Labor Day marks the unofficial close of summer, and to celebrate the long weekend, we're hosting a barbecue. But it's not just any barbecue; we're also including a wine tasting. Here's a bit of background... Occasionally, you encounter a colleague who evolves into more than just a "work bestie"; they become a friend you can't imagine life without. Our barbecue guests are those kinds of friends. We've worked at four different companies, traveled together as couples, attended s

I love August; our Farmer's Market is overflowing with farm-fresh produce, and our small garden is bursting with tomatoes. Dear hubby and #2 son plant tomatoes in old wine barrels, which they carefully water, prune, and protect from the critters that try to eat them! It's no surprise that we consume a lot of tomatoes at home. While there are excellent canned tomatoes on the market—Cento and Mutti are our top picks—nothing beats the taste of fresh home-canned tomatoes in pasta

It's been a minute since I set a Sunday morning breakfast table! These Metlox Sculptured Daisy plates were actually the very first plates that launched my dish collection. I was living in Miami (many many years ago!) and thrifting with friend and found these plates and thought they were pretty and bought them. Little did I know they'd launch an obsession, I mean collection! We've had a busy summer traveling and haven't really had many Sunday mornings with the whole family at

I am a self-admitted dish hoarder. Yes, I have a problem. I have a Pinterest board called "Dishes I Covet." I can't pass up a pretty plate or glass and need at least two of them. With each tablescaping blog I read, I get new ideas for table setting and new dishes. Now, I have my favorite patterns and tend to like vintage patterns. I also absolutely love 1960s/70s mod patterns. In an earlier post, I shared where I store my dishes Where do I store all of my dishes? and how I tr

Happy 250th Birthday, America! Although I was just a kid, I am old enough to remember the Bicentennial celebration and recall watching the festivities in Washington, D.C., and around the country on television. The proudest American moment I've had recently was attending the U.S. vs. Australia World Cup game in Seattle. Red, white, and blue were proudly being worn by everyone (except the Aussies!). The U.S. won 2-0! The event was so well-run, and Seattle was spectacular—beauti

You set a table! Who doesn't love sweet, tart, fresh lemons? Lemon is one of my favorite flavors - given the choice between a chocolate dessert and a lemon one, I will always pick lemon. In our yard we have dwarf lemon, lime and calamansi trees. Last fall #2 son and hubby moved them all to half wine barrels and we had a bumper crop of lemons for the first time. Lemon curd is so easy to make, I always thought it was difficult, double boilers and such, but I found a recipe on P