Dining Room Updates

Our dining room hasn't always been one of my favorite spaces in our house.  The table is too small, the light fixture isn't directly in the center of the room (why, I don't know), and I wish I would have added picture frame moulding when we were in the process of building.

Lately, though, we've made a few small changes that have made me a lot happier about it.

Here's a panoramic before picture.  Meh...
Not much going on in here to be excited about.  I've never been happy with the right wall with the plates and London print.  The wall with the platters on the left isn't too exciting either.  Blah.  I love a wall of platters, but just those two lonely ones just made me mad! 

The table is temporarily set with gladiolas from my sister-in-law's baby shower this weekend.  
I love gladiolas.  They are so beautiful and tall and look great when placed under a chandelier.  
It's almost like the branches are reaching towards the light.

I don't normally keep the table set, but after 'someone' (still haven't figured out who) drug something sharp across my black table and created an enormous line from one side to the other, I needed something to disguise it! 

These seagrass placemats have been around for a while.  I've had them for years and used them on this same table when we lived in the old house.  I also used them along with my fish plates to stage the bar area for the house tour pictures, but on a normal basis, they are usually stacked in the pantry.
I added the square plates that were hung beside the London print, green napkins that were tucked away in a drawer, and some shells that had been serving as a filler in a large lantern on the back porch.   

The London print looks much better on the adjacent wall between the two windows!  

See anything different and new?
If you recall, I did a blog post a while back about a close friend who I tragically lost in March.
I was helping her with decorating her new house and she would send me pics via text on a regular basis asking about pieces to buy or DIY.
This glossy black china cabinet was hers that she revamped for her dining room.
  I'm so lucky that her family was kind enough to let me have it!
It looks perfect in my dining room and a piece that she and I both loved and is really special to me. 

Here's the text message picture she sent me of the cabinet from Goodwill when it was green! 
We agreed that it would look great in her dining room painted glossy black holding white serveware.

What a treasure! 

I think she would approve. 

I now have two china cabinets in my dining room in two different finishes, but I'm happy about it.  They both are very, VERY special pieces to me.  The corner cabinet was my granny's and holds my wedding china and the black cabinet was Danielle's and holds my white serveware that I've used for parties and get-togethers that she was always a part of.  It now fits perfectly on the long wall that once held the London print and plates!  

Next up....finding some curtains for this room!!

XO,

Ahoy! It's a Boy!

We are so excited about the upcoming arrival of our first nephew in November!!  Chad's sister and brother-in-law are expecting their first baby soon, so along with some close friends, we hosted a baby shower for them at my house on Sunday.  

Patrick is an avid fisherman and they live in Tampa, so Amy decided on a nautical theme for the nursery. After all, I have a "beach house in the woods" and Beckett's own nursery was "decked out" in nautical decor, so it was pretty easy for me to come up with a theme that we all could agree on! 

"Welcome Aboard, come on in!" 

I used a little bit of chevron print burlap ribbon and wrapped it around a life ring that once held a place on Beckett's nursery wall.
Burlap ribbon isn't easily glued (since it's like net) so I ended up just using thumbtacks to hold it in place on the back side of the ring.
I attached some scrapbook letters for a quick message welcoming guests.
If you've ever thrown a shower or party where the crowd was relatively big, you understand
how many times the doorbell rings.
This helped welcome everyone in without feeling as though they needed to knock.  

One roll of the chevron ribbon went a long way!  I cut the burlap ribbon into pieces and
ran a blue ribbon through for a quick banner for the entryway mirror.
I asked Amy to bring the envelopes from the stationery she was planning on using
to write 'thanks yous' and created a station (complete with blue raspberry saltwater taffy) for everyone to fill out their own envelope. 

What busy soon-to-be mother doesn't want a little help?!

I can take absolutely no credit for any of this food!
We had a great group of ladies who helped me host and they all came together for
such a lovely display of sweets to celebrate the arrival of the sweet baby boy! 

I adore this silver tone tiered stand my friend Lauren gave me for Christmas a few years ago.
It always looks beautiful with fruit!

I turned the buffet into a station for cutlery, plates and napkins.
I covered the back of a shipwheel (another piece from Beckett's nursery) with wrapping paper,
added another small banner, and some more scrapbook letters.
I just propped the wheel on the easel that normally holds a monogrammed platter for
another nautical touch.
They buoys were also from Beckett's nursery. 

These were SUCH a hit!  Mrs. Beth brought these decadent individual chocolate trifles.
Absolutely delicious!  

My mom has a great recipe for a strawberry shortcake trifle, but this time, she made a blueberry one to stick with the shower colors.  I didn't think this was possible, but I liked this even better than the strawberry version!
We also served two kinds of pepper jelly (peach and apricot) over cream cheese (in the background)
with wheat Ritz crackers.  I've recently become addicted to the salty sweet combo....and so has the mommy-to-be!   

My friend Lauren has been planning her little girl's 2nd birthday (which I cannot wait to take pictures of all her craftiness and blog about)! She's recently been experimenting with baking her own cupcakes and offered to bring some to the shower since she was trying out some more recipes this weekend.
Who am I to turn down cupcakes?  And they were out of this world good!
We ended up using some anchor toothpicks that were intended for the fruit that were the perfect topper for the cupcakes! 

Cutest petit fours ever!!  

I've seen sand dollar cookie recipes on Pinterest and thought they would be a great for a nautical themed party.
My mom made these beautiful cookies with almond accents that sat in a bed of brown sugar sand.
They were delicious and tasted like shortbread. 

I was so excited to see these gorgeous blue hydrangeas at Publix on Saturday!
Great last minute addition to my coffee table.

Me and the mommy-to-be! 

The famous baby shower "AWWWwwww" face!

Great time with some great friends and family!!

I'm soooo ready to get my hands on this baby boy!!
Congrats Amy and Patrick!!  

XO,