In recent years I haven’t done a lot of decorating for Thanksgiving…I jump right into Christmas after Halloween. I had fun with my new three-tiered tray for fall (see post for Sunday, October 4, 2020 – “Autumn Three-Tiered Tray) so I decided to unpack some of my stored Thanksgiving decor and put together a Thanksgiving vignette with my tiered tray and surrounding antique red-oak furniture. Hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving.
Monthly Archives: November 2020
Ikebana Journey – Part One Completed
My Ikebana journey actually started in early February of this year (2020) when I traveled to Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids MI for a morning introductory class on Ikebana. After the class I asked the instructor for more information about continuing to learn Ikebana. She emailed me contact info for the Lansing Ikebana Chapter #134 (Michigan), and to an international Ikebana teacher and artist, Ilse Beunen, who lives and teaches in Belgium.
I contacted the Lansing Ikebana Chapter and was invited to attend their winter meeting later in February. I attended that meeting and joined the Chapter as well.
I contacted Ilse Beunen and found she has a regular e-newsletter which I signed up to receive.
Then COVID hit us all in mid-March…no more in-person Lansing Ikebana Chapter meetings and Ilse Beunen couldn’t teach in-person in her Belgium studio anymore. As a result ZOOM was added to our vocabulary and lives. My Chapter meetings through next year are Ikebana videos from the International Office and seen by the members in the comfort of our own homes. Ilse has learned to use Zoom to reach out to the world to teach Ikebana.
Through Ilse’s e-newsletter I learned she was offering a four-week session this past summer via Zoom on learning different Ikebana techniques and it would only be open to six participants. I signed up and got in! After the four weeks, the six participants were eager to continue so Ilse organized a 10-week Beginner’s Course of Sogetsu Ikebana for us…via Zoom…which began in late August. Sogetsu Ikebana is one of the four main Japanese Schools of Ikebana and there are a total of 110 lessons to complete the full course of study.
We have just completed our first 10-week course of lessons and we each have received our Certificate of Completion for Part One from Ilse! We all will admit, including Ilse, it has been both an interesting and challenging journey. Without Zoom none of us would be having this incredible opportunity to learn Ikebana from a renown and respected teacher such as Ilse. Yet learning to work with and communicate through the technology, in addition to learning the skills needed to do Ikebana correctly, has had its ups and downs. But we have made it through this first set of 10 lessons and are looking forward to starting up again in January for our next 10 lessons.
Here are pictures of my designs from the past couple months representing different basic techniques that all students of Sogetsu Ikebana must master. When I could I used floral materials from my own garden and I am including pictures of that as well.
Lesson #1 –
Basic Upright Moribana (shallow vase) with left side orientation –
Apple tree branches and store-bought roses
Lesson #2 –
Basic Upright Moribana (shallow vase) with right-side orientation –
Limelight Hydrangea and Rudbeckia from my late summer garden
Limelight Hydrangeas turning to a rosy pink as summer turns to fall
Rudbeckia growing tall along the side fence in the back yard
Lesson #3 –
Basic Upright Nagerie (tall vase) with right-side orientation –
Japanese Maple and Pink Mandevilla
Japanese Maple Tree highlighted by the setting autumn sun
Pink Mandevilla and Hibiscus growing in pots along the front porch
Lesson #4 –
Basic Upright Nagerie (tall vase) Free-Style with left-side orientation –
Limelight Hydrangeas and large Hosta leaves
Limelight Hydrangeas growing along the back fence in the back yard –
large leaf Hostas growing behind and under the Limelight Hydrangeas
Ornamental Pumpkin Totem – used bottom ornamental pumpkin for my Fall Free-Style Nagerie
Lesson #5 –
Fall Free-Style Upright Nagerie (tall vase incorporated in a large ornamental pumpkin) –
Crab apple branches, brown chrysanthemums, ornamental grass tassels, and mini-pumpkins with vines –
all from my garden
Fall Free-Style Nagerie adjusted after teacher’s comments to create
a stronger “line” closer to the ornamental pumpkin vase
Four baby Boo Pumpkins plants planted next to the compost pile in a structure of tomato cages
Boo Pumpkin plants getting some growth on them
Four Boo Pumpkin vines now growing over my compost pile –
I started these plants from seed in early Spring
Little Boo Pumpkins finally showing up!
Lesson #6 –
Basic Slanted Moribana (shallow vase) with left-side orientation –
Store-bought foliage
Lesson #8 –
Basic Slanted Nagerie (tall vase) with left-side orientation –
Zebra Ornamental Grass and Knock-Out Roses from the garden
Knock-Out Roses still blooming in mid-November along the side of the house
Final Assignment…
Thanksgiving tablescape with assignment to make a paper vase for flowers
and use water tubes to hold seasonal flowers
12″ x12″ gold glittered ribbed cardstock folded in half and tied with cranberry satin ribbon bows –
two water tubes inside the fold hold autumn-colored store-bought chrysanthemums
Sweet Shalom Tea Room – November 2020
We had another delightful visit to the Sweet Shalom Tea Room in Sylvania OH last Sunday for their 11:00am seating. David and I met up with dear tea friend Betty Hill. The theme for November is “Friends-giving”.
Doing a Google search came up with several explanations for the meaning of “Friendsgiving”…
Friendsgiving 101: The Origin, Date and Traditions
www.totallypromotional.com/blog/friendsgiving
Oct 24, 2018 · Friendsgiving is a gathering of close friends to share the spirit of Thanksgiving. A shorter definition is “Thanksgiving for friends.” Friendsgiving is sometimes the only Thanksgiving celebration for people who live far away from relatives, or can’t make it home for the traditional holiday due to school, work, weather or health reasons. Some people choose to spend the holiday with friends instead of the family due to estranged relationship.
What Is Friendsgiving? Here’s How This Popular Trend Started …
www.allrecipes.com/article/what-friendsgiving
Like mashed potatoes, the name Friendsgiving is a mashup of “friends” and “Thanksgiving.” The gist is to celebrate the American holiday with your best friends, while feasting on turkey, stuffing, pie, and other traditional fare. There is no set date to host this event — pre- or post-Thanksgiving works just fine.
www.merriam-webster.com/…/friendsgiving–meaning
Friendsgiving is a mashup of the word “friend” and “thanksgiving” that refers to a large meal among friends eaten during the Thanksgiving season. The level of formality is dependent on the participants, but the word first appeared around 2007 as an informal replacement for the holiday typically spent with family.
Personalized menu for the November theme of “Friends-Giving”
Oaten Scone with regular butter and apple butter
Chicken Corn Chowder
Three tier server filled with delicious savories and sweets
Ginger Molasses Cookies
Onion Puffs
Apple Crisps
Roast Turkey with Cranberry Tea Sandwiches
Broccoli Salad in Corn Chip Cup
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
Sweet Potato Streusel Pie with Whipped Cream
Table Centerpiece
Wild Plum Tea Room
On our way home from the Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC, we decided to take a side trip to Gatlinburg TN. While in Gatlinburg, I looked up to see if there were any tea rooms in the area. The Wild Plum Tea Room showed up in my search and had good reviews. So off we went looking for it. We drove around the mountains outside of Gatlinburg for an hour or more before we finally found the tea room! It was 2:45pm in the afternoon and the tea room closed at 3:00pm. We decided to venture inside just to look around but once inside we were invited to sit and have tea. And so we did!
I shared with you in an earlier post our elegant Afternoon Tea experience at the Biltmore Estate Hotel. The Wild Plum Tea Room was a whole different experience…for you see it was located in a log cabin! The Wild Plum staff was so friendly and the food delicious. Truly a memorable experience from start to finish!
Downton Abbey Exhibit at the Biltmore Estate
One of the reasons for our trip to the Biltmore Estate in November 2019 was to see the newest traveling exhibit about Downton Abbey. David and I had visited the Downton Abbey Costume Exhibit at the Winterthur Decorative Arts Museum in Delaware many years ago and that exhibit was phenomenal…even though at that time it only covered the first three seasons of the popular PBS production. So we were excited to see this latest exhibit which was to encompass all six seasons plus the Downton Abbey Movie.
Biltmore Estate staged this Downton Abbey Exhibit in two locations on the Estate. In the one location, exact replicas of the downstairs kitchen, formal main dining room, and Mary’s bedroom were staged in their full size. In another location, costumes from the series and movie were on display.
The costume exhibit at the Biltmore was a modest version of the one we saw at the Winterthur Museum and it lacked the pizazz of that exhibit as well. But it is always a thrill to see the show’s beautiful costumes in person, seeing the exquisite details of each garment, and thinking about the characters who wore them.
Here are a few pictures of the Downton Abbey Exhibit at the Biltmore Estate…
Downstairs Kitchen (replica)
Dining Room (replica)
Lady Mary’s Bedroom (replica)
Costumes from the Downton Abbey Movie
Costumes from the early years of Downton Abbey
Day dresses for the Downton Abbey women
Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson’s wedding attire
Wedding gown worn by Lady Edith
Various wedding attire from Downton Abbey
Presentation gown of Lady Rose
Gowns worn by (left to right) Lady Edith, Lady Mary, Lady Sybil
Blue gown with exquisite embroidered lace
Pink gown with diamond beaded design on bodice
White gown with intricate beaded design on lower tier
Afternoon Tea at the Biltmore Estate Hotel
Last November (2019) David and I traveled to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC to experience the Candlelight Christmas Tour at the mansion…and to see the Downton Abbey Exhibit on display at the Estate.
It was totally awesome to see the largest home in America all decked out for the holidays! In addition to enjoying the festively decorated mansion, we savored gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate in their courtyard huddled close to a patio heater (it had turned cold and rainy), we further explored the mansion with “behind-the-scenes” and “up to the rafters” tours, and had Afternoon Tea at the Biltmore Estate Hotel. I will say it is the most expensive Afternoon Tea we have ever enjoyed of but it was elegant, the tea food tasty and well presented. The dessert plate was the best!
Here is a pictorial recap of our lovely Afternoon Tea at the Biltmore Hotel…
Inside the Biltmore Hotel looking down the stairs to the Dining Room where our Afternoon Tea would be served.
Looking from our table across the Dining Room with our fellow Afternoon Tea guests
Our table by the window
Afternoon Tea Menu
Hot tea served the true English way with loose tea leaves in the pot and tea cup strainer…
David’s favorite way to enjoy tea!
Tiered server of assorted scones and condiments
Served plate of tea savories…
Grilled Vegetable Wrap, Cucumber Sandwich, Sausage Roll, Butternut Custard Tart, Smoked Salmon Mousse
“Welsh Rabbit” they called “Blushing Bunny” –
cheese sauce over toasted bread, garnished with grape tomatoes
The decadent dessert plate – we each were served our own plate of these delicious little beauties!
A Biltmore Christmas
It is difficult to find the words to encompass all that we experienced at the Biltmore Estate last November (2019) when we traveled there to see it decorated for the Christmas season. It was all so spectacular! The huge House, the expansive grounds, the glittering decorations, the decadent treats, even the changing weather! It was a trip worth doing and hopefully we will do it again.
Biltmore Estate is the largest home in America and sits on 8000 acres of rolling countryside in Asheville NC. George Vanderbilt began construction of his 250-room “French Renaissance Chateau” in 1889. There are over four acres of floor space…with 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, and includes an indoor heated swimming pool and bowling alley. The House was completed in time to celebrate Christmas with family and friends in 1895. This year (2020) marks its 125 anniversary!
Here is a link (copy and paste into a new tab) to explore more about the Biltmore Estate history…
biltmore.com/our-story/estate-history/
With the sun setting over the Biltmore Estate, let’s go inside and take a peak at the breath-taking holiday beauty as it transforms to its evening glow.
Entrance Hall with lighted garland radiating from the central chandelier
The amazing octagonal sunken Winter Garden atrium in the evening with a caroling choir in place
Poinsettia trees adorn the Winter Garden atrium
Dueling harps waiting for their time to make music in the Winter Garden atrium
Beautiful pair of illuminated trees near the Winter Garden atrium
The Banquet Hall
The massive fresh evergreen Christmas Tree in the Banquet Hall
The long table in the Banquet Hall looking very festive
A smaller Dining Room all aglow
A trio of illuminated trees in the Dining Room
An inviting table awaits in the Dining Room
The Music Room
George Vanderbilt’s Library
Edith Vanderbilt’s Bedroom
Third Floor Living Room
Beautiful tree at the base of the Grand Staircase
Grand Staircase tree with a chandelier halo
A gingerbread Biltmore Mansion
Biltmore aglow at night
Happy Holidays from the Biltmore!
Halloween Dining Table
David and I had our meals on trays in front of the TV for years. For some reason I am not quite sure of, David has been wanting us to sit at the dining room table to enjoy our meals together. Maybe being home so much now, it is an escape from his upstairs office during the day and being in front of the TV in the evening. So I have taken to keeping the table fun and festive for our dining pleasure.
I posted earlier about the autumn table and food inspired from the September-October TEA TIME MAGAZINE. Today’s post is the dining room table decorated for Halloween. Hope you enjoy!
“Be-Witched, Be-Dazzled & Be-Jeweled” Halloween Themed Tea – October 2018
My last autumn Themed Tea was a Halloween “glam” one called “Be-Witched, Be-Dazzled & Be-Jeweled” held during the month of October 2018. The color black was the dominate decor feature, with silver rhinestones and purple accents. Witches and witch hats, spiders and spider webs were everywhere!
Each place setting had a different black/white/gold tea cup and saucer. White damask cloth napkins were decorated with a glittery rhinestone napkin ring. Witch hat candy favors were made from black glitter cardstock.
Glenda, the Good Witch, welcomed each guest to the Tea. She was constructed from an upside-down tomato cage frame, and clothed in layers of black and purple tulle. A grey wig over her Styrofoam head was topped with a beautiful witch’s hat. Purple fairy lights illuminated her skirt.
The three-course luncheon included a first course of White Cheddar Cheese Soup and Maple Glazed Pumpkin Scone with Spiced “Devonshire” Cream, second-course of Ghoulish Goulash, Black Plum Chopped Iceberg Salad with Plum-White Wine Vinaigrette, and Fly-By-Night Grape Salad. The finale dessert was a Chocolate S’more Parfait with a S’more-on-a-Stick…my inspired idea of putting mini-marshmallows on a skewer stick, brushing on chocolate and then coating in graham cracker crumbs. A chocolate drizzle finished the S’more-on-a-Stick!
Lila, Cristy’s Mom, attended this fun Themed Tea and had her special seat with her own tea tray.
