lucy and ivy

There’s just something exactly about this glorious green and white ivy print, and all I know is I'm in LOVE! It all started with first seeing this pretty tablecloth and napkins from Pacific and Rose.

I instantly remembered that I had some vintage Franciscan Ivy dinner plates and thought these items would be a match made in heaven.

The Franciscan Ivy dinner plates are a classic piece of American dinnerware. They were first introduced in the 1940s by the Franciscan Pottery company, which was based in California.

 

The design features a charming ivy pattern that wraps around the edges of the plates, giving them a timeless and elegant look. These plates became especially popular after being featured on the TV show "I Love Lucy"

These lovely Ivy plates and other dishware is a classic that's been around since 1948, and more importantly, you may recognize it in a black and white version, because it was featured on "I Love Lucy" for years in those darling scenes where Lucy and Desi are in the kitchen having breakfast. It was Lucy's everyday dishware!!

 

The Franciscan Ivy dinner plates definitely made their mark in TV history thanks to "I Love Lucy." 

I love how they added such a cozy touch to the Ricardo’s kitchen scenes. These Ivy clad cups and plates have become iconic in their own right.

 

It's so fascinating how something as simple as dinnerware can hold such nostalgic value and bring back memories of those classic moments. 

Do you have any favorite episodes or scenes from "I Love Lucy"? Lucy always had such a knack for getting into hilarious situations!

 

Lucy and Ricky had such great chemistry, and their kitchen antics were always entertaining. 

Whether it was Lucy’s hilarious attempts at cooking or Ricky’s exasperated reactions, those moments were pure TV gold.

One of my favorite scenes is when Lucy tries to bake bread, and it turns into a gigantic loaf that pushes her out of the kitchen. Such a classic! 

Do you have a favorite kitchen moment from the show? Or maybe a scene that always makes you laugh?

While the Franciscan Ivy dinner plates and cups are most famously associated with "I Love Lucy," they also appeared in other shows like "Bewitched."

 

As you can see here in Larry and Louise’s kitchen, the ivy pattern's timeless charm made it a popular choice for set designers looking to create a cozy, homey atmosphere.

Now take the plates featured on the set of Samantha and Darrin’s dining room. It’s red transferware. 

Red and white transferware, along with blue and white transferware has been a classic for hundreds of years!   

But set in the groovy Americana set of the 1960’s Bewitched dining room, it once again creates a relatable comfort zone for viewers.

 

Transferware is known for its intricate patterns and vibrant colors, making it a popular choice for both everyday use and special occasions.

These dishes often feature scenes of pastoral landscapes, floral designs, or historical events, and they were produced by various manufacturers, including Wedgwood, Johnson Brothers, Spode, and Mason's.

The red and white color combination is particularly striking and has a timeless appeal.

Do you have a favorite pattern or design when it comes to transferware?  

ciao fabiana

 

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

 

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desserts: 3 celebrity recipes

What’s better than having to choose between three delicious dessert recipes to whip up this weekend!? This week’s magazine clippings bring us to one of my favorite topics…. Sweets!

 

I spotted these yummy recipes in one of the latest Star magazines and couldn’t resist sharing them with all of you.

(Just click on the recipe picture to enlarge and print.)

Of course, Martha Stewart is the queen of everything, including desserts so I know this Oatmeal Cookie recipe will be absolutely amazing!! 

Toffee chips, chocolate and dried cherries… yes!! I will be trying this exact recipe this weekend.

 

For back up, we have Kris Jenner’s Classic Brownie recipe and A real treat from Scarlett Johansson, Carmel Popcorn with Nutella. Wow!

 

Which one will you be making first?

ciao fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on Instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

 

home: must have spring flowers

Not only is Valentine’s Day a day for celebrating love, it’s also the day to start celebrating the return of Spring flowers!

 

🌷Today, I’m sharing my absolute favorite go-to flowers for Spring…

 

This arrangement was made entirely from flowers from my garden, a are so many of the florals I’m sharing with you today.

 

Hydrangeas, Daisies and Roses! They're all so reliable, and I adore the fact that they’re always soooo pretty, easy to style and long lasting.

 

Hydrangeas on their own. A truly classic look that always looks good.   I’d say they even have a classic cottage charm that can’t be replicated!

 

 

Edible pansies are one of my favorite ways to dress up a dessert. From  store-bought cupcakes, toa homemade cake, these little violas always bring a smile!

 

Cottage garden flowers are a thing of wonder and joy! You can basically just pop them into a vase or pitcher, and they do their thing.

I’d love to know, what are your favorite springtime blooms?

 

Roses from any home garden have a unique way of swooning and swaying with grace in any container.

 

The one word that keeps creeping up this season is BUNNIES! 

And I just found the cutest hand painted blue and white bunny rabbit pitcher on Amazon that’s so perfect for holding lots and lots of flowers! 🐇

It’s also a really nice large size, as you can see here holding 3 dozen roses from Trader Joe’s. 💐

Here’s the link for the pitcher: Blue Transferware Bunny Rabbit Pitcher.

This was our breakfast room last spring. The geraniums, foxglove, and hydrangeas have now been planted in the cottage garden in the backyard.

 

That’s what I love so much about using live plants for décor in the house…

 

I can continue to love these flowers outside for years to come, and not only that, but next year I’ll be able to snip their blooms and use them again in the house!

The pink kalanchoes in the wicker baskets have fast become one of my favorite plants!

 

They’ve looked like this since Easter and just keep getting better and better, so I keep them in the house!

Blue Gayatri Buti print is one of the newest prints from Pacific and Rose, and I love how this tablecloth looks with all the cottage flowers.

 

Blue and white is always a favorite look for me, and a little pink compliments these linens perfectly.

We had quite a rainstorm all day yesterday, especially last night, and I’m so looking forward to a little sunshine today.

 

I don't know about you, but I think rainy days can quickly be chased away with fun spring floral arrangements like this.

"I must have flowers, always, and always." ―Claude Monet 💐 I feel the same exact way!

These late spring florals (above) in my living room are all entirely picked from my garden.

A tablecloth made from vintage fabric plays up the colors of the flowers so perfectly. Both the pink and blue hydrangeas, along with the deep pink ranunculus are from my cottage garden.

 

Entering this season with this as my mantra...

"You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." --A.A. Mine

Be strong for yourself and treat yourself with kindness! The white hydrangeas from my garden bloom very early in spring and are almost evergreen all winter. 

Above... a little homemade apple jelly is another real treat. Little acts of kindness are important for everyone! Start your day with a few little things that bring a smile to your face. 

 

Even a little group of Erigeron karvinskianus, or as we call them here in California, Santa Barbara daisies are dainty little reminders of spring. It’s fun to plant them up in the most unexpected sorts of containers!

Here are a few links to some of my favorite accessories that are featured in this post with the lovely Spring flowers we’ve talked about…

 

Bee Napkin Rings

Songbird Candelabra

Apple Jam Jar

Apple Glass Pitcher

Songbird Wood Tidbit Bowl

Blue Transferware Bunny Rabbit Pitcher

 

Happy Valentine's day!!

 

ciao fabiana

 

 

I hope you’ll follow along with me on Instagram for 

all the latest projects and décor I will be sharing in 2025.

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

 

pink roses in the dish room

💐"If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk through my garden forever." — Alfred Tennyson

 

The beautiful winter light that’s reflected by the sky brings out the very best of white decor and is just right to brighten up those slightly gloomy February days. And these roses make me soooo happy!

 

Here’s a little peek at the new area in the house that I'm calling the “dish room”. In December I decided to take an unused bedroom and use it as the main hub for a lot of my styling props, extra dishware and my collection of colored glassware.

 

Not only was the space ideal, but the morning light was also so perfect for those early morning photo shoots. 

With that in mind, I set up a cottage farmhouse display wall with furniture that was already in the room.

 

A dark brown-black Ikea desk and two shelves were transformed with a few coats of white chalk paint. I papered the wall with a fun beadboard textured wallpaper which saved me quite a bit of money on using actual beadboard.

All I bought, besides the wallpaper, was a custom-made peg rack to fit right under the bottom shelf and a cute gingham curtain for the desk opening.

What I thrifted and how I styled it…

Lastly I found the most adorable vintage chandelier to finish off the room! The space is almost complete. This is now a great spot for my early morning photo shoots and also fulfills my organizational tendencies! 😜

The cute little thrifted chandelier transforms my new "dish room" into a cozy little space. My good friend Laura and I were checking out a few of our favorite thrift and consignment stores last week, when we spotted this adorable little chandelier.

 

It was marked $75, but when I asked the salesperson if that was the final price, she said it was actually 60% off! So, this little darling came home with me for only $30! Yay!!

 

This is a vintage inspired look I put together for fall. I used lots of white ironstone and hints of brown transferware and natural elements like wicker to create a soft autumn vibe.

I will be sharing lots more on the dish room soon, including a very unexpected surprise!!

ciao fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on Instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.