Party prep continues this weekend for my Mother-in laws big pink and orange birthday bash one week from today.
I ordered custom cocktails napkins online from Paper-Source. When I saw the paper lantern design I couldn’t resist.
Taking it outside…
I love having fragrant flowers where people gather. We planted stock with chine blue pansies in areas where guests will linger in the backyard. I opened the door to the yard last night around midnight and the fragrance was so fresh and heady. I was tempted to grab a cup of tea, lay on the chaise, breathe deeply and stargaze.
Snapdragon color beds as far as the eye can see as the sun came over the hill from the Cleveland National Forest. In SoCal, a “forest” means scrubby chaparral.
Transitioning annual color from autumn to December holidays with red and white cyclamen, one of my favorite cool weather plants. If we’re lucky, the cyclamen could last until Valentine’s Day but that may be pushing it.
Indoors I’m doing this… wrapping my kitchen counters with plastic wrap. Weird or ingenious? I find that by the end of a baking palooza when the last thing I feel like doing is cleaning up sprinkled sugar, flour and egg residue all over my countertops, I just roll up the plastic and I’m done!
I highly recommend it! Let me know if you do this too or are going to try it. I promise you will never bake or decorate cookies or cakes without wrapping up your counters first again. Best thing I ever thought of. Ever. So worth the expenditure of plastic wrap.
An extra perk… The plastic wrap slides under the mixing bowl of the KitchenAid mixer which in my kitchen, usually ends up with egg whites on it because I crack on the edge of the bowl.
Hope your preparations for your Thanksgiving celebrations are all wrapped up. 🙂
Have a colorful and productive weekend, friends.
Is this your house? Gorgeously planted….
Yep. My house. Thanks. 🙂
Wow your place looks gorgeous! I love having four seasons but when I see pretty flowers this time of year …it makes me smile. I’m sure the part will be a hit! Happy Birthday to your MIL….and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
I don’t think the environmental impact of wraping your kitchen in plastic is worth the 5 mn it woult take to clean up your counters. Personaly I wouldn’t do that, ever.
Kathy, Thank you. Wishing you and your family a happy Thanksgiving too.
Plume, that may be a valid point if one does not buy plastic wrap but if one does as I do, you could say wrapping the counters does save on water and cleaners used. I wish I had counters that took only 5 minutes to clean. With the grout I have and food colors I regularly use it is really a mess. Thank you for your input.
The outdoors look spectacular! This birthday party is going to be the most! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Love and Hugs,
Mrs. Kindergarten…aka…Madame Spoiled
Mrs. K, wishing you a most wonderful holiday. I bet you’re looking forward to a little R & R away from your pilgrims. I remember the kindergarten feast. Loved the hats and feather headbands made from paper. Do they still do this?
Great tip about the counters! Looks like it will be such a fun party.
Such a lovely color scheme – love it! Plastic wrap – yes, why haven’t I thought of this?! The in-laws bought my daughter a large (really large!) roll of restaurant size plastic wrap (and foil) – they are in about their 5th year of using it – it takes up a whole shelf in the pantry. It would do the counter in one swoop and has come in so handy for art projects – why didn’t I think of using it for cooking projects?
I really enjoy your blog – such a feast for the eyes!
Nancy Glyer
Love the napkins, and your flowers are gorgeous!! And your idea on the counters is brilliant, and makes great sense. Thanks for sharing that fun tip! 🙂 Can’t wait to hear about the party.
That’s a great tip. Will try it this holiday season and will see how it works out.
Great photos also.
What a great idea to wrap your counter! My marble counter tops can sometimes take a beating.. I think I’ll try this!
Cyclamen are so pretty at this time of year. They also make wonderful hostess gifts. I will be adding mine to my topiaries.
leslie