The Apple Dinner Party

I tend to name my dinner parties so they stand out in my mind.  The colors on table were inspired by a Granny Smith apple.

We held this dinner party on October 27, 2018.  We had just returned from Paris, and it was still fresh on my mind, so the menu consisted of Boeuf Bourguignon, served with crusty baguettes, and butter.  Just some nice comfort food, wine, and great conversation.  I find that I prefer simple foods, really well prepared.

I love these Belt Napkin Rings from Pottery Barn.  It somehow feels like something I'd find in the countryside or a farm.  I thought they would work for the harvest season.

The dishes are Mikasa French Countryside.  They have the fiddle and thread pattern associated with French Classicism.  The flatware is Jefferson, by Reed and Barton for Monticello.  The pattern is a copy of the silver that Thomas Jefferson commissioned while he was in France and brought back to Monticello.  They also have that refined fiddle and thread pattern.  I've always loved their classic simplicity.

I was able to score some simple mums in the same color as the napkins.  The table runner is an old one from Pottery Barn, and the grasscloth placemats came from Crate and Barrel.  The muted tones go well with the season, and makes the green pop.

The table is set.  Now it waits for the friends.

How many adults do you need to take a selfie?  All of them, plus one more.  When there are no teenagers around, old folks struggled to make it work . . . but we had so much fun trying!

Two of these friends are currently fighting Covid-19, but they seem to have mild symptoms so far, so I think they are on their way to recovery.  I miss my friends.  I miss traveling.  Let's hope this scourge gets under control soon.

It's Looking Good!

I'm loving my new glasses!

And my soon-to-be new president is not bad either!

Enjoying the View

I'm pretending to enjoy a luxurious continental breakfast in my bedroom this morning.  Well, that was the intent, anyway, but who makes their own bed before having breakfast in bed?  Um . . . that would be me!  Truthfully, I don't really like eating in bed, even when we are staying in hotels, but just for today, I thought it would be nice to pretend having breakfast in a space I am in love with!

You see, I have made redecorating the Master and Mistress Bedroom my COVID-19 project.  With all the time being spent at home, I needed to make my nest cozy, and, to finally, add pieces to my taste, instead of the ones I inherited from parents and in-laws.  But more of the redecorating project to come later.

Breakfast consisted of a Coddled Egg, Orange Scone (from Panera Bread, which we had picked up the day before), and a pot of Oolong Tea.  The dishes are Evesham Gold, by Royal Worcester.  I only have a few pieces of this beautiful china, purchased at an estate sale.  The Sferra linens are mismatched deliberately.  I liked how pale pink and gold looked together.

To make Coddled Eggs:  Butter the cup, add a raw egg and screw the top on. Place in simmering water for 4 minutes, or according to desired doneness. I like it so that the yolk is slightly runny, and the egg white is creamy.  The eggs would normally look even better with some chives sprinkled on top, but, alas, no more fresh herbs for us until next Spring.  Our garden is dormant for the winter.

Have you ever noticed how many European dish patterns there are featuring fruit?  It must be derived from the centuries of still life paintings that European masters put on canvas.  I'm very fond of how they are depicted in this china.

Here's a sneak peek of the newly decorated bedroom.  Unfortunately, it's not completely finished yet.  There have been countless delays related to the pandemic.  More will be forthcoming in the coming months.  For now, I'm sitting down and enjoying my first breakfast ever in the bedroom!

Halloween Musings

I'm posting some Halloween photos that I shared on Facebook throughout the month of October this year.  These are things that made me smile, remembering Halloweens past.  Perhaps because this was not a tradition that I grew up with, Halloween has always felt a little foreign to me, but I celebrated it when the kids were little, and this year, as I consider shutting down this blog permanently, I dug out what remains in our Halloween box, and took them out to play once more.

Here are my favorite goblins.  Creepy and Spooky have sat in just about every window ledge in the house, except my bedroom.  There's no telling what this couple of busybodies, would have to say about my face cream!

Brunhilda usually wants to hang out in the kitchen, but she's guarding the pumpkin pies she has in the oven.  No ghosts or goblins are going to get past her!

Fiona is once again fluttering about the chandelier.  Despite her Celtic ancestry, I consider her my emotional doppelgänger.  You see, Fiona doesn't travel light — and she always wears her pearls.

There were enough odds and ends in the Halloween box, that I decided to make a centerpiece out of them.  I keep thinking about investing in one of those tiered trays and creating a display, but I'm waiting to be convinced.  I'm very careful nowadays about what new things I bring into the house.

And then, the day was finally upon us . . .

So my mind turned to treats, of course!

With the boys at home, it was so easy to go overboard!

I decided to try something new this year:  Vanilla Pudding Shooters, with Oreo Cookies and Candy Corn.  The recipe called for using Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding.  But, I prefer my own Vanilla Custard.  I wish I had made them sooner!

This year, because of the pandemic, candy was distributed differently in our subdivision:  The treats were pre-packaged in recyclable bags, and placed on a table in the driveway, a few bags at a time, to encourage social distancing and safety.  It was a resounding success and we will probably do it the same way next year!

We are currently in the middle of what may the most important election of our lifetime, but I can't watch TV, or follow the news on social media.  It's not like watching a train wreck.  A train wreck is a detached event, where you feel sympathy for the victims, and are horrified by the damage, but you feel it in a removed sort of way.  The elections, however, impact all of us directly in so many ways, and I just can't be objective.  The anxiety is too real.  At this juncture, it appears that Joe Biden is leading in electoral votes, or so I've heard through co-workers, and that makes me happy, but it's too soon to know for sure, so I'm not tuning in to the news.  Now, that is some spooky stuff!