The Stuff America is Made Of

It's been 2 weeks since I have blogged. I have been desperately working on the Romancing the Home Entertaining book that's being published this fall. But it's the last day of the month, so I thought I would take a few moments for my blog. The Fourth of July in Lake Bluff is truly the stuff America is made of- parades, block parties, and cook-outs.Our friends, Jill and Barry are coming over Friday night to attend the big block party with us, so I thought we would start with appetizers on the porch. So I'm sharing with you my front porch all decked out for the big weekend. Vintage Americana pillows invite one to "sit a spell" on the porch and drink a little lemonade. The clematis are amazing this year- bright blue and huge,so I had to use them on the red silk napkins. And of course I can't have a table without a little bling, so I add the rhinestone boxes. Vintage American flags are draped on the railing to show our patriotic spirit! Staffordshire blue and white china show historical scenes from American battles for freedom. The weather is glorius, 70 degrees, sunny and a light breeze. It's so great to be living in small town America, and being able to celebrate and have our freedom! Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Summer Entertaining

Summer entertaining is usually a more casual affair. We have just recieved some great baguette trays and bread boards that are fun to use to display food. Cheeses, dips, roasted vegetables look great on the big board, while little appetizers arranged down the baguette board are displayed in an interesting way. Jan Barboglio has just come out with a great container for sangria- a hand blown jar with an iron crown stopper. Her mercury glass bowls are awesome for hummus, salsas, or guacamole and can be chilled in the refrigerator. But the most grand piece is a stunning large candle holder - 34.5 inches high. the large glass vases are great for flower arrangements or just a simple pillar candle. Vines or garlands could be wrapped around the beautiful rope iron arms. The other new piece from Jan is a great iron and cement display platter- so organic and a statement piece.

New Entertaining Book Coming in the Fall!

Susan Snodgrass makes the most beautiful fairies in the world. While many of her creations are elaborate, my favorite one is called "The Jar Lady". It's almost like she has been captured in a canning jar, like children catch lightening bugs in summer. Using them as inspiration, a table is set in the fern garden for a tea party with children. This is part of an upcoming book that we are publishing this fall called "Romancing the Home Entertains". It is a 390 page book full of color photos of parties and tablesettings, along with suggested menus and recipes.

Cheap Trip to the French Countryside!

It seems that everything is blooming right now, particularly these pink shrubs along the back drive way . I couldn't resist setting a table for dinner for two with them as a backdrop. We just planted a new perennial that looks like lamb's ear, but has a different shaped leaf. I works great as a backdrop to the pansies and blackberries. Peonies have shed their floral leaves and can be used as the "charger" for the plates. The hand painted decanter is from the 1920's. This tranquil setting transports me to the countryside in France, even if it's only for a dinner!

Can the weather ever make up it's mind? Not in Chicago!

I didn't think we could get through Memorial Day weekend without some type of bad weather-it's storming now! I have lived here for 26 years, and I don't ever remember a Memorial Day weekend with perfect weather. So it's a good thing I set my table for dinner outside yesterday! Since Memorial Day is the kickoff to summer barbecues and the grilling season, it is appropriate to have your first barbecue of the season during this weekend. So with the best intentions, I set a summertime dinner table outside in the grass! It was a beautiful day - in the high 70's by the lake. Using sea fans as place mats, I used a casual ironstone plate and these cool antique crab casseroles that my friend Marlene gave me. Using a long rectangular glass vase, I filled it with herbs from the herb garden and water for the centerpiece. Clear floating candles in the water make it really glow! But good thing it was yesterday! Now it's nippy and still raining. I think I'll make a pot of soup!

Spring Florals

We were enjoying the most beautiful weather, so setting a table for lunch outside was a priority. I still had peonies, stock and wax flowers from the shower, so creating a new floral arrangement was a cinch. . The Italian tablecloth mixed with floral antique plates created a springtime color treat for the eyes.. The turquoise napkins were made to look like flowers and floral brooches were placed in the center as favors for the guests. Special silverware, crystal, and compotes were pulled out of storage and enjoyed for the day. The colors, turquoise and hot pink, are a great combination with chartreuse and the deep purple of blackberries. They looked beautiful in the vintage chartreuse and turquoise compotes with "Love Disarmed" berry spoons.

It's All About the Presentation

A simple menu was prepared for Jessica's bridal shower- so simple that Lynda and I were able to prepare most of it the day before the shower. A chutney chicken salad was the main ingredient, which we saved time by having our local grocery store roast the chicken breasts for us. A fun project was creating the beautiful ice bucket of fresh flowers and ferns. We used it to serve the champagne for the signature Strawberry Lemonade Champagne Cocktail. Our 3 ingredient mousse was garnished with edible gold leaf, sugared roses, and sugar pearls. The beautiful little cakes were purchased from a french bakery in the city, Vanille Patisserie. This menu was easy to do and allowed us the time to do one of our favorite things- setting a pretty table.