College graduation - I was NOT going to cry . . .

My oldest son, John, graduated on December 15th, and, as momentous as the event was for us, with the impending Christmas holiday, I hadn't had time to post anything on the blog about it, or even to digest it.

I am so enormously proud of this MAN . . . I guess I really need to get used to the word - man!

I found the official portrait above under the tree on Christmas morning.  You see, I had asked, reasoned and nagged, and had gotten a resounding no - he was NOT going to go get his picture taken.  And then, he surprised me.  A genuine, honest to goodness surprise!  I'm not caught off-guard very often . . .

Here he is with his friend, Don, who was Class Marshall - he got to wear the cool red gown - and a couple of his teachers.

This is what I'll remember most about that day:  We had to get up at an ungodly hour to be able to drop John off an hour before start time . . . It was cold that morning!  I mean, it was really cold and the wind was blowing high . . . I had a pain between my brows from frowning against the wind, even for the short walk between the parking lot and the building . . . My hair . . . I don't want to think about my hair . . . I bought coffee to warm up and ended up spilling it under the stadium seat.  David, my younger son, had to go get a wad of napkins to mop it up . . .  the seats were uncomfortable (although we had good visibility) so I shifted positions constantly, even my patient David was ready to throttle me . . . I was not going to cry . . .  This was no cozy, intimate, reflective moment . . . it was loud, the lights were garish, I was cold, uncomfortable . . . I had been to many graduations that looked remarkably like this one . . . and then the orchestra started to play "Pomp and Circumstance" . . . and the procession began . . . first the professors, then the students . . . I was not going to cry . . . slowly, this stopped feeling like an ordinary graduation . . . then I saw John . . . and the dam broke . . . 

And I don't cry pretty . . . I do the ugly cry, the kind with the runny nose, and smeared mascara, and the blotchy red face. . .  the only good thing is, I do it quietly, I don't sob, usually, maybe if I did, the rest of my face wouldn't get so messed up . . .  But I stopped . . . the thought of a blotchy face AND a messy hair was scaring me to death . . . and I was missing out on this tremendous pageantry!

My brother, Al, and sister-in-law, Kathy, were there . . . as they were on the day John was born . . .

My sister-in-law, Mary Ann, and her family were there . . . Mary Ann is a pharmacist and had just finished a 12-hour shift at work, but she wanted to be there . . . I was so touched . . .

And I guess it has to be done . . . Here is our little family . . . not the best picture we've ever taken, but one that will be sure to bring back a lot of memories . . . (Besides, I'll show you our Christmas card picture tomorrow . . . it's really much nicer).

John completed two separate degrees, so he received two tassels.  The brown one is for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and the blue one is for the Bachelor of Science in Education . . .  Hmm . . . brown and blue . . . is there a tablescape color scheme in there . . . ?

This has been a hectic season . . . Busy, exciting, emotional . . . and unforgettable.

I'm joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.

A Romantic Christmas Eve

I was going to call this "A Very Paisley Christmas" in honor of the Red Caroline Paisley from Pottery Barn that captured my heart a while back.  You can see a little bit of the napkin here in this Valentine's tea post from last February.

But then, I decided to fold the napkins à la fleur-de-lis to show off its gorgeous pattern . . .

The centerpiece from Teleflora.com had pretty red roses in a mercury glass container . . .

 I love the look of mercury glass . . .

But the arrangement seemed a bit too dark to me, so I added some Baby's Breath . . .

 

Suddenly, the romance of it all struck me . . .

It reminds me of a Victorian-era table . . .  Hmm . . . would Mr. Dickens approve . . . ?

Each little box contained Godiva truffles.  Everyone should wake up to truffles on Christmas morning, don't you think . . . ?  The little packages were tied with red ribbon and I added a Christmas ornament, to be hung on the tree later on . . .

We had a toddler in our midst this year, so we dug up the table and chair set that my boys used when they were little, and set up a proper table for this young man . . .

Oliver, my brother's first grandson, and my great-nephew, stole the show, in the same way that he's stolen our hearts.  What a cutie!

Here's the family, as we sat down to say grace.  The menu:  Waldorf Salad on Baby Romaine, Filet of Beef Au Jus, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli . . .

And for dessert a Cookie Tower.  I became a baking fool this Christmas with the help of my son, John, enabler and invaluable assistant.  The phrase "visions of sugar-plums danced in her head" could have been applied to me!

The tower included Cranberry Pistachio cookies, Magic Bars (Chocolate Chips, Butterscotch Chips and Coconut with a gooey center), Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies, Pecan Butter Balls, Almond Cream Cheese Cookies, Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps, Chocolate Chip Cookies, with semi-sweet chocolate drizzles, Almond Raspberry Thumbprints, Potato Chip Cookies, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Blossoms . . .

A closeup of the Almond Raspberry Thumbprints, Potato Chip Cookies and Peanut Butter Chocolate Blossoms . . .

The chocolate chip cookies are on the right, because it isn't Christmas around here without your basic CCC, and to the left . . . Pecan Butterballs, recipe from the Silver Palate Cookbook.  Let me tell you, those Butterballs are the essence of winter, they are kissed with HONEY and seem to melt in your mouth . . . fabulous . . .

Here you can see the Chocolate Espresso Snow caps and the Almond Cookies a little better.  These are not the best pictures but I was snapping away as fast as I could before the cookies were devoured . . .

The Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps were a new addition to our cookie repertoire, I found them in Pinterest but they are Martha Stewart's.  The were delicious and so pretty, too!  Here is the link for the recipe. 

My sister-in-law, Kathy, also brought a gorgeous, delicious flan to share!  I wish I had taken a picture of it.  It was a beautiful thing.  It can be tricky to bake a flan to a proper consistency, but hers was perfect!  Oh, if only we could slow events down a little bit so we could capture everything on camera!

And here is the photo that still makes me smile:  My son, John, trying to hold on to a slippery Oliver, and my other son, David, in the background with a half-smile on his face.  He seems to be thinking:  “Better you than me, bro!”  Oh, what a wonderful Christmas Eve!  I hope yours was, too!

I'm joining Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch and Let's Dish! at Cuisine Kathleens!  Please stop by for inspiration!

Poinsettia

Scarlet shades of red

Liven holiday decor

Christmastime again

—Milton Toran

Christmas garland

There's nothing like a fresh evergreen garland at Christmastime . . .

with its wonderful cedar and pine aroma . . .  Throw in a little red . . .

 

 Add some loopy string and ribbon . . . some silver bells . . .

 

and you'll be walking around the house singing Christmas carols in no time . . .

Black Friday

Oh, sure, some folks went shopping . . . but some of us relaxed with good friends and comfort food . . .

There was already a pretty centerpiece ready to be used again . . .

And this time, the table is set in calming neutrals.  Pretty soon, we will be surrounded by Christmas colors!

I love that hour before a party starts, and the table is set . . .

The sun is setting and its rays are streaming through the windows.  It's such a lovely sight!

Won't you join me for an apéritif before the guests arrive?

Featuring:

Dinnerware - Traditions by Williams-Sonoma (my every day dinnerware)
Flatware - Treble Clef by Gourmet Settings
Glassware - The Dollar Tree
Wheelbarrow Cellars (used here for red pepper flakes) - Pottery Barn (several years ago)
Linens - Pottery Barn Classic Linen in Flax
Mini Salt & Pepper Shakers - Crate and Barrel eons ago
Tall candlesticks - Marshall Field's (wedding present 30 years ago)
Short candlesticks - The Dollar Tree