SANTA'S ON HIS WAY!

MY DAUGHTERS, SON-IN-LAW AND GRANDDAUGHTERS SPENT THE PAST WEEKEND WITH MY HUSBAND AND I AT THE LAKE.

THE HOUSE IS DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS.

MY GRANDDAUGHTER, BETSY, 1 YEAR AND 10 MONTHS, ADMIRED THE ORNAMENTS ON OUR TREE. 

HERE ARE SOME MOMENTS CAPTURED BY MY PHOTOGRAPHER DAUGHTER, KATY.

THANKSGIVING IS COMING!

IT IS AUTUMN AT THE LAKE!  

SINCE I DIDN'T SPEND THE MONTH OF OCTOBER AT THE LAKE, I DID NOT DECORATE FOR HALLOWEEN (ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOLIDAYS.)

I DID PUT OUT A FEW FALL THINGS...

 IN 2009 I WAS STILL HOSTING OUR FAMILY FOR THANKSGIVING.  OUR MINNESOTA HOME'S TABLE LOOKED LIKE THIS:

 

I HAD WALLMART DISHES WITH RIMS EMBOSSED WITH ACORNS AND OAK LEAVES.  I FOUND THE SPODE WOODLAND SALAD PLATES AT TUESDAY MORNING.

IN 2010, I HOSTED AGAIN:

MY DECORATING WAS A LITTLE PATHETIC.  IN MY DEFENSE, THE PUMPKIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TABLE IS A TUREEN WITH SQUASH SOUP IN IT.  AND THE GLITTER PINE CONE BOXES HAD HOME-MADE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES IN THEM.  I ADORE THE WILLIAM SONOMA TABLE CLOTH.

IN 2006 OUR DAUGHTER, JENNIFER, WAS EXPECTING HER FIRST CHILD.  SHE DID NOT WANT TO TRAVEL SO WE CAME TO HER HOME.

 IN 2007, JENNIFER HOSTED OUR THANKSGIVING MEAL, AGAIN.  AS A NEW MOM, SHE DIDN'T WANT TO TRAVEL.  HER TABLE LOOKED LIKE THIS.  JENNIFER ACTUALLY OWNS THE SPODE WOODLAND DISHES.  I COVET THEM!

 

IN 2011, JENNIFER TOOK OVER THE DUTY OF OFFICIAL HOSTESS OF THANKSGIVING!

 HER TABLE LOOKED LIKE THIS:

  HER TABLE RUNNER IS A PAISLEY SHAWL THAT HER FATHER AND I BROUGHT BACK FROM VENICE FOR HER.  OUR 4-YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER MADE THE PLACE CARDS.  AS YOU CAN SEE, JENNIFER LIKES GLITTER!

WELCOME 2012!

THERE ARE SO MANY PRETTY POSSIBILITIES FOR CENTERPIECES THIS YEAR, SUCH AS:

I KNOW WHAT EVER SHE DOES, IT WILL BE GREAT!

I CAN SEE HER CREATING A WONDERFUL WREATH TO WELCOME HER GUESTS:

 5-YEAR OLD AUDREY COULD DO PLACE CARDS LIKE THIS:

OF COURSE THERE WILL BE WINE:

AND DESSERT. (PUMPKIN PIE IS HER SISTER, KATHERINE'S FAVORITE PIE.)

I REALLY SHOULD MAKE TREATS FOR MY GRANDDAUGHTERS.  WHICH DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD CHOOSE?

AND OF COURSE SHE WILL USE HER SPODE WOODLAND.  I LOVE THIS TABLE-SCAPE USING THE SPODE.

BUT JENNIFER AND HER FAMILY LOVE SQUIRRELS, SO I AM GUESSING THEIR TABLE MIGHT BE SOMETHING LIKE THIS:

HOWEVER IT LOOKS, I WILL BE THANKFUL FOR MY WONDERFUL FAMILY AND HAVING THE CHANCE TO LET THEM KNOW HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO ME!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

JUST A SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN AUGUST

My husband and I decided to host a small cocktail party in August.  About two dozen people attended.  Most were former friends and acquaintances that we had established almost thirty years prior to moving to Minnesota.  Now that we are spending our summers at Lake Okoboji, we wanted to entertain these friends again.

Here are a few photos from A Sunday in August:

 I always pre-set the table before a party.  I choose the serving pieces and place them on the table to see how they will fit.  I put post-it notes on the serving pieces to remind me what food is going on which plate!

I found the ceramic gourds at a junk shop here at the lakes.  I thought they would fit perfectly with my majolica in the autumn.  I also reused the Potter Barn silk flowers in pots and my really old Pottery Barn urn, that has been outside for years, to hold more fresh sunflowers.

This is a small snapshot of the food.  A friend reminded me to take a picture, after about half of the food was gone!

One of my favorite hors d oeuvres are curried sweet potato cups.  I make them all the time!

 I also made a crostini with ricotta, sliced pears, walnuts and a honey drizzle.

The last photo is another favorite which I rely on a lot.  It is a Pesto Pie.  This is all that was left!

We had trouble with the oven, and I didn't get two recipes made in time, but all in all, it was a great party.  I even got to use my "lemonade urn" riser from Pottery Barn in a new way.  (under the platter.)

Happy Labor Day weekend, everybody!