Garden Party Part III

Hubby and I hosted dessert this year for the garden party. Dessert is all about the lighting and keeping guests warm. Oh, and the dessert...

Hubby rewired the chandelier we took out of our old bedroom last Fall during the remodel. We had some funky light bulbs we had picked up on Camano Island that hadn't worked out for another project. For the soft evening light we were going for on the patio, perfect.

I started last Fall with a china dessert set I found at the thrift store. Green, my favorite color, on the set plus another find at the thrift store of dessert dishes got my table started.

Chris helped with more green glass and I was set.

I had a quote on the bottom of the menu place cards and because of it, I wove a daisy and ivy chain to loop loosely through the chandelier.

I took some shots of our table in the afternoon because when we get back for dessert it is getting dark, fast.

I paired the many shades of green with a soft yellow tablecloth, ribbons, flowers and place card menus. I used daisies wherever possible.

Lots of fairy lights, some soft chandelier lighting, candles and our fire bowl back in the corner to keep the ladies warm. Also, throws on the back of the chairs for when it gets chilly. It made for a pretty and comfortable Summer evening on the patio.

I made a strawberry cheesecake layered with two layers of sponge cake with whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries between the layers.

Sugar cookie and Oreo truffles with coffee to end our wonderful evening.

We had such a great night of fantastic food, eye candy on the tables and good, good friends.

So blessed.

And after a brief nap on the patio... I begin my research for next year. We have appetizers and I have ideas!

Garden Party 2011 Part II

Dinner was in Italy. Well, it felt like Italy, looked like Italy and tasted like Italy. It was actually at Mark and Karen's place. Karen set a beautiful table with grapevines, wine corks, candle wax dripping down wine bottles, and everything Italian from the water to the wine. Mark hung curly willow branches over the terrazza. Karen went to Drizzle, the new oil and vinegar store in Fairhaven, to choose the best olive oil and balsamic vinegar for our dinner.

Details. Were. Everywhere.

Some Italian guy was grilling the beef fillets.

Perfectly, I might add.

I'd never had Brussels sprouts roasted, I am now in love.

Check out the ravioli... Karen made it from scratch. It was delizioso!

benissimo, eccellente, stupendo, magnifico

All that and more...

Garden Party 2011 Part I

Garden Party 2011 was held Saturday evening. I'll post each course separately this week.

First up, we went to the farm for our appetizer course.

Karen and I asked Shelly where she started this year. It was with the coral plates. Shelly got them as a gift last year and it went from there. Her table runner was an obi, a sash used for traditional Japanese dress. She brought it back from Japan in the seventies. She recently was given a box of sauce spoons and cups from a friend's mother. Mary has passed away so they have sentimental value. I love the table stories.

Our tables usually start with one item or recipe and it builds from that point. It's fun to hear where it all started.

Shelly's sauces are amazing. She is the queen of sauce. The chopping was so tiny. It had to be time consuming. Worth it? Yes! Just reading the menu again makes my mouth water.

The presentation was beautiful, and the food was delish.

Thanks Vern and Shell! Appetizer course was amazing and so, so pretty.

Recovering

I am recovering from Garden Party 2011. Lot of dishes to wash yet and my legs are killing me.

So worth it, so amazing.

I will post each course next week.

Oh my, I think we outdid previous years AGAIN!

Good Friends

Our friends, Steve and Sheryl left this morning. We had such a great visit. I'm hoping we don't let ten years go by before the next one. It is fun to see your town, schools, area through visitors' eyes. I am always amazed how lifelong the college friendships can be for us.

Even though they went to Birch Bay, Vancouver, Victoria, and the San Juan Islands they really didn't see the real Pacific Northwest. It was sunny every day. Unreal.

A Gorgeous But Windy Day

Our friends, Steve and Sheryl are visiting from Denver, and on Saturday we were to go boating with Brad and Sheryl. The plan was to leave Bellingham early afternoon and have dinner in Anacortes.

The sun was shining, however; the wind was blowing. So our captain decided we should have a drink and snacks, wait an hour and see if the wind died down.

It did not.

We were also worried about the return trip.

As other boaters came in, Capt. Brad would run out and ask them how the water was... they were all so happy to be back to land that we changed our plans.

I think our plan B was pretty great too. Hubby and I took Steve and Sheryl for a walk in Boulevard Park and to Fairhaven. Brad and Sheryl picked up some salmon and clams and drove to Birch Bay where they whipped up a fantastic dinner on the deck.

Sheryl, Sheryl and I were friends in college. We were wishing that Linda could have joined us too. Lots of laughs and I think we may have convinced our husbands that we were good girls at college. Sheryl brought her college album along from Denver and there were many nice pics of us all dressed up to go to church.

It has been so much fun reconnecting with Sheryl and meeting Steve this weekend. I love it when I haven't seen a friend for years and we jump right in for a great time.