Here's To The Birthday Chick!

When a dear friend is having a birthday and these plates come home with me from Pier One.....a party was born!  I took the "Birthday Chick" theme and ran with it.

This made a colorful and fun table where we had LOTS of laughter.

I've had these chicken chair covers for a couple of years, but I've never used them.  I'm gifting them to two of the women who came to this luncheon, since they have little, little grandchildren.  I think my guys have outgrown the magic of a chicken on their chair!

The centerpiece started like this.  I used the trick of a vase within a vase, filling the "wall" with Easter grass and marshmallow peeps.

Then I found these white lisianthis and beautiful yellow roses.  I just love the way those white buds gracefully bend and create shape to the arrangement.

This yellow napkin looks washed out here, but it was a little more vibrant in person.  I just love these knot napkin rings that I bought at Old Time Pottery for $1 each.  I have them in several colors.  I can't for the life of me remember where I bought this yellow polka dotted flatware.

My old, old wedding crystal got to come to the party.  I sat it on a yellow straw coaster.  You wouldn't believe the difference that makes in perking up the table.

I have had these in my stash of entertaining papers and thought they were cute for the day.  Instead of using names, I used something special about each guest.  We had "Birthday Chick", "Auburn Chick", "Short Chick", and for the sweet friend who raises chickens, "Chicken Chick"!

This pink and yellow salt and pepper set are vintage LuRay that I collect.  LuRay was made in the '40's and came in four beautiful pastel colors that I use a lot in the spring.

I brought this coffee tray in with dessert.  It sits here in the bar where I have a little daffodil vignette with a vintage book, a porcelain basket, and a very precious tray that my Daddy made and my Mom painted.  The dishes are also LuRay china. 

The napkin this sits on is from Target.

Here's some more LuRay in the French shelves.  I added these nutcracker bunnies that I love and a "Happy Easter" cut-out that I bought at a craft show years ago when my girls were tiny.

I love to give little favors, or parting gifts at luncheons.  There is never anything precious in them, but I promise you they will put a smile on your guest's face.  :-)

Today's goody bag held a packet of tissues with the chicken on them, a pack of daffodil post-it notes, and a painted glass egg, all nestled on a bed of pink Easter grass.  I popped it all in a cellophane florists' bag and tied with a green ribbon.

This was the sideboard that I leave up for the season.  It just makes spring seem like it sprouted in the dining room.  You can just see the top of the photographer's head in the mirror.  Ha!  

We made memories here.  I just love to honor a friend with a meal made with love.

There is a lot of whimsy here.  The birthday girl was a second grade teacher, so it was right up her alley.

How do you like the first course that we had in the dining room?  It's a cheese chick!  I found the basic idea on pintrest, of course.  I used a shortcut of starting with a cheese ball from the market and made a small ball of it.  Then I rolled it in some shredded cheddar that I pulsed very briefly in the food processor to make it a little finer.  The feet and wings are cut out of a slice of processed cheese with little tiny canape cutters, and the eyes and beak are from a Kalamata olive.  Then I sat them on a cracker and served a couple of extra crackers.  Aren't they cute?

Our mutual friend, Anne, brought the tossed salad with blueberries that was delicious.  The egg cup holds pimento cheese with Pepperidge Farm butterfly crackers perched on the edge.  I know.....this menu turned out a little heavy on the cheese, but it was GOOD.

Here's the main plate.  What says spring more than asparagus?  This is a cold, marinated recipe.  Then, to give another wink to the chicken theme, there's a chick shaped deviled egg.  Anne made the chicken salad, too.  (She's such a great help!)  It was from James Farmer's newest cookbook, "A Time to Celebrate".  We have a mutual crush on him.  A big one.  A really big one.  I could go on!

Dessert was a lady-like serving of Hagan Daz pineapple/coconut ice cream, which is heavenly, with a non lady-like individual coconut cake with lemon curd inside.  A little mint, a few raspberries, and it's a birthday cake.  Did you notice there are no candles?  You're welcome, Beth.

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James Farmer at ADAC

CUTENESS ALERT:

I have seen James T. Farmer III several times and each time I am charmed and inspired.  And greatly awed by him.  James is the quintessential Southern gentleman with a smile that will melt you and a wit that will keep you laughing the next day.  He is an Auburn University grad, majoring in horticulture and art history.  He's also an interior decorator, landscape designer, writer, cook, and event planner.  And currently an editor at large for Southern Living.

Here's an image from his blog, "All Things Farmer".  This post gives us behind the scenes looks at his latest Southern Living article.  Isn't this beautiful?

Here's another photo from his blog.  I love this tablescape featuring a stuffed fox on a Thanksgiving table.  I'm ok with taxidermy on a dining table, how about you?

This image of his landscaping ability makes my mouth water.  I just love this!!!!

Last week, he presented at Janus et Cie at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Company, and I took a dear friend who promptly fell under his spell, as well.  

He began with a quick demonstration of a wonderful fall floral arrangement. 

He started with sweet gum in a long, ceramic pot,

added Free Spirit roses and hydrangeas,

and highlighted  it all with some bright blue and purple. 

Beautiful!

The second part of his presentation was several recipes from his several cookbooks.

His newest is this really great one, published by Smith, Gibbs.  The photography is lovely and you will be so taken with his stories describing the recipes and the events.  It is dedicated to his grandmother, whom he speaks about lovingly and often.  She was clearly a huge influence in his love of entertaining.

Here's the platter of autumn chicken salad he prepared for us.  Note how the addition of the apple and sweet gum leaf makes the platter look so appealing.  

And here's my favorite souvenir of the day!  A hug from the sweet guy himself!