberry Goldies. More yumminess!

**Amber from Follow the Yellow Brick Home** brings a bit of spring green in her post
Vintage-Traditional English Country Early Spring Entryway. Sigh…

Our Fountain of Youth cocktail
How to Host a Couples Cocktail Contest Party — And we would be remiss if I didn’t add a life of the party post ~ **Niky from The House on Silverado** shared How to Host a Couples Cocktail Contest Party.

And lastly, a bit of ooh la la for spring ~ **Lynne from Thrifting Wonderland** shared her lovely A Little Bit of France Tablescape.

Here’s to a lovely party!

Barb 🙂

Home Decor, Share Your Style, Tablescapes

Share Your Style #337

March 2, 2022March 2, 2022 French Ethereal

Welcome to this week’s Share Your Style #337! Happy Wednesday to y’all, dear friends!!

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

Welcome, everybody! Some of you may already know this, but mother-in-law found a house a week ago. Since it was a cash offer, she literally closed on the property a week later, which was this Monday! (yeah!!!) She is really happy that she found a home she can love and has been busy updating her address, getting her Texas driver’s license and new car tags. A great week!

This coming weekend we will begin helping her get her things moved out of storage and into her new home. Should be a busy weekend. 😉

Again, I know I wrote about missing last week’s SYS in my post on Sunday, but again I would like to apologize for missing due to exhaustion from work. This is a better week and this students are behaving better.

This week we have a smattering of really pretty features: tablescapes, recipes, home decor, furniture updates and bits of porcelain…

So let’s get to this week’s features, shall we?

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***

Sunday Sentiments: Planting Roses and Late Winter Garden Clean-up

And here are this week’s featured posts…

Let’s begin this party with an entry from **Debra of Common Ground** and her post about Using Vintage Chairs for Decorating. Love this slip!!!

**Lynne from Thrifting Wonderland** shared a Flower and Herb Table Setting. Lovely!!!

**Lynne** also shared this adorable doll’s bed in this post ~ An Unusual Treasure from the Thrift Store. So cute!!!

**Penny from Penny’s Treasures** brings us her sunny sunroom with a fun
Bed & Breakfast Theme on the Water Trough Buffet. Really fun idea!!

**Paula from Virginia Sweet Pea** shared her family’s recipe for
Hot Virginia Dip ~ I’m sure it was out for Super Bowl this year!!!

candy St. Patrick's Day board — **Carol of Bluesky at Home** shared this fun post for the wearin’ of the green ~
21 Great St. Patrick’s Day Party Ideas. Top o’ the morning to ya!

**Maya from Little Treasures** shared this sweet crochet Valentine’s idea
(but really, who doesn’t love hearts all year long??) ~ Happy Valentine’s Day!

Vintage French Porcelain Figural Lamp Vintage German Porcelain couple figural lamp — **Amber from Follow the Yellow Brick Home** shared her beautiful thrifted finds in this post (as a follow-up to Debra’s from last time!) ~ Vintage French & German Porcelain Figural Couple Lamps. Trés belle!

Regency High Tea - My little old world © — **Daniella (Dani) from Sweetly Dreaming of the Past** shared this wonderful post about
Regency Dessert Recipes for Your Tea. Perfect for all of us Jane Austen-ites!!!

And also this one (a tug after my own heart!) as **Dani** shares her orangerie ~ Sheltered for Winter.

A Beginners Guide to Chair Upholstery-French Linen Vanity and French Country Chair-The Crowned Goat — Last up for this week is this post about A Beginner’s Guide to Chair Upholstery by **Coco from The Crowned Goat.** With a visit to her parent’s home, Loblolly Manor. Fun!!!

Enjoy the party!

Barb 🙂

Tablescapes

A Valentine’s Tea Table Set for Two + Impromptu Link Party Blog Hop

February 4, 2022February 4, 2022 French Ethereal

Happy almost Valentine’s Day to you all! Today we have a Valentine’s table set for tea. This post is inspired by all the pretty tablescapes shared in posts across the internet this week…

Bringing out my favorite Limoges dessert plates paired with newer teacups and teapot.

Getting ready for summer travel

As I was ironing this sweetheart tablecloth and napkins I’d sewed a few years ago, I thought about what I’d like to decorate this tablescape. My daughter and I are still planning on going to France this summer for my niece’s wedding. Inspired by that thought: I brought out this small trunk with its Eiffel Tower and roses, my favorite chalkware maiden (an antique find written about in this post), and a clear glass pedestal cake plate given to us as a wedding present.

Inspiration also came from this week’s Share Your Style #334 with a couple of inked posts by Lynne from Thrifting Wonderland who joined a group of bloggers hosted by Rita from Panoply (your post might be in this blog party, too!).

I am not part of this blog hop but thought you might like to visit and enjoy some pretty tablescapes over these wintery days!

So all these lovely tables and home decor were my inspiration…

Travel inspiration abounds with items displayed with ties to France (the original bust created by Grinam Niam, English and French tableware and trunk.

Sew your own table linens

Do you create your own table linens? Or do you enjoy the hunt for linens while out looking through thrift shops and home decor stores? I’ve had good luck with both but for this tabletop display I wanted to use my homemade pretties…

This 45″ red tablecloth fabric was found online at Joanne Fabrics several years ago. The napkins I made a few years before while we were still in our Big House in Murrieta, California.

How to Make Your Own Valentine’s Table Linens

Square and rectangular linens are really easy to make out of straight-off-the-bolt fabric and all it requires is a sewing machine and thread, the fabric itself and an iron!

I’ve linked to the instructions here above in case you are new to sewing and would like to whip some table linens up for your Valentine’s table this year.

I’ve set the table for two for an early Valentine’s tea. It’s just my mother-in-law Gini and I here at home this week. Mr. Ethereal is away on business and will be staying in Georgia with the Artic storms hitting all over the South and Mid-West.

We shared an afternoon of cake and conversation over a few cups of tea…

Usually we are over in the family room plunked down on the red L-shaped sofa “taking tea” while watching YouTube or movies in the evening, so this was a nice change!

The snow was bright outdoors with snowbirds in from the North ~ visiting black-capped chickadees, local sparrows and mourning doves ~ and our resident squirrels.

Taken earlier in the morning… You can see plants covered over against the freezing rain. I scattered seeds several times yesterday for hungry feathered and furry friends.

A pair of blackbirds came by in the late afternoon and I caught one on film. He was wondering what I was doing…

An unexpected day off from work is a nice and welcome change of pace! I love teaching our students but it is nice to just be able to be at home and rest…

And having cake after dinner was really a special treat! With the cold creeping through these older window frames, we drank tea all day long…

“Constant Comment” was the perfect tea to have with this carrot cake… I go through boxes and boxes of it during the winter!

I used these Ecko heart-shaped pans. I found a similar one on Amazon.com by Wilton, if you are looking for some.
(not sponsored)

Both cake sections turned out light and fluffy and I used some leftover buttercream frosting in between the layers.

I tried using a piece of lace to make a pretty design on the cake top and dusting it with powdered sugar, but… Epic fail! That just turned out ugly.

So I did the next best thing: just dust the whole top with the powdered sugar and carefully adding small colored candy pieces in a heart shape in the middle. 😉

And here is our table all set for tea! Inside was bright and cheery with the sweetheart tablecloth and late afternoon sunlight bouncing off the snow from outside.

A pop-up blog hop

So… For a little fun, link up your favorite Valentine’s Day tablescapes and we can have a little party together! Just an impromptu blog hop… Hope you will join the fun!

Just a perfect day!

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Share Your Style #334

February 3, 2022February 3, 2022 French Ethereal

Welcome to this week’s Share Your Style #334! Happy Thursday to you all, dear friends!!

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

Love is in the air

Well, hello there! We have a snow day here in North Texas today and it was a good call by our school district to close down for a couple of days… Nice gentle rains yesterday evening turning into snow early, early in the morning. But, by 5:00am, the snow changed into freezing rain… Just a bit hazardous for school buses and folks to be out driving in it! My head cold is still going strong, too, so I went to bed early last night and just didn’t have the energy to get this post out. (think: emoji w/ rolling eyes upward…) Today is a new day and I have been able to get things done!

Our latest news: Yoda was quick about getting out and back in this morning, and he usually enjoys walking about in the snow. Coming up on 16 years old (I kept thinking he already was 16 last year; I was wrong.) this spring, he just doesn’t have the musculature to keep him warm anymore. I think the cold must really hurt his joints. He still comes inside all frisky for a few minutes each morning and evening, though! He is also enjoying having my mother-in-law here every day to let him out around noon-time and to give him more loving pets and cuddles throughout the day! 💜

Hubby and I have been house hunting with her on the weekends since New Year’s when they got back here from California, and even this past Monday evening we drove over to tour a home, so no posts again this past week for me. She did put in an offer on the home we saw on Monday night and hopefully she will hear back yea or nay soon. 🙂

This is all of my latest news, besides just going to work everyday, so let’s get this belated party started!!!

And here are this week’s featured posts…

Starting this Valentines themed SYS post, our friend **Sujatha from Crystal Grandeur** shared a beautiful tablescape perfect for “V day…” ~ An Evening Garden Setting. Lovely!!!

Gorgeous presentation abounds at the home of **Lynne from Thrifting Wonderland** who shared her post ~ Valentine’s Day Tea ~ part of a party of 20 tablescapes perfect for copying for your Valentine!

Banana Cream Pie - Pâte Sucrée (a slightly sweet shortcrust pastry) / www.delightfulrepast.com — Of course we need something yummy to eat for Valentine’s… **Jean of Delightful Repast** shared her recipe for Banana Creme Pie: Best Crust Ever! Since I’m home for four days… How about you? Yum! ;)’

a valentine's day charcuterie board filled with savory meats and cheese and sweet desserts — **Jennifer from Wanderlust and Wellness** brings us this beautiful Valentine Charcuterie Board… Simply beautiful!!!

Ringleader for that 20 blog party mentioned above is none other than our friend **Rita from Panoply** who shares her fun pinkalicious tablescape ~
I Only Have Ice for You, Valentine.
(I’ve got to quit working so I can come play with everybody!
I DO miss getting out there…)

**Penny from Penny’s Treasures** brings us her fun fowling friends in this sweet post ~ Valentines and Chickens Decorate the Vintage Door Corner Cabinet in the Kitchen.

Heart shaped cake with sprinkles and an extra heart shaped bowl of colorful sprinkles — **Elizabeth from Pinecones and Acorns** shared an easy trick for making this yummy Heart-Shaped Cake for Valentine’s Day. Stop by to find out what she did! ;)’

Pinterest graphic with text overlay "wooden ladder side table ReinventedDelaware.com" with an image of the step ladder makeover and two side chairs — **Cindy from Reinvented Delaware** shared this fun DIY post ~
Old Step Ladder Upcycle. Great repurpose!!!

And last up for this week, **MaryJo from Master “Pieces” of My Life** shared her One Little Word (OLW) for 2022 ~ Health. So true!

Thank you so much, dear friends! Happy linking to you all,

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Share Your Style #333

January 26, 2022February 3, 2022 French Ethereal

Welcome to this week’s Share Your Style #333! Happy Wednesday to you all, dear friends!!

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

Don’t you just love that Valentine’s Day is coming soon? I have a couple of Valentine’s posts but just haven’t put everything together yet. I found the battery charger for my Canon camera so happily I can shoot nice photos again, yeah!!! Now that Covid is waning, colds and flu seem to be back again… I’m down with a cold that wants to turn bad so this SYS might be a quick one.

I hope this finds you well and healthy! Now let’s check out this week’s featured posts…

And here are this week’s featured posts…

Let’s begin this party with **Niky’s post from The House on Silverado** ~ a Date Night: Dinner for Two ~ perfect for the Valentine in our lives!

Longtime friend **Daniela from Sweetly Dreaming of the Past** shared her beautiful post full of long-ago fashions to love again ~
History of Fashion: Civil War Fashion.

Closeup of strawberry pudding cups with fresh strawberrries. — **Lori from Walking on Sunshine Recipes** brings us these yummy
Strawberry Pudding Cups. Yeesssss!!!

painted mason jar valentine craft — Newcomer **Emily from Hunny I’m Home DIY** shared this easy DIY to make and give ~ Easy Painted Mason Jar Craft for Valentine’s Day. Love it!!!

valentine's day gnomes — Newcomer **Sarah from Must Have Mom** created these adorable
DIY Valentine’s Day Gnomes. Really fun to make and give!!!

Laundry isn’t always fun but redoing our laundry rooms is definitely a Valentine to ourselves ~ **Renae from Peacock Ridge Farm** shared her’s in this post ~
Beautiful French Country Laundry Room Makeover.

**Debra from Common Ground** brings us her lovely post for winter decorating ~ Deer on the Winter Baker’s Rack. Really pretty!!!

**Sandra from Dinner at Eight** shared her fun thrifting post ~
All the Shades of Red: Vintage Glassware. Really fun pieces!!!

Honorable Mention

Rita from Panoply is back with a wonderful post sharing her new home ~ First Winter in Our New Home: Bare Necessities. I’m sorry I couldn’t pick up any photos! It’s darling!!

Happy linking!

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Share Your Style #332

January 19, 2022January 19, 2022 French Ethereal

Welcome to this week’s Share Your Style #332! Happy Wednesday to you all, dear friends!!

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

Well, it’s that cozy time of year when we just want to wrap ourselves under a comfy blanket and curl up on the couch with a good book, watch a wonderful old movie and drink something yummy and warm… With that in mind, I’ve picked a few good recipes and beautiful decor to inspire us. And… after an unexpected break last week from SYS, we are back! It has been an adjustment having my mother-in-law living with us, and I feel a bit like Ruth and Naomi at the moment. Hubby has been gone on so many business trips since September, he is hardly home.

But last week was missed because of an unexpected phone call I had to take for the IOOF of which I am a member. So, sometimes life just gets in the way… Today we are back and ready to share your latest posts. Thanks so much for sticking with me and I apologize if you stopped by and there was no notice. Please forgive me this omission.

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***

A European Breakfast ~ a bit of my travels and some good news!

And here are this week’s featured posts…

**Debra of Common Ground** shared a bunch of great ideas for us to use at next year’s New Year’s Eve parties!! ~ New Year’s Eve Tablescape Inspiration ~ Love this!!!

**MaryJo from Master “Pieces” of My Life** shared her gorgeous tablescape also filled with NYE ideas ~ Mercury Glass Tabletop Ideas. So pretty!!!

**Jeanie from The Marmelade Gypsy** shared A December Visit to the Ditch. I love Jeanie’s walkabouts and visits around Michigan!!

**Bridie from Heart, Hearth and Crafting** brings us a stick-to-your-ribs meal in her cozy wintertime cooking post ~ Chicken and Potato Pie Batch Cook Recipe. Yum!!!

**Bridie** also shared this sweet shorts pattern she made for her son ~ Peek-A-Boo Pattern’s Day Camp Shorts Sewing Project – Batman!!! Too cool!!!

Three fish tacos on a white plate — **Paula from Virginia Sweet Pea** added this recipe for Easy and Healthy Fish Tacos. Deeeeelicious!!!

macrame heart — **Wendy from My French Twist** brings us this really fun-to-make Macramé Heart Wall Hanging. Don’t you just love a great, quick craft?!!

Dried flowers — **Elsa from Elsa R. Blog** shared this easy-to-make Dried Flower Wreath craft.
Love its simplicity!

**Maya from The Little Treasures** is back with this free crochet pattern ~ Chunky Neck Warmer. Sooo pretty!

Newly renovated kitchen featuring open shelving, blue and white tile backsplash, blue cabinets and tiled floor. — **Libby from A Life Unfolding** shared her family’s adventures renovating several of their
Airbnb rental projects this past year ~ Wow!!! I think all of us design geeks will approve! 😉 A Year in Review: Our Favorite DIY’s, Renovations and Home Projects from 2021.

What a great week of new ideas to start our year with a bang!! Thank you again to everyone who linked up and I can’t wait to see what all you bring this week to the SYS table…

So glad you are here!

Hugs, Barb

Uncategorized

A European Breakfast

January 11, 2022January 10, 2022 French Ethereal

Bonjour, mes amies! I am excited to share some pieces from the first china pattern I ever bought shortly after Mr. Ethereal and I were married… plus some exciting news!

Hubby and I moved to Southern California after he graduated from Officers Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. His first duty station was aboard Camp Pendleton, so we drove the 2700 miles from Connecticut to Sacramento, visiting both parents before the big move.

When I was home in our apartment by myself, sometimes I’d take the bus and go into Oceanside, Carlsbad or Vista to eat lunch out and go shopping at the local mall or to go antiquing. One day I found an Ethan Allen furniture store and as I was walking around inside, I turned a corner and there was an entire set (48 pieces!) of Villeroy & Boch Botanica staring back at me! I was ecstatic!!!

This is the same set of which I had collected a very few pieces while I was with my host family in Germany back in 1981. To find that Ethan Allen had brought over this lovely set of tableware, I was sooo happy!

I already owned a creamer & sugar bowl, a salt & pepper (behind the teapot here on the table) which I’d bought with my host mother at a tableware shop in a town along the Rhein River. Petja, my younger brother Gene’s exchange partner who came to our house three years later when Gene went on his own exchange program, later sent me the matching V&B Botanica china trivet.

A gifted trivet sits underneath the creamware teapot. I loved the feel and heft of this piece!

Today there are only five dinner plates unbroken, all eight salad plates and all the cups and saucers survive. My mother often bought me pieces from a shop out near where she lived in Connecticut after my parents moved there. She would send me pieces for my birthday or Christmas and sent a lovely covered butter dish, which could hold up to a pound of butter (two sticks side-by-side, double stacked tall). Our son was making something on our Big House’s kitchen island one day and pushed things back to make more room and sadly the butter dish crashed off onto the floor…

It had been so lovely with its pinks and purple sweetpeas all over the dish top. I would love to have added it here to this table for you!

Do you like the new carpet underneath the dining room table? We found it at Ikea when our kids were over for an early Christmas. Love the light blue florals!

The dining room is now an orangery with many of Mr. Ethereal’s mother’s plants inside as well as our mandarin orange tree. It’s fun to set a table in there now with so many plants!

For our European breakfast, I tried to recreate the breakfasts we would have at my host family’s home in Leverkusen. My host father’s grandmother lived with the family and they had a large round breakfast table off the kitchen. Every morning, fresh danishes and bread (bröt) were delivered to the house for the day’s meals.

“Erdbeeren” (or strawberry jam) and lingonberry jam were breakfast staples. Several years ago I found lingonberry jam at Ikea so this last time I picked up another jar.

If you can find some, lingonberry is a really nice, tart jam! It is a good substitute for strawberry, if someone can’t eat seeds in their jams and jellies.

Here the plates are unstacked so you can see the different flowers.

So what is the news?

A week ago, an invitation came to attend my niece’s wedding for this coming July. Her husband-to-be is from Venezuela and they both met as missionaries… They live in Grenoble, France!!!

So, after missing the opportunity as an exchange student as a young 19-year-old, I sure am NOT going to miss out this time! My daughter already has the time off from her work and I will be off for summer, so we will be going together.

So that’s my exciting news, dear friends!

So what can you tell me about going to France? Where do you recommend flying into? Charles De Gaulle airport, there in Paris? How do we get to Grenoble? Bus? Train?? Rent a car?

At least they drive on the same side of the road as we do here in the United States. 😉

And what about Air BnB’s?? How do I find out about this stuff?? After really not traveling for the last 35 years, I am pretty clueless, lol!

I thank you for all the tips in advance, Sweeties!!! <3

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Share Your Style #331

January 5, 2022January 5, 2022 French Ethereal

Welcome to this week’s Share Your Style #331! Happy Wednesday to you all, dear friends!!

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

Happy New Year, y’all! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas week and then New Year’s Eve with family and friends. I have really enjoyed these past two weeks at home. I finished the last bit of insulating in the shed, did a little painting, worked on laying pavers along the garden pathway, and planted some plants. Hubby began creating two small loft areas over each end of the shed for overhead storage, and that is coming along. I am back to school as of today and our kiddos show up tomorrow. Lots of concern about Covid since the Omicron is highly contagious, so hopefully all the vaccination shots do their thing!

On a happy note, my husband, after working in California since September and flying up from So. Cal to Northern California over six different weekends, Mr. Ethereal flew back one last time just after Christmas. He helped my mother-in-law meet the movers at her house and storage unit to get her household goods onto two trucks. Her house of 57 years sold and she is beginning a new chapter here in North Texas. A lot like us! 🙂

The first set of movers gets here this coming Friday. After the movers drove off, Mr. Ethereal and Mom drove the southern route to get here from the greater Sacramento area. She is staying with us until she finds a new place, but for now it’ll be cozy winter evenings watching movies and hanging out with Mr. Ethereal and Yoda and myself…

So that’s what I’ve been up to since last time! How about you? How were your Christmas and New Year’s?? Hope they were wonderful!!

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***

Our Belated Christmas Home Tour ~ a little day and nighttime tour.

And here are this week’s featured posts…

Amber from The Hungry Mountaineer shared a wonderful recipe for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Full of Gluten Blueberry Breakfast Coffee Cake. Yummy!!! That’s not all she shared… Did you know Amber works in the horse racing industry?? I didn’t either. Come check out her fun (and funny) post!