Blossom & Bear

The ornamental crabapple blossoms are so pretty in vibrant pink! I decided to bring some inside and pair them with a pink blossom teacup and saucer so I could enjoy them in the house. Dusty miller provided some contrast to the vibrant pink and bright green leaves. The arrangement is more whimsy and casual than symmetrically formal or elegant. But, it was fun to create!

The pictures are of my Blossom Bear. She's just the right size to sit on a chair and to look pretty on display, but she's really not stylish any more. Trends have changed from the days when bears were so ultra-popular. But I don't mind. She is special to me. My mother made her about twenty years ago. The fabric is an embroidered 1950's luncheon tablecloth that had been a wedding gift to my parents. Mom kept it as such for about 40 years. Then she decided to re-purpose it by dying it pink and using it to make a bear out of. She strategically positioned the embroidery on the body and face so that it would be featured well. Isn't she sweet? I thought you might like to see her. I love Blossom Bear because she has become a family heirloom.

Are you familiar with the crabapple tree? I have memories of my father raving over how good crabapples were. My grandmother would stew them or can them in his childhood and he developed a fondness for crabapples that has never gone away. I like them too, but not well enough to put up with their messiness in the lawn when the apples fall. So, our crabapple tree is ornamental. The apples are very small; similar to berries. They are a popular ornamental tree used in landscaping, having beautiful blossoms that announce spring so loud and clear! Their blossoms are beautiful even before they open. The bud stage is called "balloon". Flowers in the balloon stage are often a different color than the open blossom. The leaf colors can vary from tree to tree.

Today I paired this teacup with Blossom Bear and my ornamental crabapple blossoms (top photo; lower photo is shown with dogwood blossoms).  The teacup and saucer are Peach Blo Limoges, Silver Moon pattern. They are American made and feature a square plate with scalloped corners. The teacup and saucer are platinum trimmed with a pale pink background and have pastel blossoms and foliage. It was manufactured from the 1920's to the 1940's.

The tea is Adagio's Ceylon Sonata, a black tea from Sri Lanka. Grown on the Kenilworth Estate, it is fresh, citrusy in aroma and has the sweet, juicy notes of mandarin peel or grapefruit. It is quite balanced in astringency and has a refreshing, smooth texture.

It's been fun to look around my house and the garden, finding things that go with this and that. Today is the day for pink! I hope it is a wonderful one for you!