A Barn, Dear Friends, and a Beautiful Evening

This was a wish come true for me!  I always, always wanted to give a barn party, but there was a small problem.......I didn't have a barn.......and I didn't have an occasion to give such a party.  Enter my friend, Brenda.  She invited the lay leadership of our church to a party in her beautiful barn!  When she asked me if I would help, I jumped at the chance.  Would I ever!!!

Look at this beautiful land!

This is the way the barn looked two days before the party.  Can you imagine getting a BARN with animals living in it ready for a party?  I can hardly get my home ready!  Plus, it is so dry here, that the dirt and dust from the arena is blowing like crazy, which means we set up the tables early, but couldn't add tablecloths, dishes, or centerpieces until the last minute.

Here's the outside.  Doesn't it look like a good time is about to happen?

This is what greeted guests down by the road.  These pumpkins were commandeered from my front door and have now been returned!  Don't you just love this old wooden wheelbarrow?

Folks entered at this end of the barn and this was found on both sides of the door.

This old church pew sits here all of the time.  I know this photo is blurry, but I wanted you to see this grand piece of history.

Brenda snitched these three pillows from her front porch for the evening.

I thought you might like to see the tack room.

This hand tooled saddle has the badge that reads "Charmaine James".  She was a famous barrel racer and Brenda's husband bought her this beauty.

You can see the party area through the door.

We put the desserts in the wash bay.

We were going for high style and low budget and by using tin foil pans, we made it happen.  

This other bay held drinks in self-help coolers, just inside the door.

This guy graced a very popular table....... 

the one that held the peanuts!

It was so delightful to see all those adults walking around with a bag of peanuts.  (And, because it is 2016, you can see the obligatory bottle of Purell!)

I just love those old burlap bags over the hay bales that hold up the coolers.

This is the buffet table waiting for the barbeque and beans.  More tin pans here.

Each horse had a basket of carrots outside of it's stall, and, again, I was tickled to see all of those grown ups getting so into feeding horses!

Here's what tables for nearly 100 looks like.

Here's the dinner plate.  Yep!  It's a foil pie pan.  No renting (or washing) dishes for us.

A colorful paper lined the plate, and the plastic flatware was tied with a bit of raffia.  You can see the red gingham plastic tablecloth which was over white linen cloths.  A strip of butcher's paper ran down the middle.

Three mason jars made up the centerpiece.  One held corn, one black beans and the little one held just the burlap covered votive.  

Ok, now.  The stalls are ready.....

the tables are ready......

and it is time for the stars of the evening.  This is Brenda's husband, Ken, bringing in his big horse, Dakota.  He's 16 1/2 hands!  No wonder his nickname is "Big D".  A huge thanks go to Ken, as well, for his incredible generosity.

He's ready to party.  Three more beauties were brought in and they each showed their own personality.  They seemed to really love the attention.  

Time for guests!

I very seldom post photos of my friends or guests, but I just had to use this one.  This is Brenda, a woman I am so proud to call my friend.  This entire event was her vision and I was simply an extra pair of hands to help.  She designed, she cleaned, she schlepped, she organized and she was the sweetest leader.  And thus, I got to give a barn party!!!!! 

P.S.  Brenda owned Balthus von Tassel, the beautiful heirloom turkey who was featured in this post.  Please take a look at this handsome devil.

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This remarkable table design is brought to you by my remarkable grandsons.  Owen, 9, and Teddy, 12, were visiting and they wanted to create their own table.  I thought that was a great idea, so in between golf and swimming one day, they came into the house to make their version of magic.  I did nothing other than find things for them when they asked for them.  They shopped the house, the garage, the basement and just about every cupboard and closet.

 

My only requirement was that they use something under the "centerpiece" and the dishes, whatever they determined that would be.  So, down a burlap runner, they piled up lumber pieces they found in the garage.  They deemed wood as close to flowers, "because it's from nature".  Good so far!  Then, in my craft room, they found sticks, which were added rather gracefully, I must say.  THEN, a helicopter.  OK.

Then the toy closet (which is really the panic room), yielded rescue rangers, and a toy fire fighter's hat.  They wanted to "feature Boys Through Their Ages".  Every table needs a theme. 

To go with the wood centerpiece, there were safety goggles, a tape measure, and a hammer.  Then, as you can see, there is a turkey call, as well!!!!!  I loved this so much! 

I thought this was particularly inspired:  They took a safari toy cage and used it to house the salt and pepper shakers!  Fabulous!

Tortoiseshell glasses were chosen after much discussion. (Fighting.)

These quilted French placemats were a good choice.  The pinecone charger "matched the wood", and the natural colored dishes were the "something not fancy".  The flatware "matched the wood" too.  (Well, it DID!)

Weren't these napkins a good choice?  I'm blown away by their sense of color.  

This was the first selection for a napkin ring.

BUT, this one won out.  Rabbits with stags.  Well, ok.

Here's the placesetting.  Pretty sophisticated, right?

This is the most beautiful table that has every been set in this room.  

And this was one of the most wonderful meals.  These guys were so proud and I can't wait to have them do this again.  I'm flattered that they wanted to be part of my blog and so very proud of the results.  James Farmer and Eddie Ross might have some competition!

A Tribute to the Dogwood Festival

Many, many people in Atlanta look forward to the Dogwood Festival each year.  It was held this past weekend, and it was full of music, art, food and celebrated the lovely dogwood trees we are so privileged to have here in this beautiful city.  I put together this table as a tribute to the many volunteers that it takes to hold this event.

We have lots of dogwood here, both as specimens and many wild ones in the woods.  They made beautiful fillers for these old blue Ball jars.  I kept the white linen cloth and the burlap runners that I had on the table for "Bunnies and Burlap" (here).

I posted a very similar table to this before, when the dogwood was blooming.  It was probably my favorite table ever.  You can see it here.

I love the colors of taupe, turquoise and white together.  Can you see the faux bois design on the salad plate?

The light wood on the flatware seemed just right with the burlap, and I used these white linen napkins with turquoise linen flower napkin rings.

I put bread sticks in these glass lined, birch covered votives.

The glassware was plain Tiffany stems with turquoise glass tumblers made by Martha Stewart.

I love this easy, easy centerpiece.

These birch-like candles never even got lit, as it is staying light so much later these days.

I knew we are headed for a full week of rain, so I grabbed my clippers and cut a huge bunch of limbs for this granite bucket by the front door.  Is it too much to mix the dogwood and the forsythia?  Oh, who cares?  I'm so into spring!

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