Mardi Gras on da Bayou Ball...

"Mardi Gras on da Bayou" was the theme for this the Krewe of Dionysos' Mardi Gras Bal.  (no that is how they spelled Ball, Bal?)

We were invited to attend our second Mardi Gras Ball.  Our first was last year in Alexandria, LA.  This year we attended one in Natchitoches, LA.  You really can't say no and shouldn't say no,  when invited to one of these extremely, amazing events.  

We were guests of Queen Hernandez and it was great to be a part of it all.   

It took seven hours to decorate the Queen's tables.  With about eight of us working on them.

Alligators were a huge theme presence.  It will take me several posts to show off all the creativity at this party for about 500 or so guests.

The Queen wanted elegance and beauty for her 28 guests.  So we decided upon white, silver, gold and touches of pinks and purples.  But the main color to use needed to be white.

And this is just the Queen's table.  Wait to you see more of the great decorations.  I will have an entire post on just chair decorations.

Flowers we used were roses, hydrangea, alstromoeria, daisies, pom mums and babies breath.  With tons of magnolia leaves and rhinestone vintage garlands.

More to come... 

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Between Naps on the Porch
My Favorite Things

Happy Sunday, Happy Babes !

Now, if this doesn't make you smile,  I don't know what will.

 Layton ~ 3 months

Hadley ~ 3 months

Yes, we are excited to be sitting up in our bumpo thing.  

The story of the 100 year old table continues...

I posted in October 2010 (click below)
This story about our hundred year old table.

I realized the original pictures were taken with my old camera.  Although, I still need to make one more step up with cameras, my current one took some better shots.  

Here are newer pictures of the table and a fun internet age story.

This table was originally made by my husband's Grand-Father, Lemmie.  My hubbie's Dad remembers doing his homework at this table around age 5 in 1920.  So, we know the table is 100 plus years old.

I know, I have a problem with collecting little creamers.  I have stopped.

It was handed down and down.  When my husband's Uncle's house was being emptied, it was one of the few things we took possession of.  Years later, I sanded and gave it a fresh coat of stain in 2010.

Yesterday, January 22, 2013, I received an email from someone named Carol.  A friend of hers had found my post about Ida, my husband's Grand-mother.  Carol is a relation, she is Ida's sister Mary's Grand-daughter.  I think I got that straight.  Here is a portion of the email from Carol.

A friend who is helping me with my genealogy found your blog and the entry about the table. My grandmother, Mary Ellen (Burke) Henderson was Ida's sister. I was wondering if any members of your husband's family has any information about the parents of Lawrence Burke, Ida and Mary's father. I have a lot of information about their mother's family (which I would be happy to share if anyone was interested) but little information about him.

Don't you just love the internet?  Her friend must have googled Ida's name and came up with my earlier post.  One comment later and Carol was able to send me an email through my blog.  My mother-in-law is getting all the information she can remember together for Carol.  I have some pictures of Ida that I hope to copy and send to the her as well.  

Does that make my husband and Carol second cousins?   Her Grand-mother and my hubbies Grand-mother were sisters.  

Thus the saga of the library table continues..... oh if that little table could talk.

A gift of napkins

Happy Mardi Gras Season! We are headed to a Mardi Gras Ball soon. Completed my ball gown this weekend.  I am designing the flowers for the Queen's tables.  

Thanks baby sister Jill! And it came with a crawfish Christmas tree ornament.  

I light up my life

Simple change for the hallway light fixture.

I had this...

It was frosted and even with the light turned on, the hallway was dark.

I found this....

In a box in the garage.

I created this.....

Glitzy, bright and modern.

And creates a lovely pattern on the walls.

All I had to buy was a shorter lamp nipple.  Yep, that's what it is called.

3.99 Saturday 15 minute project.

Why didn't I think of it sooner, that basket has been in the garage for at least a year. 

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Primp your Stuff

Easy Sausauge Sandwiches

Grab These three items and you are done.

One roll of ground pork sausauge

One 8 oz. block of cream cheese

One 24 box of Hawaiian Rolls

Cook sausage and drain grease.

Add cream cheese to the same skillet and melt and cream together.

Slice rolls and place about one tablespoon of mixture in each roll.  Place on a baking sheet and warm in oven at 350 degrees for just five minutes.

Serve warm. 

Come on now, you know you want to try it !

Party Food

Great party food ideas and even prettier displays.

Let's start with dessert, why don't we.  

Nothing Bundt Cakes, a large red velvet with chocolate chunks and little chocolate and lemon buntletts.  The girls made the pretzel sticks and rice crispie treats the night before.

The beverage bar was set with water, mommy mosa's and coffee.

The main table was loaded with a dill dip bread bowl.

Fresh fruit and a decadent potato casserole.  I'm glad I found out afterwards what was inside.  

Next post I will give you the breakfast sandwich recipe.

How cute are these hand stamped napkins?

Every detail was perfect.  Burlap bows, wooden crates to help with different levels to display the food.  They used the babies name and baseball sussies were everywhere. 

MVP baseball themed baby shower

It is all about the details.

This new generation of party hostesses have a wealth of ideas.  I think it has something to do with Pinterest and Facebook.  You get to see all these great ideas and then try and create them for one of your own parties.  These three girls put on an amazing baby shower.   

Vintage suitcase with a slew of baseball themed items and pictures of Kyle as a baby and teen-ager.

Vintage boxed Cracker Jack's found and purchased on-line for the party favors.

There were six different prayer cards to choose from to take home.  Such a super sweet easy idea.  I have one for the new parents.  Ann Marie had tied a set of all six for the expectant Mom to take home.

Cute jars of peanuts and baseballs were everywhere.

This burlap wreath was above a pin board that we wrote wishes on baseball shaped tags for Knox. We attached them with clothes pins to a piece of twine.

Claire does not look at all like she is four weeks away from having little Knox arrive.  Come back for the sausage sandwich recipe post next.