Foodie Friday - Coffee and Chicken

For Foodie Friday sponsored by Gollum at Designs by Gollum


I am sharing some pictures I took not too long ago for the Photo Forum at Recipezaar. It is a lot of fun to sign up to make something completely new and then photograph it. Or at least it is fun when it turns out all right! LOL! Both of these recipes were great.

This weekend is supposed to be nice and warm, but I can't forget that it started off with SNOW! Here is a mug of Cafe a la Russe (Chocolate Coffee) to warm you! Click the link for the recipe.



And here is a Light Chicken Marsala that is just as good as the regular. Also click for recipe.






Thanks Gollum for another Foodie Friday! I can't wait to see what everyone else is cooking! :D Jewel

Tablescape Thursday - Prom 2006

For Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH. Be sure and visit her blog to see all the wonderful tablescapes!



Since I shared my younger daughter's prom on this blog last week, I thought I would show you the Tablescape for my older daughter's senior prom in 2006. I was inspired to do an after the prom breakfast by my neighbor who had done the same thing for her son several years before. It has become a neighborhood tradition!

You will notice that I used the same paper plaid runner for this table. (I told you I had been lucky with spills!) The theme was something like "Tropical Beach." This was the first use of my blue and green goblets, which now are used all summer long, especially on our porch! I got them at CVS Pharmacy for 75 cents each. I made punch and served it from the silver punch bowl passed down from my grandmother.







For my centerpiece, I hollowed out a pineapple to act as my vase. I got a mixed bouquet from Sam's Club (back when mine carried flowers) and arranged them in the pineapple.



Here is my daughter and her date, who picked her up in a horse-drawn carriage!





Be sure to visit Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH for more great tables!

And can anyone tell me why the followers widgit is no longer working for me? It seems to have happened a week or so ago. I can't see who is following me and I can't follow anyone new. Help if you can please!!!!!!!!!

Outdoor Wednesday- Over the Rainbow

This is for Outdoor Wednesday sponsored by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. Be sure to visit her blog and see all the wonderful outdoor posts.



Sunday evening after lots of RAIN, the sun appeared briefly right as it was supposed to set and the largest, brightest rainbow I have ever seen appeared in the sky. It was very hard to photograph and I couldn't get both ends in one picture. The sky looks like it was a funny color because it was a funny color, very ominous!





The next morning we had some snow pellets, then it turned sunny, then at 5:00 it started snowing big fluffy snowflakes. Today was clear, sunny and cold. Weird weather!
Thank you Susan for hosting Outdoor Wednesday! :D Jewel

Metamorphosis Monday- Study

For Metamorphosis Monday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH . Make sure to visit her blog and see all the wonderful transformations!



This is the only before picture I could find of the study. The previous owner (heir to the family who built the house) had used this as a music room, but we thought with the built in book shelves that it would be a good study.



It looked a bit better after we moved our furniture and books in.





When we wallpapered the rest of the downstairs, we couldn't decide on what to do in this room. It is the smallest public room downstairs and the bookshelves take up most of the wall space, so it seemed a waste to use expensive wall paper only to cover them up with shelves. We finally decided to paint the walls a red, so what shows has a lot of impact. As you can see, this is my husband's room primarily. He was a history major in college, has developed a local battlefield and is a re-enactor. I made the uniform on the valet in the picture above. As you can see, these are pictures from Christmas. We decorate this room with a Nutcracker theme since the nutcrackers are soldiers.







Be sure and visit Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH for more great before and afters! :D Jewel

Last Year's Prom

For Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/


Since I only started blogging this January, I haven't shared pictures of last prom. It was in May, my younger daughter was a Junior in High School and the theme was "Enchanted Garden." We had a post-prom breakfast for her friends. I had a them of my own to go with the garden theme - plaid. You'll see why below. Target had some plaid melamine plates, bowls and napkins on sale around prom time last year which fit in well with our plans.

Here is my table - the pastel plaid runners are made of paper called Transpatex and are reusable as long as no one spills on them. I've been lucky. I bought them at a teashop in Gettysburg, PA years ago. I used plastic plates. cutlery and goblets. I made the topiary arrangements with roses from the grocery store and boxwood from the yard. We had a French toast casserole, hashbrown casserole, fruit with yogurt dip, bacon, cupcakes, pretzels and cheese and crackers.









Mantle


Close up of a topiary on the mantle:


Fruit with yogurt dip


For our cupcakes, we candied johnny jump up flowers for garnish. We also sprinkled them with edible glitter.




OK, Here is the reason for the plaid on the table, my daughter's dress!


Prom this year is in May and we already have the dress. I will share it with you when the time comes! :D Jewel

Outdoor Wednesday - Summer Dreaming

For Outdoor Wednesday sponsored by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer
http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/



I am dreaming of summer flowers. For my next door neighbor's birthday, I made these pictures of her flowers and had notecards made for her.

















Soon we will see these beauties again! Thanks Susan for Outdoor Wednesdays! :D Jewel

Metamorphosis Monday- Foyer

I just found a wonderful new blog Hooked On Houses and they are having a block party this Friday! Be sure and visit to see all the great posts! :D Jewel

Happy Metamorphosis Monday sponsered by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH.
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/





When we bought our house 8 years ago, this is what the foyer looked like. The wallpaper was from the 1930's and had ghostmarks of old pictures and was very soiled around the light switches. We wanted to take the house back to the 1880's, so we knew we wanted dark trim and Bradbury & Bradbury wallpapers.
Front view

Rear view

Notice the colonial light fixture - we knew that had to go.
The hall was also dark, so I wanted to add sconces. We were doing a tax credit renovation, so the NC Dept of Cultural Resources had to approve each change. They said they would allow the sconces, but didn't recommend it since we had no proof there had every been sconces in the first place.

Here are some more before photos. It looked a bit better when we took up the old carpet and added our rugs and furniture.



When ordered reproduction lighting fixtures from Victorian Lighting Works and were really pleased. We had to install the sconces after the wallpaper was stripped and before the new paper was hung. Imagine my vindication when we found patched plaster holes right where the sconces were going to be installed and the gas pipe behind the plaster! I knew there were supposed to be sconces in that dark hall!

The newel post we stripped to show the burled walnut panels, but the rest of the woodwork my husband faux grained. The wainscoting was evidently installed when they had everything painted white, because it is pine. The doors and door and window casing are oak. So even if we stripped all the wood and stained it, it wouldn't make. The faux graining gives us a uniform look throughout.


Here is the renovated foyer.Notice the new hall light and sconces. I think they make a huge difference! We painted the coffered ceiling a light green which went with the paper.


In the rear, under the stair well, we made a Turkish corner, which was popular in the 1880's.


Here is a close-up of the foyer wall paper which is a Dresser design from the 1880's.
I don't have a close-up of the border, but it was also designed by Dresser.


Hope you enjoyed this Metamorphosis! Be sure to visit Susan at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

for many more wonderful before and afters! :D Jewel