Tablescape Thursday - Bon Appetit!

Please join our hostess,  Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for more awesome tablescapes!
I was, of course, at HomeGoods looking for a new small pan (or is it pot) with the Handsome Husband and I saw these beautiful flower accent plates.  There are three different designs, each with a light blue and black border and a little saying in cursive around the edge.  I knew immediately I had to have them.  But HH was there and we were there for one purpose.  HH was distracted on a business call over in the pots and pans so I slipped the dishes into the cart without a word.  HH was fascinated by HomeGoods.  He likes to cook and liked all the stuff he saw.  He actually wanted to peruse the store.  He liked some Italian looking dishes and was thinking about buying some and then he got cold feet.  I am encouraging him to go back and see what he can find and create his own tablescape!  We took a tour of the whole store and then we checked out with our new pan/pot and these sweet flower plates!!!  Yeah!  
Here is the first plate, it says:"I will be the gladdest thing under the sun  I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one".  I love the light blue squiggles and polka dots around the edge.
This one says: "I'd rather have roses on my table, than diamond's around my neck".
This one says, "The violet thinks with her timid blue eye to pass for a blossom enchantingly shy".
I then took my daughter's "Christmas Tree" I bought her at Pier One two years ago and made little letter tags that say Bon Appetit.  Too bad you can't see them more clearly, there is no solid background for them to stand out.  I've taken a picture of a few of them below.
I took a piece of 12x12 scrapbooking paper and cut it into 2x3 inch rectangles.  I bought the silver "twinkle" alphabet at Michaels and I used white ribbon and a striped black and white ribbon along with black and white tulle.  I made them each different.  

Some with just a touch of decoration. 

Some very plain.

I used various combinations of all the materials to create the tags.

I then added these pretty blue wine glasses I purchased at HomeGoods.  They had some beautiful purple champagne flutes as well.  I used my black placemats and tablecloth that I purchased awhile back from Homegoods and TJMaxx.  Next week I will be creating a beachy tablescape with my girlfriend Marlene.  We are having fun putting together all the elements.

Wedding Presents

Well, packages are arriving daily now.  It's like Christmas in April for Alyssa and Greg.  It is a true sign that the wedding is just around the corner.  After waiting for 20 months, the wedding is just 4 weeks away!  EEEE!  

Father's Weekend

The sorority held a Father's Weekend in appreciation for all the things fathers do.  All the Pi Phi families sat together way up high in the stadium.  But believe it or not, the seats were good.  I don't think there is a bad seat in the house at Petco Park.
The whole family went.  The Padres were crushed, they lost 10-1 to the Pirates.  Ouch!  But we enjoyed hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and cracker jacks!
Daddy and his girls.  HH has a way with the girls.  He explains things to them in a logical, understanding way and they respond.  More than I can do.  I can never find the right words and I'm emotional.  They have an awesome relationship built on Love, Trust and Respect.
Katie and the Handsome Husband.  They gave away Padre T-shirts to everyone.  (What am I going to do with all of those?)
The girls.  It was a nice night, not too cold, but glad we had jackets toward the end.
                                  Greg and Alyssa made the trip from L.A. Alyssa also had a fitting for her dress on this day and we did a little shopping at South Coast Plaza.
The ballpark is in the middle of downtown San Diego, a maze of two lane one way streets.  A nightmare to get to, but super cool in its Urban setting if you lived in the downtown area.  Its close to the water, next to the Gaslamp district and can be reached by trolley from SDSU (which is the way we will go next time).  A good time was had by all!

Tablescape Thursday - Girl's Night Out

Please join Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for more beautifully creative tablescapes!

Tonights theme is Girl's Night Out!  I originally bought the zebra plates and feather boas for my daughters, but then I got to thinking...why should they have all the fun!  I've set the table with black placemats down the middle acting like a runner.

I then added the tall candelabras bought at Homegoods in Sept 08.  Last year I found a website called Social Couture.
I bought a little "kit" from them which had the zebra plates, coasters, candle, sparkly disco balls and some other things. I added two feather boas around the candelabras and down the middle.  I've also added some fushia votive (in the "kit").
I've put a little disco ball in the napkins for fun.  I hope you enjoyed this Girl's Night Out!

Why does this happen?

This is one of my pet peeves!  Why does this happen?  The flowers don't open, they just nod their beautiful heads and dry up!  The water has the special added ingredient, there are no leaves in the water and the water is fresh.  I've had this happen to flowers delivered from the florist as well.  Beautiful bouquets that are very expensive - never open!  I find it happens alot and that is why I don't really care to buy flowers from the florist! (Sorry Stacy!)  I always tell my husband not to order me flowers for any special occasion because this always happens (especially to roses).  It bums me out!

Britney Spears Concert!

In December, Britney Spears tickets went on sale.  I bought two tickets for Katie for her birthday in February!   Katie has loved Britney since she was little.  She doesn't care that she lipsincs, she doesn't care about her personal life (how many stars have I vowed never to watch again after I've seen them on some show spouting their political, religious or world beliefs?).  She has stuck through the good times and the bad with Britney. Last night, her celebrity dream came true!!!  Live and in concert, Britney Spears!

They had awesome seats!  Katie said they were closer to the stage than this picture shows.

They met up with best friends!

And they thoroughly enjoyed the show!

I was born at night, but not last night!

My handsome husband got new wheels and tires for his motorcycle when he got it painted.  He then put his old wheels and tires on Craigs List.  He got interest the first day.  The guy wanted them, was willing to pay full price for them and was sending a Cashier's check today.  HH had him send it to his place of employment and waited to receive the check.  Everyday the guy bugged him, had he received the check yet?  About a week and a half went by. Finally, HH received the check.  By Federal Express.  (I thought the guy sent it a week ago, now it is overnighted). But guess what?  It was made out for 3 times the amount of the asking price for the wheels.  HH emailed him and he said the check included the fee for the guy who was picking up the wheels for him and for the shipping and a little something extra for our time and effort (like $300 extra). He then told us to deposit the check and then asked how soon could the guy come get the wheels.  Immediately the handsome husband new something was not right.  In fact, he never had a good feeling from the very beginning.  The check was drawn on CitiBank so instead of depositing the check, we headed over to Citibank to cash it.  We told the teller what we thought was going on and you guessed it - NO ACCOUNT !!!  They gave us a copy of the check and confiscated the original to send to their fraud department.  Lucky for us, HH was suspicious and didn't cash the check or give the guy the merchandise.  I can't believe the nerve of these criminals!  We would not only have been out the wheels, but another $2300 for the guys "friend" and "shipping".  The criminal was counting on us being greedy and wanting that extra money he put in the check and having waited so long to receive it that we would rush down to the bank and deposit it.   Thankfully, we were not taken to the cleaners, but it is a lesson to BEWARE of anything that seems to good to be true, because it probably is!

Making progress!

My daughter, Alyssa, moved out about 1 1/2 years ago.  I haven't done a thing with her old room.  I have my treadmill in there, that I use daily, but other than that it has just begun to collect stuff.  I have a crafting table in there, which I will need until after the wedding and all kinds of wedding and bridal shower stuff stored in there.  Notice I did not say there was a bed in there.  So, yesterday I finally ordered a bed.  I decided on a daybed, so it won't take up too much room, but yet another bed can be popped out as needed for guests.  I know a full size bed would be better, but the room is so small and I still need to use it for other things.  My friend Marlene offered me a bed similar to this a year or so ago, but I didn't take it because I didn't know what I wanted to do in there.  I could kick myself now.  She painted it black and it looks fantastic in her loft!  I did, however, get this bed on sale, so I feel a little better.  I'm looking forward to decorating this room in soft tones of blue, brown and cream.

Tablescape Thursday - Orange Roses

Please join our Hostess, Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch for more beautiful tablescapes.
Today I decided to use some salad plates that I picked up at TJ Max on clearance for $2.00 each.  I really like them.  They have a beautiful orange rose with a light blue accent and gray writing.  I paired them with my green dishes and cream chargers from Home Goods.
I added these mercury candlestick holders with the mercury "lamp shades" (purchased at Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar) and the green mercury votive holders (purchased at zgallerie).
I tried to bring out the blue by adding a blue napkin between the plates.  These would look fabulous with a light blue dinner plate, but alas, I don't have any.  Dang!  I used my Towle heirloom silver that is so special to me.  

Thank you for stopping by and Happy Tablescaping!

We'll keep it stock!

In 2002 I was at the cheer gym waiting to pick up my daughter.  I was standing with a group of women talking and one of our friends came up and asked us if we would like to buy a raffle ticket supporting CHOC and that they were five dollars.  The group quickly dispersed and I was left with my friend who was selling the tickets.  I bought one raffle ticket because all I had on me at the time was $5.00.  I quickly forgot all about it.  A couple of months later, I received a phone call telling me I had won a Harley Davidson.  My handsome husband was EXCITED!!!! At first he felt guilty receiving such a great gift and said we should sell it.  I said no, keep it.  Then he said he would keep it through the summer and then sell it.  I said no, keep it.  Then he said he would keep it stock!  Hah!  Famous last words!!!!  Seven years later (he just picked it up this weekend) the bike looks like this:


He is so happy!  He just picked it up from being painted and some other things (at a certain point my eyes glaze over and I start to zone out from all the chroming that is going on.  According to the handsome husband everything that could  be chromed has been chromed).  The handsome husband actually uttered these words this weekend, "It is all done".  We'll see!

Vote for KATIE!!!

Katie came home last night from SDSU to bake some goodies for the ZBT fraternity.  They have nominated her for their Sweetheart.  It is a great honor!  The boys pick the girl they like the most in the Greek system and this girl represents them to the community and at all of their functions.  These candidates are usually Sophomores and Juniors.  Katie is a freshman (this is why she thinks she will not win). When you are nominated, you must campaign.  Katie was sick last week and could not campaign.  She is feeling a little behind, so she baked all morning and put together this tasty tray!  The upside for us is that there was a lot left over, so I don't have to bake for Easter!  Whoo-hoo!!!

Signs of Spring!

It is a misty morning here in So. Cal, but should be clear by tomorrow.  I took these pictures this week of my garden.  It is not bursting with color everywhere, but there is color here and there.
My back garden faces west and in the summer it is blazing hot.  Especially in Sept and the first part of Oct.  
It takes really hardy plants to survive the summer!  I have to water twice a day.  In the morning and by 2:00-3:00.  If I don't do the afternoon watering, everything wilts!

My garden is mostly purple, blue and white just because it is small and it feels more uniform and peaceful to me.  I do have the occassional pink though - who could live without pink?
I have some Irises in the front garden.  They come and go so fast!  I hope you enjoyed these flowers, I sure do!

Tablescape Thursday - Easter Breakfast

To see more fabulous tablescapes,please head over to Between Naps on the Porch and you will be amazed!
This table is set up for a quick breakfast before Church on Easter morning.  Jelly Belly's at breakfast?  Just today!  The kids will have already broken into their Easter baskets, so I just go with it, after all, it is the citrus mix! 
I spread out some Easter basket grass and added a wooded garland with eggs and buds on it.  I then added my bunnies and hydrangeas from the garden.  
The napkins have little bunnies on them.  Who could resist them.  Once again, picked up at HomeGoods in January when all the Easter decorations came out.  My Johnson Brothers Eternal Beau have always been our Easter Dishes!

Thanks for stopping by!