Witches Brew

The Witches! Wigs, Warts, Hats and Furs. Quite the motley crew, we were!

Since my home is small and I don't have a ton of room for hosting a large party, I decided to keep it small and invited only fourteen women. The invitation asked them to "come in their best witch's attire and bring a great appetizer to share".

I set the table and lit the candles, using all black and white and orange. I didn't go for the spooky, creepy feel, since we were all such elegant witches.

Using what I had on hand, I created some fun and funky type candle holders, including this orange Pier One decanter (that is awkward to pour out of anyway.) It made a great candleholder by putting a rose vase inside and sitting the black candle on top.

The black and white pumpkins were my new addition to my Halloween collection this fall. Selected by my daughter, Liza, they are two of my favorite pumpkins.

I set out black and silver chargers for the guest to put their appetizers on when they arrived, to keep things going along with the theme.

Of course, a little dry ice added to the punch is a must for a "brew".

This $1.69 cent hat is my most fabulous creation of the year! With embossing powder/glitter, a glue stamp and an awesome swirly rubber stamp, this hat is fantastic and so easy to make! Instructions are on my regular blog, here.

My favorite quote of the season: Eat, Drink, Be Scary! It's written in chalk on a piece of black cardstock scrap.

I debated and debated over whether to serve the brew from goblets or these canning pint jars. Goblets would have looked more elegant but, goblets spill easily and since we were moving about for the games and activities, I went with the jars. The tags, purchased long ago at Staples for a scrapbooking project, were then stamped 1 -14, so that everyone knew who's was who's. The number also indicated who was on which team later in the night for the games.

This Black Hat Society sign was downloaded from the internet and perfect for what we became by the end of the evening... friends connected in a new way...by our black hats.

The easiest way to have a party is let the guests share in the cooking. I asked the gals to bring an appetizer or dessert and we had quite the spread. We could never eat it all, but we did put a good dent in it! Apples and caramel dip, a very delicious bread dip, cheesy salsa dip and chips, pumpkin roll, eclairs, layered chocolate caramel bars, seven layer cookies and beautiful tasty tarts! MMMM!

I served two brews for this party. The lime/pineapple slush, because, as my daughter says, "When else can you serve green drink?" and my favorite old standby with the white grape juice and gingerale!

Black, White and Swirls galore... kind of witchy and magical.

I'd made the large broom and hung the sign on the top,"Broom Parking" then tied these miniature versions of the broom along the banister as little thank you gifts to my guests. They all got to choose a broom as they were leaving. They added to the decor and were a fun little gift, too.

Fajita Night!

Doug and I hosted 4 siblings dinners a year for two years and this had to be my favorite. Everyone was assigned what to bring for the fixings and we had so so much food!

The menu:
Steak or chicken fajitas with peppers, onions, mushrooms and fresh Cilantro

Spanish Rice

Guacomole

Spanish Beans

Pepper Jack and Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream

SalsaChips

Pina Colada Slush

Citrus Water

Tres Leche with fresh strawberries

The table:It was just fun to have everyone in the kitchen, chopping, cooking, laughing and then we all assembled our own fajitas. A most tasty dinner and fun excuse to use my fiesta plates!

I hung a few battery powered paper lamps over the table just for fun.

The pina colada drink is to die for! To frost the glasses, I called Chili's and talked to the bartender there (being that I have no clue what they put on alcoholic drinks... I just know that they are pretty.) They told me to dip the rim of the glass in pineapple juice then to dip the wet glass rim in a bowl of sugar. Voila!

After each meal, we sit around the table and enjoy the tabletalk, so there were peanuts, burnt peanuts, hot tomales and other sugary treats to just munch while we gab.

The questions for tabletalk:
Table talk questions:
What would you say is the most important material "thing" in your life right now?

What's a typical day in your life right now?

If you could, what would you change in your life right now?

What's the first thing you think about in the morning?

What do you think is your most valuable role in your life at this moment?

If you could be someone else for a day, who would that be? Why?

What do you do every day that you would love to hire someone else to do for you?

What rituals do you go through every day for the sake of your good looks?

What are your favorite words to live by?

Who do you talk on the phone to more than anyone else?

Aside from the temple or the ranch, Is there a place you've been that made you feel closer to heaven?

Can you pinpoint any one moment in life that you'd call a "turning point"?

What mannerisms would you say that you have that are strikingly similar to one of your parents?

Aside from Christ, who in your life have you tried to pattern yourself after more than anyone else?

What one experience would you count as the highlight of the last five years?

What has been your greatest success and what did you learn from it?

Do you feel that you are a better parent than your parents were and why or why not?

What is the happiest memory of your childhood?

What song did you sing as a child that you've taught your children to sing as well?

What prejudices have you overcome that you once had? How?

What are you teaching your children about life that you did not know as a child?

What character traits do you think that you have passed on to your children?

How is your life different today than you pictured it being ten years ago?

Aside from the Sunday School answers (pray & study scriptures), what's something that you do every single day that you could not go a day without doing?


What would you say is the most important material "thing" in your life right now?

What's a typical day in your life right now?

If you could, what would you change in your life right now?

What's the first thing you think about in the morning?

What do you think is your most valuable role in your life at this moment?

If you could be someone else for a day, who would that be? Why?

What do you do every day that you would love to hire someone else to do for you?

What rituals do you go through every day for the sake of your good looks?

What are your favorite words to live by?

Who do you talk on the phone to more than anyone else?

Aside from the temple or the ranch, Is there a place you've been that made you feel closer to heaven?

Can you pinpoint any one moment in life that you'd call a "turning point"?

What mannerisms would you say that you have that are strikingly similar to one of your parents?

Aside from Christ, who in your life have you tried to pattern yourself after more than anyone else?

What one experience would you count as the highlight of the last five years?

What has been your greatest success and what did you learn from it?

Do you feel that you are a better parent than your parents were and why or why not?

What is the happiest memory of your childhood?

What song did you sing as a child that you've taught your children to sing as well?

What prejudices have you overcome that you once had? How?

What are you teaching your children about life that you did not know as a child?

What character traits do you think that you have passed on to your children?

How is your life different today than you pictured it being ten years ago?

Aside from the Sunday School answers (pray & study scriptures), what's something that you do every single day that you could not go a day without doing?

A Christmas Dinner Party

It doesn't get any better than Susan's Between Naps on the Porch in December! Check her out!I love having my two sets of children... the bigs and the babes...because I still get to make things wonderful for the babes during the holidays with all of our traditions. However, I just love having a grown up daughter to make things special for too! Her kind of special does not require candy sprinkles on houses or cookie baking. For Liza, it was hosting an dinner party for her and her husband and her friends from work! I just happen to love every one of them, so the treat was mine!

On top of my china cabinet there is a little lit menagerie of trees and I thought that it would be to carry the trees over to our tablescape with seven other little trees and, as always, lots of candles!

After Thanksgiving Dinner this year, we decided that our Christmas Village china plates were too small. This wasn't really a fine china menu anyway. So, I kept things simple with my favorite sage green plates, red chargers and a candycane hanging from each goblet.

The menu, kept simple, was delectable!

Fresh Cranberry Salsa and Crackers

Spinach Salad with Craisins, Sunflower Seeds, Mandarin Oranges & Cheeses

tossed in Poppyseed Dressing

Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce & Chicken Ravioli

Buttery Green Beans

Fresh out of the oven Rolls

Peppermint & Brownie Trifle

Pomegranate 7-up on Sonic Ice, the preferred drink of the season in our home

(all recipes can be found here on this blog)

Christmas music in the background. A fresh snowstorm just before the party...special ordered, naturally. (wink-wink!)

Of course, my favorite part of any dinner party is the table talk. For this meal, I made a fun list of questions that brought about many fond memories for us all and, surprisingly, some very loud laughter!

Table Talk Questions

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
What was one tradition from your childhood that you plan on carrying on through generations?
Was there a must have in your stocking each year?
Did you have any special traditions about opening the gifts?
How old were you when you knew the “truth” about the Magic of Christmas? How did you find out?
If money were no object, name three things on your wish list this year?
Is there a gift that you’ve wanted for a long time but never received?
Are you more of a Grinch/Scrooge or Griswold?
What’s your favorite Christmas song?
Share a “feel good moment” from one of your Christmas’.
Do you come from a Conservative during the holidays Christmas family or an over the top Christmas family?
What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Why?
Are you a Last minute shopper or ready months before?
What’s the most special gift you’ve ever given?
If you were to write a brag letter for the past year, what would you include in it?
When you hear the song “Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer”, what memory comes to mind?

After dessert, we moved to the living room for games and laughter and fun! Again, I do love having a grown-up daughter! One of the best parts of a grown-up married daughter is that she's gracious and appreciative... when the party was over, she and her sweet hubby did the dishes!I can hardly wait for the next the next time!

Back to School Brunch ~ Mom's only!

It's Thursday and it's about time for me to join in Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for a Tablescape Thursday! Our entertaining for the month of August was all done outside by the pool! I'm excited to start thinking about the holidays and moving the fun inside! For other fabulous tablescapes, check out Susan's blog every Thursday!

Just for the fun of it, I invited a few friends who's kiddos had gone off to school last week to celebrate our "freedom". I've cried every morning all week watching my son go off to Middle School but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I do love the freedom that comes to moms when school begins! In honor of that freedom, I hosted a little brunch!

The menu:

Hashbrown and Sausage Casserole

Cinnamon Rolls

Fresh Fruit

Yogurt Dip

Apple Juice

The table was pulled together from things that I had around the house. I am a paper napkin lover because they come in so many fun colors, so nothing fancy here. After brunch, we clear the table and played cards. Of course, as will all dinners that I host, the little red bowl with paper in it was filled with questions for some fun table talk! Enjoy a little virtual tour of our brunch.

Heritage Siblings Dinner

Thursday is the day to visit one of my favorite places in the cyber-world, Susan's blog full of luscious tablescapes and decorating ideas!

This week, I'm partying with the best of them, sharing my own tablescape and celebrating America's freedom and our family's heritage! I'd been planning this tablescape since our last siblings dinner in April!

Our quarterly Siblings Dinner was fantastic. Spending time with Doug's brothers and sisters and their spouses is the best!

I was quite pleased with the meal and I fell in love with the tablescape. So much that I'm keeping the table setting until the fourth of July! Our theme for the evening was "Heritage", so the patriotic table was perfect to go along.

The menu:

Sun-dried Tomato Pasta with Roasted Chicken

Linda's Garlic Bread

Garden Fresh Peas

Caesar's Salad

Fruit Platter

Rhubarb Cake

The little party favors/placecards, filled with Hershey's Kisses, were quick and easy to make and were just another little thing to make the table pop! And yes, I used my everyday dishes, plain white Corelleware for this setting. Every home needs a good set of plain white dishes!

Our table talk was the highlight of the night for me. The theme was heritage and all of the questions brought fascinating conversation. We always learn so much about each other!

My sister-in-law shared an intriguing story from her family about her great grandfather, who'd purchased a ticket to travel to America on the Titanic. His sister convinced him to stay longer, so he never boarded the ship. He was listed among those lost at sea, but was safe at home with family. There were many stories to be told and each one was as intriguing as the next.

Heritage Table Talk Questions:

• Use a list of five words to describe your own heritage.


• How has your heritage reflected the way that you were raised and the way you are raising your children?


• What’s the best thing that you do to connect with your heritage?


• What scents do you remember about your grandparents’ home? Your parent’s home?


• What was the most important value taught to you by your mother? Father?


• What family heirloom has been placed in your possession to be passed down to future generations?


• If you could have one momento of your parents’ or grandparents, what would it be?


• If you could go back in time, and visit with one ancestor, who would it be?


• What is one story that’s been passed down through the generations of your family that is told over and over again? Why do you think that one was "the" one?
  
• Do you have any family mysteries?


• What would be your parents (or grandparents) biggest surprise about you today?


• Describe which physical qualities you share with your parents and grandparents.


• What talents do you share with your ancestors?


• What talents of yours would you hope that your posterity would inherit?


• Tell how you got your name. If you don’t know, share how you chose your childrens’ names.


• Is there a certain specific place that you have a fond memory with an ancestor? Do you visit it? Have you shared this spot and the memory with others?


• Is there a song that reminds you of an ancestor?


• Did your parent have close friends? Was there a friend of your parent that made an impression in your life?


• What famous person did your parent love/respect/admire? Did that influence you?


• Do you feel that your parent had any type of prejudices/perceptions that impacted you?


• What one lesson did your parents teach you without ever saying a word about it?


• What thing/things did you do that you knew would always make your parents happy?


• What characteristic do you have that is the most different from that of any siblings or your parents?


• Share something that you learned about your parent that you never knew/realized as a child?

For us, family is what matters most! So, our evening was a perfect way to escape from the rest of the world and connect with each other.

Keeping it Simple

Our Senior Singles Family Home Evening "Beginning of summer Picnic" ended up being moved inside due to another amazing thunderstorm. Even so, it was a delightful evening. I quickly grabbed a few red, white and blue things from my son's Americana bedroom and around the rest of the house for some simple table decorations to match these fun paper goods! Perfect for a June/July picnic! I can't believe that I forgot to take photos of the dinner! It was fab!

Dinner

Pulled pork sandwiches

Potato Salad

Chips

Pickles

Fresh Fruit with a Tasty Dip

Brownies with Strawberry Ice Cream

Nothing formal about this tablescape, but summertime is a great time to enjoy paper goods, which can be just as fun and festive on occasion! The patriotic theme, even with our unexpected thunderstorm, left us feeling like we were enjoying a perfect summer breeze instead of, literally, flood-damaging downpour!