Beautiful, Beautiful Wedding!

Yes, it’s been awhile since you’ve heard from me.  There has been too much going on to keep up with blogging. 

Despite a threat from Hurricane Paula dancing around Playa del Carmen, the Cancun airport was opened back up and Paula visited Cuba instead!  What a relief!

 

Many, many workers pulled together to set up the gazebo and make sure everything went off without a hitch.  What a gorgeous setting this was for a wedding.

 

 

Here Jamie and I are sharing a moment together before the ceremony.  I’m sure we are saying

“We did it!”

 

 

 

Father of the Bride enters the room to whisk his Baby Girl away

 

Jamie and her sisters are taken through the pool area after all the guests are seated under the Gazebo.  Father and Mother of the Bride follow.  This was a fun moment as all the people by the pool were standing and cheering for the Bride.  :)

 

 

Almost to the altar now!

 

 

 

Introducing the new

Mr. and Mrs.

!!!

Doesn’t the resort almost look like this could have taken place in Italy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sisters of the Bride

 

 

Next comes the wedding reception back home this Friday night.

The fun continues!

I started out Looking for White Pumpkins….

Good Monday Morning!  My posts are getting further between as we are getting nervously close to my daughter’s wedding in Mexico!  Now I can say it’s next week! 

 

 

Now that we are in to October I am on the search for white pumpkins to use at the wedding reception that will be held back in our town the first weekend of November.  Not knowing how well they will keep, I have an ample supply of faux white pumpkins I’ve been collecting too.  My friend Susan spotted a pumpkin sign as she was driving quite a distance from our houses last week.  She called me and said they had some white ones!  So….I took a little road trip and lookie what I found!

This variety is called Blue Plate.

They do have just a slight hint of blue grey coloring.  I love the shape as some almost tend to be flatter and more of the Cinderella look.

 

 The farmer was honest and told me he didn’t know how well these would work by November as they tend to turn yellow.  As long as they don’t rot, I figured these could turn into glittered pumpkins or I might even be able to spray paint them a creamy white.

 

Here’s a wagon full of little pie pumpkins

 

 

Corn stalks and milo stalks for sale

 

If you look at the picture of the white pumpkins you will see fields behind.  I didn’t take my camera with me out there but we were allowed to walk out and pick other gourds, pumpkins, etc too. 

 

I got all these for FREE!!

Can you believe they didn’t charge even 3 for $1.00 or some little amount?

I picked up the little white ones to use in a clear glass cylinder vase.

Here is a close up of the Blue Plate Pumpkins

 

 

This warty thing was just too fun to pass up. I found it in the field.

$2.00!! 

 

My blue plate pumpkins were also $2.00.

 

They were really filthy from the field so Maggie and I went out to clean them.

I read where you shouldn’t saturate them with water, but to clean the soil off so bacteria isn’t sitting on the skin.

That’s better..

Wait!  The very nice farmer called me to say he was picking a different variety of white pumpkins that he would hold for me!

My daughter and grandsons went out yesterday to check this fun place out again!

 

Secretly hidden in this little Quonset the door opened up to more white pumpkins for my selection! 

I am beginning to think the white ones don’t get very big but they will be fine as centerpieces.

Also new were these little green ones. I actually think they are gourds. 

They look so “Martha”, don’t they?

My final picture to show you are these very large vertical pumpkins.

The picture doesn’t tell the story as the one on the left measures about 18” tall and about 13” wide.  The one on the right is just a bit smaller.

Guess how much?

$4.00 each!

The same for the little Cinderella  pumpkin in front.  I can’t believe his prices!

I feel better having found these pumpkins because they will be a big part of our decorations.  I will be sure to show you pictures later on.

If anyone has any hints on preserving pumpkins, I would love to hear.  Some say to spray with acrylic and some sites say not to.  I do know I will keep them inside so they don’t freeze in a cool, dark place.

Happy Pumpkin Shopping!

A Silk Arrangement Makeover

 

A designer brought over an older arrangement last week that was in desperate need of a makeover.  They still liked some of what was in it but it was “tired” and the container wasn’t right.

 

Before

 

 

In Steps the Classy Urn

 

Doesn’t an urn make everything right?

 

We went down to my workroom to look for a replacement for the calla lilies and to see what else we could find.

 

 

This could have been a possibility but the color wasn’t right and the flower was quite iffy for the arrangement as well.

 

Ah Ha!  The pitcher plant was a much better color and had that uniqueness that was needed for such an open arrangement.

 

Just curious….Do you like these?  My customers are very divided on this look.  Lots love them and some think they are quite strange looking.  I do love them and carry them in an assortment of colors and sizes.

 

 

Next we needed something for height.  I pulled out the dried up tall orchid leaves.

 

Oh….Nice!  These curly tall spikes were just what the Doctor Designer ordered.

 

I quickly went to work as they needed to pick up the new and improved version in a couple of hours and

Viola!

A new look!

 

I still used the bamboo sticks in the middle, the rattan orbs, the white flowers and the little round rust flowers.  I added new sheet moss, a little fern for drapeiness, the pitcher plants and the tall curly thingies.

 

Here is a closeup look

 

 

A fresh new look in a flash!

 

 

 

I am joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphis Monday.  It’s a great place to see a variety of makeovers. 

We Went Dancing 5,6,7,8

Do you and your Significant Other Dance?

 

 

 

 

Mr. Brown Socks and I met at a Dance.  It was a winter evening at the YMCA just after a High School Basketball Dance.  He picked me out of a line of Wall Flower girls.  I can still remember that moment, being the chosen one.   :)

To this day he loves to dance to the song “YMCA” and has requested it for Jamie’s wedding.

 

Funny thing is neither one of us have much for natural rhythm.  We used to just sway to the music, you know the look.  For years we would attend wedding receptions and be one of those couples who would just sit at the table watching others have fun on the dance floor, waiting for a slow song to be played.  Then we would sway….

That was until ten years ago.  Just before our oldest daughter got married we decided to take dance lessons.  We had so much fun we signed our daughters up for lessons with us (although they knew how to dance) along with our future son in law and Mr. Brown Socks’ brother and his wife.  We loved it and it became something we continued for several years.  Our favorite dance was East Coast Swing.  We also took lessons in Country Two Step, the waltz and a variety of other steps that we never really got very good at.  We decided it didn’t matter that we didn’t dance like pros.  It allowed us to dance at weddings with a smidgen bit of confidence instead of sitting and playing with the silverware.

 

Here we are caught in action at a family member’s reception

 

And our daughter snapped this of us tearing up the rug in her apartment

Last night we went to a local establishment which is Country oriented.  They offer a different lesson each Wednesday night.  We had gotten pretty good at the Stationary ChaCha for quite some time.  For a couple of years we didn’t do much dancing and we forgot the moves to this dance.  Last night was the Stationary ChaCha lesson.  In ten minutes we remembered it again and had fun stepping around to songs like Neon Moon. 

 

Oh yes, we might have looked pretty silly.  We didn’t have country boots.

I was wearing Mary Jane’s because I can keep them on my feet and Mr. Brown Socks was wearing brown loafers with his brown socks.

It didn’t matter.  We were out there having a good time doing something as a couple.

I would love to know if you dance or have taken lessons!

Please share your stories!

Coffee Talk

One of my favorite stores to visit in Chicago is Trader Joe’s.

I usually come home with a nice assortment of great finds from here.

The staff is so friendly and always quick to give you suggestions of something good and generously offering a free cup of coffee.

 

This time we asked some of his favorite choices for coffee.

Our request was for a full bodied coffee that was rich but not bitter.  One that would just go down smoothly but you could really taste the flavor.  He suggested Columbia Supremo.  Trader Joe’s coffees come as whole beans but they have a grinder right there by their cans which is very simple to operate.

 

I LOVE this coffee and will be buying it again for sure.  It’s just exactly what I asked for.

Do you like flavored coffees?  In the morning, I want my coffee simple…plain and black..nothing in it.

If I want a flavor it has to be at night and then not much of it.  Normally I don’t care for the flavored varieties because they almost have a perfumed taste to them.  :(

Hint for the day

Try placing a rounded teaspoon of powdered cinnamon on top of the grounds before brewing.  It gives the coffee just a hint of flavor.  Just enough that your guest will say, “what kind of coffee is this?”  Adjust the amount to your taste.

 

Another Hint:

Buy your cinnamon at TJMaxx for a great price!

 

Oh how I LOVE a GOOD cup of coffee!!

For some other great news ~~~~ we are getting a Trader Joe’s nearby just in time for the Holidays!

I’m doing the Happy Dance! :)

Hope you are doing the Happy Dance today too.  I’m going with one of my daughter’s for her bridesmaid’s dress fitting.

May all your coffee be good coffee!  Wish I could enjoy a cup with my Blogging Buddies!