In Your Honor…Memorial Day

Stars and Stripes…

Memorial Day..the start of the summer season out here.

Like so many other holidays, we sometimes forget why it is being celebrated.

On Memorial Day, we remember our finest who have served their country.  Many of them gave their lives for the US.

I am forever grateful..

To honor some fine Marines, I set this table.

A wonderful ship flying our flag..

Red chargers, red flatware, white cloth with navy blue topper.

Blue stems, individual blue glass flowerpots for the flowers, with a flag..

Stars or flag name  holders..

Can you see those little blue whale Salt and peppers?

My virtual  guests are  LT. Gen. Libutti, my childhood friend. (Or, THE General as my friend Dave refers to him!)

We grew up together in Huntington and I have many fond memories of the hilarious things we did..

Well, we thought we were funny anyway!  Frank retired a few years ago, after many years of outstanding service to our country...

I was in his sister’s wedding, his wonderful mom sang at my wedding Mass, and a group of us went to SC for his wedding.

You can read about him here.

I can’t believe I am NOT mentioned in his wikipedia entry! :)

The next guest is Maj. Chris Meyers.  Chris served in Iraq and is now in Afghanistan.  He is the proud dad of 2 little boys, who, along with his wife, parents, family and friends, pray for his safe return.

Here he is….click here please..

I also invited his dad, our friend and neighbor Vinny, who was an officer in the Marines and served in Vietnam.  Small world, he served with my friend Gen. Libutti. 

The last seat is in honor of my college friend LT. Whitey Schoff who was killed in Vietnam.  Whitey was a gentle giant who was engaged to one of my DZ sisters. I will always remember his smile..

So thanks to them, and all our  Service people, living and deceased who have given so much for our country…

God Bless America…it is one of my Favorite Things..

Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

I am joining Susan from Between Naps on the Porch ,  for Tablescape Thursday and Laurie at Bargain Hunting with Laurie for Favorite Things. And for the letter S at Jenny Matlock’s …

Table credits..

Plates , napkin rings, stems , whale s and p’s , Cambridge flatware, name holders ..Christmas Tree Shops

Chargers, PB Outlet, Napkins Kohls

Star plates, Pfaltzgraff outlet a few years ago

Small blue glass flower pots, Walmart

 

A Patriotic Breakfast for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and  my friend Suzy’s Flashback Friday at Kitchen Bouquets.

Games People Play~XXX 000 Table

Is there a lack of stimulating conversation at your dinner table???

Is the sound of the knives and forks the only music you hear?

If he says , “This is ok, but don’t make it again.” will you scream?

This may be the solution!

My friend Denise from the Holiday Forum on Garden Web came up with a challenge..a table based on a game..

This is a very busy week here, Memorial Day, family coming for the weekend , cooking, and helping with the community picnic here.  But I couldn’t say no!

So I thought of something that wouldn’t take much time..

I used painters tape for the board, starfish and sand dollars for the game pieces..

Navy blue dinner, and beach chair plate from CTS..

End of summer sale..

Pale blue napkins from the year of the flood..

Light blue tumblers from CTS, sailboat s and p’s too

Since we are at the beach , we needed a place for the lifeguard to sit.

Little Nantucket baskets with some white petunias that are waiting to get planted…They can also be used as votive holders..1.00 end of summer sale at CTS..

Little covered basket for the bread..

Shell dish from CTS last week..1.69..Good for nuts, or olives or pickles or whatever!

Little glass fish and shell shape scatters..

So tonight at dinner, instead of watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, or getting agita from hearing the bad news from Wall St and the economy…we can play Tic Tac Toe..I know Starfish already won..:)

Just a little fun challenge..I was going to do Apples to Apples..did you ever play that game?  It is fun..but there is no board, just cards. so it didn’t lend itself to a table!

I am joining dear Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday.   And Rhoda at Southern Hospitality  for Thrifty Treasures. We don’t have good thrift shops here, but I think my CTS buys qualify as thrifty!

Thanks for visiting!

Favorite Things~ Dishes and Food

I like a big salad for dinner.  You don’t need a recipe for a Salad.  After all, the definition of salad is..mixing things together..

So take a pretty plate that I have shown your already..(Pottery Barn Outlet)

Fill it with greens of your choice..if you use spinach a little sugar sprinkled on it  takes the bitterness away.

Cook some chicken breasts.  I buy the breasts and slice them thinly myself.  So much cheaper..

But for this, leave them thick..

Marinate in some Italian salad dressing, and dredge with Panko ( I mix flavored bread crumbs with the Panko)

In a small amount of oil, quickly brown, and place in oven to finish cooking..

Let them stand a bit, and slice. Add what ever your heart desires..this has red onion, feta, toasted pecans and fresh pineapple , which was sweet and juicy ! and a sprinkle of crispy bacon.

What could be easier..no recipe needed.. And it is a filling dinner..

Ok, that was too easy..

How about some Pork fried Rice and Shrimp? With crispy walnuts in a honey glaze..The pork fried rice takes the most time, the shrimp, just a few steps.

You can play Chinese restaurant..

Serve it with some hot tea..on Blue Willow or Pink Willow..

And in an hour you will be hungry again!  :)

Hope you will join Laurie for her Favorite Things meme!

Thanks for visiting, and have a great weekend!

Flour Power and the Truth..

Do you know Joyce from Flour Power?  She is the gal that does a lot of baking for our troops and ships them her delicious cookies..

If you go to her blog in the sidebar you will see a button for Operation Baking Gals.  You can get the info there.

Thanks Joyce for bringing a bit of home to our troops overseas!

Imagine my surprise when a box arrived from Joyce filled with Southern “thangs”.   Joyce is a displaced NYer who ended up in the land of cotton :) They must love her accent!

An adorable cupcake apron, some Peach Salsa , Smoky BBQ sauce, delicious Meyer Lemon cookies, Cheese straws, cupcake papers, note cards, a reusable shopping bag, and an adorable catalog , Summer at the Seashore by Vera Bradley, complete with beachy paper dolls!

Joyce summers in Hilton Head, and will show us the sights this summer on her blog.  Do drop in and say hello.

Tell her the New Yawker sent you, LOL

And thank you dear, Joyce..I loved everything!

 

I am joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

Instead of a big table , I am showing you  a few of the little settings I do for an every night dinner..The  way we eat every night..no bells and whistles..When I was working , the table got set, but not much variation.

But I am retired now, and I enjoy using the different things I have accumulated..

The aqua charger and salad are from Pier One..a few years ago.

The aqua stems..about 20 yrs old!

Placemats TJMAXX, same striped napkins, 20 yrs old..Plate from WSonoma outlet..

Green plates, Dollar Tree, ruffled bowl HG, napkin V and B via HG.

Placemats, HG, Pier One black plates , Stems Pfaltzgraff, white lace salad, Christmas Tree Shop, alabaster napkin ring, WSonoma outlet.

One more..

The place mats were a dollar, napkins from Kohls a few years ago..Lighthouse tea light holders…I forget..:)

Shells for napkin holders from the beach at Casey Key, Fla, some from my friend Ellen and some from Monique at La Table de Nana..

So that’s the truth, just fun little settings for two!

Next week will be a Memorial Day Table or Uncle Sam’s Supper..:)

Thanks for visiting!

June 2nd at The Tablescapers..  (those really are some of her million dishes) oh my!

My Favorite Things…

The Tablescaper is having a Blogaversary Meme, June 2.  Where do you keep it all??…Hop over to her blog to see the details!

Every year I wait for the trees in my backyard to bloom..

Not so exciting, but I just love the color..

When we built this house 10 years ago, there was nothing.. So I really enjoy seeing the four of them blossom.

I didn’t want you to come here just to see my tree..

So another favorite is shrimp in a creamy wine sauce over angel hair with snow peas..Love it!

And the food matches the setting..LOL..pure coincidence!

 

Please stop over at Bargain Hunting with Laurie to see more favorite things posts.

Hope you are having a good weekend..

Thanks for all the anniversary wishes..:)

I couldn’t find a card that fit..I will have to write my own…

The Merry Month of May~A Bride ~A Table

I’ll start with the table. The Mother’s Day flowers were the inspiration..have to take advantage of them!

I have a Laura Ashley topper I made..and it had lots of colors like the flowers..{ 1.75 a yd at an outlet..;) }

 

I used plain white rimmed porcelain by Gofortun, Israel.

Silver charger, pink linen napkins, held by a napkin ring I have had for ages..

  I pulled out the lavender in the cloth with the stems from TJM. Candlesticks are Mikassa, and indiv butter dishes from WSonoma outlet..

On May 16th we will  celebrate our 40th Anniversary..

Yes, we have argued and bickered our way through all 40 of them!  Frank and Estelle Costanza of the Seinfeld Show have nothing on us!  But, we made it, by the grace of God!So far anyway…there’s always time to change our mind..:)

They met…

And 2 years later, they wed..

The rest..is history!

And you sure wouldn’t recognize us today! 

Now I bet you thought I had red hair and freckles..:)

I still have the dress.  I actually washed it last year..lots of nice fabric..think I’ll make a tablecloth with it! 

My son is planning a fabulous party for us in June..LOL

He doesn’t know that yet!!

Oh you want the pic of us now??

Amazing!

Thanks for stopping in, and I hope you will visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch  to see all the other tables this week.

Have you ever been In the Middle of Nowhere?? Lavender Tablescape

That’s the name of my friend, Mimi’s blog, In the Middle of Nowhere…I know her as Marigene.  She is a displaced Vermonster who wound up in Kansas..the wind you know!

I  knew her pre blogging from a cooking forum we both frequented.  We got to know each other..she hates spare ribs, she calls them BONES, , and I don’t like vegetables!  :)

Way back then, M wasn’t into dishes…kept saying she had no room for them blah blah..

She sent me these beautiful lavender dishes..Neiman Marcus..via TJMAXX.

Aren’t they wonderful?  I have looked all over for 2 more settings…If you see them, let me know..

Anyway, today I got this…from Marigene..

A gorgeous , huge cookbook..She said it reminded her of me..How sweet!  I can’t wait to read it..My dh, who is not of Irish heritage, expressed amazement that there could be that many Irish recipes..:)  You know the old stereotype..

So I did a little setting with her dishes..well mine, but you know if you go to her blog…she has become a  Dishaholic…I am afraid she’ll blow in from KS and swoop them back!

She also sent me 3 of these lavender cabbage bowls..Bordallo..

The napkins are dark purple, and I made sheaths from a valance I got for $1.00.  The purple  ceramic napkin rings are from Villeroy and Boch. Purple stems, TJMaxx and water glasses are antique, they were my Mom’s.

I used Iris from my garden and some flowers I took out of my Mother’s Day bouquet from my son, dil, and 4 gkids.. The toile pitcher is a gift from another friend.

Does anyone know what those little pink flowers on a woody stem with a thyme like leaf are??

Mimi, you are too good to me!  Thank you!

 

 

The waffle iron hasn’t been used in 10 yrs.   So for Mother’s Day I was treated to this..a little whipped cream can’t hurt, can it?

Thanks for coming..see you tomorrow for Tablescape Thursday.