Garden Tea Party!

Last Saturday I hosted a ladies only garden tea party in my backyard. The food turned out so great including mini sandwiches (cucumber, spiced egg salad and goat cheese fig), curried chicken tartlets, scones, shortbread, mini cupcakes, and mille feuille with roasted fruit. My friend Anne made half the food, so I definitely can't take all the credit, but it was all delicious and we had a fabulous time. I was so glad to have an occasion to use my cherry tablecloth from France, and I found the napkins at an antique store downtown. And the plates? A steal at $2.99 each from TJMaxx!
From the left: Michelle, Leah, me, Anne, LaRae and Jennilyn

Christmas Catch-up

I've been so busy this last month that I haven't even had time to update everyone on my latest projects. So much to catch up on! To begin, I have finished a handful of sewing projects which I gave as Christmas gifts (so those really did have to stay under wraps, so to speak). Included were two more zippered wristlets and two aprons. I specifically chose fabrics based on the recipients of these items, and I think they were a hit.
Also, after I finally got a Le Cruset French oven (which I've been pining for), I made Julia Child's classic Boeuf Bourguignon. This dish is featured in the movie Julie and Julia, which, if I haven't already mentioned, is my new FAVORITE movie! Anyhow, it was quite labor intensive and took the better part of a day, but it was exquisite! Unfortunately it looks a bit sloppy in my beautiful French oven, but I assure you it tasted superperb.
Lastly, I'm sharing a picture of a plate of cookies I decorated at the Christmas Vixens party. This is a get together with a few girlfriends, and this year's festivities included cookie decorating under the guidance of Martha Stewart. (Or at least with the help of an article from her magazine.) Should Martha Stewart happen upon this blog, please know, Martha, that we would be delighted to have you at next year's Christmas Vixens party if you are not too intimdated by my crafty domestic skills. Just let me know if you can make it.

It's a Party, Honey!

Last weekend one of my friends from work hosted a girls-only honey tasting party. There were 14 different types of honey to try and tons of tasty treats to try with them, including muffins, scones, cheeses and fruit. It was delicious fun! Anne, our hostess, did such a fabulous job with the food and decor, I wanted to share some photos of the event.



The place settings included beeswax soap, honey straws, and a hand-crafted note card for jotting down impressions of each honey. How sweet is that?
The last picture is all of us toasting with a little honey mead wine made right in Sultan, WA where I grew up. From left to right: Anne, Jennilyn, yours truly, Michelle and Leah. Cheers!