Peonies on the Terrace

Well, this table came together in a flash.  A quick stop at Trader Joe's and a chat with a friend in the frozen food aisle lead to an impulsive invitation for dinner.  Almost all the food came from those very aisles, and so did the flowers.

Oh!  The flowers!!!!  Aren't they smart to put them right at the front door?  You see these beauties and right away you put some in your cart and begin to make plans for a special night. 

Peonies!!!!  A very special flower in our family!  They are elegant and fragrant, and beautiful, and magnificent.  I just had to grab some.

Since our border flowers are looking pretty good, and the weather was delightful, I decided to set our table outside on the lower terrace.  I also thought the pink petunias would compliment the pink peonies.

In the spirit of making things easy and quick, I grabbed these pink toile melamine dishes that I haven't used in quite a while.  They were made by Swell, which was sold by Target years ago.

The glassware was a high/low mix of this hot pink bubble glass and clear Juliska stems that I used for wine.

The napkins are from the Palm restaurant line, and these soup bowls were also from Target.  I served visychoise in them, as Mr. Pressed Pants has been asking for it.

This plastic flatware is a cute, vibrant knock-off of some ornate silverplate. 

This French salt and pepper holder is the only serving accessory I used.

I love the way this all came together. 

Can you see the lake through the trees?  The Canadian geese were pretty noisy, but, they were not nearly as noisy as the bullfrogs!!!

It was a mosquito-free night, though.

This is a little bit of heaven, and it's even better with friends to share it.

Try the lemon piccata chicken from Trader Joe's refrigerator case!  We  all loved it.

Here's the view from the upper terrace. 

This is what happens when you don't stop to think about things, and just blurt out an invitation.  What the heck!  The house was pretty clean, the landscapers had been there, and the food was almost ready.  When the friends are that good, it's almost a "Come-as-you-are" party.  We even ate leftover lemon cheesecake from a luncheon that I gave on Tuesday!!!! Capture the moment and make a memory!

Joining:

Metamorphosis Monday, Inspire Me Tuesday, The Scoop, 

Wow Us Wednesday, Tablescape Thursday, Feathered Nest Friday,

Home Sweet Home, Foodie Friday and Everything Else,

Sundays at Home

Wisteria and Polka Dots

Ah!  Springtime in Georgia!  I never had wisteria before I moved here.  I can't believe how it grows wild along the road and into the trees.  We have this tree in our front yard that is putting on the most incredible display.  Please, please, please ignore the pock-marked grass.  I had a fight consultation with my landscaper about it yesterday.  You can see how I set the table so differently with wisteria last season here.

I thought we'd have dinner on a card table in front of it last night, but as I was setting it up, the bumblebees were swarming so  badly that I just knew that Mr. Pressed Pants would have nothing to do with it.  So.....I never bothered with the chairs.  I just set the table, snapped some photos and ran!

Lavender and spring green seemed just the right choice, especially since the dishes were melamine.

I made this tablecloth from Waverly fabric years and years ago.

So last year, when I saw these dishes at Target, I scooped them up and used them here with this flatware from World Market.

The co-ordinating fabric made cute napkins with green frosted napkin rings and a sprig of wisteria.

The glassware is pale purple but I can't remember where I got it.

Pretty fun, huh?

But what's up with that knife?

I didn't need much of a centerpiece, but I did grab this green wire vase and put some wisteria in it.  Too bad that it doesn't last very long.  It gets even droopier than it normally is.

Oh, the scent!

Makes me sort of weak-kneed.

Graceful and lovely.

Even the scattered petals have their own beauty.

Look at the tree trunk.  It has looked like this for five years, so it is apparently healthy, just full of character.

When I stepped around the back of the tree, this is what I saw!  Surprise!  It is exactly the way I found it.  Pinky swear!  Isn't the discovery of this a perfect gift?

Pollen be damned!  I wanted to eat outside!

Amazing!

Check out the blog party at:

French Country Cottage

Peonies with Pow!!!!

I just love, love, love peonies.  A few days ago, a storm was predicted, so I scurried outside and snipped a big bunch of them before the rain ruined them.  I didn't know at the time, but that storm resulted in the worst loss of life due to a natural disaster in the USA next to hurricane Katrina.  I was so worried about my flowers, but so many families lost every thing they had as well as those they hold so dear.  I so sincerely pray for their healing.  

I can't remember the name of the varieties, but I must say that my peonies are looking really great!

This one looks like I photoshopped it!  It doesn't even look real.  It actually looks just like the one on the plates I chose for this tablescape.

I love this version, too, but it seems to "shatter" really easily.

Bet ya thought I'd set a serene pink and white table with them!!!  Well, I'm walking on the wild side today with this 'scape!

It was such a beautiful afternoon. I could not have guessed what would come later that night. 

I set this up on our lower terrace, but I shot this from the upper one through the climbing hydrangea foliage.

Here's the wide shot of the lower terrace.  The beds are starting to fill in, but I haven't planted the annual color yet.

So I pulled out the vibrant colors from the storage closet and linen press.  They really pop against the white of the outdoor furniture and the stone terrace.

I started with a very bright turquoise tablecloth.  It is actually a rectangular size, but I just pouffed and draped and it works just fine.  I just wish the wrinkles were a little less obvious, but hey, think shabby chic, ok?

These plates are some of my very favorite.  They are melamine from Target several years ago.  Here's where these bold colors came from!

This flatware is made by Cambridge.  It is super cheap, but a quite acceptable quality for a novelty look. 

My sweet mom gave me these napkin rings years ago.  She has a huge Fiesta pottery collection and this has always reminded me of Fiesta ware.  I really don't think it is, though.  The bright green napkins are from Homegoods.

I slipped a silk peony in each napkin ring, too, just for a little lushness.

These bright pink plastic glasses are also from Homegoods, and the wine tumblers are actually vases that I bought in bulk from the wholesaler years ago.  They are the only fragile thing on the table.  Most of the rest is plastic!

I went to apple green again for the urn shaped vase for the peonies.  I had two of these, but I broke one.  It was nice to use them both on a table, but for a small table like this, one is sufficient.

Isn't it a shame that the blooming season is so short?

The flowers on the plates will last, but I can never bring myself to use them unless I have peonies to go with them.

Oh.....yummy!

Can't you almost smell them? 

 Well, here's the sad part.....we never got to eat at this table that night, as the weatherman strongly suggested that we prepare for bad weather, so I gathered these things and took them to the breakfast room table.  Nice, but not the same.

I don't want to sound like I'm whining.  A lost opportunity is nothing like the loss that so many Southerners experienced this week.  There are so many people and organizations leading drives for supplies to help the affected area.  If you are so moved, please find a way to help.

Of course, my very favorite use of peonies was at my beautiful daughter's wedding.  The only flowers used in the bouquets, or the tables were peonies.  What a precious memory!

On Thursday, I'll be linking up with Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. Check out the many creative postings at:

betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

You can also find this post on Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style:

http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

This is a really fun blog party.  Be sure to give it a visit!

Also, I'm posting at All Thing's Inspired, a blog party at Robin's "All Things Heart and Home" beautiful blog:

http://www.allthingsheartandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ati21.jpg

You can see this also at:

Feathered Nest Friday

Show and Tell Friday

Home Sweet Home