Monthly Archives: September 2017


Fun Stuff for Friday

September 29, 2017, posted by Gina – This week has been a busy one and next week is going to move at high speed as my calendar is full. Before things get crazy, I am sharing a few fun things to take you through the weekend and I’m sure you can relate to some of them. We should have lots to share after next week so make sure to check back. Have a great weekend!

|    PUMPKINS    |
This week I went to the farmer’s market close to my house and found more pumpkins and gourds than I could imagine. There is nothing like a robust pumpkin to usher in Fall. I purchased some mini pumpkins and can’t wait to share a recipe with you. I hope to prepare them this weekend, so make sure to check in often next week because you won’t want to miss it.

 

|   WORKOUT CLOTHES   |  

I guess I did not wash as frequently as I normally do this week. I have a strange habit of using our bed for a clothes line and this assortment of workout clothes that includes 5 pants and 5 tops gave me such a sense of accomplishment. Not on washing them but actually working out every day this week.

 

|   HIGH STAKES HORSEPLAY   |
Son 1 is getting married!!! He stumbled on a dilemma when trying to decide whether his Dad or brother should be the Best Man. He finally decided they could both be the Best Man but that in the end one had to be a Co-Best Man. So, the only Diamond Family way to solve the debate was to play a game of HORSE to determine the Co-Best Man. I know, sports are a sickness at my house but they sure had fun playing this game and I had fun filming them. By the way, Dad won! A tough pill to swallow for Son 2 but he took it like a champ.

 

|    KRAFT PAPER BLOOMS    |
I am not sure why flowers wrapped up nicely in Kraft paper gives me such joy. They are so fresh and the possibilities are so fun to think about. For me, it is like opening up a present. Inspiration and beauty all in one!


What to Cook Wednesday: Eggplant Parmesan 2 comments

September 27, 2017, posted by Gina – There are as many different recipes for Eggplant Parmesan as there are stars in the sky, well, maybe not that many but there are a lot. First, Eggplant Parmesan is said to have originated in Southern Italy. As you can imagine a dish this delicious was tried in many kitchens and so it spread through Italy with various versions. And then there is American Eggplant Parmesan. It turns out that the main difference between American and Italian is that Americans fry the eggplant. Figures! Here, I am sharing an American version with a twist but I think you will really enjoy it. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

Enjoy!

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Cathead Distillery Tour

September 26, 2017, posted by Gina – A few weekends ago we had the opportunity to visit the Cathead Distillery in Jackson, Mississippi. Cathead started out making vodka but have branched out to making bourbon and other spirits. The tour was followed up with a tasting and one of the most interesting things I tasted was Pecan Vodka. Initially, I thought I would not like it but boy was I wrong. It turned out to be my favorite as it has a wonderful pecan taste and is very smooth. If you think you may like something a little different but delicious, you should give this a try. They also have a wonderful honeysuckle vodka which has been a favorite of mine for a while. If you have a chance to visit Cathead Distillery, it makes for a fun afternoon. You can schedule a tour online.


Floral Workshop 2 comments

September 25, 2017, posted by Gina – Last week I had the opportunity to attend a very informative and inspiring floral design workshop at the wholesale florist in my city.  Florists from all around the area attended and I was the newest florist there. I even received a prize for that honor. It was a very humbling experience as florists with 20, 30, 40 and even 50 years of experience were there to learn right along with me. I was very impressed that after all of these years of creating floral designs they were still ready to learn. They were very welcoming and it made me feel really good.

A representative of Teleflora was the host of the presentation. We also discovered that he owns Surroundings Events & Floral in Wisconsin. He was very talented and I was amazed at how quickly he created the floral designs. I can only hope to be that fast one day. He presented Fall and Christmas creations and I am going to share them with you. Please know that the quality of these photos is not great. We were under fluorescent lighting and I was far away from the presenter.

This is a classic urn design with fall elements seems to flow so nicely.

Who says you can only use flowers? What a beautiful arrangement made with apples, cinnamon and pumpkin.

The presenter put this wonderful Fall door swag together so quickly it made my head spin. You could tell that he makes these in his sleep. I think this would be such a wonderful Fall welcome on a front door.


This is anice arrangement but what puts it over the top are the cob webs. He taught us how to create this look using glue. It’s quick, effective and perfect for goulish Halloween parties.


The rose you see in this arrangement was actually made from ribbon. I watched intently but am still not sure I can master this just yet. Practice makes perfect, right?

The presenter took a tinted cube vase and turned it into this! I’m not sure anything could say Fall better.
This is called a transitional design because the metallic pieces give you a hint of the coming holidays. It would be perfect for Thanksgiving.

And speaking of the holidays, we quickly moved from Fall to Christmas.


The cardinals in this arrangement give it a fun bit of interest.

Succulents are still BIG and I love this dark red one smack dab in the middle of this arrangement. Simple but high impact!

I LOVE this arrangement. These are fresh greens that have been sprayed gold and I love them. They are perfect for the shimmer of the holidays.

Here is another swag that he put together at warp speed. This is a monochromatic design that looks fabulous.

Hydrangeas and Roses. This would certainly brighten any spot and I love the combination of materials. The colors and textures give it that holiday feel.

74907 – These table toppers are new and so very pretty. They would take any event up a notch and I have the source. I am ready to order these but I really need an event before I go crazy!

This arrangement somehow makes me think of Dr. Seuss. Memorable and dramatic. I’m not sure he was thinking Dr. Seuss when he put this together.

Shiny, silver and simple. I love this design for high drama! This would be a fabulous welcome on an entry table.

This was one of my favorite designs. I love the antlers, cotton, berries, wood and greenery. It makes you feel like you are in the mountains.

This topiary would be a great companion to the mountain design. He lit it with a light box which truly made it shine.

This gold and green with a bit of frost invites winter in. This is a simple design with big impact.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of the latest in floral designs. Our presenter put together far more pieces than I have shown you. I hope one day to be able to work as fast. In the meantime, if anything has inspired you here or you would like something similar to these designs, I am your woman!


How to Layer a Table to Create a Beautiful Tablescape

September 23, 2017, posted by Gina – We thought it would be fun to deconstruct one of our tablescapes and let you see how we put everything together. The table we’re using here was set for a Fall luncheon.

Keeping the color of the dishes you would like to use in mind, choose a table runner or tablecloth as your starting piece. We chose this neutral, rustic table runner to coordinate with our Fall tablescape. This runner was from Homegoods.

Select a charger that will coordinate nicely with your dishes as well as set the mood. These wood chargers from Rootworks reminded us of Fall.

Next, we chose a napkin to coordinate with all the other elements. This fun leopard print from Split P really helped pull all the colors of our table together.

It’s always fun to add a place card. This magnetic acrylic place card is like magic. We printed names from our computer and cut them to size.

Next we added the plates and glasses. We used Spode brown and white as the base and layered it with a pheasant salad plate. The tortoise glasses complimented the brown and white plates and certainly says “Fall”. The pheasant salad plates are from Southern Living. Tortoise glasses are from Pier 1.

Add flowers, silverware and any other serve ware you will need for you meal. We added Annie Glass bowls for a soup course. Make sure your flowers are not obtrusive. You don’t want them so tall that people must look over them to enjoy a conversation.

And here is the finished table, fun, vibrant and Fall-like. We certainly hope this created a memory for those invited to our luncheon. We believe that making the extra effort to create a pretty table lets our guests know how much we enjoy their company and friendship.

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Fun Stuff on Friday 3 comments

September 22, 2017, posted by Gina – Hello Friends! I have missed posting but life sometimes keeps me so busy I can’t seem to find the time to share everything I would like to with you. When I looked back on the past couple of weeks, it is clear that I have all things Fall on my mind. Let’s take a look at some of the fun stuff I have found.

 

|   CANDY CORN   |

Candy corn is seriously a problem for me. I LOVE it. I know, I know, it is nothing but sugar and SO bad for you. Why does something so bad taste so good? Though it’s very tempting for me, I have resisted so far and hope I can continue to be strong and keep walking pasththese kinds of displays. Stay tuned and pray for me!

 

|   FALL DECOR: MUMS: PUMPKINS AND WREATHS   |

I have been busy decorating my house for Fall and want to show you a few things that I have done. To me, beyond pumpkins, nothing ushers in fall better than a pretty mum. I put together a few pumpkins with some cotton balls and love how it came together. The brick on my house has pink tones and so cool tones look better with my house. I put these wreaths together and I love the neutral, natural look of them.

 

 

Across the Pond in France, Michelle has been decorating for Fall as well, though she tells me it’s just not really done there. So, it’s not as easy for her to find Fall-ish decor. She did find a few Jack-Be-Little’s and some cotton and put together a simple table decoration. Chestnut trees are very common there and you’re more likely to find chestnuts on the ground than acorns. She scattered a few on a tray around some pumpkins and put them on her entrance table. Et Voilà!

PS – About that table runner – It’s from Pier I and I sent it to her right after she moved to France. She puts it out every Fall.

 

|   SUGAR COOKIES   |

Just look at these adorable sugar cookies from The Painted Cookie. You can order these online or just about ANY design you would like. Angie, is the owner and is super nice to work with and she is very talented. The best part? The cookies taste amazing. Go ahead and order a dozen yourself.

 

|   PUNCHY   |

This berry punch was the perfect addition to champagne at a recent luncheon at my house. Not only was it very pretty, but the taste is fabulous. Give this a try. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

 

|  SHAKE IT UP  |

Do you ever find yourself STARVING at 3 or 4 in the afternoon? That is what happened to me the other day. I knew I had to do something to avoid snacking, so I headed to Super Shakes and bought one of their famous Peanut Butter Cup shakes. It knocked my hunger out and kept me from eating something I should not. If you have not visited Super Shakes, give it a try. The shakes are delicious, full of protein and low calorie.

What about you? Have you been decorating for Fall? Are you as passionate about these kinds of seasonal decorations as we are? Let us know!

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Fun Stuff on Friday 1 comment

September 8, 2017, posted by Gina –  Well, it’s been quite a while since our last post! We’re picking up where we left off with some Fall inspiration. I have been out on some shopping sprees lately and a few things have caught my eye, such as…

|   WHEAT & WREATHS  |

 

|   FOLIAGE & FORESTS   | 

 

|   COPPER & CUTE   |

I also had the pleasure of attending a cookbook club luncheon this week. Take a look at the fruit platters and floral arrangements on this gorgeous table. A feast for the eyes!