Bringing something special to the table: October tablescapes are all in the family!

Lovely Fall tablescape brings the beauty of the outside indoors, courtesy my talented cousin, Dianne

This year, in Michigan, 2020  finally brought something amazing to the table:  a brilliant Fall color display not seen in years, where our trees changed from a fairly uniform shade of green to a fiery rainbow of oranges, reds and yellow. That means, indoors, something equally amazing must come to the table -  and I'm talking quite literally here -  a tablescape to match the season!

For October's tablescape, your humble blog writer was saved by the bell, or should I say, "belle" - my awesome cousin by blood, but "sistah" by heart, Dianne.

A feast as delicious as the tablescape is festive, my cousin's home, a stone's throw from Lake Michigan

Although, I look nothing like my cousin, we share the love-of-tablescape gene as well as the certainly hereditary trait of not enjoying a dinner out until we have assured ourselves we have been seated at the best location available. Like hairlines, these must be passed through on the maternal side as our mothers were sisters.

"Icing on the cake" chocolate mousse

Chris enjoying the views of  Lake Michigan

Of course, there's more to our connection than tablescapes and fancy dining. We've known each other for most of our lives, having families who spent holidays togethers and, back in the day, many, many Sunday dinners.  

The year finally brought something to the table: amazing Fall colors come to Michigan

And, what could be better than one sistah/cousin? Well, two of course! Add my wonderful cousin, Kathy (Dianne's sister)  and we are the three sistahs musketeers:  ready to take on any sadly vacant restaurant on "ladies night" or displaying great feats of stamina shopping for hours at Frankenmuth. 

The Mighty Sistahs!

Although our lives intertwined for more than half a century (hard to make that sound more "young"!), it's really been the past decade that brought us together as the Mighty Sistahs! Launched a decade ago at a past-its-glory restaurant on the east side of Michigan, in a room which once seated hundreds, three adorable cousins met up for dinner as the venue's sole guests. In a sentiment suiting the environs, I lamented over a glass (or two) of Chardonnay that, although I love my brothers, I was sad not to have had any sisters.

Successful four hour shopping trip at Bronners! 

A Santa & Sistah's fav

In a moment without hesitation, my cousins declared that that was no longer true (!) -  they took me in  as their  official "sistah".  Ever since, we've committed ourselves to, at the very least, quarterly get-togethers which, to date, have included a Motown cruise in Detroit, golf weekends "up north", Christmas gatherings at Lake Michigan, a twighlight boat excursion on the St. Clair River and Halloween at Greenfield Village.

Fall tablescape is on point!

What does all of this have to do with October's tablescape? Well, you've probably caught a central theme in all of the  tablescapes spotlighted this year - it's about sharing things you love with those you love, be it heirloom china and linens with friends (BTS blog January), vintage toasting glasses for an anniversary dinner with the spouse (BTS blog May) , or seasonally-themed leaf-shaped placemats anchoring fine white china with your sistah/cousin.

This month, Chris and I paid a socially-distanced visit (masks on except for eating and outside) to  Dianne and her husband, Ray's home on the west side of the state, a stone's throw from Lake Michigan. My sistah has a keen eye for design  and she applies it to all occasions, whether a full-blown holiday gathering or a casual picnic on the beach. Her Fall tablescape was on point, the color of the placemats coordinating with not only the spectacular autumn leaf display just outside their window, but the fresh mums and daisies bouquet which served as the table's centerpiece. And, (almost) literally, the "icing on the cake" was the chocolate mousse dessert topped with fresh raspberries.

Sistahs taking in the Halloween nights at Greenfield Village, circa 2011

Bringing something amazing to the table is a Sistah Specialty!

Happy Fall Tablescapes and Happy Halloween!

 

Extraordinary wedding for an extraordinary couple in extraordinary times (or the bride and groom were negative and that's a good thing!)

Rachel and Sean exchange wedding vows in new-to-the-scene venue 

One month ago today, amid pandemic conditions which caused venue plans to change every other month since March, my beautiful daughter, Rachel, and our amazing to-be-and-now-is son-in-law, Sean were married in an outdoor ceremony filled with sunflowers, sunshine and, most importantly, lots and lots of love. 

(And, we all - including bride and groom -got Covid tests before the wedding and we were all negative, thankfully!)

Wedding tablescapes  incorporated the ingredients of the day, including sunflowers and love.

Planning a wedding, although fun and exciting, is truly a labor of love in "normal conditions".  Add quarantine restrictions filled with daily uncertainty to the mix and Rachel and Sean were up against a constant roulette wheel of choices for their special day . What started as a guest list of slightly over 100 in a picturesque orchard on the west side of Michigan began to devolve into less than a quarter of the original invitees to congregate in the yard of my oldest son, Rob. 

Although Rob's yard is truly impressive -   it's two acres of mature trees mixed with ground cover and manicured lawn (and  professionally landscaped last year)  - it wasn't even in the mix of considerations until two weeks before. 

As last-minute venues were becoming undesirable options for a variety of reasons, we literally called on Rob to host Rachel and Sean's nuptials. I'll never forget his immediate response when I phoned him, in that deep baritone radio voice of his,  "oh, that will be fun!"

And, in two weeks, with a lot of help, a south Oakland county suburban yard turned into a magnificent wedding site.

Siblings Rob, Matt and Rachel, posing inappropriately for family photos since the 1980's. 

The day before the wedding, the party-supply company dropped off and assembled tents and tables. The linen lady delivered white and burgundy tablecloths and my sister-in-law and Rachel's godmother, Sandy, decorated every chair with a burgundy sash cinched with a silk sunflower, which looked spectacular (it's all in the details!).

Archway festooned with flowers and lights, each chair a burgundy cover cinched with a sunflower

An arched gateway from Wayfair, garnished with sunflower garland and fairy lights, served as the spot for the wedding ceremony, officiated with  just the right blend of outrageous humor (how many couples have "Buddy Hackett" mentioned in their nuptials?) and stoic reverence, by my brother, Ed, who is also Rachel's godfather.  

Rachel's godfather and uncle, Ed, officiates the wedding. Who is Buddy Hackett?

My artistic brother-in-law happily agreed to  paint the "Welcome" sign a few days before the wedding, when it occurred to me we didn't have one. 

My son, Matt (in from New York), along with husband and father-of-the bride, Chris, drove across the state to pick up the wedding feast from the caterer and filled up five coolers for transport.

The Gulley clan 

At the rehearsal dinner, bride and groom feeling a little more comfortable with the amount of outdoor space for social distancing, called in last-minute invites to local uncles and an aunt and uncle who live four hours away. They all said "yes" immediately, even  if it meant checking on suit availability or driving 300 miles one way.

 

Last minute set up before the wedding

On the day of the wedding, while Rachel and I were getting our make up done by Kelsey Roman of Roman Beauty  in Rob's spare bedroom, Sean's mother and grandmother assisted in setting up the outdoor dining room and putting the final touches on the sweetheart table for the bride and groom. We had a small, but mighty army, of designing women who knew how to get 'er done.

Beautiful bride and verklempt mom

Kelsey of Roman Beauty

And, although the bridesmaids (and groomsmen) who weren't immediate family, were not in attendance, two of those lovely ladies dropped off champagne and balloons earlier on the wedding day to still be a part of the reception.

Bridesmaids dropped off balloons & champagne and artistic bro paints sign

Everyone pitched in -  cousin/bridesmaid took on the video recording and brother/groomsman queued up the sound system. Relatives, including Rob's fiancé, Haley, doubled as guests and food servers and the entire clan helped with after-hours disassembly. 

Chris toasts the married couple in Sunrise/Sunset fashion

As the mother-of-the-bride, I was right on script, verklempt with tissues at the ready as the father-of-the-bride walked Rachel down the "aisle".  Later, Chris evoked more sentiment as he toasted bride and groom, noting Rachel's path to this day seemed to have passed by us at warp speed. Here's where we all feel a bit like Tevye and Golde:  "I don't remember growing older, when did they. . .? " 

But, with legions of love and support, it all comes down to this awesome couple, Rachel and Sean - who put in numerous hours getting this event off the ground, all while still working full-time jobs and experiencing new-house anxiety (complete with emergency plumbing issues).

Guests - without hesitation - double as food servers.

I know I can't be incredibly objective here, but they really are two of the brightest, kindest, easy-going folks you'll ever meet. 

They're also respectful and approach life with equal doses of adventure and humor.  It was summed up perfectly in their vows, which mirrored each other's love and commitment.  I'm paraphrasing an excerpt, but here's the gist:

"I will love and respect you and . . . join you in all your journeys and passions,  those that interest me and those that may bore me . . .  and to do my part to make sure  that you never know the difference".

The recently minted Mrs. and Mr. B. Oh, yes, they've got this! We couldn't be prouder!!


Extraordinary couple indeed!

Afternoon Tea with TeaTime Magazine's Lorna Reeves and treats from The Secret Garden

Barb's Tea Service (Barb & Rachel) ready to enjoy afternoon tea with TeaTime & The Secret Garden

Last month, my daughter, Rachel, and I joined Lorna Reeves, along with several other guests from around the country, for an absolutely delicious and entertaining afternoon tea, all within the comfort our outside patio.

Held two weeks ago today, on September 27th, the affair was a collaboration of TeaTime Magazine, The Secret Garden and the Coffee and Tea Newsletter. A virtual event, which sold out fast,  included a 90-minute presentation and question-and-answer "chat" with TeaTime editor, Lorna Reeves along with a package full of scrumptious tea time goodies from The Secret Garden, a tea room in Port Jefferson, New York.

Lorna Reeves, editor of TeaTime Magazine, begins the Afternoon Tea time event

The package of edible tea treats, which was arrived via FedEx a few days before the event,  included scones, almond madeleines and petit lemon cakes accompanied by a jar of berry jam and a jar of imported clotted cream. Fleur de Lis loose tea was also part of the collection from The Secret Garden.  It's the tea room's own blend of black and oolong teas with bergamot and notes of caramel and vanilla (I like to just open the tea pack and take in a deep sniff - it's fragrance is amazing!).

Not only was everything from The Secret Garden tasty, but also the presentation was equally impressive. All the goodies above, in addition to an exquisitely decorated tea infuser, came packaged neatly in a gold box, wrapped in gold ribbon with silk-like autumn leaves on top. I almost (almost, but not quite!) didn't want to untie the box it was so pretty.

Shortly before the event began, we warmed the scones in the oven, brewed a full pot of tea and assembled our three-tier plate stand on the patio table, making just  enough room for our laptop. Once seated, we were ready  to link into Lorna's presentation.

The Afternoon Tea talk was wonderful as Lorna Reeves. pouring out tea for herself and her assistant, shared tea time etiquette tips, serving suggestions and some favorite tea time venues. Her presentation style is informative, relaxed and inviting and made afternoon tea novices as well as long-time enthusiasts feel comfortable to ask a range of questions. 

Scones, sweets, jam, clotted cream, loose tea and tea infuser all from The Secret Garden Tea Room

It was really as though Lorna Reeves was joining us on the patio, along with several other engaging guests. We could ask questions and communicate with fellow attendees. I even got a compliment on my fascinator in the chat!

This virtual tea party was an afternoon of interesting tea topics and flavorsome tea fare. 

We'd be delighted to see more of these in the very near future!