Come to a Meeting Entitled “Tablescapes”

 

It’s always a pleasure to have a tablescape to present with Susan and many of you bloggers when I have one to share.  If you haven’t visited Between Naps on the Porch, you are in for many hours of computer time!

 

 

 

Fifteen years ago my husband and I with our three daughters moved to the little community we still live in.  After traveling around with the AF for 20 yrs, it was fun to establish roots.  We moved into the same neighborhood as my husband’s brother and his family complete with five sons!  Connie and I have always shared many similar interest and I was thrilled to live close to her.  Our children loved it too.

Once we became settled she invited me to join her for a neighborhood craft group. These same ladies (with a few moving away and a few new joining) had met monthly for eight or so years before I came.  The hostess cleans her house while the co hostess comes up with a program and refreshments.  Through the years “crafts” became less of something we wanted to do and we would then come up with any sort of program one of us would think up.

 

This month Connie was hostess and I was her co.  Way back in July I suggested a Tablescape theme.  Loving dishes as much as me, her face lit up with the idea!!  We got together a couple of times and it was as if we were playing house with our dishes.  Connie is very creative, so  this was a great amount of fun for the two of us.  She wanted to have the meeting outside on her newly remodeled patio and landscaping.  It was a bit chilly, but we lit a fire in a little chimenea and with the glowing candles, it was the perfect atmosphere.  We even provided afghans, and of course cider and cinnamon/orange coffee.

 

The Safari look…

 

Soothing white…

 

Colorful and happy with her old cookie jar and a teapot her son had done in ceramics in jr. high.

 

A look that started off Christmas but we changed it to look more like everyday/winter…

 

With the month being September, we had to do a fall theme.

 

Close up of basket contents ~~

 

 

 

Here is our serving area with my favorite bronzed tray.  You can see the Tablescape book I purchased and displayed for people to browse through.

 

 

We read some points we thought would be helpful about beginning your tablescape.  The first point was “layer, layer, layer”.  I’ll share the rest with you some time soon.

 

Thanks Susan for this fun opportunity to share our love for dishes and allowing any of us to admire a pretty table.

Autumn Silk Show

 

I have been missing for awhile in case there might be one of you who noticed! ;)

 

Buried in my workroom filled to the brim with boxes and boxes of floral stems, pumpkins and colorful fall greenery, I have been creating one arrangement after the other for my fall show.  A lot of effort and time go into turning my home into a store for a few days.

 

 

This one is done in a lidded chest.

There was much concern for me because my 325 flyers that were sent out to my customer list had an error on it!  My heart dropped when the first person called saying she received my lovely invite but was confused!  I proofed the informative side of the invitation over and over but the address side was where the problem was and went overlooked by me AND my daughter who was helping me stick labels and stamps on.  The printers had accidentally left the date of my LAST year’s fall show at the bottom of the card on their computer, so there was an Oct. 2nd, 3rd and 4th date on one side, and the correct Sept. dates on the other.  I made sure to get everyone’s email address this time in case there is need to get a hold of my customers quickly in the future!

 

 

A different twist from a grapevine wreath ~~ fall lovelies on a magnolia leaf base.  This looked prettier in person.

 

 

Rich, vibrant colors…oh I just love them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

One lady bought both of these. I wish I had had more.

    

 

               

 

 

Guess what I’ll be doing October 2nd?  Opening my doors in case customers who only looked at the one side of the invite might show up!  If life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Isn’t that what they say?  Maybe I’ll end up selling a bit more.  It’s awfully nice to see the comforts of fall in my home once again….even though it is a bit much with so many arrangements!

 

 

It’s good to be back.  I’m anxious to check in with everyone to see what fun things you are doing. 

 

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you’ll stay awhile and say hello!    

When you least expect it!

 

Many of us follow Rhoda’s fabulous blog, Southern Hospitality for many reasons.  Mondays are especially a fun day to see the bargains she has scouted out in her area, mostly at garage sales.  It’s amazing how many darling things in her home have come from garage sales.

 

 

 

My most recent finds came from a couple of different places.  I was just about to leave my house when my friend Susan sent a text telling me if I was out and about I really should go check out this particular yard sale.  It was quite a distance from my home but I was going to my floral supply place and it wasn’t terribly far from this yard sale.  And plus ~~~ Susan said “It’s right up your alley, you WON’T be sorry!”  Sounds intriguing, huh?

 

So not giving much thought that I am very spur of the moment and don’t have a lot of will power, I purchased what I needed at the supply house ~~ a nice bundle of fresh six foot long crazy/wild curly willow and a good sized box of floral picks, some containers, some fall ribbon, silks, etc.  I opened up the back of my SUV ~~ realizing at this point I was still carrying around two good sized boxes of faux poinsettias I had purchased for our church.  I needed a key to the storage room where these were going and therefore, I had been driving all over town for days, toting these boxes around.  Do you know where I’m going with this?  My car was full, but only expected to find a plate or two at the sale.

WRONG!!

I had way too much fun at the yard sale!  PLUS!  It happened to be right across the street where my daughter works.  She recently rented an apt. she has been trying to decorate.  She’s had me on the lookout for a desk for her.  Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera along.  I wish I could show you ALL the temptations that were in store for me and Jamie.  This lady actually dealt in antiques and had decided it was time to get rid of a large amount of her treasures that she stored in her garage.

 

 

Jamie met me at the sale and spotted this old mirror for $10.  Yes, it’s rather shabby chic but we are thinking of painting it burndt orange and it will be oh so cute!  I did not get a picture of the vintage desk complete with newly replaced crystal door pulls and a shabby chic chair, slightly painted with an old needlepoint chair cushion.  CUTE!

I dropped it off at her apt. therefore, no picture.  Sorry.  Here’s a pitiful picture of the mirror.

 

 

The next group of pictures are things I found for me.  I believe this little pedestal table is actually a smoker’s stand.  The door pulls open and has beautiful detailing.

 

I found a fall pitcher that is so pretty.  I can’t decide if I should sell it with a fall faux arrangement or if I will keep it for myself!  The blue Christmas plate was Free! It’s an Avon plate dated with the year my oldest daughter was born.  I’ll give it to her.  The little bowl to the right was also free and matches thrift store dinner plates I have, so couldn’t pass it buy.

 

 

Couldn’t resist this little sugar bowl that also matches my dinner plates.

It was all quite a challenge fitting a desk, chair, small table, and a variety of odds and ends into my already filled SUV!  Oh, wouldn’t you know it, I was also carrying one grandchild’s car seat.  Luckily I didn’t have all three with me!  With careful packing and lots of help from the yard sale lady’s husband, it all fit.  I was nervous the curly willow would break, but it was so fresh, it was quite pliable.  Again, I wish I had had my camera so you could see the sight!

 

Next comes an item again through Susan!  She is really a good friend to me.  She was at an estate sale and told me about a nice coffee table that had started off at $180 and because it was the final hours of the last day, it had been marked down to $40!  She assured me it was cute and I could sell it in a garage sale if I didn’t like it.  I was really in need of a new one, so took her word for it.  As we were bringing it in, drawers separately, we saw the Drexel markings.  We thought it was a nice table, and this confirmed it.

 

I placed it on papers in my entry til I had a moment to clean it up.  CUTE??

 

Finally, below are my Friday’s finds at Goodwill.

 

There were only five of these plates at 99 cents each, but these are Ironstone dishes made in England by Johnson Bros.  I would love to find more.  Anyone know anything about these?  When I googled, it looks like they might be called “Independence”.

 

Here’s the back.  The flash causes it to be whited out.

 

 

On the same trip I found this gorgeous teapot set, complete with sugar and creamer!  Isn’t the shape really, really fun?  Just so interesting to me.

These don’t go with the set, but couldn’t resist adding to my cart….

 

 

 

 

Here they are all together:

 

 

 

It was a good week thrifting over on 47th Street!  Thanks for taking a look at my most recent bargains.

   THANKS, Rhoda!

Peachy AND Pretty AND Magical

 

 

 

Last weekend we celebrated my oldest grandson’s seventh birthday.  And while we adults enjoy a themed cake as much as the next person….

 

 

I wasn’t sure it was going to feed all 12?  (I lost track) little boys plus the adults.  Don’t mind the bottom left corner that looks like the baby sat on it.  And yes, it was a box mix.  If it helps, I made real, honest to goodness butter cream frosting that was finger lickin’ good.  Believe me, I tasted plenty of it!

 

There was actually a magician who came to the party and did some tricks that amazed this group of young boys.  I’ve never seen little boys so quiet ~~ at least while this nice man was performing!

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a shot of the cake before candles.  I think you can see the little hat better here.  The magic wand held a lighted feature just for effect. 

 

This should have been a very simple cake, but yet I had the hardest time with this.  I couldn’t find any great ideas by googling that didn’t have a rabbit coming out of a hat.  That reminded me too much of Easter and I didn’t like the idea of black frosting.  So, I did the best I could which turned out to be just okay.

 

Remember last week I told you I purchased a lug of Colorado peaches?  I decided to make a Peach Pound Cake for the adults and it is quite yummy.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Fresh Peach Pound Cake

 

1 cup plus 2 T. butter, softened

2 1/4 c. sugar

4 eggs

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. lemon flavoring

1/4 t. almond flavoring

3 cups all purpose flour, divided

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

2 cups chopped fresh peaches

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

dash ginger

*Grease tube pan with 2 T. butter

*Sprinkle pan with 1/4 cup sugar

*Cream remaining butter and gradually add remaining sugar; beat well

*Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each

*Add flavorings and mix well

*Combine 2 3/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt

*Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until well blended

*Dredge peaches with remaining 1/4 c. flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger; fold into batter

*Pour into prepared pan and bake at 325* for 1 hour and 10 minutes

*Remove immediately from pan and cool completely

 

Just because it looks so pretty, I dusted the cooled cake with powdered sugar.  I filled the center opening with gorgeous nasturtiums and chocolate mint sprigs from my garden.  The nasturtiums are edible, you know….however I couldn’t get anyone to try them.  Oh, as I was walking by the delphinium, I snatched a pretty piece of blue for contrast.  Isn’t it striking?

 

Thank you Michael for presenting Foodie Friday.  This is a day to print out many great recipes.  Go over now to Designs by Gollum to see for yourself!  :)