Scooping up the table linens, she handed them to me with a "Here darling, they are D. Porthault, they were my mother's." I glanced at my mom for approval. Attending a luncheon with my mom was a treat for a nine year old. Never before had I been invited to come with her. Delighted, I was taken in by the beautifully laid tables, the flowers in vases, the smartly dressed women, and the linens covered in flowers, it was thrilling. The colors, lovely! "It's alright, I want her to have them. It is nice to have someone admire them again." With a nod from my mom, "Thank you," was my reply. On the drive home, I looked again at the top two, pausing a moment before I thumbed through the rest, I could not have been happier with the pile of flowers on my lap.
Tory Burch's new line of Jardin Linens, reminded me of my first luncheon. Softly touching the place setting before me, I had told the hostess they were pretty. I am not sure what became of them. Maybe they were in the box that was temporarily housed in storage while we were moving. We came one morning to find it had been broken into. Maybe, I just don't know. Searching the other day on eBay to see if any listed D. Porthault linens were the ones in my memory...flowered...outlined in pink or was it fuchsia, some green ...maybe some blue with a white background, but nothing looked familiar. The colors, the pattern, are both a bit hazy, and I am not sure I remember either correctly. Nor did I see anything that looked similar to my memories. But I do remember the gracious, generosity of a smartly dressed hostess, and a wonderful arm full of printed flowers.
When hosting your next luncheon, and a little girl tells you your linens are pretty, bundle them up and give them to her before she leaves. Or better yet, order a set of linens from Tory Burch and send it to her. It's such a nice memory.
