Family Sweetheart Dinner 2017

A few pictures from our Family Sweetheart Dinner.

Pinks and grays --

Everything is from the stash.

Felt hearts found at Target -- filled with artisan chocolates.

Linking to:

Between Naps On the Porch's 439th Tabletop Thursday

Family Sweetheart Dinners --

{Table from a few years back...}

Prepping for Sunday.

{We'll be having our annual Family Sweetheart Dinner. The college kiddos will be home.}

This table was from last year.

{I really love folding the napkins into hearts!}

The days are warming up --

So glad, we've needed a little sunshine lately.

This table was from a couple of years ago...

I set it for 8 even though one of the bigs was in Japan.

We had the 'Spanish conversation hearts' to celebrate the oldest

who had just come home from NJ as a missionary -- focused on Spanish.

Excited to have everyone home.

Love.

A Chinese New Year Table

Last month we celebrated Chinese New Year with a little family dinner.

We usually have some variation of Chinese food -- 

take out, Hawaiian Haystacks, or other fun rice  dishes.

The year of the Rooster.

{I tried to find a better photo of this floral arrangement we used for a Jr. Prom

several years ago -- when we served Chinese food.}

Take-out boxes make fun floral centerpieces -- 

this one had chopsticks and fortune cookies added.

For our Chinese New Year meal, we usually always have fortune cookies, chop sticks, 

red envelopes, and some fun decorations.

We often highlight the 'animal of the year' -- but sometimes we highlight each child's animal.

A few photos from past celebrations.

{Taken from my Serendipity blog --}

Fun memories...

The year of the dragon...

This photo was from last year...

{Cute dot/confetti dishes from TJMaxx.}

Linking to:
 Between Naps on the Porch's 438th Tablescape Thursday.

Plaid Plates

It is cold out today, and I'm working on our Sunday table.

Last year when I bought these animal salad plates from West Elm,

I thought they would be so great paired with plaid plates.

But I didn't have a great plaid plate, so I've been looking all year.

So excited when I recently found these plaid plates at Pottery Barn!

I think they'll be fun at Christmas and during autumn and winter --

And I had coupons {from college dorm room} which made them on sale!

{Hooray for sales!}

Here are a few of the 8 different animals in stylish winter wear.

A lynx {or is it a bobcat} --

A moose -- with toggle buttons.

An owl, in blue plaid flannel AND a bowtie.

And a puffin -- love the puffin.

Summer Dining

Summer is in full swing at our house.

Loving a little nautical table for our Sunday dinner.

Simple summer dining.

The centerpiece is made up of things pulled from our guest bedroom/bath.

The ocean really does fix everything!

Tablescape -

Pier One - glassware, blue glass chargers, galvanized chargers, and napkins

Amazon - silverware {sailboats}

 TJMaxx --  red placemats and gull

Hobby Lobby -- white tray

Mom-N-Pop Shoppe - salt and pepper shakers

Centerpiece - treasures and shells collected over the years from our ocean visits

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch 407th Tablescape Thursday.

Every year we have a 'back-to-school' dinner as we prepare to head back to school.
A few years ago we had a nautical themed dinner.
{You may notice a few items are being used into our current table.}
You can read more about it here.

Sand & Sea Table

A simple Sunday table -- using aqua and blue.

{Reminds me of hunting for pretty shades of sea glass when we lived on the coast.}

Tablescape --

TJMaxx -- striped napkins, aqua placemats, stemware, white plates & fish bowls

Pier One -- galvanized chargers & blue glass chargers

Amazon -- sailboat flatware

I've mentioned this before, 

but I often like to assemble my centerpieces on trays --
for easy set-up and removal.

Linking to:

 Between Naps on the Porch 407th Tablescape Thursday

Red.White.Blue

Setting our first red.white.blue table for this weekend.

I like to keep a centerpiece on our kitchen island.

Then, when it is time to set the table, it is so easy to pull everything together.

Initials for each person in our family...

Love these chargers from Pier One.

Early morning sunshine coming in the window...

Chargers and gingham napkins - Pier One

Patriotic hat and fireworks  - Pier One {2-3 years ago?}

Initials - Michael's Craft Store {last year}

Glasses and wagon - Tuesday Morning

Flatware - Amazon

Tray - Hobby Lobby

Ampersand - TJMaxx

Over the window --

Where the table is in relation to the pennants.

Some of our other 4th of July decor can be seen here.

Linking to:

Between Naps on the Porch