Lemons, Ladies, and Lunch!

One of my very favorite groups to entertain is my Bridge Buddies!  We are six women who have been together for years and years and play bridge once a week.  Usually, we meet at 2:30 and play, but several times a year, we have lunch and then play.  This week, I invited them to come for lunch.

These ladies seem to appreciate every little detail, and I love giving them lots to look at!

My inspiration started with this cheerful tablecloth from Homegoods.

After an epic fail (I wish I had photos to show you the sad attempt), I came up with this centerpiece.

Lemons and daisies!  Sure felt like summer! 

In place of a wreath, I simply tied a small bouquet with gingham ribbon onto the door.

The tag read "Please Come In".  My landscaper happened to come to the door before the girls arrived and asked me if I was expecting company, or was I just lonely!!!!!!!!!!!

These placecard holders were from Pottery Barn a year or so ago.  I cut the layered name card out with my Silhouette cutter, and then hand lettered each name. 

On top of my every day white dinner plate, I placed a bright yellow napkin and topped it with a menu card.  They were a simple rectangle, even though they photographed sort of misshapen.  I always add a quote to the menu card and this one says "Girlfriends help us think our best thoughts, do our noblest deeds, and be our finest selves."  (Anon.)  Love this!

I used a rattan charger and this bamboo handled flatware from Horshow.

Initially, I planned to use these bright yellow glasses, but I found I only had four.

Didn't they look cuter?  The other glass is a plain Tiffany wine glass.

And here's what we put in them!  The cutest bottle of pinot grigio!  These daisies on the bottle just sent me into orbit.  And it was really good!!!!

This is really a candle holder from Italy.  I would have used it on the table, but I only have one, so I filled the little hole with water and placed just a few daisies in it and used it on the sideboard.

In one powder room, I added daisies and a hand towel with a lemon tree.

I forgot I had this till I was looking for a towel.

The other powder room got a small daisy arrangement, too.

In the bar, I used some lemon napkins and some small yellow appetizer sized napkins. The fern covered dish held buffalo chicken roll-ups that were a hit.

This tray held the coffee fixings.

I made lemon-thyme salt for favors.  It is so good on chicken or veggies.

And the other favor was raffle tickets for produce from my grandson's farm.  He's TEN!  And he has his own farm.  Last year he harvested 300 lbs of potatoes alone.  This boy can work!  These raffle tickets afforded him the cash to buy his seeds, etc. this spring.  I'm going to do a post about him later in the season.

After a leisurely lunch and lots of laughter, we got down to business.  We never take our games too seriously, though.  This is party bridge.  Boy, was I ever surprised to find these cards with lemons in my stash! I don't remember buying them. It was like a miracle.

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21 Rosemary Lane

Lydia's Luncheon

Nothing beats an afternoon spent with good friends, celebrating a birthday!  Several of my friends and I gave a luncheon for a mutual friend and it was such a lovely day.

I was anxious to celebrate spring, as well, so I chose these colors and added a selection of birds and bird related dishes.  

This greeted the guests as they arrived at the front door.

I like to give a hint of the event on the gates or the door, or both.  This chalkboard with ribbons was a substitute for a wreath or basket of flowers.

These majolica-like salad plates led the charge!  They came from  Pottery Barn a year or so ago.  I paired them with turquoise dinner plates from Target.

The flatware was cream, and kept the look casual and the colors soft.

I've had these stems so long, I can't begin to remember where I got them.  They are unusual, in that the base is a periwinkle blue, the stems a soft turquoise, and the bowl a light blue.  Unfortunately, I broke two while I was cleaning up.

I thought the butter pats would look pretty with a fresh viola.

These clear glass napkin holders were a hit.  I actually bought more to give the birthday girl as a gift.  They came from Boxwoods in Atlanta.  The tag serves as a placecard and is just attached with a narrow ribbon.  The napkin is a soft linen banded in white.  I think I picked them up at Homegoods.

I love to print a menu for each place setting, and include a quote at the bottom.  This one says, "Here's to tall ships.  Here's to small ships.  Here's to all the ships on the sea.  But the best ships are friendships.....Here's to you and me."  It is an old Maritime blessing.  At the end of the event, I always ask the guests to sign their name on it and then I keep it as a souvenir of the day.

I bought these twig and nest arrangements at the floral wholesaler.  Then I added the eggs and the velvet covered birds.

Here's a close-up.  Doesn't he just make you smile?

The centerpiece is an arrangement of fresh hydrangeas in a whitewashed birch pot.  Then I added thistles for some interest......

And texture.

This ceramic bowl held the rolls.

I think these bird salt and pepper shakers came from Boxwoods, as well.

I used this chicken wire cloche with a bird in it on the chest in the dining room.

And the buffet held the coffee/tea set-up.

I have this sweet teapot and sugar/creamer with birds on them.  Don't you love the way I left the plastic wrap on the lemons in the picture?  Keeping it real here, folks.

Another bird plate that one of my guests gave me for Christmas held the tea selection.  The silver bird and edging added some class to the offerings!

I even found a beaded bird in the same colors for the gift wrapping.

And every birthday girl must wear this fun crown.  Lydia looked beautiful in it, but I promise my friends that they needn't have their picture in my blog.  Some folks are too private for this, and I want to respect their feelings.  I don't even put my own photo on the blog!

This was the beverage set up in the bar.  I had these white hydrangea plants but I'm afraid that they are at the end of their beauty.

One powder room had our first three daffodils and an extra hydrangea.

The other powder room had a bird vase, as well.

And some Caspari guest towels in an aqua toile.

It was a pretty day, but cool, so we sat by the fire and talked and talked.

Don't you wish you joined us for this dessert?  As pretty as it is, it tasted even better.  I'm sure hoping that Anne shares this recipe!!!