It’s the
YEAR OF THE RABBIT !
And even though there are buckets
filling with water in many of my rooms
and some newly hung wallpaper is
saturated and peeling,
let’s celebrate for this cute little fella!
He’s a little shy,
like those born under this asian lunar sign.
He’s also lucky, gracious, kind, artistic and stubborn!
And even though there are buckets
filling with water in many of my rooms
and some newly hung wallpaper is
saturated and peeling,
let’s celebrate for this cute little fella!
He’s a little shy,
like those born under this asian lunar sign.
He’s also lucky, gracious, kind, artistic and stubborn!
Speaking of luck, KUMQUATS are given as gifts for good luck at Chinese new year celebrations. Have you ever tried to find kumquats during an ice storm in Connecticut? I thought not. Who would? Well, let me tell you (from experience) that they are NOT to be found!
So, let’s use these satsuma mandarin ORANGES instead. Three for more good luck.
Each place setting at our table …
… has another
“kumquat” …
…
and a
rice bowl and plate.
Rice china is fired at high temperatures with grains of rice embedded in the clay. The high heat vaporizes the rice, leaving this translucent design in the china.
This one is balanced on top of a lampshade just so you can see the pattern. I know plates do not belong on lampshades!
I found these pieces at the Pearl S. Buck house
(you know I ALWAYS check out the gift shops!! 🙂).
Ms. Buck, a great humanitarian and author of
The Good Earth, spent much of her life in peasant communities in China.
She was the first American woman to win both the Nobel Prize and the Pulitzer Prize.
Her home is a fascinating place to visit. Please go if you can! BUT BACK TO THE CHINA!!!
This pattern was created just for the Pearl S. Buck house. The center is a sunflower–another symbol for the new lunar year.
Sunflowers are given as wishes for prosperity.
Under the rice china and the leaf-and-berry plate is a
blue Asian Pheasant transferware plate.
The place setting is anchored by a sushi roll mat, chopsticks, and this gorgeous red napkin. I’ve been waiting to use these, and the red is the perfect CELEBRATION color for this chinese table.
Red pots hold the sunflowers and utensils,
including
soup spoons,
extra chopsticks (how good are you with yours?) and bamboo handled flatware.
The red lantern holding the quasi-kumquats (say that three times–I dare you!) also displays
a beautiful Chinese seal.
Two others are hanging nearby.
They were a special gift to me from another mom in Hong Kong.
You know I love to write letters, and my note card collection now includes the newest cards from the
US Post Office.
The latest Forever stamp shows a round kumquat,
a rabbit and delicate calligraphy.
It really is beautiful.
XIN NIAN KUAI LE
Happy Lunar New Year
TU ZI NIAN XING DA YUN
Good Luck in the Year of the Rabbit!
I am joining
at
Linda 🙂
Great post. I love it. Your TAblescape is stunning and all of your accessories are gorgeous. Love the house tour also. Very interesting and so pretty. Hugs, Marty
Linda, your table is beautiful…I love orange and blue together, it is so cheery. Interesting to learn about the rice leaving translucent designs when fired into the clay.
So Many wonderful things to bring in the Chinese New Year! Loved everything and The Pearl S. Buck House is GORGEOUS! I love the architecture of it! I have never seen it, But I’ll put it on my list of “Must See”!
LOVED those dishes…ALL of them!
Hugs to you,
Donna
Fun! Happy Year of the Rabbit! I did a Christmas Table for my nephews many years ago based on the Chinese Calendar. I’ve never made a point of going out to look for kumquats but now I’m going to keep my eyes open for them!
And the same to you!
Love those plates, so pretty.
Where are the red envelopes with money? LOL
That was one of my fave books! I should re read it!
Happy Lunar N Y!
This is just gorgeous Linda!
I read The Good Earth many many years ago. I still remember the book, after all these years.
I played the French Horn, as an adult, in a community band, during the late 1970’s. I don’t these days.
I grew up in a small rural town. Kids in the country went to one room schools in those days. Most of the kids I went to school with in town, walked to school. I believe that is why there were few if any snow days. Nor built in snow days. When districts were reorganized, later, kids were bused from the country into town, thus bad roads, meant no school.
So sorry about your ice. I would rather have snow anyday. Much easier to deal with.
How very very pretty and cheerful on a snowy day! I, too, loved The Good Earth and so enjoyed your lovely table. Thank you! Annie
Those are really good looking kumquats. I can smell them from here! Interesting story about the rice bowls, thanks for sharing. Love your dishes!…Christine
Love the orange with the blue dishes, nice combination and your bunny is so cute. Thanks so much for sharing.
Happy Year of the Rabbit! This is a lovely post, Linda. I loved the book “The Good Earth,” and would love to visit Pearl S. Buck’s home one day. I also love to browse gift shops, much to my husband’s dismay..lol.
Your rice china is beautiful! Your entire table is so festive. I’m expecting a second grandson soon..I like the qualities of the Rabbit year he will be born under, except for the stubbornness! 🙂
What a fun, colorful and informative post! The rice plates are so cool, and I never knew so many folks were into the Chinese New Year-I have to get with it:@)
This is wonderful~ so many great details! I love the photos of Pearl Buck’s home. Your Asian Pheasant & red napkins are beautiful together~ Happy Year of the Rabbit 🙂
I loved all the details and seeing the china on the lampshade was a great shot! I love your china, it’s really beautiful.
What a pretty Chinese New Year table — love your colors. I saw some kumkuats at the store the other day that were the tinest one’s I’ve ever seen — about the size of an olive. Love your cute bunny.
Kumquats are not to be found anywhere close by here, either, with this crazy weather! You guys have really gotten slammed up there, and we caught a good 12 inches yesterday here in the Kansas City area. I’ve got a table nearly set for a Chinese New Year luncheon tomorrow, but I’m worried I’ll be eating alone! 🙁 I love what you did with this table, especially incorporating the “kumquats.” Very nice!
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‘ve had my eye pealed for a set of wonderful rice bowls for several years now. Yours are beautiful. I’m going to check to see if the Pearl S. Buck house has a web site. I’ve always wanted lidded rice bowls…some day. I love the mix of your Rice china with the textured white plates. I’m sad about the water leaks…I admire your amazing resilience! Thank you for sharing your lovely design. Cherry Kay
Oh, Linda! This is just a wonderful table. I enjoyed every picture and every word. Fascinating! And those rice bowls! I adore them. And I love that seal on your wonderful red lantern. You did a super job with this, my friend. Super!
Happy Chinese New Year and Tablecapse Thursday to you…
XO,
Sheila 🙂
What a pretty, and very interesting, post! Amusing as well, I chuckled at the thought of finding kumquats in a snow storm! LOL! Not even sure I could even find them here in FL!
What nice colors with the oranges and blues. I love those heavy white plates with the gorgeous edges!
Stay warm!
Katherine
Oh, my goodness, Linda! I forgot to comment about this… are you having roofing problems? I’m so sorry! Big hugs and hopes that things will be fixed for you soon.
XOXOXO
Linda, I have never seen Rice China before and wow what I have been missing. It is so beautiful and I love the new napkins too…the red and blue go so well together. Could you pass me a few satsumas? I love them. I am good with chopsticks so I won’t need a fork. Such a nice way to celebrate Chinese New Years. Joni
What a GORGEOUS table setting. The colors are so vibrant. I have not been to the Pearl Buck house, but love visiting literary houses. And, like you, I find those attached gift shops pretty hard to resist. You made some lovely purchases. Enjoyed your post.
Hi Linda! I love your pretty table with all the luscious colors. I have always wanted some rice bowls! I love to visit homes like Ms. Bucks! What a treat.
Stay warm.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Linda, my sympathies for your water damage! You are brave to set a table under those trying circumstances! Great post — I always love learning new things about china. Very clever substitution for kumquats! The bright orange really sets off the blue and white!
Thank you for sharing so much information about the Chinese New Year! Very interesting….. The china bowls are beautiful!
What a cherry table! I am so sorry to hear about you are having leaks. I hope things are getting better now. I was so impressed you were doing a table amid the chaos but that was probably just the thing to take your mind off your worries. My mother has a kumquat tree and makes delicious jam with it. I will pass on this information. I love the orange and blue together. I hope you are drying out!
Linda it is all beautiful. I love the year of the rabbit and the sunflowers. Lovely!
Warmly, ~Melissa 🙂
Oh My Gosh!!! We really covered the Chinese New Year. I love your dishes and did you know Pearl S Buck is an inspiration to me. I loved reading The Good Earth. When I was young my mother, sister and I would go to a small chinese restaurant and sit in a small booth with a black curtain drawn just like china. And a chinese man with a little black hat and a black robe would come in and serve us real chinese food. I felt just like I was in China. In fact I would love to travel to China. Thank you so much for your beautiful post and also for visiting My Cozy Corner. We seem to be neighbors often.
xo
Betty
What a festive table! Rice china is new to me. Thanks for sharing! I hope you’ll stop by… I just posted my BEST tablescape ever!
Thanks for stopping by and bringing me over here to see your wonderful dishes! Where is the Buck house? Is it in Pa.? If so I will go see it! Thanks for this lovely table, you know I LOVE oriental! Happy Chinese new year!!!! XO, Pinky
What a beautiful table. I love your “kumquats” {!!} Thanks too for visiting me, so that I could come here and enjoy your posts and tablescapes. xoxo Lidy
Your table setting is wonderful! I LOVE all the plates, and the information you shared. Great job on bringing such a pretty setting together!!
Debbie@lakehouse
Your post is wonderful….creative, beautiful for the eyes to behold, informative, and I adore your blue dishes! LOVELY !!
I am sorry to hear about the water leaks you are having.
What an adorable post. I love every thing in it.
You are such a cutie…and I’d much rather have little oranges than kumquats, anyway.:)
So sorry you are leaking…wish we had rain here.
Well, that is a gorgeous table! I love the rice bowls! I did not know that there was rice embedded either. Love the Asian Pheasant plate too. So pretty!! Thanks for stopping by!! Stay warm and safe!
Hi Linda,
That table just is about as gorgeous as can be!
Blue and white, my favorite combo! And I so adore those white plates and the splashes of red you have added.
I also loved hearing the story and seeing those amazing stone houses!
Happy Weekend,
Cindy
Gorgeous pictures. I really enjoyed my visit to your blog Ü
Beautiful tablescape Linda. perfect for Chinese new year, year of the rabbit.
Blue and white and red…wonderful. Love the chargers too. Thanks for stopping by my blog and comment on my pink and green pretties. Linda
Sorry to hear that you have leaks. Your Chinese New Year post is making me smile. Love all the details. I always use mandarin oranges for Chinese New Year good luck. I didn’t know about the kumquats. Not that they would be available here either. 😉 I haven’t bought my stamps for this year. I need to go to the PO tomorrow before they are out of these. I always buy a sheet. The art work is incredible. I like that they are different this year.
Gung Hay Fat Choy
Hi Linda,
I’m so pleased that you stopped by Normandy Life yesterday because then I was able to come and celebrate the New Year with you.
Your tablesetting is a delight and I so enjoyed learning about everything, even quasi kumquats!
l., dropping by to let you know i’ll be gone from my blog for three weeks or so. more info on there if you wish to see. if not, see you when i return. xoxoxoxoxoxoxo. she.
Your tablescape is stunning. It is so fascinating to learn about the rice translucent design on the plates. The orange and the blue is a perfect combination. I also loved the photos of Pearl Buck’s house. This is a very beautiful and very interesting post. Thank you!
I hope your area is done with the heavy snow storms. This has been quite a winter!
Linda, I’m back to take another look at this wonderful table setting. It too is perfect for Earth Day.