A new Advent Tablescape

Well, it is still Advent, so I just changed up a few things on my Tablescape.


I used a larger Advent wreath that I found at Salvation Army last week.
Used my grandma's crystal candlesticks
I switched the plates (the bottom says Chippendale) $10 from Salvation Army (the Salvation Army is WAY too close to my house!)
I put this little gift boxes in my grandma's candy dish, and put some poinsettias around the pillar candles

I found the silver candlestick on the left below- I put a pillar on it, added the glittery Christmas trees, and put a nifty bell (really a door hanger) in the gravy boat

Close up of silver candlestick
I put some Christmas balls in my fav fruit bowl
Hope you enjoy! Love reading my comments! Thanks! Check out www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com for some beautiful tablescapes!

A Wedding Tablescape!

I liked my Advent Table from last week so much, that I decided to keep it and this week I am posting pics of a wedding that I catered back in the summer. I worked with my daughter, son in law and hubby and we had a great time!

This first picture was the punch and tea table note the "chocolate covered" strawberries (hersey kisses!) I think I got more compliments on the cheese ball than anything else!

On this table we have pinwheels (my idea, son in law's creation), Shrimp cocktail, pasta salad and sweet and sour meatballs.

Here we have bread basket, bread dip, chicken salad, watermelon basket (complete with a little heart!) and a veggie tray.
The total buffet.
The bride, Mrs. L was happy, so that made us happy. She is the daughter of one of my longtime friends.Here is a close-up of some of the food (food makes the best decorations, huh?)

The first is egg salad (doesn't sound too exciting, but there were no leftovers of that!)
Here are the yummy pinwheels- we had them again for pre- Thanksgiving dinner munchies.We had some beautiful strawberries and son in law cut the pineapple- so pretty and good!Thanks for looking! Just thought I would share something a little different this week. Be sure and check out www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com for some beautiful Tablescapes! Thanks, Susan for hosting this fun event! I have been having such fun not only decorating my table, but just looking at it all week. God Bless!

A Blessed Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to write a little about the blessings of my 2009 Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful day! Don't get me wrong, it is a lot of work, but wouldn't be Thanksgiving without that. Over the last few years, our Thanksgivings have rather gone through some transformations. Once the birdies fly the nest, things get interesting, don't they? Two years ago, our youngest daughter was married 4 days before Thanksgiving, so she was away on her honeymoon, so we traveled to our oldest daughter's house for Thanksgiving after having a early Thanksgiving with my husbands side of the family the day before so we could have dinner with his sister, who came from Houston to attend the wedding. Last year, we had some sickness go through the family, so the holidays were yet again a little different. We went to my nephew's house for Thanksgiving Day, and we ended up having Thanksgiving over a week late with our immediate family!
This year,we had such a wonderful day, all my kids, their spouse/spouse to be and my little JR (where he is, is where I am going for the holidays!). What I love, is how we all get along so well- the kids, the inlaws, all JR's grandparents! We had a blast. The families have gotten so big, that we will not ever get to be with everyone, but we have all split off to enjoy our own Thanksgivings! We occasionally do early celebrations to "get everyone in"! Why limit the holdiday to just a day, right?
There is always so much to be thankful for faith, family, friends, a home, food, our jobs, our health. Hope everyone had a wonderful day!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him Above Ye Heavenly Host, Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen

An Advent Tablescape!

I decided to celebrate Advent with my new tablescape. I put some Christmas wreath around my advent candles.



I like to celebrate the anticipation of the Lord's coming! Candles are one of the best ways!
I played around with the lighting and the settings on my camera- happy with how the pictures turned out.
The little angel reminds me of my grandson!! The face is a deadringer!
I bunched up the tablerunner- liked the effect. The little egg shape in the advent wreath is a miniature manger scene.

I had taken all the pics, when I thought- I am going to add a little more color- added the flowered china salad plates The cool napkin rings were given to me by my sister!This is the last pic of the tablescape! I think it is my fav so far (aren't they all?)
Check out www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com for more great tablescapes!

Food, food and more food!!

Let me tell ya- it is nice having a full, and I do mean FULL freezer. How many people live in this house? Well, now I have enough for a small army. Why do I have so much food even though there are only 3 of us here now? About 3 or 4 years ago, I began a slow journey of trying to eat better. (Always had an interest in natural, organic food but-- I am really a junk food junkie at heart). Anyways, I got involved in several co-ops and it just so happens that chicken, beef and turkey co-ops were in the last few days. (Who would have thought that making your own bread would lead to all this?) We never know when an order is going in, so I buy as much as I can. ((Just one turkey for Thanksgiving). So, I bought 30 lbs of natural chicken breast, 5 whole chickens and at the last minute we got a deal on whole roasters $1.05 a lb!! I got 8 more). The beef order (grass fed fairly local) I had originally passed up, but someone backed out of the order and I took their part 1/4 of a small cow- about $4.00 a lb. So, I am stocked! It is nice to know I don't have to worry about food for awhile- just electricity!! Now, I am going to concentrate on stocking up on other things- I just think it is a good idea to get the best price on things that you use constantly. Another challenge- I have to really, really get better at menu planning and not being lazy about cooking!! I sometimes just get so tired of cooking and cleaning up (no dishwasher) but hubby has been helping me a little more- love the no dishes in the sink action, and let's face it- nothing is better than waking up to a clean kitchen- so that keeps me going and really- it doesn't take that long when you think about it. After picking up my turkey at my friend, Chris' house (she is the super duper co-op queen! Thanks, for all the hard work, Chris!) I stopped at Publix for my husband and decided to go ahead and get my Thanksgiving stuff. I really don't feel like spending any more money on food for a looonnngg time!