Chickadee Home Nest: October 2014

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Fall Dinner for a Blog Friend

I’ve read about it plenty—bloggers who become virtual friends and eventually meet—and I thought that such meetings must be so fun! Well, Maria, of Dreams and Epiphanies, met in person last weekend! She and her husband, Lee, had a standing invitation for anytime they came to Ohio to visit their son in college, and she emailed me to say they would be in Ohio and would October 18 work? Of course! We’d make it work! We invited them to our home for lunch if they were up to it, because yes, we’re in Ohio, but not en route to Miami University, and the answer was “yes, we’ll come visit!” Yea, Lee, for being a good sport!!

My husband Terry and I decided a traditional Cuban meal was in order, and he chose the menu, based on his favorite meal: Roast pork chunks with Cuban seasonings, rice and black beans, and guacamole—Cuban guacamole…you’ll see that treat in a minute! We also had corn soufflé (recipe here), rolls and butter, and a good pinot noir selected by our son, the chef.

There was no lapse in conversation from the minute they arrived! I’d asked that they arrive hungry, and they said they had heeded my request, so first we had some appetizers ~

I love to serve palitroques—bread sticks—especially with appetizers, because they were somewhat of a staple with my family, so I always think of them as a Cuban item, though I don’t know if other Cuban families enjoy them as much as we do. I forgot to ask Maria—we’ll need to get together again to talk some more. :)

Our table (as well as the meal, really) was simple and fall-ish: Burlap runner, woven “straw” placemats and twig chargers, with simple white dishes and aubergine napkins held by twig napkin rings.

The pork and the rice…and back to the tablescape~ funny how a table decor unfolds. All I had in mind was the burlap and twig things, and simple white dishes. As I was looking for these items I ran across this purchase from last year:

Metallic gold leaves that I bought for a whopping $.97 on clearance last December. I actually thought they were golds and bronzes, but no, all gold. So there went the table—gold leaves on the burlap runner for contrast, and gold accents, including my “gold” flatware that my dear, sweet grandmother, who obliged me in every way she could, bought for me just because I wanted them, to go with the Lenox Holiday dishes she had also given me. She was such a sweet, dear, giving person, never, ever expecting anything in return.

Originally I intended to use this Tea Leaf tureen—it was perfect—until I took the lid off and saw the crazing and damage to the porcelain. Not safe. I’d gotten it at an auction, and at the time I wasn’t concerned about the damage, since my intention was to use it for display purposes, but I’d forgotten about it. So off the table and back to just looking lovely, as she always does.

And about that Cuban guacamole…ours consists of chunks of avocado and of fresh pineapple, with a bit of salt (some like to add extra virgin olive oil and a splash of vinegar and thin onion slices, but mine was sans, as I prefer it). As soon as Maria saw it she referred to it as guacamole. That was fun. And since pineapple is not exactly a fall dish, I compensated with the corn soufflé, served in a hollowed pumpkin.

And now for the BEST part~

Two new friends—in person! Well, actually FOUR new friends…our husbands did join us at the table, but I have to admit, they were super nice, and super patient with these two ladies, talking incessantly about tables, and bloggers, and dishes, and…. It was a fun, fun day!

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Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

Sunday Showcase at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Sunday at It’s Overflowing at http://www.itsoverflowing.com/

Sunday Creative Home and Garden Hop at http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com/

Sundays at The Tablescaper: http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Cuisine Kathleen at http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Wednesday DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Friday at Redoux Interiors at http://www.redouxinteriors.com/

Fridays at Imparting Grace at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Throwback Thursdays at http://www.glitterglueandpaint.com/throwback-thursday-2/

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Be Inspired Friday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at http://rootedinthyme.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

Fridays at The Thrifty Groove at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Saturdays at http://piecedpastimes.blogspot.com/

Spotlight Saturdays at http://www.classyclutter.net/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Fall Decor Around the House

Well, fall DID finally arrive at Chickadee Home Nest, although not with the same oomph as in years past. It started with…hydrangeas, of course. Are you surprised?

It was a beautiful early-fall day, and I found myself puttering in the garden. The hydrangeas were starting to turn their beautiful pink and green-ish speckled look, and I just had to bring some in. I wanted lots of them—I mean LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of them, and the sterling punch bowl, a {lovely} gift from my MIL, was perfect. Large enough, and shiny enough, but not too shiny. The bit of tarnish on it added to the charm.

Once the hydrangeas were arranged I went back outside, and when I came back inside I was awestruck by the sunlight streaming through and highlighting our new centerpiece. No words needed; I’ll share some of the beauty streaming through our sliding glass doors~

You remember this favorite spoon, right? It’s from Table Art, I think, and it always makes me think of a tiny, coppery hosta leaf.

I’ve had this plant with the purple flowers for six or seven years—still in the same pot. Every spring I put it out in the screened porch, then take it to our office over the winter, where it’s not real happy, but it does manage to produce a few blooms once or twice. (Does anyone know what it is, besides beautiful?) This year, she has been especially happy, and has bloomed forever, with lots and lots of gorgeous blooms. I couldn’t resist mixing the purple and the white hydrangeas, even if just for a quick photo shoot.

Even in our bedroom, hydrangeas prevail, in a silver “vase,” aka a salt shaker.

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And yes, I said I kept it simple, but not quite this simple. I did manage to add a few more touches.

Fall in the China Cabinet

I wanted to do something different than what I usually do, so I started by 1) Keeping things simpler, and 2) By using purples and oranges. In the china cabinet I used touches of white/milk glass for contrast.

No sooner had I settled on the purple-and-orange theme than I walked into Kroger and the purple African violets—in purple pots, no less—were on clearance for $2.99 each. Needless to say, all but two came home with me. Here you can get a peak of the orange touches.

Three of the African violets came with purple pots, and the others…in a terra cotta/orange shade. Could it be more perfect?! The Rouen antique dessert plates, made by Villeroy & Boch Mettlach between 1850 & 1899, add a bit of background color.

My sweet friend, Shirley, sent me this picture, because she said it had reminded her of me. She knows me well—I’d seen it (I think in Southern Living?) and had already saved it!

So this little silver cup, a takeoff on the tiny Revere bowl in the inspiration picture, is in honor of my sweet friend.

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Fall at the Writing Desk and Buffet

Keeping with the simple theme has suited me well this year…it’s a calming touch, a nod to the now-not-so-new season.

The buffet got a simple touch with my Tea Leaf ironstone tureen and twigs and “berries” wrapped around the rusty wrought-iron candlesticks our youngest son, Todd, gave me years ago. It seems like fall doesn’t happen until these candlesticks that I love so much are out.

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Fall In the Kitchen

And finally, in the kitchen, the nod to fall was p-r-e-t-t-y simple:

Blue and white and sunflowers in my Southern Living Ballard Designs tiered basket, with a further touch of fall in the Villeroy & Boch Mettlach dessert plates.

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So are you done decorating for fall? In October I usually add some Halloween decorations for the little chickadees, but now that the two older ones go to school every day, we don’t have them here as much (can you hear the pout in my voice?). I probably won’t do much along those lines. I think we’ll probably go straight into Thanksgiving with the current decor, then move right into you know what!!! That HAPPIEST time of the year!! Now, THAT’S a season I look forward to!

How do you do your fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving decorating? Do you do it in stages as the season progresses, or all at once? I’d love to hear how you do it, and why you do it that way. You never know…you might inspire me to start fall decorating in August/early September (but I kinda doubt it!). :)