Autumn Table

WOW! I don't know about you, but it's been a crazy, busy week for us. Our little grandson had surgery, but, thank God, he is doing well. I haven't had time to post or visit anyone much this week, but I did want to show you the fall bridal shower table after we added the food and made a few changes.

If you follow my blog (and if you don't, you should, hehe!), you would have seen the table after I set it, but before the food was placed on it. To catch up, you can see the previous post here.
You may have noticed I changed the centerpiece from before. I thought it would be nice to have fresh flowers.
Be sure to check out a future post and I'll show you how I put these burlap filled daisy arrangements together.

Remember the tiered cake plates? Here they are with a variety of cupcakes including One Perfect Bite's Pumpkin Cupcakes.

And here's the chocolate covered pretzels I told you about. Got the idea from Cozy Kitchen by the Sea and Our Family Attic.

Do you remember the pumpkin dip recipe I gave you? Here it is, served with green and red apples and gingersnaps.

Mixed nuts with candy corn mixed in.

I served an Autumn Spiced Punch from the kitchen bar. I'd love to share this recipe and how I made the ice ring with you in a later post.

And here's a view of the whole table before we gobbled it up. :) We arranged the gifts in another room on top of our piano. The bride-to-be's grandmother was so gracious to send fresh flowers for the shower and they were perfect on the gift table.

Yes, I know this next photo is not a table setting, but I just had to show you this photo below anyway. A few of our guests put this gift together for the bride and groom. Isn't this a great idea?!

I really feel like this shower was a success. What makes for a success anyway, if not, making people happy, bringing old friends together, and making memorable moments for all.

I have some great friends who helped with this shower. We've all been friends for years. I'm kinda reminded of the movie Steel Magnolias when I think of these friends. Do you know what I mean? :)

Which reminds me of the quote from the movie, It's a Wonderful Life -

"Remember, no man is a failure who has friends."

I'm linking this post with Tablescape Thursday and Foodie Friday.

An Autumn Open House

“Bittersweet October.

The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking,

perfect pause between the opposing miseries

of summer and winter.”

~Carol Bishop Hipps

Someone once said,

"Never be the first to arrive at a party

or the last to go home

and never, never be both!" ooops...

...wish someone had told us that before this party. ;=)

But the setting was so pretty and inviting...a perfect place on an autumn day.

and the food was so abundant...

...delicious...

...colorful... ...attractive... ...and sweet!

"Life may not be the party we hoped for,

but while we're here we should dance."

~author unknown Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbor's noisy party than being there.

~Franklin P Jones

{Trust me. They were all there.}
"At a party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely."

~ William Somerset Maugham "Life moves pretty fast.

If you don't stop to look around once in a while you could miss it."

~From the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off "I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party

because it means I have been surrounded by friends."

~Nancie J. Carmody

They were definitely surrounded by friends!!

Congratulations, Double M!

BTW, there's more to see of this delightful fall afternoon here.

And here's to other gracious hostesses, Susan at Tablescape Thursday and Mary at Mosaic Monday. I'm so grateful to them for hosting these parties every week so we can all show our stuff!

Spend the afternoon - NO REALLY!

Annie Dillard said,

"Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you. "

And that's just what we did at our friends open house/wedding reception last weekend. I'd love to share a few photos with you at White Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday.

The cake on the greet table was the cake Mike had made to propose to his lady. Isn't he romantic, girls?
Many of their friends came to wish them well.
Oh, I just had to throw in this photo of the man of the hour and my hubby. Hubby doesn't dress up too often so I wanted proof that he actually does sometimes. Now tell me, don't they look like models in a Sears catalog?! HA!

And here's the lady of the hour doing last minute preparations. By the way, she made all the tasty buffet items herself and everything was simply wonderful.

Wasn't this setting in their backyard breathtaking ?

Everyone had a great time...

young...

and young at heart!
Come by tomorrow and I'll show you the gorgeous buffet and beautiful tablescapes.

BTW, you can see what I gave them here and get some gift-wrapping ideas for yourself. You know, Christmas is just around the corner. EEEK!

cabbage filled spinach dip

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song

above hoarded gold,

it would be a merrier world."

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy
Food, Fun, and Festivities!

Tasty Cabbage Patch

Blend:
one envelope of dry vegetable soup mix
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp lemon juice
10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
1 can (8 oz) chopped water chestnuts, drained
Chill. Makes 3 cups dip
Serve with chips or raw vegetables.

mmmmm mmmmm good!


Be sure and check out the others at Jen's Tasty Tuesday's and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday!

Two by Two

Mignon McLaughlin said,

“In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything,

and two minus one equals nothing”

Who would argue that two is not better than one?

Didn’t God send two by two into the ark?

Yep, three’s a crowd...

But two's company!

If you see two whale sprays...

you can believe there's two whales down under.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.” Ecc. 4:9

Sigh...Didn't see two live bears, so these will have to do.

"No matter how big the sea may be, sometimes two ships meet."

~ Chinese Proverb

"Never go on trips with anyone you do not love." ~ Ernest Hemingway

"Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter." ~ Izaak Walton

But our traveling friends, M & M, began our journey with a new meaning for TWO!

Little did we know before we left on our journey

that we would be joining our friends on their HONEYMOON!

Congratulations M&M and here’s wishing you many more happy voyages

and always gentle sailing through life!

"Life is a journey, and I'm so glad we're traveling together!

Life's hard journey can be endured if we travel hand in hand.

Two hearts, two minds, two lives - one never-ending love.

What greater thing is there for two human souls

than to feel that they are joined for life."

~ George Eliot