My Fifth Blogiversary - Winter Wonderland: Barely Blue

I can't believe that I started this blog five years ago today. I don't really know why I started it. I didn't imagine that anyone would find it interesting. I had never heard of Tablescape Tuesday (now Tablescape Thursday). I had been active in a Table Settings forum on a recipe site and thought it would be nice to have a way to save my tablescape pictures. Right after I published this first entry, I received two comments - then a third comment from Susan at Between Naps on the Porch inviting me to link up at her site. Through her site I have "met" many talented and kind bloggers. I will link this post to her Tablescape Thursday.

I have found that I am a very bad blogger. I get busy with work and family and don't get to post on my on blog or visit my friends' blogs. That being said, I am truly grateful for the friendships I have made with blogging and how tolerant these friends are of my lapses! Anyway, I have rambled on enough - here's to the last five years of blogging and many, many more in the future! Thank you! Jewel

I have decided to use this blog to catalog my table settings. The first table of the year is Winter Wonderland: Barely Blue.

I am submitting this for Tablescape Tuesday hosted by Susan (Between Naps on the Porch).
BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH: Tablescape Tuesday
Thanks Susan!



I didn't want all the sparkle to go away after I put up the Christmas decorations, so I decided that I would create a Winter Wonderland of ice and snow. I spay painted limbs silver and used icicle and snowflake ornaments as well as strung acrylic "jewels" in "Barely Blue" shades. I used Tiffany Blue tulle as a table runner over a slightly off-white table cloth and tulle on the mantle. I put blue "marbles" and clear acrylic pieces that look like cracked ice in a vase to hold the limbs.




I put the vase in the center of a silver wreath from Target and filled in the gap between the wreath and the vase with silver and blue Christmas ornaments.

On the mantle, I put limbs in a blue round vase and made a bow from blue and silver sheer ribbon. I hung jewels, icicles and ornaments in silver and blue on the limbs.





Beside the vase I put silver limbs and golden ferns from Target and silver poinsettias and wired pearls from Michaels. At the ends, I used silver mercury glass candle pillars with white fake candles embossed with silver snowflakes.



In the small white vases, I had small silver spray painted limbs with 3 silver ball ornaments.

On the table, I had mercury glass votive holders from Target in silver and icy green/blue, as well as two different types of clear snowflake holders. I also used small blue vases with white silk flower sprays. I also scattered acrylic jewels on the tulle.



At Cracker Barrel a few days after Christmas, I found these plates for 70% off. I originally thought my table would only have blue, silver and white, but these plates in ivory and gold were such a good deal I couldn't pass them up. The gold allowed me to use gold napkins and glassware with both gold and silver embellishment and I used gold and silver chargers. I also found ribbon with golden snowflakes at Michaels for 70% off which I tied for napkin rings.



Before I found the ribbon, I used silver napkin rings



I will host my garden club on January 20th and use the table as a buffet. I am making cupcakes with fondant snowflakes. I have improvised a cupcake holder/tea tray with two platters and a cake stand from the 70% off Cracker Barrel sale, a flat topped glass bowl and a battery operated tea light.





Comments and suggestions are welcomed! My table and this blog are a work in progress!

A Flurry of Snowflakes on my Table

Although the weather has been nice and mild - and easy on my gas bill!- my table is having a snowstorm!

I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch as usual! My dining room mantle is covered with snowflakes...

As well as my table...

My centerpiece is nothing but snowflakes and no two are the same!

My dishes are from Cracker Barrel several years ago, the beaded place mats and runner and jeweled napkin rings from Target. Happy Tablescape Thursday!

Snowy Woods & Pine Cones Re-Post

I have been so busy that I haven't been a good tablescaper or blogger lately! I am sharing a post from last winter to get me back in the blogging mood! Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost is a favorite poem of many and has inspired many lovely tables already, but I wanted to try a snowy woods table also.





Along with the poem's inspiration, I was inspired by pine cones or pinecones - it seems both spellings are correct. I have always loved pine cones - in fact when my husband and I picked our businesses logo we chose a pine cone.


So here is my snowy wood/pine cone table:





I started with my slightly off-white tablecloth and a beaded snowflake runner. For my "woods" I placed a small pine tree (faux) and covered the terracotta pot in cheesecloth. I placed small snowflake ornaments on the branches. I found these at Tuesday Morning earlier this year. I flanked the pine tree with golden pine cone trees from Target. Then around the base I scattered some pine cone ornaments in sliver and gold. I also threw in a few acorn ornaments while I was at it. I also used wood grained mercury glass votive candleholders purchased from Target a few years ago.


 





At each place setting, I started with my very favorite beaded place mats -honestly, how did I live without them? On top of that I added a wooden look charger bought at Walmart this fall. Then I used some plates I bought from Target's holiday section this year called Birchwood Chalet. As you can see they have embossed pine cones on them.











At each place, I put a snowy tree candle that I found at Bed, Bath and Beyond. For stemware I used Fostoria Heritage iced beverage glasses because they remind me of icicles and pewter goblets. My flatware is Betsy Patterson by Kirk Stieff which I inherited from my grandmother. And I used off white napkins with pine cone napkin rings from Bed, Bath and Beyond.





On my mantle, I used my ornament tree with snowflake ornaments, surrounded by snowflake candles and snowflake tea lights.








I hope you have enjoyed my take on Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. 


The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

I will be linking to Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday!

Snow Day Foodie Friday

For Foodie Friday hosted by Gollum at Designs by Gollum.


Last weekend at my house when the snow was falling.....



I got out my snowflake muffin pan from Target......



and some "just add milk" muffin mix and made snowflake shaped muffins.....



served on my snowflake plates.......



and had hot chocolate out of my snowflakes mugs!



No recipes needed! Stay warm!!!

My Blogiversary - Barely Blue Winter Wonderland

Today is my one year anniversary of my blog! I can't believe it. I have made so many special friends and seen SO many gorgeous tables! I am so busy at work right now, I haven't been able to come up with a good way to celebrate........SO, I am just posting my first blog entry again.

I have decided to use this blog to catalog my table settings. The first table of the year is Winter Wonderland: Barely Blue.

I am submitting this for Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan (Between Naps on the Porch).

Thanks Susan!



I didn't want all the sparkle to go away after I put up the Christmas decorations, so I decided that I would create a Winter Wonderland of ice and snow. I spay painted limbs silver and used icicle and snowflake ornaments as well as strung acrylic "jewels" in "Barely Blue" shades. I used Tiffany Blue tulle as a table runner over a slightly off-white table cloth and tulle on the mantle. I put blue "marbles" and clear acrylic pieces that look like cracked ice in a vase to hold the limbs.





I put the vase in the center of a silver wreath from Target and filled in the gap between the wreath and the vase with silver and blue Christmas ornaments.

On the mantle, I put limbs in a blue round vase and made a bow from blue and silver sheer ribbon. I hung jewels, icicles and ornaments in silver and blue on the limbs.





Beside the vase I put silver limbs and golden ferns from Target and silver poinsettias and wired pearls from Michaels. At the ends, I used silver mercury glass candle pillars with white fake candles embossed with silver snowflakes.



In the small white vases, I had small silver spray painted limbs with 3 silver ball ornaments.

On the table, I had mercury glass votive holders from Target in silver and icy green/blue, as well as two different types of clear snowflake holders. I also used small blue vases with white silk flower sprays. I also scattered acrylic jewels on the tulle.



At Cracker Barrel a few days after Christmas, I found these plates for 70% off. I originally thought my table would only have blue, silver and white, but these plates in ivory and gold were such a good deal I couldn't pass them up. The gold allowed me to use gold napkins and glassware with both gold and silver embellishment and I used gold and silver chargers. I also found ribbon with golden snowflakes at Michaels for 70% off which I tied for napkin rings.



Before I found the ribbon, I used silver napkin rings.



I will host my garden club on January 20th and use the table as a buffet. I am making cupcakes with fondant snowflakes. I have improvised a cupcake holder/tea tray with two platters and a cake stand from the 70% off Cracker Barrel sale, a flat topped glass bowl and a battery operated tea light.

Flash


No Flash to highlight the "Fire and Ice" effect


Comments and suggestions are welcomed! My table and this blog are a work in progress!

Snowflake Fairy Cakes

For Foodie Friday, I am recycling an old post. Before spring completely is upon us, I wanted to share these snowflake fairy cakes again. Thanks Gollum for hostessing Foodie Friday!
http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2009/02/foodie-friday.html



For my Winter Wonderland themed garden club, I made Magical Christmas Fairy Cakes - Christmas Fairy Cupcakes. I got the recipe from a friend who lives in France on Recipezaar. Here is the link to the recipe

http://www.recipezaar.com/Magical-Christmas-Fairy-Cakes-Christmas-Fairy-Cupcakes-343473


In her pictures, there was an exquisite snowflake she had cut out of fondant. I asked where she got the cutter and she said that they were from England and not available in the US. She is such a sweetheart that she sent me a set of three in differing sizes! In exchange I sent her a cookbook.

The cupcakes, or fairy cakes turned out beautifully and my first attempt at decorating with fondant was a snap!!!! The recipe calls for sprinkling the cupcakes with edible glitter which I found at Michael's.

Here are my pictures: