Log Cabin Thanksgiving

My brother and sister-in-law are blessed to live in a REAL log cabin, and yes, out in the country, on 13 acres:

 

I was going to first do a peak at the inside “logginess,” but why wait? It’ll set the tone for you, for a Log Cabin Thanksgiving day…they’ve been hosting all 30-some of us for the last several years. Yes, it’s lovely to spend Thanksgiving there.

Of course this is the kitchen, but it’s the view from the great room, so it’s a very open, cozy floor plan.

How about these carved logs? They are the ones you barely see in the picture above this one, as the “entry” into the open kitchen.

Even the stairs are half-logs…and though I haven’t mentioned the decor, it’s perfect for the setting. They both have a lot of fun searching auctions and other interesting haunts for just the right pieces…

yes?

The island is of course the hub—with hors d'oeuvres on one side, and heavy cooking activity on the other.

And of course, the back of the cabin faces west…how’s that for a view from the kitchen table and the window over the sink? I may not mind doing dishes with this view!

Because my SIL also suffers from the same china-and-silver-and-crystal addiction that so many of us do, she could not…WOULD not…give up her formal dining room—it’s in the loft! (For those old enough to remember Green Acres…she’s the Eva Gabor to my brother’s Eddie Albert—the gentleman who plays farmer.) And yes, it’s lovely to have such beautiful, dainty things in this rustic setting. That’s another post, but one I will surely do, because I know you will love it.

To host our huge crowd they move the feast to the walkout lower level, and does.she.set.a.table—well, tables. Take a look.

Table #1 (round, front): Friendly Village

Table #2 (oblong, to the right): Whites Turkeys and Browns

Table #3 (top left): Cornucopia and Pinecones.

I know, I know…you want the details. Here are the close ups.

Table #1 – Friendly Village, with red and brown accents.

(and some silver too.)

Table #2 – White Turkeys and Browns

Would you take a look at the crystal? And the bread plates? And the Pottery Barn white turkey plates? Oh…and the silverware? A table for 12 with all the trimmings. I think this year I will sit at the table where these figurines are…I just love them. Do you think she would know where to look if they went missing? ;)

And finally, Table #3 – Cornucopia and Pinecones

Isn’t this an unusual (and beautiful) cornucopia? And a lovely mix she has incorporated into a centerpiece.

As I look through my pictures I realize I didn’t take pictures of our fabulous meal—we’re a big cooking family, and there’s always way too much food. I was either taken by the table (very likely), or very hungry (very likely). Note to self: Take pictures of the food this year!!

I leave you with Mr. Turkey—my cheese ball appetizer—and their darling little grandson, perplexed by this goofy-looking turkey! :)

Wishing you a blessed and happy Thanksgiving, surrounded by loved ones.

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!

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

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/

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/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

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

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Spring China Cabinet and Other High Hopes

This week alone we’ve had temperatures in the 30s and temperatures hitting 70º… “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain” the James Taylor song goes. “I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end…” Nope…scratch the part about seeing so many sunny days that I thought they’d never end…when we have sunny days around here we’re a little skeptical…what’s coming next?! Last Saturday was a perfect example: I woke up to a cloudy day, and later I looked out and it was drizzling! Yuck! I see a weather alert on my phone! A what?! What could be happening?!I Yep, a winter storm watch with rain turning to freezing rain, turning to snow, and at one point later in the day we had almost a complete white out—oh, and high, very high winds. We were thankful for no meaningful accumulation.

But a couple of weeks ago I decided it was TIME…even if the weather wasn’t cooperating completely, it was time for spring, because again, my “gears” where not in sync—the calendar, the sunny days/rainy days, the cold temperatures/the glimpses of hope—not even a crocus out there that I’ve seen!

First thing to do: The china cabinet. Our home is so open that the china cabinet can set the tone for the rest of the house—as the china cabinet goes, so goes our decor (and my mood, one could add).

You might recall I had already de-winterized the china cabinet to this:

The intense colors were starting to bother me, so before I knew it I was taking the reds and purples and teal out and replacing it with a softer, twiggier, birdier design~

Ahhhh…so much better for this time of year!

Our DIL has offered to make bird nest cupcakes for our Easter brunch, so that will be the “theme” of our table—birds and nests and twigs and eggs. Probably not feathers, unless I get some that are natural in color (and not cardinals’! LOL). Anticipating that tablescape, I wanted to bring out the Pottery Barn bird-on-a-branch salad plates, because I will surely use them on our table and I wanted to enjoy them.

Since at the time Easter was a good month away, I didn’t want to go Easter-y; just spring-y, with soft, muted colors.

Some of the details~

The top of the cabinet is always fun to decorate, but the cathedral ceiling presents a bit of a challenge, because there’s an awful lot of space to fill, and you have to make sure the objects there aren’t miniaturized because of the open space. The vintage silver cruet set and birdcage help fill the space.

Would you believe these are the white roses from the Three Kings Celebration (January 6, 2014 – you can see that post here )? They dried so beautifully. They almost look like they’re vintage papers instead. The vessel next to them was an awesome find at GW not too long ago. I know I’ll be using it a lot. And the pinecone roses? Those are new—a new love. You’ll see more of them later (and in many future posts, I’m sure)

You knew our little chickadee had to be here somewhere! This time she’s snuggled in her cage amidst hydrangeas and pinecone roses and moss on top of the china cabinet.

The top shelf in the cabinet is quite simple: A soft blue vase (also a GW find), filled with my dried hydrangeas, and a sweet found nest whose creator did not weave it very well; it’s rather fragile. Those babies must’ve been coming sooner that she thought and they were in a hurry to get that nest done! (I wouldn’t know about that; my chickadees were both late!) A PB bird-on-a-branch salad plate, and three ceramic pitchers that I’ve had for years. So glad I bought them when I did!

I’ve had this frosted pedestal dish with a lovely floral design for many, many years, and I’ve always been able to use it somewhere; it’s a versatile piece.

The second shelf is a “birdie” vignette, complete with a faux nest and faux eggs. The three look-alike birds are actual candle holders from Crate and Barrel, and of course, my chubby Nicodemus robin whom I know you’ve seen—he’s always around, just like the chickadee.

The decorations on the bottom shelf offer the visual foundation for the cabinet, with more of the PB plates and yet another faux nest and faux eggs.

  Three nests down the center of the china cabinet to offer continuity and rhythm.

The serving level holds a Crate and Barrel oblong wood dish filled with more pinecone roses, the Bombay Company chicken-wire cloche filled with hydrangeas, and my husband’s grandparents’ milk glass salt and pepper set, which we use as our everyday shakers because they’re so special.

 

So, “rain and severe storms for the weekend,” the TV just announced. Hmmm, what’s happening in YOUR world? Have you moved into spring in spite of the weather? What have you done? Or are you way ahead of me and into full Easter swing?

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!

Fabulously Creative Fridays at http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/

Design it Friday at http://www.findingfabulousblog.com/

Friday Party Junk at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/

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

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

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

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

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

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

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

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/

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

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

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

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

July Birthdays Birthday Party

My husband and I have five children (he, 2 boys and a girl, and I, 2 boys).  Three of the 4 boys have birthdays in July (one of his sons and my July son were born a week apart—same year—and my July son and his other son have birthdays 2 days apart—(did you follow all that?).  PLUS, two of our DILs have birthdays in July, and my husband’s birthday is in July!  Whew!!  It would be impossible to celebrate each one individually, so this is the party for the 4 who will be able to join the July Birthday Party!

First let me warn you, though.  The heat wave that’s hitting much of the country has not missed us in Ohio…so this was the fastest table and picture-taking session on record.  My husband wondered why I wouldn’t be doing it inside—well, we can’t have a BEACH birthday party inside!  To the screen porch I went!  I actually set most of the table the night before, and got up early the next morning to “beat the heat”… but the heat beat me!  I finished the table and took pictures so fast that if I didn’t use Picasa you’d think you were suffering from vertigo—quite a few were NOT straight.  It was truly a point-and-shoot day!  And you’ll notice not evening shots…Let’s just say the heat won.

But here we are—the table got done, the pictures were taken.   

Happy birthday to all my July sweeties!

Let’s start with dessert first, shall we?

With this heat we can’t have real ice cream, so how ‘bout ice cream cone candles?!

  I know, I know…we’re in Ohio.  But that won’t keep us from pretending we’re at the beach!  We’re BEACH people!  We have SAND from our favorite beach in Siesta Key, Florida, shells galore from there too, and . . . FLIP FLOPS!

I’ve had the flip flop plates for years and had planned to use them for this table, then I saw Mary’s Home is Where the Boat Is post with flip flops she made from Nutter Butter cookies….HAD.TO.HAVE.THEM on MY table!  No worries, I let her know I would be “stealing” her darling idea and giving full credit. 

Are these not the cutest things ever?! Mary made hers with icing, but I take shortcuts—it was 10:30 at night when my husband and I hit Kroger.  So I bought two tubes of gel icing, and I, too, had flip flop cookies!  I sprinkled them with nonpareils and added the little stars.

Served on my vintage Tiara tiered server.

  And how about a high-heel server?!  My husband bought that for me at an arts festival several years ago.

Pottery Barn shell pewter hors d’oeuvres picks, also from a number of years ago,

and Pottery Barn crabs—can’t be at the beach without them!  (They’re really place card holders.)

We also have our table-size sandbox—a darling gift from our son and DIL…perfect for Mom the beach lover!  At the top corner you see the “trunk” of the palm tree, and the starfish could go there instead.  It’s a Nora Fleming dish with interchangeable embellishments/add-ons.

Water!!  Lots of water!!

And now I have to tell you about my dishes…the serving tray--$26.86 originally—is a Zak Designs, and so are the teal plates and the glasses.  Got them all—and the pitcher—for $3.00 at a auction!  I didn’t even know what was in the box lot, but I saw teal, and that was good enough for me!  I couldn’t be more excited about them!  I’ve never had Melamine dishes before, but to settle my heart’s desire for teal dishes for this table, they are perfect!  Take a look at the “glasses”—they look like glass!  Boy, do I wish I could find glass ones just.like.these!!

Thank you for stopping by our July birthday party.  I hope your imagination got a good workout and that you enjoyed our beach in the screened porch!   What do you do when you have multiple birthdays in one month?  Are you able to celebrate them individually like I’d love to do?  And do you do beach themes even though you’re nowhere near the beach—just to bring it a little closer?

I’d love to hear from you to know you stopped by…and please tell me what you thought.  Love your visits/love your comments. 

I invite you to follow me.  If you do, please let me know and I’ll be sure to follow right back! 

I wish you happy beach days,if only in your dreams.  Here’s where I’ll be this week; I hope you’ll stop by and visit me and the great selection of posts you’ll find at these great parties!

Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com

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

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

Cozy Home Scenes Tuesdays at http://cozyhomescenes.blogspot.com/

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

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

Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

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

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

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

What's It Wednesday at http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Thursdays at StoneGable http://www.stonegableblog.com/

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

Tablescape Thursday at betweennapsontheporch.net

Open House Party Thursday at http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Share Your Cup Thursday at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

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

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

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

Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

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

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

Fridays Unfolded at http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/

Saturday Nite Special at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

4th of July Table and More

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays (along with Christmas and Easter).  I have fond memories from when I was on the drill team in high school, and we marched in the Fourth of July parade. It was such a thrill to be there.  The parade route went through a neighborhood that to my young eyes was fantastic, and I decided that was exactly where I wanted to live when I grew up—right on the parade route, so my family and I could step right out our front door the evening before and set our lawn chairs out to reserve our spots.  I don’t know exactly when I realized that the reason the parade went down that street was because it’s a wide and busy road, and that the houses, though nice, aren’t really all that grand, but the memories of the patriotic music, all the flags, and the cool morning air when we got there early in the morning…I’ll never forget. Oh…and I forgot to mention another part of my young girl’s dream:  we’d have a BIG barbeque in the backyard with LOTS of people in attendance, and all would be decorated in RED, WHITE, and BLUE.  What fun!

Well…we don’t do the big, blow out party, but for all my adult years I’ve done some semblance of decorating and setting a patriotic table.  In fact, in my 4th of July bins I still have pictures of a Country Living spread that I fell in love with, probably in the late 80s.  My passion goes back a loooonnnnggg ways.

Now that blogging has entered my life—how FUN to get to share my tables with all of you!  So here it is, my FIRST 4TH OF JULY TABLE FOR BLOGLAND!  In anticipation, in our screened porch…

 

 

Let’s play Find the Differences!  Here, I’d forgotten that I’d wanted to use my PB tall, red sherbets, which you’ll see in the pictures above.  What a difference they made, yes?

My Longaberger bean pot was the perfect centerpiece.  And the PB glasses, trimmed in blue, are perfect for the flag stirrers.

The candles in the PB tall sherbets are floating ones, but I was afraid to light them and have the heat break the fragile crystal, even with water in it.  I love these stems, and they were a gift from my husband, so the risk wasn’t worth it (and PB doesn’t carry them anymore).

 

Even the log cabin is sporting a flag, and the whirligigs on the patio catch the light to bring some fun.  Those will go home with the grandbabies for the parade.

The wrought iron shelf is now decked out in R,W,&B too.

A McCoy vase holds lavender sans water, so it’ll dry.

 

I bought this wood “box” to hold plates when I serve buffet style.

 

I love slate…this heart was a happy find in an auction box lot!  Perfect for this girl.  :)  The beach towel?  At the ready for heading to the pool.

Then evening came, and even I was surprised by these AWESOME candle holders!  I’d gotten them at Kohl’s last year after the 4th, so I hadn’t seen them lit up.  Oh.my.gosh…what FUN!!

The fireworks are doing double duty—they’re decorations now, until the big day arrives.  And the glass gentleman??  Also an auction box lot; he’s George Washington, filled with red water.

Patriotic, chocolate-covered sunflower seeds.

And now for a few vignettes, inside and out~

Some of the elements of the screened porch table started out inside, as the centerpiece on the dining room table.

Because we have a storm door, regular wreaths don’t work, so I use a garland that can be pressed by the door and not damaged, then added the flags, which I had attached to twine with clothes pins for another project.

Every year when I buy our annuals I choose reds because they attract hummingbirds, and invariably, as the 4th draws near, I find myself buying blue ones too.  

I wish you all a happy and SAFE 4th of July.  Please take a moment to reflect on the freedoms of this great country, and the sacrifice of those who have served and currently serve to protect it and us~

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them! And if you like what you see a lot, maybe you’d like to +1 this post or pin it on Pinterest too! Thank you!

I invite you to follow me. If you’ll let me know that you’re following, I’ll be sure to follow you back.

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

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

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

What's It Wednesday at http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Thursdays at StoneGable http://www.stonegableblog.com/

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

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Open House Party Thursday at http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Share Your Cup Thursday at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

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

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

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

Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

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

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

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

Fridays Unfolded at http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/

Saturday Nite Special at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com

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

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

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

Cozy Home Scenes Tuesdays at http://cozyhomescenes.blogspot.com/

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

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

Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni