FLOWER LUNCHEONS

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Daisy Luncheon.—Just before luncheon the hostess may crown each guest with a wreath, which she has prepared by tying the blossoms on circles of fine wire.

In the centre of the luncheon-table have a large bunch of blossoms and also a few scattered carelessly over the table. Trim the edge of the table with a chain of daisies, looped up here and there. At each corner have a large bow of ribbon, either white or of three colors, yellow, green and white.

Serve only light refreshments. Yellow and white ices served together would be pretty. By all means have your cakes cooked in patty-pans. Ice the little cakes with chocolate, and on top of each have a life-size daisy. Any amateur can make this decoration successfully. Boil your icing thick and squeeze it through a small funnel made of thick writing-paper in order to make the long, narrow, white petals of a daisy. Reserve a small portion of the icing and tint it bright yellow for the centres. The effect will be quite pretty.

After refreshments are served supply each guest with a sheet of paper and a tiny pencil with a ribbon bow at the end (these pencils can be purchased for a cent apiece). Announce that the guest who draws the most natural daisy will be awarded a prize. Distribute the blossoms for models. Pin all of the papers upon the wall and let the guests decide which is the most lifelike flower. Award a pretty book to the one who succeeds best and a booklet of pressed flowers to the second best.

Buttercup Luncheon.—A very effective arrangement of buttercups for a luncheon is here suggested. It must be remembered that this flower closes at night and therefore is not suitable for an evening decoration. In the centre of the table arrange a circle of large rock ferns, and in the circle thus made place an inverted round pudding-dish, surrounding it with a large wreath of buttercups. Place the wreath so that half of each fern leaf will project beyond the buttercups. On the pudding-dish, the sides of which are hidden by the wreath, place a fern-dish full of growing ferns, and almost hidden among them a green glass vase filled with buttercups and grasses. This same idea may be carried out with daisies.

Ox-Eyed Daisies may be used for a luncheon-table decoration very effectively. In the centre of a round table, arranged to seat eight people, place a mound of daisies and mountain ferns and have a rope of daisies running from each plate to the centre. The ends of the ropes may be hidden in the mound.

Violet Luncheon.—In the centre of a table stand a large cut-glass bowl on a violet embroidered centrepiece. Fill this bowl with smilax and pink carnations. In the centre of the bowl place a tall green glass vase and make it secure by passing four lengths of ribbon crossed over the top of it, fastening the ends on the edge of the centrepiece with little bows. In the green vase place eight bunches of violets. From each bouquet run violet baby-ribbons ending in a little bow at each place. This will make a number of ribbons resembling a May-pole. After the luncheon each guest may unfasten the little bow at her place, give the ribbon a jerk, and draw a bunch of violets. The ribbons passing over the top of the vase will hold the vase firmly in place.

Apple-Blossom Luncheon.—For this use blossoms which are but half blown. Place branches of them in glass bottles full of water and fasten with wires to the backs of the pictures in the dining-room. The sideboard should be covered with great branches put in tall cut-glass vases and low silver bowls; the mantel banked, and in the corners of the room tall Japanese jars filled with great spraying branches. In the centre of the table may be placed a vase filled with pure white cherry blossoms. The candlesticks should be shaded with white and silver. Back of a screen at each end of the room a lamp may be set to give a brilliant light to the flowers on the wall, without the glare of the lamp being visible.

Pansy Luncheon.—A pretty and an original way to decorate a table with pansies when one has quantities of these flowers is to place in the centre of the table upon a glass salver an old-fashioned glass fruit-bowl on a pedestal. Fill the fruit-bowl and salver with white cornmeal which has been well soaked in cold water, and in this insert the pansy stems. They should be placed as thickly as possible. Around the outer edge of the salver have a border of maidenhair fern. An oblong glass dish arranged in a similar manner may be placed at each end of the table. If desired little dishes arranged in the same way may also be used.

"Rainy-Day Luncheon."—This is certainly an original idea. Place an old umbrella frame vertically in a fernery and twist smilax around the frame and down each spoke. At the base of the fernery make a bed of violets as large around in circumference as the umbrella. At the luncheon hour hide a small lump of ice in the smilax at the end of each spoke, allowing it to melt and drip on the violets. This makes a pretty decoration for a luncheon, particularly if wild violets can be procured.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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