Pineapple"n"Spice and everything nice

The weekend is finally here!!!! and I had a wonderful time  tonight with my friends over supper.... haven't seen them in a while so there was a lot of catching up to do... I thought I will share some of the items from tonight's menu with you:

The  Pineapple-upside down-cake is one of my favorite cakes to bake...and it's a hit every time I serve my guests, pssssst...... I cheated a wee bit, its from a boxed cake mix... a huge time saver!!!!! It looks so colorful and tempting, despite being from a box, don't you agree??

  

I love making these fruit tartlets for my guests... and the kids simply love 'em... they magically disappear within minutes!!

 They are so easy to make... just whip up until smooth:

   1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

   1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

   1/4 cup of orange juice concentrate

   3 tablespoon lemon juice

   1 cup of heavy whipping cream, whipped

   3 drops of yellow food coloring, optional

   12 graham cracker tart shells

   Pour the mixture into ready made graham cracker tart shells, chill for few hours, garnish with fruits of your choice and you're  done!!!!

    How about these sausage won-ton wraps as hors d'oeuvres:

And last but not the least, the spicy bbq chicken:

  I'm looking forward to a lovely weekend, spending time in my garden and getting it ready for planting. Planning which color flowers to plant in different containers is so much fun!!

Have a great weekend, I know I will!

I want to Thank Marty at Stroll Thru Life for featuring me at her 60th Tabletop Tuesday, this week. It is my first time for getting featured at her weekly party and I'm ecstatic!! Do stop by HERE and get inspired. You will get to know so many talented ladies!!!

Thanks for visiting and for your lovely comments, they always bring a smile to my face!!

I'm linking this to:

Cindy's My Romantic Home: Show and Tell Friday

The Tablescaper: Seasonal Sundays

Colours Dekor: Weekend Wrap Up

                Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday

Homemaker on a Dime

 

~Poppy~

A Host of Golden Daffodils!!

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

..........when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils. 

 I have always loved this poem!!! Wordsworth's words inspire me so much.... the imagery used in this poem is so realistic that I can almost see, touch and smell those host of golden daffodils!!!!

      The weekend has been so relaxing and fun with the kids being on spring break and the weather here is finally starting to warm up!!! The much awaited summer is going to be here soon.......my seedlings are starting to sprout gradually and I'm so excited!!! My husband and I visited the local nursery on Saturday for onion and potato seed for our garden.  I'm looking forward to the end of this week when two of my closest friends are coming over and I'm planning on a supper party to wrap up two weeks of break!!! Keeping up with the spring-Easter theme, I thought I will use the spring color theme for my supper table with a host of those golden daffodils as my center piece...

        Aren't they just divine!!!!!!! 

 

I have a passion for Fiestaware and these sunflower yellow salt and pepper shakers are my inspiration for this tablescape!!!

 

I adore this azure blue vase I picked up from the local Joann  store couple years back...

 

This hurricane lamp reminds me of a beautiful lady dressed up in an evening gown, don't you agree?

 

  I used the white French stoneware dinner plate and mixed in blue fiestaware salad plate for my place setting:

 

A little close-up on the plates!!!!

These napkin holders are very cute, especially the little bird peeking through is simply adorable... the colors go so perfectly with my spring theme!!!!

 Close-up on the crystal and cobalt-blue flatware:

 

No spring tablescape is complete without a cute bunny and some lemon yellow and blue jelly beans!!!!

I loved putting all these elements together for this beautiful tablescape!!! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed this journey. You are always welcome for a visit and I'll be  looking forward for all your lovely comments!!!!

I'm partying this week with all these wonderful people in blog land. Be sure to visit them. You will be surprised at the host of creative people out there and will surely walk away with so many inspiring ideas!!! 

           Happy To Design: Sunday Favorites 

A Stroll Thru Life: 60th Table Top Tuesday

The Key Bunch: April 2011 Carvinal:Spring-Summer Fest

Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Swing into Spring at Judy's DIY by Design

Susan's Tablescape Thursday: Between Naps on the Porch

Sherry's Open House Link Party: No Minimalist Here 


The Tablescaper: Seasonal Sundays

 ~Poppy~

The Midas Touch!!!

Forsythia is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring in this neck of the woods!!!! The beautiful bright yellow flowers of forsythia shrubs in my backyard are truly a sight to behold. As I wait for mother nature to bring forth her Midas Touch, I thought I will use the silk forsythia for my tablescape and put my own creative touch and maybe tweak mother nature a little bit!!!

                                               So, here goes...

I love the cheerful effect created by these golden yellow flowers in my great room!!!!

  

             

The intricate work on these decorative balls remind me of the crafts of old world artisans of Byzantinium. I love the way the silver highlights shimmer in the light!!!

 

This beautiful golden trinket box from Lampsplus against the yellow table runner creates a special ambiance:

 

    I hope that my spring tablescape added a little bit of cheerfulness to your life. Happy Spring!!! Thanks for stopping by....

       I'm adding my Midas Touch to Marty's

 

A Stroll Thru Life Table Top Tuesday  

Happy to Design: Sunday Favorites

  

April showers bring May flowers!!!

Hello friends! It has been raining constantly since yesterday and it's still cold outside. I have been waiting for spring for weeks now!!!!Hopefully it will come soon.... I'm ready for some warm sunshine and the spring flowers to bloom.

     April is full of promises of birth and rejuvenating spirits. It is time for spring break, Easter egg hunts, High School prom, and for me to head back outside and start planning and planting my summer garden.... But alas, I have to wait for the last day of frost until it is safe for me to plant those tender seedlings. I have already planted my vegetable and flower seeds indoors and have been patiently waiting for them to germinate. 

    At this time of year, I like to decorate my house with shades of yellow to liven up every corner and bring in the promise of the spring season. Yellow signifies optimism, joy, and happiness. A bright sunny day inspires people to become energetic with feelings of  elation and vigor. Similarly, the color yellow stimulates creative thoughts and brings in clarity and awareness.

     Decorating glass apothecary jars with objects to match your mood and the colors of the season is a lovely way to accessorize any room of your house. Fill them up with seashells that you collected on the beach during your last vacation, or have a few of these jars of varying sizes  filled with variety of colorful soaps and loofahs to decorate a powder room counter. They can also be filled with artificial colorful fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, grapes, or apples to highlight an otherwise dark kitchen corner..... the possibilities are endless!!!!

  These lemons bring a dash of color and beauty to my kitchen and tantalize me with a promise of warm summer days that are soon to come!!!!