valentine's day Teen Birthday Dinner, In the Pink!

valentine's day

Last week, we celebrated the birthday of my younger daughter, who is growing up way too fast for my taste! She started High School this year and all I can say is: treasure EVERY MOMENT! My older daughter will be leaving for college next year, and I think I am missing her already.

So, at the invitation of Patricia at the most excellent Mrs. Blandings blog, and in honor of women everywhere, young and old(er), I am posting pictures of my daughter's PINK Birthday Dinner Party to help raise awareness about breast cancer. For information about this and how you can help, please click HERE and HERE.

ANYWAY! I had so much fun putting together a more "grown-up" table for my daughter this year. No more "Hello Kitty" or Disney Princess themes. I wanted to surprise her after school with a table that was pretty with a little glamour. I chose pink, black and white for the palette. This was a family dinner party, so I used mostly used things that we already had at home.

valentine's day

I bought these fuchsia pink Cyclamen at Target on sale and put them in a white ironstone tureen for the centerpiece. A simple Hotel Linen tablecloth covers the table.

valentine's day

I have a set of these rectangular plates that I also use as platters. They are perfect for so many things...I wish I had more of them!

valentine's day

For a bit of glamour, I added some mercury glass votive holders. I received these sweet votive holders with silver flowers on them for my own birthday last summer.

valentine's day

I added more mercury glass from my collection of different shapes and sizes. Some new and some old. I always have boxes of extra tall white and ivory tapers on hand. They are my favorite candle....along with votives.

valentine's day

You may remember the white shells I brought back from a trip to Morrow Bay recently. I gathered them up and used them to accent the black napkins on the plates. I added a little fuchsia pink Salvia flower from the garden.

valentine's day

Each plate has a different white shell. If you were hosting a larger party for guests, they would make such a pretty little gift for your guests.

valentine's day

And of course there were presents, all wrapped in black, white and pink!

valentine's day

We had a wonderful time eating my daughter's requested meal of barbecued spare ribs, creamy polenta and spinach salad. And of course, CAKE:

valentine's day

Cheers to all of the wonderful memories with the young women in your life. And to keep them all healthy and safe, I hope you have a chance to check out the websites for the National Cancer Institute and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

valentine's day
Put a little PINK in your day!

valentine's day Christmas and Mercury Glass

valentine's day

I love vintage mercury glass. One might even call it a bit obsessive. But when it is put all together with candlelight and a miniature Rosemary Christmas tree, one might just consider it a little bit of Christmas magic.

valentine's day

Mercury glass, or silvered glass was first produced in the mid-1800's as an alternative to silver, and was affordable for the middle classes of the time. It is a double walled piece of blown glass with a hole, usually at the bottom where the silver liquid was poured. If the hole was not well sealed, the silver would eventually wear away. The value of a clouded or faded piece is quite diminished. (I, however, love the clouded pieces. They seem so much more romantic to me somehow.) Mercury glass became mass produced a bit later as it gained in popularity, but production fell off around the turn of the century as it became synonymous with common or bad taste. Because it was not considered valuable, it was discarded and as a result has become more rare. And, as with anything "rare" has become collectible today.

valentine's day

I gathered my Mercury Glass and put them with a little Rosemary tree trimmed with blown glass candle ornaments that clip to the branches. The tree is in my silver punch bowl. ( I have yet to add the Spanish moss to the punchbowl and the Wisteria mercury glass votive candle holders (here), but I will update you with a new photo when I do!

Just a bit of Holiday Cheer for the day!