Tuesday Tablescape

Today's tablescape is in honor of the 4th of July, which I had intended to have outside on the patio. Rain prevented that, though, so I set the table in my husband's office instead.

These cute dinner plates were actually a Dollar Tree find a few summers ago. 

I had these sparkly floral picks on hand and they are pretty versatile. The little flag is a salt and pepper shaker set which came from Avon a million years ago!

Can you believe that Independence Day 

is nearly here?

Happy Monday!

I am drawn to the colors in our patio umbrella which I bought last summer. 

Since I paired green cushions with it, I decided a few blue pots would complement the set nicely. Rather than matching them, I picked two different shades of blue to make a trio with my jumbo  26 inch bronze planter. This close-up shows its shade.

I liked this blue and brown one right off the bat.

This one, however,  never did much for me. It was okay once it was filled with flowers and even though its aqua color ties-in well with the umbrella, it just lacked pizazz. 

This season it suddenly occurred to me that I could add a bit of paint to improve its appearance and so I used antique copper on the bottom portion.

I am now much happier with the grouping.

Now we need to power wash the patio! 

I hope you had a marvelous Monday! 

Cauliflower Casserole

If you like cauliflower, I think you will enjoy this side dish.


Cauliflower Casserole
2 cups fresh cauliflower (use only the florets) 
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano 
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
3 eggs
3/4 cup baking mix 
1 cup milk (whole is best)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a small amount of oil or butter, sauté the fresh cauliflower with the onion powder, oregano, basil and salt until tender. Spread in a 8 inch glass pan which has been sprayed with cooking oil. 

In a bowl, combine the eggs, baking mix, milk and cheese. Pour over cauliflower and bake in a 350 oven for about 35 minutes or until golden and baked through. Top with freshly ground pepper.

Tuesday Tablescape

It was another perfect evening for dinner on the patio. I used our lighthouse set of dishes for a red, white and bloom tablescape.

We bought these pieces when we visited Cape Hatteras years ago. It was an enjoyable trip even though it was rainy the entire vacation. Lighthouse keepers used to be issued a set of official dishes and I was thrilled to get this replica set.

It's time for patriotic napkins and flowers!

This tree frog spends a lot of time on the patio, too. Today I found him hiding under the crank on the patio umbrella when I set the table. I wonder if he also likes red, white and bloom?

Patriotic Mantel

I was, somehow,  a bit surprised when I realized that July 4th is just around the corner. What happened to June? I decorated our mantel in red, white and blue way back in early May, but I never shared it. I guess I had better do it before it's time to take it all down!

Each summer I love using this print which we bought a few years ago.

I found this star at a yard sale several years ago and lightly spray painted it silver. The fabric is just a remnant I had on hand.

As the picture frame reads,

God Bless America, Our Home Sweet Home!

Tuesday Tablescape

This table is from last night's dinner on the patio. We love eating outside and do so just about every evening from late spring to early autumn. Last night's weather was perfect with low humidity and a comfy temperature.

I decided to play off the red bee balm which is peeking over the grill and countertop. It just began blooming this weekend and the hummingbirds are especially delighted!

Those red flowers inspired me to use some of my favorite floral bowls which were a birthday surprise from my cousin a few years ago. In addition to their gorgeous colors, I love their shape.

I hope that you, too, are having a stretch of enjoyable weather. It's another beautfiful day and that makes for an extra delightful dinner on the patio!

Baked Pork Chop

This is a simple pork recipe that I acquired from a friend a long time ago. 

Baked Pork Chops

*boneless pork chops 

*bacon (one strip per pork chop)

*seasoning (I like Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute. Regular poultry seasoning with some garlic powder mixed in it is an option.)

Season each pork chop and wrap with a slice of bacon (try to wrap it around twice to keep it moist during baking). Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for about an hour or until pork and bacon are thoroughly cooked.

I hope your day has been a good one!

Playing in the Dirt

When I bought several pots of PW (Proven Winners) Superbells, I wanted to share a few with my mother. I planted two in an existing large saucer planter and they were each a lovely blaze of color. We were discouraged when both plants were nearly nipped off at the ground within 12 hours, though. In an effort to outsmart Mr. (Annoying) Rabbit, my mother recalled this sturdy outdoor pot stand she has had for years. Perhaps the height would prevent the lovely flowers and tender leaves from becoming breakfast? It seemed a feasible solution, but she mentioned how much she disliked the color of the stand. 

That's an easy fix when one enjoys spray paint projects as much as I do! Two coats and we were all set. This is a closeup of a variety of one of the Superbells. These are great performers because they fill in well and bloom all summer without requiring deadheading. 

Here is a shot of them in their 8 inch pot and the freshly painted stand.

I am happy to say that they have not been nibbled! Rather, the absence of blossoms is just temporary lag between bloom cycles.

As a sidenote, I must add a personal endorsement for Espoma organic potting mix. This is the first spring I ever used this particular brand and I am impressed! 

So many people have increased their gardening practices this year due to being at home more. My local garden center is now out of this soil and it was a bit difficult to get my hands on Superbells this year. Apparently, everyone loaded up early in the season. How about you? Have you been playing in the dirt more?