Vietnamese Dinner For 20

     Fortunately for me, my good friend Melissa belongs to a dinner club and it was her turn to host.  The theme was Vietnamese foods.  Knowing there would be a lovely table, interesting food and colorful guests, it gave me a grand opportunity to use her party in my blog.

                        Picture of hostess Melissa (on the right) and good friend Cindy on the left.

Host Phil and guest

Thelma, Melissa's mother, a lovely heart and soul.  Thelma introduced me to the joy of owning several sets of dishes with no shame!

Dining for 20

How pretty is that oriental screen and forsythia?

These spoons were purchased by Thelma's father while he served in the Navy.  The spoons date back to approx. 1910.  They are hand-made of silver.  Special memories and beautifully handcrafted.

Yep - Her hair is purple.

Beautiful tables, exquisite food and good friends.  What could be better?

Linda

Dining With Fitz & Floyd

Whoaa!  What's that shining yellow ball in the sky?  The Sun?  Haven't seen it in a while.  Good day to clean the screen porch.     
Now that I've spent hours cleaning the porch, I thought I'd better do a tablescape before it gets dirty again.  And that can happen QUICKLY. 

I only have a few Fitz & Floyd pieces.  I love their designs, but don't love how easily they chip.

A few shots of the porch.  The porch entry is from the kitchen/heart room, and also enters into the guest bedroom.

Looking into the guest bedroom from the porch.

Window to guest bathroom.

LOVE the sound of chimes.

There wasn't much space on this small table, so I placed the napkins on the back of the chair.

Dinner plate and wooden charger.

Topped with salad plate.  See what I mean about the chipping?

Lucky me.  Looked who showed up.  TEQUILA ROSE.  She can grace my table anytime!

The wine glasses are stunning.  They have a blue/green luminiscent, bordered in gold, purchased at Home Goods a couple years ago.  I only have two.  I don't hesitate buying one, two, or three of something I love.  I rarely need more than four of any dish.  Plus, when you're a dishaholic, there is not enough room for eight of everything.  I'd like to know where the rule of eight came from.  Most likely from someone who owns only one set of dishes.

So, I guess this means I need to cook.  Sighhhhhh. 

Two more pictures I just found while scrolling through my albums.  It was taken on a break during a ride at Sam Baker Park in Missouri. 

Linda and Lucy

Wish everyone could have this much fun!

And those pictures remind me of my dogs, having fun at the cabin.

Linda

Mi Hermosa Hija

Mi Hermosa Hija - My Beautiful Daughter.

     Today I called my daughter, 19, and asked her to meet me for lunch.  She said "How about dinner?"  "Ok.  Come by at 5:30."   I arrived home at 5:10.   So at 5:15 this is what I put together.  Even surprised myself at how fast it came together, about 10 minutes.  She brought her good buddy, Jake, along with her.  Wish I'd gotten a picture of him.
     I wanted to make low-cal fajuitas, so I brought out my Mexican-inspired dishware.

Plates, placemats, tortilla dish, salad bowl  and glassware purchased at Dillards.

Bowls to fill with corn & beans, mixed peppers and onions, and roasted chicken pieces.  Purchasd at Kohls.

BING BONG!  (Helen, that one is for you)   I found two red salad bowls.

Shopping the house to see what I can find . . . . perfect.

Didn't know where to place the appetizer spreader knife, so I tucked it right into the napkin ring.

This vase of flowers was already on the bar.  How perfect is that?

While rushing through Dierbergs I came upon the sample platter of their Apricot Feta Spread Torte.  Irresistable.  Smart marketing techinique.  5:00.  Hungry.  SOLD!

Best of all was visiting my busy daughter and her good friend Jake.  The meal was fast and easy - Big salad and chicken faquitas.  And too much apricot feta cheese torte. 

Linda