Announcing a GIVE-AWAY for My 8th Blogiversary!!!

Several weeks ago I was blessed to gather a few close friends around the games table in the living room for an easy going luncheon. I call it one of my dine and dash renditions because I think we all have those times when everyone is running in a thousand different directions. Still, it's nice to stop for even a short respite to have a bite to eat and spend some time, however brief, with your favorite people. This was one of those days. Lunch consisted of chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad, and broccoli salad, all served on the kitchen counter from their refrigerator storage containers. Regardless, it was a precious time filled with cherished moments, and sometimes that's the most we can ask. We're about to grab our plates and head into the kitchen.  I'll grab another place setting just for you, so please, you're invited to come on in and join us at the table. I hope you're plenty hungry!!

The centerpiece consisted of one of my favorite jardinieres and flowers left over from a luncheon earlier in the week.  Centerpiece...check. As so often happens, I was in the mood for something blue and white...

The Williams-Sonoma Sofia dinner plate perched happily on my Anna Weatherly cobalt charger.

The Williams Sonoma Sofia Boat luncheon/salad plate was made available for anyone who cared for dessert...today it was a yummy slice of coconut cake.

Many of you are no stranger to my Pier One pearlized pink goblets. Today they were the perfect choice for Nana's pink and white Madeira placemat and napkin. The L'Argent Sofia cobalt flatware (no relation to the dinnerware) completed the place setting.

And especially short and sweet for me, that's the complete setting for today.  But wait!  You didn't really think that I was going to fade away that quickly, now did you? Come on now!  So here's the deal...On July, 7, 2018, I'll celebrate my 8th Blogiversary!  It doesn't seem possible!  I published my first post on July 7, 2010. I've so enjoyed sharing my tablescapes with you, and have come to think of many of you as dear friends. You need to know that I'm serious each time I invite you to come sit at my table. Because it is my blogiversary, I want to celebrate with you by announcing an Entertaining Women give-away!! During the week of July 7, 2018, I'll announce the winner of a set of 12 Williams Sonoma Sofia dinner and luncheon/salad plates, as seen in this week's post. Everyone who leaves a comment on my posts between now and July 7, 2018, will be entered to win the set of dinnerware. If you want to earn additional opportunities to win the set of Sofia, you could also take a stroll back through my archives and leave a comment each time you visit an older post. I hope that I'll be hearing from you!

This week I'm joining:

Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

Dishing It and Digging It with Christine @ Rustic & Refined 

Farewell, Downton Abbey, February 29, 2016

On February 28, 2016, many of us found ourselves drawn to the television screen as we said goodbye to Lord Grantham's family and Downton Abbey.  On Monday, February 29, 54 women joined together for tea to commemorate the moment and to raise money for City Care, a Christ-based organization that works to make life more bearable for the many homeless men, women, and children here in our city.  We were blessed to be able to hold the tea in the home of Mo Anderson, an amazing and incredibly generous woman...WOW...what a woman...what a role model...what a home!


Each guest received a hand delivered invitation.


 Notice that the actual invitation is held in a fabric lace envelope and tucked under a double sided satin ribbon tied around a moiré hatbox.  Each hatbox held an antique fine china cup and saucer, an HRH (His Royal Highness) tea bag, and a beautiful custom made iced cookie in the shape of a fully detailed teapot.  We had a blast putting them together! They were very well received, and the acceptances were amazing!  Only two people declined.  Won't you join us for our tea?  (Warning:  This is a long post and photo intensive.  Just want you to be prepared!)


Our own version of Carson, proper British accent and all, was there to greet our lovely guests at the front door and to oversee the...

  perfectly attired...

never miss a detail...

 always hard working...


well-loved, if never appropriately appreciated...


"downstairs" staff as they attended to the last minute details for our tea.


Now if you are a true "Downton Abbey" detailphile (That's a word, right?  Sure it is.  Francophile, Anglophile, detailphile!), you might remember this dinner plate from the opening credits each week as the newest episode was introduced...the dinner plate that the Granthams supposedly used for many of their numerous elaborate dinners.


Who knew!?  This is my mother-in-love's 1940's wedding china by Castleton, and I just happened to have more than enough to recreate the Downton setting for each guest.  I chose to set each dinner plate on one of an assortment of my blue chargers for further continuity.  Interestingly, Castleton is an American china.  I don't know if Masterpiece Theatre chose the plate in the post production studio or if there is an actual English pattern after which the Castleton was later modeled.  Pretty good question, I think.


The first course was, but of course, an assortment of scones served with lemon curd and jams.  These were served from tiered hostess trays set on each table, then put on assorted sets of luncheon plates already in place at each table.  Here, the Royal Doulton Orient is flanked by my mother-in-love's Reed & Barton Francis I silver flatware.  The charger is Spode Vermichelli.  I used this set-up on two of the eight tables in the living room.

The Waterford Simply Blue goblet is filled with a delicious Pear Lemonade, and the Tiffin Chrysanthemum (my invented name for the pattern) is our water goblet.  The sterling cream and sugar is a part of my Grandmother Madden's tea service.

The lovely young lady who provided the chairs, tables, etc., also provided all these darling yellow and gold tea cups and saucers...how perfect for a Downton Abbey Tea.  Not to mention, I was thrilled not to need to wrap, pack, and convey 54 cups and saucers from my house, in addition to all the china, crystal, and silver.


Three tables featured the Coalport Exotic Bird luncheon plate.  The charger is Mottahedeh Blue Lace.  The lemonade is served in the Waterford Simply Pink goblet, and water is held by the Lalique Trèves goblet, part of my wedding crystal.

  The tablecloths and chairs came from the same rental company that supplied the cups and saucers.  Mo had used them once before for her daughter's wedding reception in their home.  She knew that they would work perfectly in her beautiful living room.

Two more tables were set with this charming Copeland Spode luncheon plate.  It is not marked with a name.  I found 12 of them  on eBay, and I couldn't resist.  It is one of those patterns that works in so many different situations.  I like it a lot!  The charger is Zrike cobalt. 

Two other tables were assembled using the Schumann Empress Dresden Flowers.  The charger is Steelite cobalt.    Here I chose to use my wedding silver flatware, the Reed & Barton Grande Renaissance.  It's hard to believe that I've been using this silver for almost 49 years!  I'd choose it again. 

Have you taken a look at the floral centerpieces?  The florist, New Leaf Florist, researched to learn how centerpieces during the time period would have looked.  They found the size, the shape, and the assortment of flowers that would have been used.  They were absolutely beautiful.


Several of our guests arrived a bit early to take a peek at the tables.

In addition to the 8 tables in the living room, the dining room table was used to seat an additional 6 guests.  As with the other tables, an authentic Downton Abbey tea towel was draped over each chair as a party favor for each attendee.

I hope that you are soaking up all the details in this dining room.  It is absolutely magnificent!

The amazing tablecloth was custom made for this table.  It is a beautiful piece.  Here I chose the Coalport Exotic Bird luncheon plate with the pink rim and the Anna Weatherly scalloped blue charger.  The setting is accented by the AJKA King Louis XIV cobalt goblet and the Tiffin Chrysanthemum goblet.  

 After the plates for the first course were removed, the second course of tea sandwiches and Blue Corn Blinis with avocado cream sauce were served plated from the kitchen on the Coalport Sevres Group luncheon plate.  By the time the plates were presented with the second course for all the tables, I was no longer taking photos.  I was acting as a table hostess.  This photo is from my archives.  The desserts were served on the Castleton dinner plates.

The floral centerpiece for the dining room was presented in Mo's amazing silver epergne.  Wow.  Just.  Wow.

It was a delightful way to spend an afternoon, and...

...we were blessed to raise more than $50,000.00 for the work carried out by City Care.  God was definitely in the details on this day, in this place.  Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

This week I'm joining:

Stone Gable for The Scoop #273

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Through Life

Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

H"OWL TIME FLIES, 10.14.16

  The past few weeks I've been preparing for my semi-annual luncheon for the women of my sorority chapter who lived in the chapter house at some point during the four years that I also lived in the house.   This is always one of my favorite luncheons; these women are very important to me.  They hold my history, and I hold theirs.  I have managed to build a database of about 250 ladies.  Preparing for this day is a labor of love.  The riot of color provided by the flowers of Autumn just made it that much better as I designed 9 tables for 70 guests who came from all across our nation and from deep down in Mexico. 

I used three of this bouquet for the dining table buffet.  Sadly I forgot to capture any shots of the dining table, so use your imagination, please.

Fall offers pro and cons for entertaining al fresco.  The weather is as close to perfect as it comes out here on the prairie, but there are definite signs that nature is preparing to cause the lawn and flowers to go to sleep for the coming winter. The greens are less than vibrant, and the hydrangeas are long gone.  The yellow mums were a welcome spot of color, as were the bright red cyclamen plants used as the centerpiece on each table.

Blue and white are the colors of choice for today's festivities.  The mimosa in one of my hand-painted flutes was offered to guests as they entered the house.  I also see a few purses on a couple of chairs.   I think that my guests must already be saving seats.  Typically, many of the sisters like to sit with others from their pledge classes.  There is a great deal of visiting and catching up to be accomplished.  Some of these precious women have not seen each other in 54 years!  It's always a very special day. 

I bought the 10 blue and white toile tablecloths some years ago on eBay for $10.00 each.  $100.00 for 10 tablecloths versus renting 10 cloths for a minimum of $35.00 each for one day.  Now that's a no brainer in my mind.  I snapped those puppies up in a New York minute!

I chose to design my tables with three blue willow variations and an assortment of blue chargers.  Here I've placed the Burleigh Blue Willow, one of my everyday china patterns, on the Royal Doulton Steelite cobalt charger.  The goblet is Godinger Sutton Place.  For this type of gathering I tend to use what I call my "walk around" wine goblets from Bed Bath 'n Beyond.  These type of occasions tend to include dear friends who talk enthusiastically with their hands.  It's definitely not the time to pull out the Lalique, the Baccarat, or the Waterford crystals.

A variety of white napkins were caught in red or white watches...party favors used as napkin rings.  The ladies loved the watches.  I was thrilled that one of the charms on the woven leather band of each watch was a pair of wings...tempus fugit...time flies.  It was the perfect choice because of our invitations...

"H'OWL TIME FLIES".  My dear "sister" and friend, BJ always designs, addresses, and mails the invitations as well as comes up with the perfect party favors each time.  I give her an idea that has sparked my interest, and she takes it and runs with it.  This year I had visualized lots of clocks.  She's amazing, and she makes the process so much easier.

This table featured the Mottahedeh Blue Canton dinner plate on the Mottahedeh Blue Cornflower Lace charger plate.  The goblet on this table was the Mikasa French Country.  The flatware on all the tables was the blue, white, or red L'Argent Sophia.  Sorry for the wonky position. I was taking pictures as quickly as possible because my guests were beginning to arrive.  I did straighten it up right after I snapped the shot.

It was a glorious day.  On Monday, the weather forecast for Friday was 90% chance of rain and 30 mph winds.  Thank you, sweet Lord!  The day was a blessed 74º and 6 mph winds (that counts as no wind at all on the prairie).  It was absolutely perfect!  Answered prayer.

Here the Burleigh Blue Willow is paired with the Spode Vermicelli charger.  I had to step away for a while, and evidently my servers couldn't find all the walk around wines.  Somehow the Pier One Pink goblets made the billing.  They weren't part of the original plan, but I really like the way they look.   Flexibility is the name of the game for a luncheon this size.

The third pattern that I chose for today's luncheon was the Booth's Real Old Willow.  Here it is resting on the Mottahedeh Blue Lace charger plate. 

Booth's Real Old Willow perched atop the Anna Weatherly scalloped cobalt charger plate.  After saying grace, each guest picked up her plate and headed to the dining room to fill it.  I provided an entree of Kind Ranch Chicken, and each guest brought a salad or dessert.  It was delicious!  We started at 11:30 a.m. The last guests departed after 5:00 p.m. Priceless hours for everyone.

Time to stop taking table pics for today.  I can't wait another moment to go welcome the rest of my sisters.  I want to encourage you to reach out to friends from your past...high school, college, sorority, neighborhood friends.  The importance of reconnecting with old friends cannot be overestimated.  By my age, all of us have overcome some major experiences, be it illness, marriage issues, loss of  loved ones, financial disasters, and on and on.  At this point, we are all survivors in some arena, and coming together again proves to have incredible value.  As much as I am able, I never want to lose another old friend without have had the opportunity to say one more time, "Hello, I love you, and good bye. I pray that you will find your way to the same blessing.  It doesn't matter if the menu is creamed tuna on toast or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; just please, find a way and do it. You'll never regret it!

This week I'm joining:

Inspire Me Monday @ Domestically Speaking

Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life

The Scoop @ Domestically Speaking

Tablesccape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch