5/30/13

My sink runneth over, a table for 2 and the Grand-daddy of all lilac festivals!

My sink runneth over....


You may have guessed by my previous post that I have a love affair with lilacs.
Ever since I can remember they were part of my life.
As a little girl, I remember my mom would always pick abundant bouquet's and fill our home with their sweet scent.

And as the saying goes, "you want to make hay while the sun shines"!
Because my sweet lilacs our on their last hurrah.
So I set a simple table for two.
Or there may be 3 of us since my little grand-daughter is coming out tonight.

My bargain lilac plates.
Purchased years ago from K-Mart.
$16 for a 20 piece set and they always come in handy
this time of year.


Of course the star of my table are my abundant lilacs.
Having a long, cold winter does have it's benefits.
Lilacs do best with prolonged periods of cold during the winter months.
That is why they don't do well below zone 7 or so.

Now if you truly love lilacs like I do, you may want to go to the biggest and most beautiful and grandest lilac festival around.
And where you say?

Well that would be Mackinac Island, Michigan.
They have a 10 day lilac festival each year.
And let my tell you it is grand!

And why not?
The Grand Hotel is there and they sponsor some of the events.
Such as a Grand luncheon lilac buffet, a Grand Hotel lilac tea and more.
This year, The Mackinac Island Lilac Festival runs from June 7-16.
Here is the breathtaking view you will see as you cross on the ferry to this magical place.


They have a horse drawn carriage Grand parade and even a lilac queen!
There are events galore.
For more information check out their website @
 or you can find them on facebook too.

Dan and I were there in the summer of 2008.
The lilac festival had just ended, but many of the lilacs were still looking good.
It's my dream to get back there this summer in time for the lilacs.
And I do have a plan...now I just need to tell my hubby about it.
Thanks for coming by,




I am joining:
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Oh the places I've been @ The Tablescaper
Be Inspired @ Common Ground


33 comments:

  1. Lovely lilacs. I don't ever see them in FL or MS. They must only thrive in cold weather. Beautiful tale with the perfect plates...Christine

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  2. Good luck with your plan!! You must have better influence than I do!!

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  3. They are so pretty - thanks for sharing them with us. I don't see them that often in may area.

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  4. Gorgeous table, love the lilac plates but the real lilacs I love even more! Thanks for the information about the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival. We love Mackinac Island and plan a trip there later this summer. Beautiful vacation spot!!!
    Hugs, Beth

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  5. Cindy!! I am back!! I took a couple of years off blogging to finish my doctorate. I am glad I came to see this post as lilacs are my favorite flowers. The first trip I will make after retirement will be to see these lilacs. How beautiful!!

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  6. Cindy, your lilacs are gorgeous!! I hope you do get back to the island this summer.

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  7. Wow Cindy, your lilacs are amazing and so beautiful. I hope you get to go to the festival, that sounds like such fun. Beautiful tablescape too, and what a find to come across lilac dishes. Beautiful. Hugs, Marty

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  8. those lilacs are beautiful...looks like spring has sprung in your neck of the woods...

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  9. I love Lilacs too! My mom and dad had two bushes in the yard where I grew up-I don't think I loved them as much then as I do now. They are prolific in our area of Colorado and I've got one bush but it didn't bloom this year and I'd love to get another. I would love to go to the Lilac festival-sounds heavenly.
    Have a great afternoon.
    Noreen

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  10. Hi,
    What a gorgeous settings.

    Lilacs is a fave @ D´BoX too though me & GH are sooooo allergics with the smell, still LILACS stand still at the backyard.

    ENjoy you w/end.

    Greetings from Stockholm,
    /CC girl @ D´BoX

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  11. Cindy, I could look at that photo of the lilacs over and over. It really needs to be in a magazine. Your table is so pretty, and I can't believe you got those plates from K Mart and for such a bargain price. They are perfect with your lilacs. I've never been to MI during lilac season, but since I loved it when I went, I can only imagine the love affair I'd have if I went during the Lilac Festival. laurie

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  12. Oh, my... The lilacs are gorgeous!! Beautiful setting too, but the lilacs caught my eye big time - haven't seen them since I was growing up in Sweden :) Greetings from Australia♥ ~Pernilla

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  13. Cindy- Those are my favorite Spring flowers! My girls used to go to the island every year for the lilac festival. It is just gorgeous there, isn't it? I have not been there in several years.
    I remember those lilac dishes from KMart and wish I had bought some back then-I just couldn't bearto buy one more set of dishes! lol Hope you are enjoying our SUMMER weather-We are under tornado watches here this afternoon- UGH- xo Diana

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  14. Cindy, I just love lilacs and your's are especially beautiful partly because they are so abundant. You table must smell so sweet you won't even need dessert! Thanks for your visit and kind comments. Dianne

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  15. That's it! I now know exactly when I want to visit. Mackinac Island literally sits atop my list of places in the US that I dream of visiting someday. Lilacs are an all time favorite flower of mine. They remind me of my childhood. Unfortunately, they don't grow this far south.

    I would absolutely LOVE to visit there during that festival. I'm so glad I read this post. Wonderful!

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  16. Ooh, I would love to visit that lilac festival. We have one in Rochester, NY that is quite nice also. I love your lilac plates!

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  17. Hi Cindy! Oh, I would love to go to Mackinac Island and that's on my bucket list! To see it at the time of the lilacs would be such a treat! Your table is so pretty too.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  18. Cindy, your lilacs lured me in to read your blog post... :) Pretty good, eh? Seriously though, what a delightful post about your love of lilacs! I was so excited to learn that there is a Lilac festival at the Mackinaw Island..I never knew that. That is one place I'm "DREAMING" of going to some day. It's just one of those larger than life places that must be SO fun and interesting to experience. So fun that you've been there. Thanks for a lovely tour of your love of lilacs tonight - I can nearly smell them after reading this tonight~ :)

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  19. Oh I would love to visit there. Plus I do love lilacs and the hotel looks like a place I would love to stay.

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  20. Also I am a first time visitor and now a follower. Nice blog, so glad I found you.

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  21. Thanks for telling us about the festival! I've always wanted to visit that area, and now I know when to go! Wish we could grow lilacs in Texas. I love your lilac plates -- so perfect for this pretty table!

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  22. Morning Cindy - what beautiful Lilacs - I only wish I could be around them...the scent is so strong and I get an allergic reaction to them...must be the oils in them that cause my eyes to burn and then the headaches start....

    Your special plates are just lovely and they make a beautiful tablescape along with the touches you added.

    We were just talking about a trip over to Mackinac Island this summer - we live so close but yet so far.

    Blessings,
    Karen

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  23. I am so jealous. We have always had tons of lilacs everywhere until we moved here. Now, I don't see nearly as many and our one little bush just can't seem to produce more than a few blossoms. We will be in Michigan the week after the festival and are also hoping to enjoy some of the remaining beauties!

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  24. Gorgeous! Mackinac Island has been on our travel list. Looks like the perfect spot for a summer retreat.

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  25. Love your table...the lilacs are wonderful! We have a California lilac...not near as showing...but it smells delightful! Have a great weekend!!

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  26. Your table looks beautiful...what a find those plates were! I love the fact that you have different shades of lilacs too...I only have the one bush here and miss the blooms already. It's all so fleeting!

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  27. Wasn't that hotel in the movie "Somewhere in Time?" It looks so familiar!

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  28. I thought the very same thing that Wsprsweetly of Cottages...I am almost positive that IS the Grand Hotel in Somewhere in Time.

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  29. I just googled...and it IS the very hotel used in the movie. How cool is that!!

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  30. I love lilacs but I can't bring them inside due to allergies. Your table looks fabulous with the big bunch of lilacs in the center of your lilac china.

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  31. Oh I too love lilacs. My grandmother had a few wonderful plants in her front yard. Such a dreamy scent!

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  32. Cindy, I sure miss lilacs from living in PA, Ohio, and MI. There's nothing like the scent of them. We don't have them, unfortunately, in Texas. I love your Kmart lilac plates, too.

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  33. BEAUTIFUL! I love lilacs and planting a lilac alley at our place. Being in the Southern Hemisphere we have a bit more of a wait before they bloom.

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Welcome,
I would love to hear from you. Come back and visit anytime. Warmest Wishes, Cindy