Winter Celebration

This year we decided to celebrate the holiday with a celebration in January after the craziness of December was over. We gathered with friends and family for a wagon ride and fireside dinner. Although there was no snow, the weather was unseasonably warm so we had a wonderful afternoon outside.

Invitations from tinyprints.com introduced the celebration and fun to come.

The party was hosted at a local farm who provided the fire site and wagon ride. We arrived with blankets, decorations and dinner.

 The decor incorporated a mix of plaid flannels and burlap with vintage accents and natural elements. The sled I found at an antique store and refinished with runners in bright red. Pine cone trees and plaid reindeer watched over the desserts.

 On the dinner table, our plate rack full of red enamel ware was an eye catching center piece.

 The fire, blanket lined benches and dessert table

 Once guests arrived, we boarded the wagon with candied nuts to snack on.

Guests enjoying hot chocolate and hot apple cider around the campfire.

Table complete with firewarmed chili, chicken stew and pasta. Full menu below - yum!

  Favors were hot chocolate on a spoon ready to take home and enjoy in a mug of hot milk.

Gender Reveal Celebration

 

 We are all excited about the expected baby of our friend's Jess and Ken! To celebrate the baby to be, we hosted a Gender Reveal party in December. The color scheme focused on the big questions - baby girl with bright pink or baby boy with bright blue.

 The invites were custom printed balloons with all the party details.

 When guests arrived, they added their guess for boy or girl to our chalkboard and add their fingerprint "balloon" to our guest book.

 After casting their guess for girl or boy, guest wore a matching pin to share their guess with everyone.

 Jess, the mother to be adds her name to the "guest book".

 

 Refreshments included veggies and dip, buffulo chicken dip and a dessert table full of tasty goodies.

Special cake from Katie, Pastry Chef at Popovers on the Square

 Beautiful decorate cookie onesies as favors.

 

  

The box awaiting the reveal of it's secret within ... is it a girl or a boy?

Congratulations Jess and Ken - It's a girl! We all look forward to welcoming London Noel Goodine in April.

Thanksgiving Tablescape

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Here are some shots of our Thanksgiving table decor. Homespun theme with burlap, ric rack and felt - inspiration came from felt leaf place mats and candle holders spotted at on a recent antique shopping trip.

Beware of Samhainophobia!

The invitations read as a warning ...

"Beware those who suffer from Samhainophobia (fear of Halloween) or Deipnophobia (fear of dinner conversation) because we're planning a dinner party with a Phobia theme - sorry to those diagnosed with Phobophia (fear of phobias)! Please plan ahead if you have Cibophobia (fear of food) because there will be delicious food and good company. Regardless of your Maskaphobia (fear of masks) costumes are highly recommended."

And party was definitely not for the faint of heart! A celebration of phobia and the objects of fear from spiders to death, this dinner party had something to instill fear in every guest!

The decor was inspired by an imagined "museum of phobia" which a variety of specimens! The table was full of jars, apothecary bottles and bell jars with snakes, spiders, bats, slimy eggs and potions. Place settings were black and white with skull and crossbone plates and black chargers.

 The room continued the Museum of Phobia theme. Each shelf was a "mini exhibit" based on a different phobia.

Each food item was based on a different phobia as well! Appetizers included a melon skull with prosciutto inspired by Necrophobia, fear of death; mushroom tarts for Mycrophobia, fear of mushrooms; and a cheese platter for Melissaphobia, fear of bees.

 I'll post the complete menu tomorrow!

Favors were white "spider web" cotton candy in honor of arachnophobia! 

 The party hosts!

S'more Owl Treat Table

I recently celebrated a friend's Bachelorette with a S'more Owl themed treat table. Although I didn't take any pictures at the actual event, I recreated a similar table back home. It was a mini dessert table with all the ingredients for delicious s'mores!

One thing I could not recreate was the great cake that was part of the festivities. Check it out!