A Summer Escape: Blue Skies, White Puffy Clouds & A Fantasy Cottage & Garden

Welcome to the 775th Tablescape Thursday! A few days ago I shared this yummy La Fermière yogurt that I discovered while visiting family in Ohio during the month of July. The glazed terra cotta pots that it comes in were way too cute to toss out, so I kept making trips back to Dorothy Lane Market in hopes of collecting a few to use in a future table setting. I managed to collect 7 adorable little pots before returning home, but once home I discovered the Whole Foods and Sprouts near me also carries this yogurt.

La Fermiere Orange Blossom Honey Yogurt

 

A few days ago my daughter-in-love sent me this photo sharing how she was using some of the little pots she’s collected. Her beautiful Limelight Hydrangeas are in full bloom right now. My grandsons love this yogurt and she was kidding me about getting them hooked on”fancy” yogurt. Ha! Isn’t that what grandmothers do–spoil their grandchildren, then leave them for the parents to sort out! Hee, hee.

Limelight Hydrangeas in La Fermiere Yogurt Pots

 

My standard Limelight Hydrangeas are currently in bloom, although they aren’t near as full as they were in this previous photo. Yesterday I snipped a few blossoms for today’s table setting.

Limelight Hydrangea, Standard, Tree-form in Planter

 

After some seriously hot, hot weather over the past few weeks, the last few days have actually been really nice. I’ve missed putting a table out here on the porch, so it was time!

Summer Table Setting with Limelight Hydrangea Centerpiece

 

The trees in my backyard have grown so much over the 30+ years I’ve lived here, so it’s super shady on the porch. That definitely helps with the heat, but not very helpful for taking photos.

Summer Table, Porch Dining

 

A fun perspective from above…

Outdoor Porch Dining, Summer Table Setting, Limelight Hydrangeas

 

For this summer table, I pulled out my favorite dinnerware for porch dining–Ma Maison. I can’t let summer get away without setting at least one table with this whimsical, dreamy pattern.

Limelight Hydrangeas Centerpiece for a Summer Table Setting

 

Lots of little La Fermière yogurt pots have become vases for this table. I was just thinking how cute it would be to set a table and place one filled with flowers atop each place setting.

Limelight Hydrangeas in Summer Tablescape, 2023

 

I pulled my colors for this tablescape from the Ma Maison design.

Limelight Hydrangeas in Summer Table, Between Naps On The Porch

 

This is one of the few dishware patterns that I have with lavender/purple colors in the design. The beautiful imagery in this pattern is the work of Dario Farrucci.

Ma Maison by Dario Farrucci, Salad Plate

 

Occasionally, I will still see a few pieces of this dinnerware on eBay. I stumbled across it in HomeGoods many, many years ago and visited 3 different HomeGoods that day collecting as many dinner and salad plates as I could find. There were only a few pieces in each location. Kinda wish I had visited even more HGs that day since this dinnerware is so difficult to find.

Adorable Cottage and Garden Depicted on Ma Maison, Dario Farrucci

 

The salad plate…I want to live in this adorable cottage with at least 5 cats! This pattern also included square-shaped, salad-size plates that are perfect for serving dessert.

Ma Maison by Dario Farrucci Salad Plate

 

The dinner plate…

Ma Maison, Dario Farrucci, Dinner Plate

 

I love that they took the effort/time to create the dinner plate with a different design. The charger is from Horchow online, purchased in 2008. I wonder if Horchow has any physical stores or if they are just online?

Ma Maison, Dario Farrucci Dinner Plate

 

All the pieces in this collection, including the bowls, have a blue sky and white puffy clouds background. ♥

Ma Maison by Dario Farrucci, Dinner Plate

 

It’s not often that I get to use these pretty, floral napkin rings in a table setting. I am having trouble remembering where I found them–most likely Pier 1, back in the day. The white napkins are vintage, found while antiquing many years ago. The green chiffon covers are from a local antique shop called The Magnolia Room–I think that’s the name of it. It’s been ages since I visited that shop, wonder if it’s still there. Update: Napkin rings are from Pier 1–they were $3.95 ea. I just found a little tag in the bottom of the box where I store them. I should start doing that with all my napkin rings and flatware that I store in boxes–keep one of the tags from where they were purchased since my memory for that kind of thing is not great!

Hydrangea Napkin Rings

 

They also came in a soft green and white color with little touches of pink. Those would have worked well in this table, too…

Hydrangea Napkin Ring with Green, White & Tan Plaid Napkins, Spring Table Setting

 

…but I loved how the purple/lavender hues in the napkin rings pulled those colors from the dinnerware.

Limelight Hydrangea Blooms, Spring Summer Table Setting

 

 

Limelight Hydrangeas Centerpiece for a Summer Tablescape

 

 

A few more views of the centerpiece…

Ma Maison Dinnerware, Features Adorable Cottage and Garden

 

This adorable cookie jar rarely has cookies inside, but it worked beautifully as a vase for the Limelight Hydrangeas. The cute topiaries on either side of the “house” are salt and pepper shakers. They each have a different design so it’s easy to tell them apart.

Limelight Hydrangeas In Ma Maison Cookie Jar

 

I know several of you have mentioned that you would like to collect a few of these cute yogurt pots. If you don’t live near a grocery store that carries La Fermière yogurt, check on eBay. I saw quite a few for sale there in a lot of different colors. La Fermière periodically changes the colors of their yogurt pots and releases fun additions for holidays. Wish I had discovered it before now, they’ve done some adorable designs!

La Fermiere Yogurt Container with Limelight Hydrangeas

 

Happy summer!

Screened Porch Dining, Between Naps On The Porch

 

Looking forward to the beautiful tables linked for this week’s Tablescape Thursday! (If you enjoyed this post, subscribe for email updates when a new post is up here: Subscribe for post updates.)

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Comments

  1. That incredible tablescape looks like a hug for your table. If only your table could talk. How beautiful and inspiring.

  2. I got two of the jars from Sprouts and two from Earth Fare – only blue is available now. Oui has clear glass containers.

    • My Sprouts had them, but not a great selection of yogurt flavors. I wonder if we have an Earth Fare here…will have to check. Thanks for that update, Karol! I wonder what color pots they’ll have for autumn.

  3. What a superbly beautiful table!!! I love everything about! It’s perfect. Especially for this time of year!

  4. What a superbly beautiful table!!! I love everything about it! It’s perfect. Especially for this time of year!

  5. Divine, simply divine. Loved everything about the table setting and this post…including the reference to cottage life with five cats! Ha!!!

  6. First I noticed how lovely this table is. From afar, it’s light and balanced and beautiful, and the colors are gorgeous together! Then I noticed the darling china pattern! Isn’t that the one you keep in your hutch on the porch? It’s just adorable. It would be so fun to sit at that table as the evening starts to cool down. … Just imagining it is a little relaxation moment in this busy day! Thanks for that, and for hosting the party! Hope you have a lovely week!

    • Thanks so much, Barbara! I was just thinking today about how the colors in that table are the ones I love seeing a garden.
      Yes, that’s it! Great memory! As I was taking the table apart today, I started thinking that I should bring it inside and put it someplace where I can see it all year, but that means I’d have to take something else out of the glass front cabinets to make room. Arggh. That sounds wonderful…a bit of relaxation and listening to the cicadas that are really out in force right now.
      Happy weekend to you!
      XXX

  7. La Fermiere means The Lady Farmer. My husband told me that I grow dishes instead of vegetables! I asked him to look for the yogurt at a store near his workplace. He said, “Let me guess? Susan, again?”

    • Yes! I was curious and did a search for that. Google Translate said it meant, The Farmer but the La Fermiere website said, The Lady Farmer. I like The Lady Farmer better.
      Ha! That is too funny about your hubby! lol Maybe he’ll love the yogurt and we’ll win him over to our ways! Ha!

  8. LOVE the colors on everything on the table!! SO pretty.

  9. Very cheerful and I love the colorway of all the elements tying it together!

  10. This table is just perfect and the lighting and mood on the porch put me in a certain sort of dreamy, breezy mood. Would love to dine in a place like that. Such a pretty setting. Thank you, Susan.

  11. Susan, I love your Ma Maison collection and your table is gorgeous! I agree that they should come out and play at least once in the summer. The hydrangeas are beautiful and just the perfect shade. I love how your napkin rings pull out the more subtle lavender colors in the plates. Just lovely, all of it!

  12. Susan, I love this table and your gorgeous porch and trees all around – so pretty. The Ma Maison collect is just perfect with your limelight hydrangeas. The Ma Maison, cookie jar looks so fantastic with the hydrangeas. Thanks so much for all the wonderful tables you share personally, and for taking the time to host the Tablescape Thursday party as well.

    • Thanks so much, Patty! I wish now I had planted a lot more hydrangeas in my yard through the years…love their big beautiful blooms! Hope you have a great weekend!
      XXX

  13. LOVELY table! I adore the cookie jar centerpiece! Would you share the manufacturer??? I need a tablescape Thursday about napkin rings! I do not own any and whenever I look at some I fear either they will break or get dropped and break something else. My Mother always folded napkins in various ways so I seriously need to try some!!!

    • It’s by Tabletops Unlimited and the pattern is called Ma Maison with the design by Dario Farrucci.
      Fortunately, a lot of the napkin rings I have made out of materials that aren’t breakable. Elena, you can find a bunch online that aren’t breakable so you won’t have to worry about that. If you have a HomeGoods, TJ Max or Marshalls near you, those are great places to look. I used to find a lot of napkin rings in Pier 1. They probably still have them online. Also, check Pottery Barn online…and of course, good ol Amazon. I’ll have to do a post on napkin rings sometime…thanks for that suggestion!

  14. LOVELY table and setting! I ADORE the cookie jar centerpiece! Would you share the manufacturer? I seriously need a tablescape Thursday about all your napkin rings! My mother always folded napkins in various ways and never used them. Whenever I look at them I worry they will break or get dropped and break something else! They do SO much for a place setting I HAVE to try some!

    • It’s by Tabletops Unlimited and the pattern is called Ma Maison with the design by Dario Farrucci.
      Fortunately, a lot of the napkin rings I have made out of materials that aren’t breakable. Elena, you can find a bunch online that aren’t breakable so you won’t have to worry about that. If you have a HomeGoods, TJ Max or Marshalls near you, those are great places to look. I used to find a lot of napkin rings in Pier 1. They probably still have them online. Also, check Pottery Barn online…and of course, good ol Amazon. I’ll have to do a post on napkin rings sometime…thanks for that suggestion!

  15. Hello Susan, I’m a long time follower and really enjoy your posts. You have inspired me in many ways, especially in how to separate me from my money, as I have made quite a few purchases because of your great recommendations on various items and clothing! LOL L have been meaning to ask for the longest time because I have not ever read whether or not you simply set the table for photos or you actually have a meal at the table. It’s an awful lot of work not to put it to use, I would think. Love to know,thanks and have a great day!

    • Thanks, Dianne! It really depends on what I have going on. I have used tables I’ve set when having friends or family over, but sometimes I just set them for Tablescape Thursday. I love coming up with new tables so it’s fun challenging myself to come up with something different, especially if I have come across something fun like the yogurt cups. It does take a lot of steps to create and post, but I love it! 🙂

  16. Oh Susan, this is one of my favorite tables of yours ever! I have always loved that china and I love the way you styled it today with the hydrangeas and yogurt pots! Beautiful!!

  17. Loved those overhead shots; you can see all the colors at once. It looks so summery. Also looking at just the dinner plate, with the terra cotta, olive green and red purple, it might suit an early fall table. Especially if La Fermiere cooperates with a terra cotta or olive jar soon.

    • It looks like I’m hanging from the ceiling fan in that one photo using the wide-angle lens. Ha! That’s true–it could move right into autumn and those pots would be really cute with some yellow, orange, and brown autumn colors. I wonder if La Fermiere will do a new color for autumn.

  18. I’ve always loved MaMaison dinnerware and vaguely remember seeing it in Home Goods years ago. Kicking myself that I didn’t buy it then because now you only see a couple pieces on EBay for inflated prices.

    • Donna, they def need to bring it back again! I checked eBay yesterday after I completed that post and was surprised to see some of the square dinner plates there. They were def moeer than they were in HomeGoods back in the day, but not too, too bad. I ordered 6 since I have a bunch of square salad plates in that pattern. Hopefully, I can share a table with those before summer is gone.

  19. Lovely summer table! I made some napkin rings just like yours. Love them! Always love to see your porch. Looks so relaxing.

  20. I discovered La Fermiere several years ago while in France. I brought home four blue crocks. I was thrilled when Fresh Market started carrying it a couple of years ago. I’ve collected quite a few crocks in different colors now, and clear ones, too. Something I like to do with them … I’ll put a single narcissus bulb in one, anchored by small stones, and give as a gift. The recipient always loves it.

  21. Your adorable plates caught my eye, especially the house vase. I’m late to the comments but just thought I’d chime in that Horchow is a division of Neiman Marcus. I believe they might have some outlet stores, with one in Texas. Can’t wait to see your square chargers

  22. Susan, I tried to leave a comment last week, but for reason couldn’t. So here goes again. I discovered La Fermiere in Paris in 2018. I found it in the grocery store near my apartment, bought up six jars and that was my breakfast each morning for a week. Then I of course packed up my crocks and brought them home. I asked my local Central Market to see about importing it. A year or so later, it appeared on the shelves. I buy it weekly now. It’s the best! They now produce it here in the US, and with that change came crocks in seasonal colors. I have an assortment of all. I can’t toss these special crocks, so I give them as gifts, use them around the house, and they are often at individual place settings on my tables. They are special! Have you seen the other colors?

    • That’s wonderful! I can’t bear to toss them either–love the idea of giving them as gifts! We could bake something in them at Christmastime and give them as a gift to neighbors/friends. I discovered they came in different colors when I did a search for them online…and they even do special designs for the holidays…like a tree design or a snowflake for winter. I love that! Fresh Market here has the best selection…and that’s only the Fresh Market that a ways away from my home. The local Whole Foods and Sprouts carry it, but don’t have the selection that Fresh Market does. Have you tried the Rose flavor? All the flavors are so good!

      • Yes, tried the Rose, but honestly the lemon is my favorite and go to flavor. I have the crocks with the holiday designs. The green with the trees is my favorite, but I think my niece may have taken those. I’m happy to share. I know where they are if I need them. Ha! Ha! They make great little catch all containers for paper clips, rubber bands, bandaids, all kinds of small things. I keep one on my bedside table with pens. I’ve not tried the chocolate . Need to pick that up next grocery visit.

    • Oh, and the Fresh Market I visited recently even had the chocolate dessert. Had to get some of those! lol Have you had any of their desserts?

  23. Happy Mother’s Day weekend, Susan. Do you currently have a cat? May we see a picture of him or her? I collect Nora Fleming. I know you have a piece or two but I have never seen you use them. Maybe in a future table setting?

    • No, not right now. I haven’t been able to bring myself to get another one since my kitty, Max, passed from cancer. I really, really bond with my cats and it’s devastating when they pass. I just don’t want to feel that pain ever again, so not sure if I’ll ever get another kitty again. I miss having Max purring beside me when I go to bed at night. I hope we will see out furbabies again one day. Also, I do travel to Ohio to see my son, DIL and grandchildren a few times a year, so not having a pet has helped with that.
      You can see Mr. Max in this post: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/a-story-of-adoption-and-healing/

      I haven’t used my Nora Fleming pieces in a while, but my DIL uses hers a lot. I need to get mine out and use them more. That’s a great idea about using them in a future table setting! I should do that!

    • I hope you have a great Mother’s Day weekend, Lin! ♥
      XXX

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