Patriotic Celebration

Less than 24 hours after returning home from Max's graduation, we threw him a party to celebrate his accomplishment and give him a chance to reconnect with friends who have supported him through the process with the prayers and letters.

When you throw a party together when you were just out of state, you have to be really organized before you go. All the food and beverages purchased. Bags of ice in the extra freezer. And everything nautical and patriotic on hand with which to decorate! Fun, fun!

Proud Coastie mom and sisters!

-- MENU --

fire pit roasted hot dogs

grilled hamburgers

red, white, and blue potato chips/onion dip

chips and salsa

marinated mozzarella balls

sliced cantaloupe and honeydew melons

fresh watermelon

artisan sodas

Cape May salt water taffy

s'mores

And we ended the night with lawn games, red/white/blue glow necklaces for the kiddos, and sparklers for everyone!

Preparing for a Baby Shower

We are having a baby shower for Felicity here tomorrow night!  It's an evening dessert tea, with just a few special ladies invited.  I'm hoping to make them all feel loved and pampered with pretty teacups, soft lighting, and lovely music softly playing in the background.  I bought some flowers for the centerpiece.  But then, I couldn't resist buying some more to set here and there...especially when the local store is having a bargain of a deal with two dozen small roses for $4.00!

I plan on us spending the whole party gathered round the dining room table.  The sideboard should be a good place to pile presents, and a little silver bucket full of roses seemed just the thing to add a touch of freshness.

Great Gatsby New Year's Eve Party!

Inspired by The Great Gatsby, Colette spent months envisioning and planning a Gatsby New Year's Eve Party!  Invitations were sent to come and sip champagne and Charleston into the new year.

She searched consignment stores and antique stores for months and acquired a nice collection of silver serving pieces and champagne glasses.

Party decor was lots of silver and gold streamers, giant confetti (snipped from metalic tissue paper), and balloons, balloons, and more balloons!  All the furniture was moved out of the living room, so it could be used as a dance floor.

The foyer and formal dining room were also decorated.

Since early summer, I'd been finding these silver forks in antique stores all over southern New Hampshire.  Every time I saw some, I'd snatch them up.  I was very grateful that I had more than enough to serve the entire party on real silver!

Five dozen helium balloons joined in the party!

Resorted to a selfie, so you could see the ornament in my hair...really one of Colette's necklaces enthusiastically pinned into my hair.  

Colette's ready for the party!

Almost time to party like Gatsby!

The invitation specified "1920's attire required", and people went all out to look elegant and fabulous!

-Gatsby Party Menu-

Gourmet Cheeses and Crackers

Caramelized Onion, Apple, and Gruyere Tarts 

Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake

White Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

Key Lime Cheesecake (gluten free)

Assorted Chocolates

Apple-Ginger-Cranberry Punch

Sparkling Cider

Champagne

Now there's an elegant group!

Dancing the night away!

As one guest left, he shook my hand and said, "Thank you for letting us thoroughly trash your house!"  I guess the party was a success!  Really, the mess was part of the fun!

Clean up?  It happened the next day.  Zzzzz...

New Year's Eve!

Here's a sneak peek at what's happening at our house tonight!  Colette is throwing a Gatsby-style New Year's Eve party!  There's glitz and glam and bubbly!  Full details to follow.

Baby Shower for the Tiny Girl

Felicity is due in just eight days!  We can hardly wait for the arrival of the Tiny Girl!  Today, Colette and I hosted a baby shower for her.  Snow was softly falling throughout the party.  About twenty friends came for the baby shower brunch.  The party had a Valentine’s Day theme.

- The Menu -

Mini Pancakes with Orange-Vanilla Marscapone and Homemade Raspberry Syrup

Mini Strawberry Yogurt Parfaits with Homemade Apple Granola

A Trio of Quiches

Chocolate Dipped Giant Strawberries

Chocolate Macarons

Maple-Dijon Chicken Salad in Phyllo Cups

Valentine M&M’s

Orange Juice

Orange and Raspberry Infused Water

Coffee

Tea

Colette came up with the menu based around the concept of “little foods”.  She made the pancakes, which were beautiful, as well as delicious!

People, big and small, were eager to eat.

There was lots of visiting and laughter and games.

And then it was present time!

Our gift for the Tiny Girl was a christening gown!  We all attend church together at a reformed church that practices, as has most of Christendom throughout the centuries, infant baptism.  Hopefully, this will become an heirloom used by any other girls the Lord blesses them with, and then be passed down through the generations.

Christmas Party

Today was our annual Christmas party!  Normally, this is an evening event, but due to the approaching snow storm, we shifted the time of our party to the afternoon, so that all our guests could get home safely.

-Party Menu-

Meatballs in Pineapple-Pomegranate Habanero Sauce

Individual Veggies & Dip

Assorted Crackers and Breadsticks (Those are Colette’s hands arranging them and sporting her new plaid bow bracelet.)

Assorted Cheeses:

 Toscano with Black Pepper

Cranberry Wendsleydale

Warm Herb Brie Dip (for the breadsticks)

Cave-Aged Cheddar

Cranberry-Chipotle Cheddar

Brie

Assorted Cookies:

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate-Mint Parfait Bars

Yugoslavian Christmas Cookies

Coconut-Cherry Snowballs

Raspberry Bars

Gingerbread Men and Gingerbread Moose

Wassail

Coffee

Tea

Christmas Candy

Colette’s gingerbread house creation this year was a gingerbread church!

Melissa seemed to enjoy all the tasty edibles.

Note the stealth golden retriever.  Let’s just say that this did NOT end well.  Golden retriever = 1.  Theo = 0.  Gulp.  Gone.

And yet more adorable grandkid photos!