Thursday, October 27, 2016

A Guest Halloween Setting

With Halloween approaching, I must confess--I didn't put up my decorations this year.  I know, not like me, but it just seemed to get here before I knew it.  So today, I am showing my cousin's decorations (actually from last year, but don't tell, no one will know the difference) and they look quite cute. 

This cute little cupboard is all decked out for the big night.  When Halloween is over, she merely turns the jack-o-lanterns around so the faces don't show, and they are just pumpkins, which can go on until after Thanksgiving!

 This beautiful fall arrangement sits on her round table in the living room.
The dining room sideboard is decorated with fall leaves, mercury glass pumpkins, and a cute little witch. 
 The centerpiece on the table makes a stunning presentation with lots of gourds, pumpkins, leaves, etc.
 The fireplace mantle is all lit up, with orange, purple, and green lights, a fall garland, and other Halloween decor.  The wreath on the mirror is adorable.
 The mercury glass pumpkin reflects the light, which in part is due to this mirrored tile.  Cute little votives!
 With six grandchildren, she always seems to have great help from one of the girls!
This is a closeup of the arrangement from the dining room.
 A jack-o-lantern dressed up for the occasion.
And lastly, an old vintage book, that was hers when she was a little girl!  Man, that thing must be ancient! (LOL)

Time to peace out.  I'm thinking ahead to Christmas.  Thanks for stopping by!  If you haven't seen my Halloween post, A Ghoulish Setting, click here.

Happy Halloween!!

Thursday, September 29, 2016

A Setting for Fall

It's that time of year again.  I am seriously mourning the end of summer.  The cooler temps are welcome, and I know fall is a favorite time of year for some folks.  Although I am happy to see the temps drop a bit, I will miss the bbq's, the beach time, and a busy social calendar.  

And, of course, how could I talk about fall without mentioning the upcoming election.  Don't worry, I will not preach about this candidate or that, as I believe my opinion will not sway anyone at this point.  All I can say is this:  let's all remember the golden rule whoever wins.  Good manners and kindness will go a long way in making this country great again and I believe that it begins with each and every one of us, the people of the good ole US of A.  So carry on your table conversations, but do so with kindness and consideration for others in mind.  A great debate leads to great ideas, but hatred and violence lead us down a path that will lead to nowhere fast.  

So today, here is a comforting tablescape, designed with a transition from end of summer to fall in mind!

A fall garland entertwined with candles and mini pumpkins are used as a centerpiece.  Grapevine gives texture and visual interest.
Place settings are from Pottery Barn a few years back.  
Adding other elements into your fall garland, such as this hydrangea, give a full, rich look
By using a brown dinner plate, the white salad plate and soup tureen become the stars of the show.
This tablescape is pretty simple and quick to set.
Amber colored stems add to the feeling of fall.




The candles add a glow which envoke a feeling of warmth on a chilly, rainy evening.
The soup is on, so let's all come to the table.



Welcome, fall!  Good-bye summer!  We will see you again soon.  

Thanks for stopping by!  

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

A Bridal Tea

My daughter was recently asked to be a bridesmaid in the wedding of one of her dear friends.  She and two of the other bridesmaids decided to kick off the wedding events with a bridal tea.  Since my daughter lives in New York, and the other girls live and work here in the Richmond area, she asked for my help.  Of course being the wonderful mother that I am, I agreed.  

The girls met and planned what they wanted to do.  They decided on the pink and gold color scheme, and an early afternoon tea.  So with about a week to go, I pulled out some accoutrements, and started to stage the centerpiece for the tables.  I decided to use a silver tea set, silver candlelabras with candlecups for flowers, and stacked teacups.
The day arrived and the girls came over early to help set up.  We snapped this picture while still setting the table with plates, glasses, and the centerpiece.  Minutes after this picture was taken, buckets of rain came down, and even though we had canopies set up, everything was soaked.  We had a decision to make.  Take a chance that the rain would stop, or bring the event in.  We all wanted it to be outside, but it just wasn't worth the chance.  Problem was we only had two hours to re-set everything inside, get the food prepared, shower and dress.  Not enough time, so the girls called all the guests and asked them to come an hour later.  Luckily, that worked out.
We threw everything in the dryer, ironed some of the napkins, and set up my kitchen table with a leaf.  It was a little crowded, but no one seemed to notice.
 Yes, everything would have been much prettier outside, but you can't control the weather.  It still looked pretty, with the pink and white flowers, gold trimmed vintage glasses, and all the teacups.
 I used the gold paper doilies instead of chargers to save space, and white vintage plates trimmed with gold.
 We decided the pink tulle table runner looked best for a romantic, vintage feel.
We used a variety of teacups and pearls.

 Party favors were cellophane bags filled with loose tea from "Alice's Tea Cup" in New York, and a Chocolate Chip scone.  We placed these in the cups and saucers at each place setting.
 The girls had a drink before eating, and the choices were Sweet Tea Sangria, Suicide Tea, Fruit Infused Water, Strawberry Lemonade, and regular Iced Tea.
 I used glass candle holders as bases for the stacked teacups.

 For flowers, I used hydrangeas from my yard, pink roses, pink and white carnations, and baby's breath.


 We set up the food table in the dining room with a long white cloth topped with a pink floral cloth.
 The menu consisted of tea sandwiches--cucumber and pimento cheese, ham biscuits, caprese bites, cheese straws, and strawberry/blackberry spinach salad.
 Part of the centerpiece was this cloche filled with stacked cups, and small vases filled with flowers.


We set up desserts on the island.  We had rainbow cookies, brownie bites, 
 candy-dipped rice krispy treats,
Cheesecake filled strawberries, different types of banana bread, pound cake, and of course cupcakes.
Can't believe I don't have a picture of the cupcakes, but they were delicious.

 Desserts also included scones and macaroons.
 The girls decorated the family room with "tea" type accessories.

Hope you enjoyed our Bridal Tea.  The pictures would have been lovely if we could have set up outside, but everything turned out ok in the end.

Thanks for visiting!

Hugs,
--Betsy