Monthly Archives: September 2025

…………….Where you bring your guests to sit and dine the table is the center of the dining experience…..I think it makes the food taste better when you are sitting at a beautiful table……AUTUMN…..has officially arrived….the weather is changing….the days are getting shorter, and the leaves on the trees are starting to change colors…..all signs that it was time to create a new table scape…….I started with a long ORANGE table cloth, and on top of that I put my shorter printed table cloth with PUMPKINS, VINES and FALL LEAVES….I use my matching print napkins which are held with thick STRAW napkin rings……For my dinner ware I chose my BAMBOO edged dinner and salad plates which sit on GOLD chargers. They all rest on thick STRAW mats…..I used my GOLD spoons, forks and knives to keep the colors warm… For drink ware I have my TORTOISE wine goblets, water glasses and an extra shorter glass for whatever else my guests would like to drink….maybe something alcoholic and SPICY!….For my center piece I have a large ceramic pumpkin with four smaller matching pumpkins surrounding the center one…..Jac and I bought these YEARS AGO…. They each have lights in them which creates a lovely HALLOWEEN mood…..Also, I have tall tapered candles in mixed colors….orange, yellow and wine….which are in different heights GOLD candle holders…..For additional lighting I have my DANDELION LIGHTS, my GOLD STAR lights and four different color candles in the shapes of pears…..I do want my guests to SEE what they are eating!…..I have my pumpkin salt and pepper shakers at one end and my pair of owl salt and pepper shakers at the other end……To finish the decorations I have added four GLASS gourds and pumpkins on stands. When the lights hit them they glow….To I also have four small pumpkin color vases filled with yellow and orange foliage……..Now all I need is the soft background music and my guests!…..I think a PUMPKIN CHEESE CAKE will be on the menu!

……………..THE DETAILS…….What you decorate your table with is just as important as the food you serve!….Your table is an expression of YOU!……Some people like it minimal…..I’m in the other camp! Being a designer I can’t help myself!….I like things to look at and to discuss….it can help the conversation moving…..The objects I use to decorate my table is a combination of new and OLD….Things Jac and I collected over the years…..Jac’s there at every dinner party.

………………..After I set my dining table I concentrate on the rest of the room…..”The Gathering Room”……I like to carry the THEME of the dining table through out the rest of the room…..Under the large Egret painting….on the Chinese scroll table…are Grape Vine PUMPKINS….I have deep amber small vases that hold wine color flowers….To light the table are two large orange PILLAR candles and small orange glass pumpkins that also light up….Behind them are some of my DANDELION lights with their scattered tiny lights on their delicate flowers…….Across from the Scroll table is my Chinese Alter table that is placed behind one of the couches…..There’s a large very fine grape vine pumpkin that lights up with tiny scattered lights….two glass orange pumpkins, and my glass tray candle holders with orange candles and sun flowers sitting on the tray finish the decorations….There are also more dandelion lights behind it all…….On the coffee table….I have a large organic shaped GOLD VASE filled with fall foliage….There are four gold cylinder vases with wine flowers surrounding the center vase, and a smaller ceramic orange pumpkin that lights up and sits to the side making room for my hors d’oeuvres…..There are also four larger dandelion lights, and there are various scattered candles also on the table….I also have a large glass vase [not pictured] with new dried HYDRANGEAS from my garden on one end table, and on the other end table a crackled gold vase with fall foliage….On my book shelves are tiny white pumpkins and orange pillar candles that all light up and create a warm ambience to the room…….The stage is set….let the festivities begin!

………………………I saws this ad from……COZYCITY……for these hand knit chunky “JACQUARD” sweaters. I own nothing like them and thought they would be fun for the up coming winter…..The photos with the gentlemen are what I ordered….Fun…no?……..Well a Chinese man came down my driveway and dropped the package at my front door. When I opened it to my horrific surprise were two VERY CHEAP, POLYESTER FLAT KNIT SWEAT SHIRTS…….The designs were BADLY PRINTED….not chunky hand knits as advertised!…….This company is a total SCAM and a total RIP OFF……..DO NOT, I repeat….DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY…….no matter how appealing the photos of the men in the sweaters may look, and there are many styles to choose from…..what you order is NOT what you will get. If you try to return them you have to pay to ship to CHINA!!!!! and it cost a lot more than what these horrible garments did……Order NOTHING from this company!….YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!