Friendship, Love and Pink Roses

Pink roses…the sight of them will forever be associated in my mind with my husband.  Since I came very close to losing him last Thursday due to a heart attack, I wanted to do this table setting to celebrate a love and friendship that has spanned 35 years…and it all began with pink roses.

We grew up together, living about 3 miles apart, in a little rural area. When we were children, we couldn’t stand the sight of each other. I thought he was horrible because he always seemed to be making fun of me and was so mean to me. He thought I was a loud whiny brat.

All of that changed when I was about 14 years old and he was 16. On Valentine’s Day that year, a lady that lived down the road from my home brought me a vase of the most beautiful pink roses. She wouldn’t tell me who had sent them to me and she would only smile when I asked her. The only thing written on the card was a “?”. After a day or so of driving myself crazy wondering who in the world would send me flowers, my mother finally told me they were from him. Talk about being shocked!

Of course, being only 14 years old, I was too young to date. However, my mother did allow him to drive me straight home after church every Sunday…wow, a whole quarter of a mile from the church to where I lived. I was finally allowed to actually go out on a date with him when I turned 16.

We stupidly let differences separate us for about 7 years while we were in our 20’s, but we eventually made our way back to each other. We’ve been together ever since, raising 4 children and so far, welcoming 3 grandchildren into the world.

I hope I have many more years with him by my side. I hope when we’re very old and gray, we’ll be sitting out on the porch rocking in our chairs, reminiscing and watching our grandchildren play. Until then, we’ll just sit at the dining table…enjoying our time together and the beauty of pink roses.

The chargers were hand painted for me by a very talented artist.  Since I wanted to be able to use the chargers in Christmas table settings, she surrounded the pink roses by snowy pine branches and berries.  I topped the chargers with clear glass dinner plates and salad plates.  I added vintage pink stemmed glasses for serving shrimp cocktails.  Small pitchers were placed at each setting to hold individual servings of salad dressing.

 

 

Woodland Winter Wonderland

It’s time for another Tablescape Thursday with Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch.  Be sure to check out all the beautiful tables this week!

Brrr…come on in and warm up by the fire.  I can’t believe how cold it is!  I live in the Deep South and it just isn’t supposed to be this cold.  I was taking my children to school a couple of day ago and the thermometer registered a whopping 11 degrees.  I know many of you have weather colder than this, but we’re simply not used to it.  Honestly, does anyone “get used to” weather this cold?? 

Fortunately tonight is supposed to be the last night we have a “hard freeze”.  Boy, I am so tired of hearing that expression!  Even though I’m tired of the cold, I was so disappointed that it didn’t snow.  Since I wasn’t able to look out my window and see a beautiful snowfall, I decided to do a winter wonderland tablescape.  At least I can look at some “faux snow”. 

 

I wanted the items that I used on the table to look icy and snowy, so I used all silver and white.

As I was setting the table, I imagined I was walking through a forest early in the morning after a late night snowfall.  I looked out over the pristine snow and there I saw them.  I quietly stopped and watched a doe with her baby fawn as they awoke from sleeping under a frozen alpine tree.

The mother deer stretches her neck to sniff the air.  Did she catch my scent as I quietly watched them?  No…I think she senses the big buck coming from the other side of the forest.

I decided I better stop daydreaming and finish the table setting, so I could begin cooking.  Hungry mouths to feed you know.

On the table, I layered acrylic snowflakes under silver beaded placemats and topped them with white dishes that have a platinum rim.  Clear acrylic handled flatware and snowflake glasses completed each setting.  Crystal knife rests add sparkle as well as the tiny snowflake place card holders trimmed with rhinestones.

  I placed two silver taper candles in crystal candleholders on each end of the table.  In the center I used two white and silver snowflake candles sitting on mirrors. 

To complete my centerpiece, I used a crystal vase that belonged to my grandmother.  I filled it with silver curly twigs and icy branches.

When I was a little girl, there used to be long icicles hanging from the roof of my grandmother’s home in the winter.  I loved to look at them sparkling in the sun and always hated to see them melt.  It’s sort of sad to me that we don’t see very many icicles here anymore, so I hung prisms from the branches in the vase to remind me of simpler times.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey through my winter wonderland.  Sending warm wishes your way!

DG

New Year's Eve Ball with Alexander and Charlotte

I want to welcome you to my first blog post! I'm still learning my way around posting, but I hope you'll enjoy my first effort. Since my blog is new and we're beginning a New Year, I thought I would share my New Year's Eve table with you.

I'm tickled pink to be joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for her wonderful Tablescape Thursday.


New Year's Eve at my home was a quiet family night. My DH, two youngest daughters and I had a lovely late dinner and then played games until we rang in the New Year. Dinner was shrimp cocktails, grilled steaks, fries, salad and rolls. Dessert was apple pie served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Although my family's evening was an uneventful one, not so for Alexander and Charlotte. Can't you imagine them at a glitzy, sparkling New Year's Eve ball? Just at the stroke of midnight, Alexander escorts Charlotte out onto the balcony to toast the New Year under a luminous full moon. Sounds like fun, doesn't it! Alexander and Charlotte's evening at the ball was the inspiration for my table setting.

I wanted to bring a little of Alexander and Charlotte's New Year's Eve glitz to my table. Such a stylish gentleman would most certainly have been wearing a black top hat as he arrived at the ball. Charlotte was a vision most lovely to behold in her ball gown. She rests her gloved hand delicately in Alexander's as he smiles and invites her to dance. Can you see her jewels sparkling in the candlelight as Alexander twirls her around the dance floor? Do you hear the tinkling strains of the waltz as the musicians play?

When it's time to dine, Alexander politely pulls out a chair for Charlotte and she sits down to a layered place setting of silver beaded chargers, black dinner plates, white with platinum trim salad plates, and cocktail glasses. Black napkins and silver horns tied together with black and silver ribbon rested on the plates. Black diamond point goblets, crystal champagne flutes and silver flatware completed the setting.

Alexander and Charlotte would surely have dined in elegant style at their New Year's Eve Ball. Wonder how many courses they had? Can you envision how the soft glow of candlelight played off the beautiful ball gowns and jewelry of the ladies?

Sigh...I want to be Charlotte when I grow up. I want to wear beautiful jewels and go to the ball.

As we say goodnight to Alexander and Charlotte at the end of the ball, they send their wishes to all of you that you have a spectacular New Year filled with much love. Also a little sparkle and glitz never hurts either, now does it?