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 

Birthday Party for a Lifetime Friend, January, 2018

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men/Gang aft a-gley."  "To a Mouse", by Robert Burns

We are probably more familiar with "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Either way, it certainly speaks to my January and February. My early January was primarily consumed with deconstructing Christmas decorations. As soon as the task was accomplished, I was blessed to host a birthday party for my friend Becky. Following closely was my friend Guyanne's birthday luncheon at the end of January. I was on the proverbial roll. Then came February. First Sweet Mister fell prey to the flu. Threes days later, I succumbed to Flu Type A. We were both down for the count for more than two weeks. Except for a lingering cough, we both eventually came through to the other side just in time for a long planned and eagerly anticipated trip to Phoenix with dear friends. And here we are waiting for March to come in like a lion. I finally have the pics edited from Guyanne's birthday luncheon, and I'm excited to share some of them with you. Today I set a table for eight in the dining room. Come on in and join the party...

Guyanne, Becky, and I met each other in the first grade.  That's right, we we've been friends since we were six years old!  After we graduated from university, our lives all went in different directions, and we pretty much only saw each other at the high school reunions, every five to ten years.  Eventually, everyone was back on the prairie, and after our children were grown and had families of their own, we found each other once again.  Reconnecting with these lifetime friends has been one of the true joys of my life.  Along the way, we've found a number of our childhood friends, and I count each of them as one of the treasures that God has placed in my life.

I am blessed to open my doors and invite these dear friend to gather around my table.  It is a privilege to create a setting for their pleasure. The Christmas reds and greens have been carefully packed away, and I was more than ready to pull out some feminine colors.

The antique ivory runner, placemats, and napkins were a fortunate estate sale find.  They provided the perfect frame for the Mottahedeh Cornflower Blue charger plate.  It's just the right filet for...

...the Mottahedeh Tobacco Leaf dinner plate.  I've only recently begun to collect this wonderful pattern, and I am completely mesmerized by the design.  This day I paired it

 with my wedding silver, Reed & Barton Grande Renaissance.  Forty-nine years later, I would choose it again. Now on to a few of the details...

Waterford Simply Blue and La Stelle of Italy hot pink wine goblet...

What's not to like?!  Sheer whimsy.

Entertaining tip:  I adore the antique napkin that matches the placemat, but they are becoming fairly fragile.  I think they are no longer sturdy enough to be used, so I layered them with a stronger Madeira linen napkin for my guests.

The tiny Glass Act salt and peppers come in a number of assorted designs.  I love mixing the designs for the whimsy they provide. Go to Glassactusa.com, and you can shop to your heart's desire.

This was a sure fire way to bring color to a dreary winter day.  On to the centerpiece...


I've always been fascinated by the Herend tureens. There is a story that goes with how I acquired this one, but I'll save it for another day.


The florals, insects, and butterflies in the Herend Queen Victoria tureen work so well with the elements in the Tobacco Leaf china.






Six petite bouquets from Whole Foods were simply snipped and placed in the small urns, which at one time held Le Seda France candles.  After the luncheon, I gave the flowers to my guests to take home.

Silver birds scattered among the bouquets and the Val St. Lambert crystal candlesticks completed the elements for the centerpiece. Oh, the green accents in the chandelier were left over from Christmas.  I didn't realize they were still there until I started taking pictures.  I decided to leave them in place because I didn't want to scatter green glitter all over the plates and table.  Hardly appetizing!  




A touch of spring for a winter day.


Although my tablescape designs are always a surprise for my guests, I must confess that I tend to turn, time and again, to menus that I know will be well received.  I rotate my menus according to the guest lists. One Christmas I served the same menu six times...same menu, different audience each time.  I want my offerings to be delicious for my guests and easy for me.  A simple salad, a yummy casserole, delicious hot bread, and a dessert so good it can't be refused...that's my equation for a good meal most of the time, and I'm sticking to it. Also, if my guest list exceeds 15, I normally cater the meal and hire helpers to serve and clean up.

  
Everything was spit spot, and my guests would be arriving soon for the birthday celebration.

It was a delightful way to spend an afternoon with cherished friends.  Have you invited friends over for lunch lately?  Think about it, please.  Set a pretty table, and plan a meal.  Even if you serve PBJ, tuna fish sandwiches, or take-out, put it on your pretty dishes.  Your guests will feel special, and you'll have a wonderful time, too.  Let the party begin!

This week I'm joining:

Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

Linda @ Life & Linda for Dishing It and Digging It

Garden Friends Birthday Luncheon, 11.15.17

Well, I'm not quite sure how to explain my long, long absence from blog world.  All I know is that since my lung surgery, I've felt better than I've felt in decades.  I've been able to do more things than I've done in years, and I've just been so doggone busy, I haven't had extra time to work on my blog.  I appreciate that you are willing to stop by for a visit again and check out what's happening on the tables at Entertaining Women.  I'm so glad you are here!


Today the Garden Friends Bible study met for the last time before Thanksgiving.  It was a perfect opportunity to celebrate Sheila's birthday with a luncheon.  I've set a table for 8 in the dining room.  Come on in...


Lately, I've been indulging my passion for blue and white.  Today's table is chocked full of a variety of blues and white with gentle touches of Autumn. Makes me smile.  The birthday girl requested my homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch today.  It was pretty much a gray old day, and hot soup and cornbread muffins filled the bill perfectly.  We finished off our simple menu with Italian Cream Cake. Can you ever go wrong with comfort food?  I think not!


I just wasn't in a mood for a tablecloth today, but our dear Nana's antique ecru tape lace placemats and runners seemed to be calling to me.  The older runners are not as long as more modern offerings, so I layered three of these magnificent old pieces to cover the entire length of the table.  Fittingly this old lace design features acorns!  How perfect is that!




Nana's antique Madeira napkins with a floral design stitched in ecru were caught in silver reticulated napkin rings.

 The Mottahedeh Blue Lace Charger provided the foundation for today's place setting.  I adore this pattern.  It continues to be the plate that guests "want to take home".


Making its premier appearance, the Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted Half Lace is one of the newer denizens in my "China Town".


The antique Meissen Blue Onion was eventually edited from the opening act of the production.  I just couldn't bear to cover up the Royal Copenhagen.  The dinner plate deserved to stand centerstage on its own.  The Meissen did make an appearance later,  during the dessert course.

 The Waterford Simply Blue and the Tiffin Elyse were superb in the ensemble cast.  I' found my collections of each on eBay and Replacements.com.


Appearing as extras were the Reed & Barton Grande Renaissance flatware, my wedding sterling.  I use it more than my other patterns mainly because it's stored close at hand, and that's the truth.  That and I still really like it.  If I were registering today, I would still choose Grande Renaissance.


Every production needs an eye catching backdrop.  Today's centerpiece is concocted with an assortment of blue and white appointments and a variety of autumn touches.

The tureen is from Andrea by Sadek.  It was an eBay find.

The pair of bell candlesticks are Mottahedeh Blue Canton.  They definitely make a statement, and I am a little bit in love with them.  They fascinate me.

I recently found the smaller pair of Mottahedeh candlesticks at a local estate sale.

The pair of blue and white lidded jars are from Hobby Lobby.  The wooden acorns and sleeping foxes were found at a local antique shop.

Knitting all the elements in the centerpiece together, several Hobby Lobby garlands of autumn leaves meander down the table in a serpentine fashion. 

Let the festivities commence!  My precious friends would be arriving shortly.  Thank you for stopping by for a visit.  I'd be thrilled to pull up an extra chair and add another place setting just for you.  Well, a girl can always dream...Someday...if you happen to find yourself out here on the prairie... give me a call and plan to come for a meal.  We'll visit for hours!

This week I'm joining:

Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life

Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

It's a Party @ DIY By Design

The Scoop with Yvonne @ Stone Gable

Guyanne's Birthday Luncheon, January, 2016

 January is a month full of birthdays for beloved family and friends.  This week I was pleased to host a birthday luncheon for my friend, Guyanne, whom I have known and loved since we were in the first grade.  We're seated once again at the games table in the living room  Thanks to my old stand-by, the flip-top-tabletop, I have prepared a table for six.  Please, join me...


Guyanne is a gorgeous blond with sparkling bright blue eyes and peaches and cream complexion.  I wanted to created a tablescape that spoke to her gentle personality and beauty.


A combination of soft yellows, blues, lavender pinks, and creamy white-on-white, all fit my desires perfectly.  Let's take a look at the playbill for this production...


The Mottahedeh Cornflower Blue Lace charger takes my breath away each time I get to use it.  Pictures don't do it justice.  It has an amazing jewel like appearance.  The creamy yellow matelassé tablecloth was an eBay acquisition.  It's reversible to a lovely blue field with yellow motifs.     

 It's been quite a while since I've used the Copeland Spode Jewel dinner plate.  The lace rim and the scalloped verge have such an incredibly wonderful texture.  I can't remember the maker for the carved flatware.  I do remember that it is antique and was made in Boston.  Because I only have the knife and fork, I amended the place setting with the L'Argent Sophia Gold.

 An ingenue in my chinatown population, the Royal Ducal unnamed luncheon plate was the inspiration for my design.  I love the delicate blue edged scallops, and the intricate embossed rim offered an interesting contrast to the Jewel's lace.  I recently picked up a set of 12 of the luncheon plates on ebay for $29.95.  I think I received way more than my money's worth!

Go to work, my detail enthusiasts.

 To add even more to the color story and the softness, I used the Waterford Simply Blue goblet and the Italian Stelle Pink Scroll goblet.  I bought the Stelle goblets at Home Goods.  Come to think of it, I haven't been there in quite a while.  I need to make a visit!

 I love to use the Glass Act handblown mini salt and peppers whenever possible.  The tiny silver trays were found at On A Whim, an amazing store that also offers the complete line of
MacKenzie-Childs.


How would I complete a tablescape without at least a small contribution from our dear Nana?  I don't know.  The white napkin with light blue embroidered touches was used many years ago in her amazing and gorgeous dining room.  I'm blessed to have her things for my tables.


And my place setting is complete.


Today's centerpiece continued my soft and fluffy concept.  Soft and fluffy...a concept...right?  Sure!


The Copeland Spode Jewel tureen...


...was surrounded by a quartet of hydrangeas in a mixture of colors...


...seated in the small Lenox creamy white urns.  The tiny blue and white Asian compotes, maybe rice bowls, were found at an estate sales for minimal cost.  I've used them as candleholders several times.


For Guyanne's birthday celebration we dined on King Ranch Chicken, a green salad with vinagrette dressing, hot yeast rolls, and once more, Italian Cream Cake from La Baguette.

 We laughed until we cried, and we shared cherished good times and fellowship late into the afternoon.

 If  passing my way, please, touch base!  I'd adore setting a table just for you.

This week I'm joining:

Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch