A Winter Wonderland - Christmas continued

We were busy at our house this December, this time, hosting my son, John's friends from NIU - Northern Illinois University.  Now that they've all graduated, it gets harder and more complicated for this tight group to see each other, so Christmas break seemed to be the perfect time - the only time actually, in which this group could get together.

I needed to cleanse my tablescaping palate, after all the reds, greens and gold that we used earlier in the month (plus my cream-colored tablecloth was still at the cleaners), so we went with a silver and white color scheme . . . with a teensy bit of red thrown in . . .

It was so exciting to be able to go to my stash and pull out all the elements of this table without having to spend a cent!  I had all these things in my basement from previous Christmases.  What a delight to be able to use them again.

The snowflake napkin rings have been around forever.  I still have the original Marshall Field's box in which they came.  Now that Field's is gone, I can never get rid of the box!

Every guest received a box of Frango Candy Cane mints.  The boxes were so pretty I didn't feel they needed any additional wrapping.  I love the pop of red against all that white and silver.  What do you think? 

The menu:  Crab cake on a bed of arugula, served with lemon wedges and tartar sauce, chicken noodle soup, served with oyster crackers, filet of beef au jus, served with Roman potatoes.  There was no point in serving a green vegetable to this bunch, so I saved myself the trouble.  Dessert was Coconut Flan, Oreo mini-trifles, and a tray of cookies, including Pecan Butterballs, Potato Chip Munchies and Double Chocolate Chip Candy Cane cookies.  Then we served coffee, and, since I'm still on a Venetian high, I served shot glasses with limoncello.

And here's the Motley Crew, including my son David, who showed up at our house unexpectedly on Christmas morning, on a second short leave from the Army, giving us the best present we could have hoped for this holiday season!  I am so grateful to have had all these young adults around!  They are such genuinely nice people . . . and they keep me young!

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.  Don't miss the talented tablescapers who join this fabulous party!

John's Fine Arts Senior Exhibit

My son, John, a Fine Arts major at Northern Illinois University, exhibited his work at his Senior Art Show last night.  I couldn't be more proud.

It was absolutely thrilling to see his work displayed so beautifully!

John exhibited thirteen pieces, which, I'm told, is a pretty substantial show . . .

The artist and one of the models hamming it up at the exhibit . . .

John asked me to coordinate the reception for the exhibit, and, well, he didn't have to twist my arm very hard . . .  There was a savory table with veggies, cheeses, and sandwiches . . .

And a sweet table, with some unbelievably delicious treats from new bakeries I had never used before.  Sometimes we take a leap of faith and land on our two feet!

The cupcake “artiste” - because this is no mere baker - made painter's palettes from fondant, including the brush, to top the cupcakes.  They were delicious to boot!  What a hit!

But I must say, the glory of the dessert table went to the cake pops.  They were so moist and flavorful and beautiful!  Here are the chocolate ones . . .

And here are the vanilla ones . . .

I wish I could take credit for the baking but I was too busy to bake, so I recruited Miss Joan's Cupcakes and Sweet Tooth Confections, both local vendors and bakers extraordinaires.

We had a non-alcoholic punch since the show took place in the school campus.  I found the recipe on Pinterest.  Click here for the recipe . . .

We made lemonade ice cubes, to keep the punch flavor vibrant as the ice dissolved, and we floated lemon slices for an extra kick - and because it looked so pretty . . .

Here I am, setting up the sweets table . . .

Here are the loves of my life:  My two sons, David (red shirt) and John, and my husband, Lee.

My brother and wonderful sister-in-law, Kathy, drove all the way from the Wisconsin border to see the exhibit . . .  My friend Patti and her husband drove an hour and a half from the city, to be with us, even though they had to get up early the next day to go to work . . .  We are so lucky in our family and friends, and so grateful that they were able to come!

And here are my three handsome boys . . .

I didn't notice this plaque until almost the end, which is a good thing, for I would have dissolved in a puddle of tears . . .

Did I mention how proud I am of this boy?  My cup runneth over . . .

A Pothos Tale . . .

This pothos sits on top of our mantle all year, except for Christmas, when I usually move it to decorate for the holidays.  It was given to me in a tiny 3-inch pot by a co-worker for my birthday, about eight years ago.  This is a hardy plant.  I'm always forgeting to water it, and the sunshine that it gets comes mostly from the skylight in the room.  And yet, despite benign neglect, it keeps on thriving.

Pothos lovers of my acquaintance prefer to let the branches grow long, and as they grow, find little supports for it, until eventually the leaves around the pot are scraggly, but the branches form a beautiful bough in the room.  I prefer to trim back those long branches, keeping the plant looking full and lush, but fairly contained. 

Below is my son, John's, pothos.  He's taken the clippings I've cut from the mother plant, rooted them, and has been working for about three years on making it a viable and beautiful plant.  At times, the poor thing has looked like nothing more than a science experiment.  But slowly, it has improved, thanks in large part to John's tenacity.  He takes it with him to college, and when it comes home, it sits on the mantle keeping company with its mother.

Both my son and his plant, went back to college this past week.  The house feels empty, and, as always, I'm a little lost right now.  I wonder if my pothos is feeling lost as well . . .

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Just call me Penelope . . .

As I was unraveling my crocheting project for, oh, I dunno . . . the fifth or sixth time, my son remarked that I reminded him of Penelope, Odysseus' wife.  Yes, I have a son that uses Homer as material for his smart aleck cracks.  Penelope was known for her faithfulness while she waited for her husband to return from fighting that pesky Trojan War.  For three years, she weaved a shroud for the eventual funeral of her father-in-law, Laertes, and claimed that she would choose a new husband as soon as the shroud was completed. By day, the queen weaved her shroud and at night, she unraveled what she had done, until eventually she got caught. 

There's one obvious conclusion to be drawn from this:  Penelope was not a blogger.  Fellow bloggers would not have let her get away with it for so long without wanting to see the progress . . . so, just to make sure no suitors for my hand get angry with me, here's what I've done so far . . .

But suitors beware: My husband and I just celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary last week. Our marriage shroud is still being crocheted. Every stitch has been a labor of love, and there's no end in sight for this project . . . you'd better find yourself another Penelope . . .

Meanwhile, it's that time of year again.  Boxes in my Living Room can only mean one thing:  My son is going back to college soon.  There goes that little catch in my breath . . .

This and That

The Easter lily has finally succumbed, but it brought us so much joy!

This year's plant was loaded with buds . . .

It bloomed and bloomed and bloomed . . .

Seventeen blooms!

We went to NIU to see our son and his work at an installation art exhibit.  The subject of his work was color and how humans make judgments based on cultural connections to color.  I told him that this picture of him reminded me a little of Che Guevara.  He said:  “Who's that?”  Goodness, I'm getting old!

We finished painting our bedroom!  The room went from Havana Cream yellow to Mountain Air blue . . . and we now have a lovely, smooth ceiling . . . the popcorn is gone!

The bedroom has a tall ceiling and it would be perfect for a beautiful chandelier, but then I'd have to give up the ceiling fan . . . I like having a ceiling fan, it really helps to circulate the air. It's nice when both form and function can be combined, but, for me, function has to come first . . .  We have wall controls for the fan, but I couldn't resist these swirly fan pulls.  It's like jewelry for the ceiling!

Today, for the first time, I pulled out the beautiful quilt my sons gave me for Mother's Day last year.  It has a muted palette that makes the room feel so restful!

Here's a shot of the little corner I call mine.  It has all the essentials:  Good reading light, my iPod, the Kindle, lots of pillows, an old, faded, comfortable chair . . . However, it's lacking . . . je ne sais quoi . . . style?

Once when I was a teenager, I became ill while visiting a friend of my mother's.  She took me into her bedroom to lie down and forever changed how I felt about bedrooms.  Her bed was soft and the scent of lilacs perfumed the air.  Her sheets were impeccably white and crisp.  The decorations were sparse, but she had just enough touches in the room to make it a pretty and very personal space.  I fell asleep and when I woke up, I felt better.  I've never forgotten that wonderful room. 

In recent years, we've gotten sidetracked with other projects, but seeing the freshly painted room and the lovely quilt has reminded me of how important it is to have a welcoming haven in which to read, pray, meditate and relax.  Now I'd like to try and recreate the feelings evoked by that calm and inviting room of long ago, and I hope you'll come along for the journey . . . stay tuned!

Back to college!

We drove my son, John, to college today. All CAs (Community Advisors) needed to start earlier than other students to attend training and be ready when classes begin.

We left him full of enthusiasm for the year ahead. I'm so happy for him. I am so going to miss him . . . again . . . Does it ever get easier?

I made my husband pull to the side of the road today so I could take this picture. It is the first image you see when you get off the highway on the way to NIU. DeKalb is known for its corn. There are fields of it everywhere you look.

By the time we left, his dorm room had been transformed into a very personal space. It was cozy and efficient and full of John. The place vibrated with his energy. I can just picture him now sorting through his stuff, organizing it, settling in . . . This past week he had turned my dining room into a staging area, putting all the things he was planning to take with him all over the room . . . boxes, boxes everywhere . . . and now it's all empty . . .

And the summer is only half done . . . and I go back to work tomorrow . . . life goes on . . .

The photographer

The husky is the school mascot at NIU, where my son, John, is attending college. Nothing is going to escape this clever fellow. He won't miss that special shot!

Off to University!

Today we drove my son, John, to his new school, where he will, for the first time, live on campus. I'm very proud of John. He is an excellent student and has turned out to be a thoughtful, responsible, caring young man. He is very ready to take on whatever new challenges the coming years will bring and he's happy and excited to finally begin to take the classes that he loves and that will put him on the road to his chosen career.

Tomorrow, I know I will remember all the excellent reasons why I'm thrilled for him. But today, I'm sad. The little bird has left the nest and I'm feeling rather lost.

2008 Highlights

The Best and the Worst of 2008

• January 2008 - I turned 50! We had dinner with my brother, Al, and his family at a French bistro, Mon Ami Gabi, in Oak Brook. Low-key celebration but hugely meaningful to me.

• January 2008 - Our minivan, affectionately known as Moby Dick, gets a flat tire on the coldest day in January; then gets rear ended by the garage that was installing new tires. I drove a rental for two weeks while the van was being repaired. Another innocent victim was my purse, which was run over by a car while I was transferring "must-haves" from the van to the rental.

• March 6 - I fell during work hours while attending an off-site meeting and fractured my left wrist. I spent the evening at an immediate care center brooding that my son, John, was celebrating his 19th birthday sitting in the Waiting Room while his mom was being treated for her injury.



• April 2008 - My office moves to Elmhurst, Illinois, from Oak Brook, into the renovated factory formerly owned by Keebler (yes, the cookie factory). Now, whenever something goes wrong, we blame it on the elves.


• June 2008 - The Dining Room gets a fresh coat of paint. Nobody paints like my husband, Lee. No one is as patient and meticulous.



• July 2008 - John's room makeover. John's bedroom gets new laminate flooring, paint and bedding. John has put his personal touches in the room which now feels very Zen.


• August 2008 - David gets his first part-time job at Jewel, straightening shelves in the grocery store, and helping customers.



• September 2008 - John begins his second year at College of DuPage, he is hoping to transfer to NIU and complete his Education degree.



• September 2008 - David begins his senior year in high school. Yikes! Where has time gone?



• October 11, 2008 - Moby Dick was hit again, this time on the left side, while my husband, Lee, was backing it out of a parking space at our local supermarket two days before our trip to Italy. We filed a police report and decided to deal with the problem after our return.



• October 2008 - Lee and I, with Lee's brother, Robert, and his wife, Barb, travelled to Italy and stayed in Rome seven days. Lee and I arrived a day earlier than Robert and Barb, so we could attend a Papal audience at the Vatican. The trip was wonderful but exhausting. We visited countless sites, and enjoyed many delicious local wines with our meals. We found the Italian people absolutely warm and friendly and very interested in the upcoming American elections. We definitely want to go back.



• November 2008 - John gets accepted to NIU for next fall, and wins their Centennial Scholarship. Go Huskies!



• December 2008 - I get my very own computer and begin a blog!!!