Today, I am thankful for...

Ooh boy, I've not been thankful since last Wednesday! Ooops. There was a lot for which to be thankful. My friend Stacey, with whom I had a fabulous lunch and then spent the day on Saturday. We crafted and had a blast.. So totally thankful for Stacey.

And I had my BSF leader's meeting way too early on Friday morning. But so thankful that I am part of the group. So awesome.

And today, well that pile of leaves got even bigger and it was drizzling... and still our son got them off the patio. So thankful these leaves provided shelter from the blistering sun this past summer and so thankful for this young man. You rock Michael!
...counting the days till I can be thankful for leftovers! are you?

Fall has certainly blown in!

We had a bit of a cold front come through. I think it froze Saturday morning. Think, because I didn't really pay attention. Although we did go out for breakfast.. and I didn't think it was that cold.

Today I brought in some oak branches. Some had begun to change color. Here in Lubbock, it's leaves one day, yellow the next and on the third day they are on the ground. It certainly does seem that fast. Seriously. Coffee table accessories - Pottery Barn.

I especially love hos this turned out. The coloring in the leaves is wonderful. I also love how sparse this is. You can really see the shape of the branches. Confession, I did have to give the cooler a quick cleaning!

I leave you today with this quick tribute to a favorite holiday.. Halloween.. Boo y'all!

Autumn has arrived y'all!

“Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.”

William Cullen Bryant

 "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

Albert Camus

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."

Emily Bronte

 "Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

George Eliot

"Summer is already better, but the best is autumn. It is mature, reasonable and serious, it glows moderately and not frivolously...It cools down, clears up, makes you reasonable..."

Valentin, Finnish writer

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."

Elizabeth Lawrence

Autumn - my favorite time of year. Each leaf is a visual reminder of God's perfect creation. Mums. my birth flower. I didn't like them much until recently. Have their colors become more radiant? Or have I learned to love their beauty? Two strays enjoying the warm rays of sunshine in my planter on top of the ivy that I've cultivated so diligently. It's okay. Have a blessed week.

Fall is in the Air tablescape

Fall is my most favorite season of the year. The nights are cool, the days warm. No dust storms. No hail, high winds or tornados. And I think it has the most glorious colors. And since this fabulous season is just starting, I'm easing in slowly... Oh yeah, we are on the new table!!

It is the best season for eating outdoors. Bar none. Of course, I'm taking you there with me.

 While I was setting the table, I thought that using napkins folded and placed end to end made the perfect narrow table runner. I do love the way it looks, providing a wonderful backdrop for the sunflowers and candles.

I used my most loved hand-blown cocktail glasses for our appetizer. They are also perfect for a chilled soup. Then I pulled out Mikasa's gorgeous Daylight salad plates. A wooden dinner plate from Hawaii rests on top of the Mikasa Daylight charger. I absolutely love the color of green that Mikasa chose for this set!

I love how the wood plate gave enough definition between the charger and salad.

Both the wine and the cocktail have the same pattern, in different sizes of course, I picked mine up in Santa Fe, NM; however, I have seen similar ones on-line. Maybe Napa Style? Maybe somewhere else?

I feel so blessed when we are able to sit outside. We've done a bit of patio repair, reseeding grass, removing excess trees and just preparing for the influx of plantings that will happen in the fall and then again in the spring.

Yeah, I know, I could have avoided yet one more blooper.. can you spot it?

Both the lanterns and the centerpiece vase have the same look. These are offset by more sunflowers in smaller white vases.

I just keep reaching for this bamboo flatware over and over again. You know, at first I really wanted the lighter bamboo, but "settled" for the dark... Now, I'm really glad that I "settled".

 

Both the napkins and napkin rings came from Pier One. Both were on sale, of course at different times. 

Thank you so much for dropping by. I love your company and hope you had a good time.

Cast:

Chargers & salad plates - Mikasa Daylight

Teak dinner plates - Hawaii

Cocktail and wine hocks - Cielo, Santa Fe, NM

Bamboo Flatware - Horchow

Napkin rings & Napkins - Pier One

Hurricanes and vine encased bowl - TJ Maxx

White bowl vases - Tuesday Morning

I'll be joining

Cuisine Kathleen for her most fabulous Let's Dish party on Wednesday

and Susan's Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

Cya there!

Fall Lantern

I figured that with fall just a few hours away, it was high time to put some fall decor out.

First I had to decide on what to do. Lantern came to mind. I had been outside for a bit, then moved inside and was lacking personality, to say the least. Those two candles in there are battery powered candles that have a timer. Love, love, love those. When set to timer mode, and you turn them on, they stay on for 5 hours. Shut themselves off and then come on again 19 hours later. All on 3A batteries. Now tell me that isn't just the coolest!!!  Then I gathered the things you see here. In the bottom left is a piece of cedar block. The silver glittery acorns came from our local grocery store. The larger, rust colored acorns are from Pottery Barn. The little pumpkins.. Hobby Lobby?  Note that the lantern has two hollowed circles in which to place the candles. We are going to pretend they are not there.

I felt that there was color lacking, so I whacked off some fall leaves from a garland. Not to worry, it came from the Dollar Tree, so it's perfect to demolish. I tried this out...

...but settled for this. If you want the husks on dried corn to manipulate easily, just place them in some water for about 5 minutes. Remove, drip dry a bit and then shape the husk to your liking.

Love the combination of the rustic cornhusk pumpkin with the glam of the flashy Pottery Barn acorn.

This was the end result. I would NEVER put anything flammable near an open flame, but battery powered candles are the best when it comes to decorating. If for only this one purpose!!

Hope you are ready to welcome fall into your life.. it's just around the corner. My favorite season. Bar none.
Have a blessed weekend filled with happiness and joy.

A Gilded Tapestry Tablescape

A gilded tapestry - the rerun

first published 11/16/2010

It started with the tapestry. Made these to mimic some I saw in Santa Fe. Quite simple: Buy the fabric. Cut the fabric. Sew a tiny zigzag stitch around all sides about 1/4" inside the raw edge. Fray the edge.

First layer of gild: a charger backed in gold.

 

A white dinner plate.

 

The second layer of gild: a salad plate undercoated in gold.

 

A beautiful stack. Damask napkins in wooden napkin rings.

A crystal basket for the centerpiece.

 

Spider mums and some fitzer branches off of the shrubs outside.

A favorite that just seems to fit the season - rosewood handled brass flatware.

 

Mikasa water goblet with a golden hued wine goblet,

Create a gilded tapestry on which the setting sun works its magic.

 

 

 

 

 

 Cast:

Large chargers - I've seen these at Pier One too, Tuesday Morning

Wedgwood Windsor dinner plate

Gold backed salad plates of unknown (can't remember) origin a decade ago

Rosewood handled brass flatware - gift from Mom

Mikasa Parklane water goblets

Golden water goblets - Stein Mart

Candlesticks - TJMaxx recent purchase

Damask napkins - family heirlooms

Tapestry fabric - Hobby Lobby

Wood and brass napkin rings - Stein Mart

I'm extremely thankful you dropping in today, I can't wait to read your comment.

I'm incredibly thankful for the sun that shines, for the rain that falls, for the snow that blankets, for the leaves that need to be raked!

I'm joining the hostess with the mostest - Susan and her eye-candy rich Tablescaping Thursday party and also to the fabulous Style Sisters for their centerpiece Wednesday! . Be sure to take some time and go see all the beautiful table settings awaiting your perusal. See you there!!!