Gilding the lily

One of my delightful guests sent over a bouquet of flowers. It needed a bit of tweaking, (such as the removal of the pink and gold-threaded ribbon), and placement in a grander and more over-the-top bowl with gilded lotus flower feet. He did not see it before it left the florists, and was terrified it might be too ghastly for words, but I assured him, when I rang to thank him, that it was exquisite, and I'm sure you'll agree. But apart from that thoughtful gesture, its arrival in the late morning meant that it was not something that needed my attention when guests were arriving.

At about the same time, I was preparing the set up, with champagne and wine waiting to be placed in the fridge, once room had been made by the removal of the large casserole of coq au vin, which we had made the previous evening. Champagne does slip down easily. All of this did.

The table was laid during the late morning. Cleaning it all the next morning, (by hand) is a task that concentrates the mind and is certainly not quite il dolce far niente which would have been my preferred activity for the day. But it's good for the soul, and there is a reward in doing things for others whom you cherish.

Putting on the Ritz

A visit from an old friend we haven't seen for seven years, (at the funeral of his long time partner), galvanised us out of our lethargy as far as giving dinner parties. Fish pie as the main course allowed for not too onerous service by the hosts and this was nicely complemented by Pinot Grigio. Several bottles, it would seem from this morning's clear up. It's good to catch up.

Sadly the candles misbehaved and one of the candleshades fell and sliced the top off the antique ladle in the centrepiece tureen. But it's a clean break and Superglue will come to the rescue. Hardier candles are hard to find in this neck of the woods. 

Funnily enough I had a premonition that this might happen, but in my imagination the damage was to one of the glasses, and replacing this Waterford pattern is not an easy task, so I am relieved, even if my sensory perception is failing.

Bubble and trouble

The Widow Clicquot's brew kicked off a a charming and memorable celebration of an anniversary, which was so impromptu in its design that it turned out to be the greatest fun. Waterford in its best form was given justice too!

What were they thinking?

I suppose it's no surprise Waterford went into liquidation earlier this year, when they decided to start producing tat like this. Although as I recall they said it was the lack of tat like this that was the cause of their demise; people no longer wanted to buy the good glass, (which didn't cost peanuts). I shall be using my (Curraghmore) champagne flutes tonight to toast a rather important anniversary, of the partnership variety.

Crystal carols

Tinkle bells, tinkle bells...oh, indulge me in my silly season Christmas week wordplay.

I mentioned that visitors to our house were more likely to be served from a glass receptacle than a silver one, (to accommodate the tinkle of ice over glass), and here is a selection of some to choose from.

I stopped using decanters some years ago because of a fear of the lead in the crystal seeping into the alcohol; well, not my fear, but that of someone important in my life. Whether that theory is true or not, I now actually really like empty decanters, as their effect enhances the silver and black and white theme in decorative objects throughout the sitting and dining area. And they work so well with artificial light, (including and especially very dimmed overhead halogens).