Category: party ideas

Halloween Party Decorating Suggestions

Let’s talk Halloween party decorating suggestions sure to bedeck and bedazzle a frighteningly festive spooktacular, shall we?

Photo by Frames For Your Heart

Tricks and treats in classic themes and tastes, traditional colors, vintage finds, and striking textures and patterns lend the Halloween hostess a helping hand.

Welcome the famished to partake in party sips, dips, tastes and treats but first, partyware.

Ghost  ||  Witches’ Hat  ||  Black Cat  ||  Jack-O-Lantern

Vintage Halloween 9″ Paper Plates – 8ct

Clear Glass Pumpkin Beverage Dispenser

Dry Ice Cauldron Punch Bowl Recipe

What you’ll need:

Pair of work gloves

Plastic or metal tongs

Dish towel

Hammer

5 pounds dry ice

1 large plastic or metal punch bowl (or cauldron)

1 smaller plastic or metal punch bowl

Directions

Put on the gloves. In a well-ventilated area, wrap the dry ice in a towel and break it into chunks using a hammer.

Using tongs, transfer chunks of dry ice into the larger of your 2 bowls, creating a flat space in the center. Place the second, smaller bowl inside the larger one.

Pour punch into the small center bowl, making sure no dry ice gets in.

Fill a pitcher with warm water, then pour it on top of the dry ice. Add more dry ice chunks and water to the larger, outer bowl, being careful not to get any dry ice into the smaller punch bowl, throughout the night to keep the fog going.

Tips & Tricks:

Wear thick work gloves when opening the package of dry ice (latex/kitchen gloves are too thin.)

Place the block of dry ice on a towel. Use a wooden or plastic work surface, as dry ice can crack tiles.

Wrap a towel around the block, then break it into chunks using a hammer.

Be sure both of the bowls you use are plastic or metal since dry ice can crack glass. Put any unused dry ice in an open plastic container and store it in a cooler filled with ice. Never store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Five pounds of dry ice will last about an hour. Keeping a nearby fan on low will intensify the effect.

-She Knows

Metal Snake Glassware

Think outside of the traditional by converting a plastic outdoor urn into a candy bowl, candle(s) holder or beverage tub.

Further zhuzh up this creation by wrapping the bottom and sides of the urn with a feather boa or leaf garland in choice of color.

White Bleeding Thorax Halloween Candle

Drop in LED votive or pillar candle(s), drape floral moss from the sides, finish with a hairy black spider, and you are good to glow.

White Bleeding Heart Halloween Candle

Candles dripping in Halloween haunt cast a wicked chic spell, but do beware of their flame and their fright.

Serving bowls suggestions from copper pumpkin planters to plastic black cauldrons run the ghost and goblin gamut.

Copper Colored Pumpkin Shaped Planter

Midwest Living Magazine

Pumpkin luminaries of the terracotta Jack-o-Lantern variety light the night and the party path.

 

Smiling Jack-O-Lantern Terracotta Accent

Southern Living Magazine – Photography by Van Chaplin

Cinderella pumpkins turn into a Halloween hurricane for path and porch. Simply and carefully cut out space in the center of the pumpkin placing a glass cylinder vase into the space.  Add pillar candle to shine a light on spellbinding style.

Curious Portraits on Etsy 

Hauntingly amazing how something intended to be delightful can be so utterly frightful.

Creepy perhaps, but I do love this vintage ventriloquist’s silent clown puppet mounted print paired with a French clown hat and Renaissance Elizabethan collar neck ruffle for an elegantly creepy centerpiece.

Pierrot Vintage Image – The Graphics Fairy

We’ll call this Creepy the Clown.

Photography by Nong 

If sending in the clowns is way too creepy for your Halloween party decorating taste, perhaps the throwback mystique of vintage Halloween decorations is right up your alley.

Halloween decorations have come a long way in both design and availability since the Halloweens of the late 60s and 70s, but I still love to decorate with at least two or three in the style of vintage Halloween decorations.

Vintage Style Moon Ornament

Vintage black and white photos lend a certain amount of eerie charm while creating a haunted presence and ambiance.

Free Printable of Old Photo Image of Unibrow Man 

Lady Riding Crop

With deals, a free printable, DIY ingenuity, buy more save more promos, and online clearance sales starting sooner and sooner in the season, your Halloween bogeyman boogie down get together can be an affordable affair.

Eyeball Print 

Many moons ago our house was Halloween central in part because of the gargantuan bodark tree in our backyard that produced a bumper crop of green horse apples (hedge apple or Osage orange).

Hedge/Horse Apples-Osage Orange

Horse apple-hedge apple-Osage orange is a choice decorative item vis-à-vis vase or bowl filler, and makes an excellent color, texture and pattern Halloween accent decoration.

Sweet Something Designs

Let’s play Halloween dress up in dressed to thrill and dressed to kill fashions.

Boo-tiful!

Fancy with Bowknot Knit Top in Black

Velvet Bats Mesh Tulle Midi Skirt in Pumpkin

Halloween Crochet Witch Hat

Black Bow Pump

Antique shops, vintage markets, and thrift stores become excellent haunts for fab-boo-lous decor finds.

Highland Yard Vintage

Fabric remnants in traditional or transitional Halloween colors and patterns make great party tablecloths, napkins, and treat bags.

Who doesn’t love an upside-down witch decoration?

DIY Instructions From Better Homes & Gardens

To make the witch legs decoration, dress bendable mannequin legs in striped stockings and buckled shoes. Then, place the legs upside down in a tall urn filled with moss.

Embroidered Velvet Spiders Pillow

Note to self: Add Jim Stafford’s “Spiders and Snakes” to the Let’s Halloween playlist.

Resin Pumpkin Wrapped With Snake

 

Aluminum Halloween Snake Bowl Gold

Some would argue it’s just not Halloween without the creepy-crawly while for others there’s no need to conjure up the fear of things that crawl and hiss in the night.

Enter a kinder, gentler Halloween theme.

Free printables in a wide variety of Halloween spook, scare, and spirit for all your Halloween treats, potions, place cards, invitations, and tabletop decor needs are but a Pinterest search away.

Skeleton Print Victorian, Steampunk

King Skull Dinner Plates

Glass Skull Decanter with Wood Ball Bottle Stopper

Halloween Skull Beer Mug

Halloween Skeleton Dinner Plate

Better Homes & Gardens offers a free printable skull pattern to use for framing, window displays, DIY wreaths, gift bags, scatter decorations, etc…

Kitchen Ghosts

Morton’s Candy Corn Old Fashioned Recipe

Pumpkin Margarita Recipe

Witch’s Potion Recipe

Spooky Goat Cheese Fingers Recipe

Mini Pumpkin Cheese Balls Recipe

Wicked Witch Hats Recipe

Snake Cheese Straws Recipe

Graveyard Brownies Recipe

Jack-o’-Lantern Candy Apples Recipe

Halloween party decorating suggestions offer inspiration for tricking out your Halloween monster mash bash.

Kentucky Derby Party Ideas

The first weekend in May means it is Kentucky Derby time, and that my friends means Kentucky Derby party ideas.

Racing at Churchill Downs

Horse racing enthusiasts, socialites and celebrities will flock to Churchill Downs this Saturday to view the Run for the Roses.

Known as the most exciting two minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby as well as Churchill Downs is grand in history where tradition and excitement run first place.

Kentucky Derby on Facebook

For those of us not making the jaunt, an excellent opportunity to get down and get derby is just a jaunt to the dollar and hobby store away.

Churchill Downs

In other words, you can create your own Kentucky Derby extravaganza with a little imagination and one or more of these Kentucky Derby party ideas.

Begin with the basics- decorating ideas revolving around traditions, red roses, mint juleps and fascinating fashions.

Working with a theme makes coming up with ideas an easy exercise in Derby decorating.

Moss Mat

Horse races are run on dirt courses and turf races.

Dirt is not something I recommend dressing out a lovely party food table in. I mean come on, who wants to decorate a party food table with dirt?

Anywho…

Emulate the look of a turf race with a faux grass table runner.  Spanish and/or reindeer moss pairs well or as stand alone centerpiece additions.

Gallop on down to the local fabric store or shopping site of choice and pick up a yard or two of horse-racing-equestrian-jockey-rose themed fabric and proceed to create tablecloth, runner, and cocktail napkins keepers.

Rose Fabric, By the yard

I can’t sew to save my life, but I am a whiz with a roll of hem tape. Mark your hemlines, heat up the iron, roll out the desired amount of tape, and voilà, table linen magic is made.

Sullivans Horse Vase 16″H Bronze

Red roses rule the Run for the Roses and make a strong show the next day as an introduction to Mother’s Day week.

See where this getting a lot of bang for your buck decorating logic is going?

Good things come in pairs and give good decor accent beauty past party day.

Horse Portraits

Horse Head Sculpture

Centerpiece equation solved with one horse head sculpture/statue sitting in the middle of a red rose floral wreath is Kentucky Derby divine.

Several faux stems of roses will work to fill in bare areas.

Simply dismantle the centerpiece after your Derby party and use the wreath for your Mother’s Day brunch-lunch-dinner centerpiece.

Look at you, you decorating smarty designing and decorating a smashing Derby party.

Over on the Kentucky Derby website is this tutorial for making a DIY Garland of Roses Table Runner.

Horse Racing Roses Kentucky Derby Table Runner

Over on Amazon is this horse racing/Kentucky Derby themed table runner.

Coming Down the Homestretch 

For extra Run for the Roses Derby flair, I clip several roses from my flower bed, clip the stems short, and float blooms in clear bowls.

Clip stems at an angle to promote optimum water absorption.

Warm water works best, and I drop a low dose aspirin into the water to prolong the life of the roses.

No real roses?

No real problem.

Better Homes & Gardens – Photography by Michael Partenio

Faux rose bouquets placed in inexpensive vases, champagne buckets, on trays, or in trophy cups works beautifully as well.

Gather stems together tight and wrap with decorative ribbon.

Incorporating the traditional aspects of horse racing into my Kentucky Derby party ideas such as riding boots, horseshoes, and a riding helmet or two is not as difficult as one would think.

Women’s Riding Boots

Quilted Buckled Riding Boots

Spring is a great time of the year in retail sales to locate a pair of riding boots on sale or clearance. Riding boots will work perfect in my Kentucky Derby party ideas scheme.

Saturday’s centerpiece will become fall’s fashion boots.

Now that’s getting your money’s worth.

Charlotte Moss – Photography by Brittany Ambridge

Several small arrangements of cut roses set on tabletops continues the Run for the Roses theme.

House & Garden

A combination arrangement of red and white roses perfectly fits in with the Run for the Roses motif.

HGTV

Silver Mercury Glass Vases

Party decorating goes with a clever DIY project, and my list of Kentucky Derby party ideas includes one that is relatively simple to execute.

Fully sanded-ready to paint wood cutouts painted in your choice of color(s) carry out the horse racing theme.

Growing Tree Gallery on Etsy

Scatter about tabletops, prop and position around serving trays, centerpiece embellishments, cake toppers, monogram with party attendees initials as take home favors- you get the idea.

Tastes and Traditions

Garden & Gun- Photography by Margaret Houston 

Horse racing reigns supreme in Louisville, and the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby is the Mint Julep.

Ingredients

½ oz. superfine sugar

1 oz. hot water

8 mint leaves, plus one mint sprig

2 oz. bourbon

Directions

Dissolve the sugar in the water in an old-fashioned glass or Mint Julep cup.

Add mint leaves and gently press with a spoon.

Add the bourbon of your choice, fill the glass with crushed ice, and stir.

Place mint sprig in the ice alongside a short straw, and serve.

-Garden & Gun

Lavender-Lemonade Mint Julep

For 1 cocktail

Ingredients

2 ounces bourbon

1.5 ounces Lavender Simple Syrup (recipe follows)

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

Ice

Garnish: fresh lavender sprig, fresh mint sprig, lemon slice

Directions

In a glass, combine bourbon, Lavender Simple Syrup, and lemon juice. Add ice. Garnish with lavender, mint, and lemon, if desired.

Lavender Simple Syrup

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lavender buds

1 ounce fresh mint sprigs

Directions

In a small pot, combine 1 cup water and sugar, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and add lavender and mint. Cool completely. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

-Southern Lady Magazine

Acopa Alchemy 16 oz. Stainless Steel Mint Julep Cup with Beaded Detailing

Mock Mint Julep (non-alcoholic julep)

Ingredients

2 cups cold water

2 cups granulated sugar

8 fresh mint sprigs (for syrup)

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

32 ounces Ginger Ale soda, chilled

8 cups crushed ice

8 fresh mint sprigs for garnish or more to desired taste

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring, water, sugar, lemon juice and mint leaves to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until sugar is completely dissolved.

Allow mixture to cool.

Strain cooled simple mint syrup and discard mint leaves.

Fill your mint julep cups with crushed ice, ½ cup Ginger Ale soda, and ½ cup mint syrup.  Stir to incorporate flavors.

Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Makes 8 servings.

Vintage Jim Beam Kentucky Derby Decanter

Keep an eye out for vintage decanters and Derby glassware on resale sites and vintage shops.

The Novogratz Leather Ice Bucket with Lid

Derby Day Horse Racing Game

Horse Drink Stirrers

Here’s a fun serving idea for other beverages requiring ice cubes- rose petal and fresh mint ice cubes.

Gently remove rose petals and fresh mints leaves from stems and lightly wash to remove any debris.

Place rose petals into each water filled compartment.

Enhance the flavor of mint ice cubes by also adding a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the water.

Better yet, use sweet iced tea infused with fresh lemon juice instead of water.

Freeze and enjoy.

Pick up several nickel-plated serving trays from Dollar Tree in assorted shapes and sizes to use for servings mint juleps and appetizers.

Southern Living Roasted Brown-Butter Pecans  

Pimento cheese is a Derby delicacy.

Adding a dash of Creole seasoning or Louisiana hot sauce along with a handful or two of chopped walnuts to store bought pimento cheese brings the c’est si bon to the party.

Stirrup Hors d’oeuvre Forks

Derby Day at the Races Set of 4 Canape Plates

Faux Leather Decorative Charger

Spode Woodland Thoroughbred Horse Dinner Plate

Benedictine Spread

Vintage Rose Platter

Encore presentation worthy for sure, I feel confident in suggesting the use of vintage beauties such as this one for Kentucky Derby party pieces.

The Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich, a Kentucky original recipe created in 1926 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is a perfect Derby Day menu choice.

This recipe from SheKnows plates turkey, bacon, Parmesan cheese, tomatoes and a heavy-handed dollop of bechamel sauce together in all its delicious, rich and Kentucky tradition glory.

Click HERE for recipe.

Heather of Sprinkle Bakes recipe fame comes in first place in the winner’s circle with her recipe for Butter Pecan Praline Cake.

If baking does not fit into your party schedule or itinerary, consider picking up your favorite cake at a local or grocery store bakery and adding embellishments of choice.

Pecan Delight pie works, too.

Pecan Delight Pie

Add riding helmets and equestrian accents to your treasure hunting list when shopping antiques and resale shops.

Vintage Velvet Horse Show Riding Cap Helmet 

Perhaps a tip of the hat to a more formal affair prop.

Top Hat

Beige Merino Wool Throw

Kentucky Derby Party Ideas Checklist:

Scrapbook paper in 12×12 sheets found at craft stores make perfect Derby party placemats

Fresh or faux roses.

Rose Trim-Tulle

Mint julep cups – a Derby must.

Mint Julep Cups

Lovely!

Derby Cocktail Napkins 

Fresh mint clippings for mint juleps.

Simple and fragrant, float fresh mint sprigs in clear cut glass bowls slightly filled with warm water.

Dollar store trays with the look of silver and the ease of clean up deliver a big and beautiful return on your decorating investment.

Tractor Supply meets the Derby need with nickel plated horse bits to use as napkin rings and horseshoes in packs of 4.

Here’s to traditions and celebrating the Run for the Roses with win, place and show-stopping Kentucky Derby party ideas.

Celebration Countdown to 4th of July Party Ideas

The countdown to a three day celebration of summer, fun, and freedom 4th of July party ideas is on.

Allow me to take this opportunity to thank the calendar year for gifting us a three-day weekend for holiday fun in the summer sun.

Count that as 4th of July party ideas gold!

Fine and Yankee Doodle Dandy for the 4th, a fresh flower haul from the farmer’s market truck mixed with clippings and cuttings from around the yard pops the colors of the season.

Hanging at home is what’s on our agenda.

It’s becoming the retreat we love more and more.

Photo by Ethan Hoover on Unsplash

It’s been so flipping hot of late I haven’t been firing up the grill, stove or ovens very much.

Dave the Builder continues to inform me we have central air conditioning, but it does make a difference in the late afternoon when you’re cooking-baking-grilling.

Light fare with an emphasis on easy, fresh, and cool suits the summer in all of us.

Have you noticed how much a jar of Duke’s Mayo is going for these days?

Psst…. the digital coupon gods at Kroger are granting shoppers a coupon for Duke’s mayo this week, so let there be homemade potato salad on the 4th of July dinner table.

Always on board for trying new recipes, I ran across this recipe for No-Mayo Potato Salad with Herbs from FoodieCrush.

Looks summer delicious!

Click here for link.

Paper, plastic, ceramic, porcelain or melamine- there is no wrong way to go with 4th of July party ideas serveware.

Royal Norfolk Red Beaded Ceramic Dinner Plates, 10.5-in.

I could source and suggest lovely beverage and bar glasses, but who are we kidding here?

Gorgeous Disposable Paper Tableware – Set of 8

Red Solo cups is always the way to go-cup, or as we say in Louisiana, geaux-cup.

Stack those American party cups high and proceed to 4th of July party.

You can red, white, blue and true to the traditional color palette in various ways.

Grab your blue and white this and that and let a bowl of red raspberries or fresh garden tomatoes represent the red.

Stoneware Serving Platter

Remember this; simple makes the best party guest.

Planning.

Preparing.

Serving.

Invite the rule of KISS to the party and Keep It Summer Simple.

Sun tea is about as summer delicious and summer simple as it gets.

Original Mason 2 Gallon Triangle Beverage Dispenser

Fill glass container with cold water.  Add desired amount of sugar and stir.

Place 8 tea bags per gallon in container.  If using the above 2 gallon dispenser, use 16 tea bags.

Set dispenser-jar-jug out in the sun for approximately 3 hours.

Easy peasy, folks.

Our local weather forecaster gave the viewing audience his 5 out of 5 scoops review of Blue Bell’s newest summer flavor, strawberry lemonade.

Photo by Ethan Hoover on Unsplash

Beau and Ollie very much appreciate a celebration that pops in style, not in sound.

Social media memes floating the scrolls this time of year remind us fireworks tend to frighten our animal friends.

One particular meme suggest making a difference instead of a noise by purchasing two bags of pet food for a local shelter.

Who says everything on social media is rubbish?

Happy 4th of July, friends!

Let freedom ring in all your stylish 4th of July party ideas glory.

 

 

Independence Day Into Night Party Plan Objective

The Places In The Home Independence Day into night party plan objective is all about a cozy at home celebration.

Slow and easy is the theme accentuated by pops of patio and patriotic color, farm to table delights, and staying cool while celebrating Independence Day.

Let me share with you what my it’s not rocket science Independence Day into night party plan objective is all about.

Art.com

Well of course music and perhaps a twirl around the patio will be involved.

This photo tells illustrates a belief of mine which is fashions and music may change, but gathering together to enjoy summer patio fun is a timeless tradition that never will.

While we’re on the subject of blast from the past fun…

Let’s put on our dancing shoes and boogie down to the cornerstone of the any party playlist.

Macramé is making a comeback, and this macramé swing chair is a comfortable and fashionable flashback to the swingin’ late 60s into the mid 70s and pure patio party fun.

ZENSTYLE Beige Hanging Cotton Rope Macramé Hammock Chair Swing

House Beautiful

Setting a cozy party scene is not a complicated process.

Comfortable seating is a necessity, and options range from modern to vintage chairs, settees, swings, rockers, and sit-upons (remember, Girl Scouts?).

Just add a red, white, and/or blue decorative pillow to keep with the holiday festivities, a refreshing beverage, and good company and you’ve got yourself a stylish rest and relaxation haven for unwinding on the 4th of July.

More super cute outdoor throw pillows in colors and patterns 4th of July adjacent afford an all summer long vibe.

Houndstooth Throw – Design Imports

Throw blankets, for example, in party palette colors, patterns, and textures serve their intended purpose, but also make a handsome tablecloth.

Mainstays Super Soft Plush Throw Blanket, 50″ x 60″, Red Plaid

Isadora Floral Quilted Throw Blue – Levtex Home

Yes, I’m well aware this next party idea is an oldie but a goodie suggestion, and with good reason.

One Kings Lane

Distinctive candle holders and battery-operated votive candles continue to be the ideal choice of party lighting.

For the sake of flicker to flame safety, select outdoor LED battery -operated votive or pillar candles, pop in a hanging candle holder or ten, and prepare to be entranced by the affordable, simple, and positively elegant look created.

Another reason I love to use and suggest battery-operated candles is the convenience involved.

Turn the candle(s) on and forget about it until time to call it a night.

Our star-spangled celebration menu takes a celebratory cue from the best part of the summertime bounty- fresh from the farmers market fruits and vegetables.

Southern Living – Photo by Beth Dreiling Hontzas

This Berry Splash recipe from Southern Living is summer celebration delicious and family friendly.

Peaches for eating, peaches for drinking.

Summer Fruit Daiquiri Recipe

A star-spangled theme is instantly recognizable as the traditional theme of 4th of July celebrations.

In keeping with tradition, the American flag meets and greets neighbors and friends.

FOLK

Decorating with items such as fabric and serveware in a broader range of holiday patterns and colors gives you a more than one use option.

Red Beaded Melamine Dinner Plate

Royal Norfolk Blue Floral Dinner Plate

Patterns, activities, colors and celebrations generally associated with the summer months give great inspiration.

Pick a favorite as your 4th of July party ideas theme foundation and go 4th from there.

Acrylic 17 oz. Drink Glass

Preparing a charcuterie board paired with party accessories with red, white, and blue fruits, meats, and cheeses is a taste of America winner.

Cherry tomatoes, blueberries, red grapes, deli meats, white cheeses and nuts- you get the idea.

Serving in style.

Butler Selena Blue & White Rattan Bar Cart

Fabric closeouts are a great source for affordable and stylish patterns to use as tablecloths, table runners, napkins, basket and serving dish liners.

For those who like to get your money’s worth out of accents and party accessories, the white palm leaf tassel napkin ring from Hobby Lobby fits well with most summer occasions.

Tassel napkin ring not your thing?

Go with a decorative braided rope ribbon in your choice of color.

Blooming blue hydrangeas from the yard of a very generous and giving neighbor star in the centerpiece arrangement along with small American flags.

Ramekins filled with popcorn and garnished with Nestle Crunch bars (red, white, and blue wrapper inspired) is about as easy as it gets.

Simple.

Affordable.

Appropriate.

Keeping it super summer simple, baby!

Desserts & Recipes

Williams-Sonoma

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about a dessert I made for Father’s Day that was a crowd pleaser.

Two go-to fluff salads, Watergate and Orange Pineapple, fall off the summer salad season rotation because by the time Thanksgiving into Christmas holidays roll past I’ve pretty much had my fill of these two.

Banana pudding or a delicious improved variation of it is summer dessert perfect.

Banana Pudding Fluff

Ingredients

1  3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding

1½ cups milk

1  8 ounce container whipped topping

3  bananas, peeled and sliced

1-2 cups mini marshmallows

20 vanilla wafers, crushed

1  teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Whisk pudding mix, milk, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl.  Let mixture stand a couple of minutes in order to firm up.

Fold in whipped topping.

Add mini marshmallows, crushed vanilla wafers, and sliced bananas.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ice Cream Cupcakes Recipe

Lemon Icebox Pie Ice Cream 

Ingredients

3 to 4 lemons

2 cups half-and-half

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers

Directions

Grate zest from lemons to equal 1 Tbsp. Cut lemons in half; squeeze juice from lemons into a measuring cup to equal 1/2 cup.

Whisk together half-and-half, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice. Pour mixture into freezer container of a 1 1/2-qt. electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. (Instructions and times may vary.)

Stir in graham cracker crumbs and lemon zest; transfer to an airtight container.  Freeze 2 hours before serving.

-Southern Living via My Recipes

Royal Norfolk Lemon-Printed Stoneware Salad Plates

I knew I would find the right opportunity to order the Royal Norfolk Lemon-Printed Stoneware salad plates, and the lemon icebox pie ice cream waffle cone sandwiches is it.

Serving this summer approved dessert on these melamine lemon salad plates (first cousin to the appetizer/dessert plate) is keeping with the theme of fresh ways to make a presentation.

After all, we do eat with our eyes first.

An easy Independence Day into night party plan objective works in concert with summer fun, delicious dishes, and stylish accessories that won’t break the bank.

Outdoor living spaces furnished to the hilt in summer style with creature comforts in mind deliver just that- summer style.

That’s how we snap, crackle and pop a 4th of July party in the USA at Places In The Home.

Halloween Happenings

October is an eventful month at the Places In The Home corral however, the corral is anything but ok these days when it comes to the business of all things house that make a home.  Let me ‘splain.  In the grand scheme of blogging things, one (me) simply can’t get the job done, posts written and images photoshopped unless the desktop computer and monitor work, and work they don’t.  This recent development is not my idea of frighteningly fun Halloween happenings, and trying to undo this sinister snafu without losing my mind and my religion is the trick.

Evil!

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.  Although working on the notebook computer is no treat, the trick is to drink apply the principle of adjustment. Adjusting is the theme of this week.  Our city government announced this morning that local trick-or-treating will now take place on Friday evening.  The forecast is shaping up to be an ugly event making Halloween trick-or-treating on Saturday a washout.  Our Halloween celebration is still on, but with an adjustment or two of its own.  Call it a trick-or tweaking.

No rain event will poison the party atmosphere at our Halloween at Places In The Home party.

The welcome mat is out, the pumpkin is marked for carving, and in the words of Tom Bodett we’ll leave the light on for the trick-or-treaters.

Blame the madness on the Great Halloween Computer Crash, Charlie Brown!

I’ll redefine the term steaks are on the grill via a cast iron skillet on the stove, a liberal pat of butter, haunted house seasoning and a low and slow approach.  The food and drink will flow, and the Let’s Halloween playlist will rock the castle.

The Keep of Portchester Castle, Hampshire, United Kingdom

For those of you who Halloween, have a safe and wickedly wonderful time. For those of you who do not Halloween, have a safe and wonderful weekend.

From Coast to Coast: Seafood Cuisine of Summer

From sea to shining sea-coast to coast, summer is a prime season and reason for hosting a tasty boiled, steamed, or fried seafood cuisine of summer night dinner.

Fish Camp 8 in. Enamelware Round Sandwich Plates (Set of 4)

Lobster, crab, gulf shrimp, clams, sea scallops, mussels cod, haddock are in East coast season.

New England Clambake

Is anyone else thinking about the song, “Clambake” from the Elvis Presley movie of the same name?

Clambake, gonna have a clambake!

Happy As A Clam Two Tiered Server

Good tunes frame a good time.

In keeping with the keep it summer simple rule of summer entertaining, I like the versatility a casual with an elegant twist style brings to the table or beach blanket.

Keep the look simple and keep the guests guessing what decorating and entertaining surprise you’ll pull out of your beach bag of tricks.

Building on a theme takes a lot of the guesswork out of decorating and tablescaping.

The summer season comes ready to go with a ski boat load of ideas for themed parties and get-togethers with a catch of the day menu.

August Wren Oyster Platter

A cool beverage and a hot night can be all the theme you need, but if you’re looking for other theme ideas here’s a list of suggestions:

Reelin’, Chillin’ & Grillin’ Summer Nights

Seafood Bake-n-Boil

Nautical and Nice

Tropical Tails

Shrimp on the Barbie Under the Stars

Blackened Teak Root Round Server

Majolica Palissy Small Lobster Plate

Crustacean Bib design by Sir/Madam

Coastal Living

Ever wonder why lemon is the seafood plate accessory of choice?

Creole Seasoned Brown Sugar Pecan Topped Baked Tilapia

Lemon wakes up the natural flavors in seafood and fish.

The bright bite of fresh meets citrus sweet and flavor balance is born.

Foodiesfeed

Lemon wraps make a pretty plate presentation and keep the lemons seeds contained.

King crab, salmon, halibut, Pacific bay shrimp, sea scallops, swordfish, flounder, clams, oysters, calamari squid – Pacific perfection!

This Crab and Lobster Seafood Rolls recipe from Chef Resha at CarnalDish is seafood cuisine of summer scrumptious.  Click on the link for the recipe.

Seasoned to taste and region.

Put a southern spin on the seafood spread with a pan of buttermilk cornbread.

Cornbread Pan – Pre-Seasoned Fish Impression Cast Iron

From coast to coast and sea to shining sea, seafood lovers know the world is their oyster.

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