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My 2017 Cookie Exchange Party

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Janet

In 2013 I hosted my first-ever Christmas cookie exchange party, and although it took me four years to do it again, I’m so glad I did! Seven lovely ladies joined me this past Sunday to sample cookies, share recipes, and socialize. Everyone also took home heaping helpings of the cookies and treats to share with family and friends.

I set up the cookie table, the drink station, and a prize display prior to the ladies’ arrival. Guests knew they were each to bring three dozen “homemade and holiday special” cookies – some to sample and some to share.

Cookie Party 2017 | Vintage Floral Cottage

As guests arrived we added their cookies to the table and they received tickets good for prizes later on… when everyone was gathered we went around the room and introduced ourselves and our cookies, then played a game where they had to match up the cookie or treat with who brought it. Winner of this game chose a prize.

Cookie Party 2017 | Vintage Floral Cottage

Next we all went to the table and loaded our plates with cookies to sample and enjoyed some holiday punch. Here’s our cookie table before we dug in:

Cookie Party 2017 | Vintage Floral Cottage

When the sampling seemed to be winding down, we played another memory game where I brought out a tray loaded with Christmas items. The girls had one minute to study the tray, then two minutes to write down all the items that they could remember. The winner of this game also chose a prize! These first two prizes were a small ceramic holiday-themed cheese plate, and a set of four “warm vanilla” scented votive candles.

Cookie Party 2017 | Vintage Floral Cottage

We then drew randomly for two additional prizes – homemade wreaths – plus the “grand prize” in the gold-wrapped box. Penney was the lucky winner of a holiday-themed ceramic chip-and-dip that could double (if turned upside down) as a cake plate.

Cookie Party 2017 | Vintage Floral Cottage

Finally we handed out copies of our recipes, and everyone took turns taking more and more cookies off the table and loading up their own containers to take home. Cookies included: Twix cookies, Christmas mice, no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, Kringla with eggnog, Spritz cookies, Christmas Monster cookies, Peanut Butter Fudge, Lemon cookies, and more!

We had a great time, and everyone took home cookies to share plus new recipes to try in plenty of time for their own holiday baking.

I had great fun throwing this party – I’m going to try to do more in the coming year!

Here’s a Pin-able image if you’d like to save the Cookie Exchange for future inspiration!

Cookie Exchange | Vintage Floral Cottage

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Wishing you and yours a happy, bountiful Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Janet

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A small Thanksgiving gathering

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Janet

For the first time ever, my daughter is away for the holidays with no opportunity to make even a quick visit home. She will soon be finishing up her second six-month round of working at Walt Disney World in Orlando, but for now she is far away. I’m certainly looking forward to the day she comes home in January!

I’ve nonetheless set a very pretty table for a small Thanksgiving gathering, keeping it simple but celebrating the season with Fall colors and textures.

Thanksgiving table | Vintage Floral Cottage

For the place settings, I couldn’t decide between Johnson Brothers’ Windsor Fruit or Harvest Time – both are perfect for this time of year and with very similar coloring, so I used two of each, with pretty rattan chargers set beneath.

Thanksgiving table | Vintage Floral Cottage

I really liked working with the tablecloth in this setting – it is actually a single drapery panel, made of tan velvet. Hard to get a good picture of the texture, but maybe this shot of the Oneida Chandelier flatware gives a hint of it. It felt very sumptuous!

Thanksgiving table | Vintage Floral Cottage

Napkins are a hem-stitched style and are from Pier 1. I removed the Gerbera Daisy blooms from ready-made napkin rings and substituted silk sunflowers.

Thanksgiving table | Vintage Floral Cottage

The centerpiece is made of silk florals from Dollar Tree, real tiny pumpkins from my favorite city-fied pumpkin patch, and hand-cut wooden leaves.

Thanksgiving table | Vintage Floral Cottage

Actually those wooden leaves are tied together with jute twine and raffia, and are a bit of handmade Fall decor that normally hangs on the door! I just re-purposed it for my table because it was just the right motif and gave a little bit of height without being overwhelming.

Thanksgiving table | Vintage Floral Cottage

Drinkware consists of large green water goblets from Dollar Tree, plus smaller crystal pieces rimmed in gold found at the Goodwill. For this meal they aren’t for a beverage, though, they’re for a small serving of cut fruit!

Thanksgiving table | Vintage Floral Cottage

I just love all the texture around this table –

Thanksgiving table | Vintage Floral Cottage

Equally lovely Thanksgiving colors and textures when it is all gathered up and ready to be put away!

Thanksgiving table | Vintage Floral Cottage

Here is an image to Pin if you would like, for future ideas!

Small Thanksgiving Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

Wishing you and yours the most bountiful Thanksgiving!

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Upcycled chairs get a storybook look

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Janet

I’m hosting a Christmas cookie party in early December, so I’ve been on the hunt for a couple extra dining chairs that I can pull in if needed for my guests. I scored four – one pair was free, and the other was $20, and all four needed a re-do. Easy enough, but I didn’t get to it quick enough – I only got two completed before spray painting season ended… but boy, are they cute!

The two that I completed are both nice vintage wooden chairs with cane seats in very good condition. They were painted gray when I got them – true to my style I didn’t take a “before” picture of the two of them together, but I did manage to get a shot of one chair in each color! I chose a pretty aqua for the re-do. (In case this is a crappy photo, the “before” is on the right.)

Storybook upcycled chairs | Vintage Floral Cottage

I used three cans of spray paint for the entire project – one for each chair and one for final touch-ups on both. Also, I discovered this handy device which turns your spray can into a spray GUN – I loved this thing and wish I’d discovered it years ago! It eliminated “finger fatigue,” kept the overspray mostly off my hands, and felt like it gave me more control over the heaviness of my paint… which is good because I am a HORRIBLE spray-painter .

Storybook upcycled chairs | Vintage Floral Cottage

Made sure to also do the underside – yes that is paint in my yard… it will “mow out” next Spring.

Storybook upcycled chairs | Vintage Floral Cottage

Next step with both chairs painted was to bring them inside and hand-paint the details across the top using my acrylic craft paints.

Storybook upcycled chairs | Vintage Floral Cottage

This looked so soft and pretty I almost left it like this:

Storybook upcycled chairs | Vintage Floral Cottage

But I decided in the end to go ahead with the dark antiquing wax that I was originally envisioning. It is a scary moment when you gob that stuff on and wonder whether you just completely ruined your project!

Storybook upcycled chairs | Vintage Floral Cottage

Gaaaa!!! But just trust… that if you rub enough of it off, you get something really special and pretty. Here it is half-done… this is the point where I knew I was going to really love it.

Storybook upcycled chairs | Vintage Floral Cottage

And here they are completed – looking like they just stepped out of a fairy tale!

Storybook upcycled chairs | Vintage Floral Cottage

I guess they are not *quite* actually done because I would like to put some seat cushions on them – but for now, I smile because they are placed on the opposite side of the table from where I usually sit, so I get to look at them every day.

Storybook chairs | Vintage Floral Cottage

Point being, dark wax is a scary thing but it certainly turned into a Happily Ever After for my storybook chairs!

Please join me at these awesome link parties for more ideas!

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Flaunt It Friday at Chic on A Shoestring
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
DIY Salvaged Junk Party at Funky Junk Interiors

Here’s an image to Pin for this post if you would like!

Vintage dining room chairs get a storybook fairy tale look makeover. Chairs fit for a princess. #paintedchairs #paintedfurniture #upcycledfurniture #princesschair #furnituremakeover

Posted in Decorating, DIY & Crafts | 2 Comments

Pretty-in-plaid tablescape for Fall

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Janet

Hello friends! Well, I am convinced it’s finally Fall – yes, “Faded Summer” has come to an end – because our colors were beautiful at their peak and now we’re getting lots of cold, gray, and clouds. I hate to utter that dreaded four letter word, but snow cannot be far behind.

I’m working on ideas for several Fall tablescapes… I have so many elements for these, I guess I really love Fall decor and can’t resist it when I find it in the thrift stores.

Last year, before I was setting many tables, I found a set of four plaid salad plates with a fruit motif that looked so pretty next to some amber glassware that I had purchased the same day. I decided to set them together for the first of my Fall tables.

Pretty in Plaid Fall Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

To ground the elements of this table I used a piece of unfinished yellow jacquard fabric.

Pretty in Plaid Fall Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

Each place setting starts with a simple ivory dinner plate rimmed in gold. These are marked “Franciscan Fine China” and “Made in California.” The dinner plate is topped with the plaid salad plate.

Pretty in Plaid Fall Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

Green and yellow napkins are from Pier 1; the floral napkin rings were a Fall clearance item last year.

Pretty in Plaid Fall Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

Each place also includes a small ceramic “leaf” nut dish – these were a grocery store find last year.

Pretty in Plaid Fall Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

The Amber glassware works so well with the plaid plates.

Pretty in Plaid Fall Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

The centerpiece is very simple and starts with my new Autumn friend, Dan Quail – a pretty planter in soft fall colors, holding a silk arrangement.

Pretty in Plaid Fall Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

I’ve included a couple of Dollar Tree ceramic pumpkins and my Pfaltzgraff salt and pepper shakers.

Pretty in Plaid Fall Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

A few more views around the table –

Pretty in Plaid Fall Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

And one of my favorite things to do when photographing each table… the “put-away shot,” where everything is stacked and ready to be put away until next time!

Pretty in Plaid Fall Table | Vintage Floral Cottage

I’m sharing my Fall table over at Susan’s fabulous “pretty table link party,” Tablescape Thursday on her blog, Between Naps on the Porch,

Here’s a Pin-able image if you’d like to save this post for future ideas!

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