Christine's Home and Travel Adventures: October 2015

Friday, October 23, 2015

Fall on my Italian Table

It's finally cooling off a little here in Florida. I thought I would set our table with my Italian Meridiana Ceramiche dinnerware.

This is totally staged because we would already be in Chicago to visit my 97 year old mom when this posts.

I thought the plates have fall colors and I used ruffled burnt orange placemats to add more rustic color.

I mixed 3 types of my faux flowers and stuck them in a vase with putti (that's Italian, right?), to create a centerpiece.

I bought the goblets with yellow pineapples from either Marshalls or TJ Maxx a long, long time ago. The yellow wine glasses were from an antique store in Natchez, MS.

I used the same table runner as I used last week with my ghost tablescape but I took out the black spider web. I think it blends really well with the dishes.

Isn't the orange squirrel cute?

I really love this vase. I bought it from an antique store in Natchez. I miss those antique stores downtown that I frequented when we still lived in MS.

The flatware with lion handles (one of my favorites), I bought them probably at least 8 years ago. They used to live inside my flatware clotche but have been replaced by my Napoleon Bee flatware for now.

The plate chargers are MacKenzie Childs enamelware. I think they are part of their Flower Market collection. I have 2 each in 3 colors, white, pale yellow and green background. The napkins have a green leaf embroidered on them. I borrowed them from a tablecloth set that I purchased from Grand Cayman.

"Meridiana" Italian cermiche plates. I bought the dinner plates from a resale/antique shop in Destin, FL. and the salad plates were found at various times at Marshalls and TJ Maxx. I have a lot of other pieces too stored in bins in the garage, including square dinner plates and bowls and lots of serving pieces.

Not too Italian but I opted to use my "Indian Tree" tea set. Some pieces were manufactured by Myott and some from Davidson and Sons, Ltd, all from England. We are having cappuccino and espresso, therefore I took out the demitasse cups even though I have regular sized tea cups too.

Not too Italian either, but our living room now has the colors of Fall.

Thank you all so much for coming. I hope you enjoyed viewing the table as I enjoyed setting it up. Thanks to all the hostesses for the fun parties I am joining.

Beverly's "Anything Goes"Pink Saturday

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Natasha's Weekly Sundays Down Under

http://www.natashainoz.com/

　Inspire Me Monday

http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Sally's Blue Monday

http://smilingsally.blogspot.com

Show and Share

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Christine's Table it Monday

http://www.rustic-refined.com/

Cindy's Amaze me Monday

http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Creative Mondays Blog Hop

www.clairejustineoxox.com

Kathryn's Make it Pretty Monday

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/

Kathy's A Return To Loveliness

http://www.adelightsomelife.com/

Sandi's Teatime Tues

http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Ruth's Tuesday Cuppa Tea

http://www.antiquesandteacups.info

Marty's Inspire Me Tuesday

http://www.astrollthrulife.net/

Paula's What's It Wed

http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Show and Share Wednesday Link Party

http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/

Sarah's Homemaking party

http://www.hopeineveryseason.com/

Before and After Wed Party

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/

Idea Box Thursday Party

http://milaslittlethings.com

Share Your Cup Thursday

http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Bernideen's Friends Sharing Tea

http://blog.bernideens.com/

Share your Style Thursday

http://northernnesting.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Kathy's Home and Garden Thursday

http://www.adelightsomelife.com/

Home Sweet Home

The Charm of Home

Lorelai's Home Matters

http://lifewithlorelai.com/

Kate's Flaunt it Friday

http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com

Anything Blue Friday

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/

Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday

http://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

A Fun Packed Weekend in South and SW Florida

John decided to go visit my stepdaughter. Kerri, his daughter and her family over the weekend. They live about a 3.5 hour drive from us.

Kerri awesome Halloween décor is underway for their biggest annual Halloween party coming up soon and this is what welcomed us.

We only stayed home for a while and then we were off to go to Goodwill and then picked up the kids from a movie theater and we all went out for pizza. After eating, we went home for a while to get warm clothing and then went to watch a hockey game, USF vs FAU. Not sure who I would root for since my daughter Tina went to both.

Father and Daughter

The kids enjoying hot chocolate while watching, It was cold!

The next morning, we had bagels at Brooklyn Water Bagel Co, a good place to have breakfast.

Then home for a while and later went to Oktoberfest.

So happy to find a ghost pepper plant and I bought one. I love spicy food! The hotter, the better!

We went home for a while and then headed out again to a Mexican Restaurant where Kerri's hubby , Steve, was playing in a band.

Meet the grandkids!

There is Steve in the corner.

We ate dinner there too and it was delicious.

Cute little Watson!

Holden trying to scare Watson with his mask but he does not seem to be scared.

John and I left the following morning so we could catch the noon mass at Ave Maria, Fl, which is a 2 hour drive away towards home.

I have driven all over Florida many times but this weekend was the first time I ever saw a "Panther Crossing" sign.

This is the Quasi Parish of Ave Maria oratory. Isn't it beautiful? The shape reminds me of a bishop's mitre.

The exit

Entrance

I thought it was pretty neat for residents to be going to church in their golf cart and on their bikes. What a nice little community!

Well, we are home now and have a day to rest because tomorrow, we are off again to fly to Chicago to visit my sister and my mom.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Joining the following memes:

(Thanks to the hostesses!!!)

Making Memories Monday

www.threekidsandafish.com
Scenic Weekends

http://scenicweekends.blogspot.com.au/
Sally's Blue Monday
http://smilingsally.blogspot.com

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Ghost, Ghost Houses and Pumpkins

I love anything ghosts except for the real ones. I have a group of friends from College and we call ourselves "The Spooks". We still meet and have regular reunions and our next one is scheduled in the Philippines this coming January.

4 individual pumpkin lidded bowls and some kind of a pumpkin server.

The ghost salad plates are Waechtersbach, made in Germany. I used them first many years ago when my classmates from College and I had a reunion at our home in Natchez, MS.

Napkins with pumpkins held by black wire rings.

Spode flatware in "Woodland" pattern

I thought I would again use this ghost mom and child that I bought from Goodwill. You can also see a little ghost holding a tapered candle behind it on its right.

I bought the white pumpkin soup tureen from Walmart while buying some paint for my first granddaughter, AJ's room a few weeks ago. I have small individual white pumpkin tureens to match them but they are still in Natchez.

I love these goblets. I am glad I got them moved here in time for Halloween. They have a greenish tinge on top with orange stems.

The dinner plates consists of 2 ghosts and a spooky house by Gates Ware. I bought them from Homegoods a few years ago.

Bronzy faux alligator skin plate chargers. I have had them forever that I cannot recall where I bought them from.

Placemats

Close up of the pair of ghosts on the salad plates

For the teapot, I dug out my Tracy Porter in "Amourette" pattern from one of the bins in the garage.

I love the colors!

I baked some petite fortunes last night with the help of my granddaughter Reese.

Petite fortunes are made out of butter, eggs, cashew nuts, cornstarch and sugar.

My ghost house.

Thank you all for stopping by. I always appreciate your visits and comments. Thank you to the hostesses of the parties I am joining. I appreciate your hard work and hospitality very much.

Sandi's Teatime Tues

http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Ruth's Tuesday Cuppa Tea

http://www.antiquesandteacups.info

Martha and Terri's Teacup Tues

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

Marty's Inspire Me Tuesday

http://www.astrollthrulife.net/

Maria Elena's Tuesdays at Our Home

http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Paula's What's It Wed

http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/