Happy July 4th- Our Dinner For 2 Tablescape

Happy July 4th

We are having a quiet peaceful relaxing day just the two of us.

 

Ribs prepped and ready for smoker.  That's the Cowboys job.

So

 I've set the table for just two

Please forgive my photo's aren't pretty or fancy.  My computer won't support editing programs.  Just pretend they are all fancy and pretty!

Looking into the dining area from the living space.  The area is too tiny to have all 4 chairs so one sits in the corner.  Notice the sides of the table are down.  It's normally pushed to the left against the shelve so I can walk past into the kitchen.

I had to share a close up of the lone Zinnia from my garden. 

I picked it a few days ago.  It's pink but it's pretty and I love it.

Yep that's me!  Ignore that part please.  I was trying to show you the plates.  I think I got them at Kohl's back in the day.  I love them.

A better shot of me. HeHe.

A close up of the shelf at the end.  I wanted to share the flowers that my DIL brought me when the visited in early June.  She knows I love to decorate seasonally so she shops with me in mind.  The tiny chair is for a fairy garden she expects me to plant.  Hmmm.

A close up of the glasses I saw at Big Lots on clearance last  year.  I loved them it's hard to see but there are stars in the glass!

Oh poo...yes that is a sticker showing on the pot.  Here is my excuse I have to take photo's on my phone upload to a closed board on pinterest and then copy and paste.  The only way I can get it to work.  No real way to crop or edit and it takes a long time to upload because our inter net so slow.   

On last shot to share with you one of my patriotic quilts.  I made in the late 90's  I love this little quilt.  It fits nicely on the back of the couch.   

Well that's the table.  

And the menu is . . . 

Jalapeno Poppers  and Shrimp Martini's for appetizers

and pickles I made from my cucumbers!

Main Course - Ribs, Deviled Eggs, Coleslaw and Fries

Dessert hmmm oh doesn't chocolate sound good.

I must bake!

Linking at all my favorite places

Our Holiday Journey,  The Art of Homemaking,  Dagmar's House,

Motivate Me Monday,  Create With Joy, Share Your Cup,

Grammy's Grid,  Share It One More Time, Saturday Sparks

The Birthday Guest That . . .

. . . cooked 

I really didn't intend for her to cook.   We planned her favorite meal Fettuccine Alfredo for her birthday dinner.

I planned a simple table around the bowls I intended to serve the salad and pasta in.  The table was set. . .

I selected vintage Corelle.  I bought at a yard sale just because I 

love vintage.  The table was simple with inexpensive flatware,

the Corella and stemmed glasses from Dollar Tree.  I think stemmed glassware always makes a table look elegant even if it is Ala Cheap!

  Our favorite Alfredo recipe is from this cookbook.  This is her copy she bought when she got married.  My tattered copy is in a box in the garage.  

She also brought the cookie cake.  

She is much loved.  She brought one of 3 cookie cakes.  She had 6 cupcakes at home and flowers and a few other gifts from students. 

I was super organized.  I bought iceberg mix salad like Olive Garden.  I had black olives in the fridge and I had picked romaine and swiss chard from the garden washed and it was chilling.  I added red onions while she was cooking the sauce.

So when it was time to eat all I had to do was boil pasta and make sauce.  I actually don't like making Alfredo.  For some reason it's hard for me.  I just can't seem to remember the recipe and I am constantly going from recipe to sauce and back.   So I recruited her to read me the recipe.  That didn't last long.  So moved me over and began her magic . . . 

 

Good thing it was a pony tail day! 

My original plan was to serve the sauce and noodle from large 

plain white new Corelle bowls.  We decided the pot worked 

better.  So the bowls we used for the bread . . .

The waiting table.  I added clear cut glass plates.  There were my mothers they are old.   The salad is served from the large bowl from a container store nesting bowl set.  Love it! .

Not so nice for a salad bowl but it worked!  

Did you notice my lovely table runner.   Just a plain 'ole black towel I grabbed at the last minute.  One of the stemmed glasses got replaced by a plastic glass for our grandson.  My daughter was nervous about him handling the glass.  

Everything was lovely.  It was a Blessing to celebrate our daughters 35 birthday.  Oh my word!  I can't believe it!  

The entertainment began right after the meal.  X box.  Always fun for a boy and his Pa.

Note to self....

• shop for large glass bowl for salad
• shop for appropriate vessel to serve bread in
• make a table runner 
• Next class at GiGi's drinking from stemware

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

I'll be planning a birthday celebration for the 8 year old soon

What fun!

Just A Little Wishin' and a Dreamin'

And planning.  Got a few things going on.  Some plans in my head I needed to get out.  Wanna see . . . 

Pulled out some of my favorite Black and White vintage fabrics. 
I'll put one on the long counter and the other one on the table.
And top with some cheery yellow napkins. (after I make them HeHe).  I was thinking I might use the crystal vase for sunflowers 
and then I found this idea at Albertson's.  Mason jars it'll be!                            

After I finish a quilt that I'm quiltin' this week.  It's a secret. 
                
I'll  be sewing up table runners and napkins for my Summery 
themed table. 
                  
And while I'm a sewin' I'm a dreamin' and a plannin'.

Here's the original dreaammmmy inspiration .  .  .
All the below images found on Pinterest.  Just a simple search the topic Easy Peasy there they are!

                   
This is dreamy to me!  I'm actually pretty much there.  My table looks alot like this.  Mine is all still stained.  Cowboy would never
agree to painting it.   My chairs are similar.  They'll stay stained too.  
    The real dreamy part to me is the lighting and the chalkboard. 

        Which is next on my list to add to our 'Smallish Space'.
If I run across dreamy 'chandies' like this I'll snap them up too!

I won't do the huge chalkboard like this because I would have to take away the mantle.  I know exactly where and how I'll hang mine.  

Wanna see a few ideas though . . . 


I love this idea.  And I have another area where I'm kind of thinkin' of doing this. 

Had to save and share this . . . 

And then these too . . . 
   

This idea is actually the one I saw right after the dreaaaammmy
idea.  It's what got me goin' on where I can actually hang mine.

Mine will be on a "Smallish" side wall above my tea cart.  A perfect place for when I set up the cocoa bar for the holidays. 

                        
Another idea I fell in love with.  I have enough room above my cabinets for something like this.  Perfect to fill in that dead space.

Don't laugh about this one.  Just had to share it . . . 

             
If the Cowboy had his way this is the style we'd be goin' for. 
Whew.  Thank goodness he mostly lets me have 'free rein'.



This site had a great tutorial.  Check it out. 

And last the kind of idea I have for my frame . . . 

I doubt I'll go quite as ornate and pretty.  Because I'll be thrifting the frame.  I'm not really sure if I'll go white or gold.  

Who knows?  We'll see what kind of mood I'm in when I finally find that frame!  

Are you in the mood for a little 'Wishin' and Dreaming'?

Today I'll be linking at some of my favorite parties like . . . 
The Art of Homemaking, Share My Cup and a few more. 
Find links for all my favorite parties on my party page.

Did you get a chance to enter my Giveaway?  Check it out!

It's Time

                                                                                                   

Do you ever look around your house and say to yourself . . .
                                      'It is so time past time to change ____'
                    For me its my counter tablescape.  Don't you agree?


Seriously I know the 4th has come and gone.  And it is sooo time to make a change.

So, I went over to my go to friends at Pinterest for some inspiration . . .


                                                                     Source
Oh I heart the galvanized tin buckets.  I have to go back over and visit Laura at Finding Home!
Couldn't pull this off in a million years.  But I am seriously gonna look for those buckets.

Back to Pinterest!

                                 Source
Very cute and summery bright.  But I have no Flamingos. hehe.  This does remind me in a wierd sort of way
of this fabric . . .

Yes it is a bolt.  I had to go to the utter most parts of the sewing closet to dig it out.  And yes it is laying on a lovely little yellow just waiting to be pressed.  This palm tree looking fabric sorta says beach.  I bought it in
the '90s and no I am not a hoarder.  I am a fabric artist. HeHe.

Yes I know what your thinking.  It's time to use it.  Ok. Ok. I agree.  Off  for more inspiration.

                                                                Source
Are these not adorable?  And available on ETSY.  I couldn't believe they are embroidery.  I think I know someone down the road aways in West Texas that needs these!  They look like B.J. to me.
But  not the look I am going for today!

                                                              Source.
Kinda like this but would you believe I don't have any shells?  I need to make a dollar store run.

I am getting somewhere though.  I'm thinking candles and sand.  And I have these cute fish plates.
                                           Now where are those fishys?

Oh I think I found it.  I really have to find those fish plates now.  I sure hope they aren't in storage!


                                              Source
Love the burlap too.   Luckily I don't have any huge acorns.  But what I like love here are the succulents.
And the silver flower pots.  Hmm.  I have a Target gift card.  I think I like this better than those galvanised
buckets in the first pic.

Hmm.  Not sure maybe a little more inspiration . . .

                                                     Source
Love the wood plank.  That's cool.  But I'm thinking for another time.  Would love to copy this table!

                         Source
Oh so cute to go with the ant napkins!   B.J. check it out!

                                          Source
I need a beach. Don't you?
                         
                                           Source
    Did I say I need a beach?  Actually I think I need this bench to go with my table. Very cool!

I think I have a plan.  Remember those fishy plates?  No where to be found.  But I do have a plan!

Stay tuned for the Big reveal.
                                                          Happy Trails