I have collected all sorts of wonderful things to make picture taking at parties tons of fun! I have Mardi Gras masks and boas that I found when in New Orleans one year in the late nineties, hand painted wooden frames to “frame yourself”, hats and glasses galore, tiaras, crowns and so on. It really relaxes the party goer and makes for terrific cutting up and often hysterical pics! Go ahead…Give it a whirl sometime really soon.
My friend and farmer, Ben, brought sunflowers last week, and they are still bold! Surely brightens my kitchen during these drizzly days. Note la petite juane car of Liam’s peeking through! p to the s…pardon my sloppy franglaise!
Remember the revealing supper party? Well, that baby is almost here! And last weekend we showered the parents-to-be with BBQ. OK…gifts too! Tena and I came up with this arrangement for the head table. Remember, it was an outdoor bar be cue, so it needed to be elegantly rustic. Hint…long picks, oasis piled high and a potted gerbera daisy simplify the process!
Happy Anniversary Gray and Marc!! I think the second call I made after telling my parents about Gray’s engagement was to my dear friend Lou. I think it went something like “HELP! We have a wedding in DC. Can you be chief of flowers? Please, Please I beg”! With not even a second of hesitation, Lou said “Yes of course”! She suggested that I begin by scouring over books. The Brit floral designer Paula Pryke became my new “bestie” as I was trying to develop a feeling for the flowers in Callaway Chapel, Episcopal High School, and the dinner afterwards at Anderson House in DC. Her book Wedding Flowers became my manual for several weeks as Lou and I developed a plan. 
The Chapel design was a cinch, as there were strict policies about what could be used. We brought the two urns and pedestals from home. The flowers were given by family friend Parma in memory of my father who had died suddenly two months earlier.
Lou used all fresh pastel colored roses for the bridesmaids bouquets. I remember walking in to a bathroom in the suite on Saturday morning and there to my surprise was an entire tub filled with roses soaking, waiting for their master Miss Bethel to come cut and bundle them! Gray wanted a simple bouquet, as her dress had a gold cummerbund, and her veil was intricate Belgian lace that my parents had secured while in Brussels years before. So, thank you Lou and Paula for the miniature calla lilies idea!
Anderson House Ballroom
Anderson House Winter Garden
Anderson House is so fabulous and historical that the design path became clear to Lou after her visit there. We wanted family and friends to soak in the beauty of their environs; so we found aged looking containers for the tables where we nibbled our dinner prepared and served by Steve Dunn, owner of Well Dunn! Catering. Lou, and her team of volunteer friends (nod to Tena, Frances, Catherine, and Su-Su!) incorporated peonies into those arrangements as they are among my favorites and it worked perfectly. Magnolia filled the cavernous fireplace…I still am not certain how Lou managed to stack the limbs so elegantly and high! And I remain a bit saddened that the photographer didn’t document all of this beauty in depth. (We won’t name that gal!) At least it’s all ingrained in memory…9 years ago today!
After completing all twenty plus of the arrangements for the dinner and cabaret tables (above), then Lou knocked herself out for a stupendous arrangement in the Case Room, and an astonishing urn of spring happiness for the terrace bar. I’m still amazed at the shear genius and enormity of those arrangements. WOW!!! Cheers to Lou, pictured below. *Note: The only photo of this arrangement was taken by an old school cell phone (remember this was nine years ago…there was no iPhone), hence the graininess in quality. Thank you Helen for capturing this splendidness!
My daughters are adept with chop sticks. I wasn’t! I may have even publicly embarrassed them a time or two. Shortly after one of those evenings in a DC restaurant Brenton sent me a gift of a dozen pairs of multi-colored chopsticks for my birthday. I found this YouTube instructional video and taught myself the art of chopsticking! Yippee me! So, new talent under the belt, I find that I now often serve sushi at small home gatherings as an appetizer, and everyone has their “own” color for the evening. Nice, right?! 
I must say that Liam is beginning early, albeit he is just using one “stick” and stabbing food! This particular evening at Empire in Boston, he was so happy with his delicious dinner and chopsticks that he blurted out “Happy! I’m Happy”! To all of my fellow novices, I suggest Practice, Practice, and Practice More…in the seclusion of your own home!
This is the barn at Fearrington Village where it all began. For my 35th birthday my Mother treated 5 friends and me to an all day flower arranging seminar led by Paul Bott, then owner of NYC flower shop Twigs. He ingrained in us the practice of keeping our eyes wide open all the time, as inspiration surrounds us where ever we happen to venture. We practiced looking at trees not just as trees, but as forms and possibilities for arrangements. He emphasized thinking of flowers in their cut form, but also in their planted form. He was the beginning of my zest for creating unique arrangements. Perfect example below…I took my pups to the groomer today out in the country. Along the way I saw these blooming Bradford Pear trees and immediately thought of cutting a few branches and putting them in an over-sized vase in the kitchen. Alas, since they were on private property, I resisted the urge and found an image to illustrate my thought! My Paul Bott experience was in the infancy of my fascination with wonderful arrangements. Look for future posts on floral gurus such as Paula Pryke, Jeff Leatham, and my friends Jef and Ed Glenn, all who have had immense influence on the manner in which I celebrate special events in my life.
I live in a house that was built in 1952. Alas, last spring we replaced all of the inefficient windows that leaked the cooled and heated air from the inside to the outside…and allowed in the cool and hot air from the outside. So in the kitchen I had installed a 6 inch window sill above the sink rather that the standard 2 1/2 inch sill. This allows space for flowers, knick knacks, coffee mugs, and perhaps most importantly a champagne glass while cooking! I spend a LOT of time in my kitchen and want it to be a happy place with fresh flowers and a sunny outlook. Here is a simple example of a window sill “still life” in my kitchen home.
Serving several appetizers, enough to qualify as dinner, is one of my favorite manners of entertaining. And I enjoy it even more when no plate is necessary. That way you can hold your drink, hold a conversation, and nibble throughout the evening. So, as you venture through the blog, you are likely to see a plethora of appetizers, and small dribbles of entrees etc. Also, I always keep a tray with something wonderful in the kitchen as there is always a crowd gathered there!
Yesterday was my birthday and I received a few of my favorite things (someone wrote a song about that!)…A video of my twenty month old grandson saying “Happy” to me, a case of Dibon Cava Brut Reserve, and Tulips!
Today I hosted my 86 year old Mother’s “Ladies Birthday Club” for lunch. They meet 8 times a year to celebrate birthdays, each other, and their joyful lives. We began with Champagne and Chambord cocktails. This was followed by Corn Chowder served in demitasses. The main event was Shrimp and Grits, Jackie’s Strawberry and Romaine Salad, and Ham Biscuits. We topped it off with Roasted Brown Sugar Pineapple for dessert. Twas a yummy and delightful day!
This is Mother and me at a fancier soiree! Fun times!
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