One of my oldest friends in Australia. Dating back to 1970. Came to visit recently. Just in time for brunch.
The weather was warm. So brunch was on our back balcony. Which overlooks our hectare of garden. Planted out with 110 trees to provide shade. And habitat for birds. Plus thousands of fragrant shrubs for understory. And perfume. As well as over 200 fragrant roses. In bloom.
The view is spectacular.
As is the table we sit at.
When it comes to table settings, I’m a devotee of vintage style glamour. Setting my table with my eclectic collection of tableware from bygone eras.
My mother, who was a couture dressmaker in New York City before she met my father. Married. And became a wife and mother. Always believed that sitting down to a beautifully set table was one of the pleasures in life that cost very little. All it requires is a bit of styling!
In this respect, I am my mother’s daughter.
No bottles of ketchup or milk at my table. Everything goes into beautiful serving dishes and jugs from my life long collection of eclectic glassware. Silver ware. And ceramic ware. Before it reaches my table.
And paper napkins never see the light of day in my farmhouse.
When my friend sat down to brunch, she looked at the table setting and exclaimed . . . “Linen napkins! In silver napkin rings!! I’d be happy with just tissues!!! This is the lap of luxury!!!!”
In her life, there’s no time for ironing. Anything.
In my life, ironing is the gateway to luxury.
My partner, Victor Pleshev, the architect who designed the Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover for his mother to help her with her ironing when she was recovering from a stroke, and I, sit down to a formally set table every breakfast. Lunch. And dinner.
No bottles on the table. Only beautiful dinnerware. Glassware. Serving dishes. Silver plate cutlery. And crisply ironed linen or cloth napkins. Encased in sterling silver napkin rings.
There is nothing nicer than pulling out a beautifully ironed, crisp, thick napkin from its ring. And placing it in your lap. It really is the height of luxury.
I’m Second Hand Rose. Almost all of my beautiful glassware. Serving dishes. Crystal jugs and pitchers. Linen and cloth napkins. And sterling silver napkin rings. Come from charity shops. For a pittance of what they cost in retail stores.
Beautiful second hand linen and cloth napkins cost about fifty cents each.
And are very easy to care for.
A bucket of water with Napisan sits in my bathroom for the napkins to soak in before being laundered.
They hang out on my 1950’s original Hills Hoist in my farmhouse Hanging Garden to dry. Bleached by the sun.
And take less than 30 seconds each to iron to a beautiful crisp finish. While I inhale the sweet fragrance created by the heat of my steam iron when it meets each one of my napkins.
For me, this little bit of time – to create a luxurious experience at my table – every day – is worth it.
Ironing really is the gateway to luxury!
I am not only an Ironing Diva. But as one friend says, I am ‘The Queen’ when it comes to ironing.
~Carol Jones, Ironing Diva❤
I Am The Purveyor Of The Tantrum Free Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover And Other Goodies
Made with love and care in RURAL Australia by men and women who have a disability.
It’s not for everyone.
But it’s definitely for you if you’re fussy about the cover you iron on.
And if you love to support Australian made.
And want to put something back into the community when you make a purchase.
The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover cover has more than 350,000 customers in 29 countries. Because it lives up to its name. It ‘Fitz Like A Glove™’ every time you iron.
And these are the ‘Other Goodies’
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Or phone me, Carol Jones, in rural Australia on 02 63 588 511.
Photos of my rural property are courtesy of me, Ironing Diva – who is also known as Paddock Paparazzi – and taken at sunrise every morning.
My Farmhouse Table Set For Lunch. Homemade Bread. Juice. Tea. With An Omelette Warming In The Oven.
PS. And I have a fabulous newsletter ‘A Smidgen Of Gossip’. This is what a subscriber says about it. “Carol. Just had some time to read it and found that it is, as with everything you do, rather wonderful. A great read. W” You can subscribe to it by clicking this link. It’s FREE! This is not a lifetime commitment. You can Unsubscribe at any time. Don’t miss out. Click this link now!
Sunrise. This Morning. In The Paddocks.
