A Baby Shower to Top all Baby Showers!!

It's always exciting to welcome babies into the world with celebrations and gifts, BUT this baby shower was not only special, it felt like a festival!

Tom and Sean will be welcoming twins in the near future and invited me to share in their joy.  The guests parked in the town center and we were picked up by horse and wagon to transport us to their home:

The horses were embellished with pink and blue hoof polish....

...and their tails sported frilly ribbons:

Deb (and her husband), from Mountains Breath, and I met in the parking lot and giggled all the way to the home:

We were welcomed by this cute themed entryway:

Prior to the Gender Reveal, we could choose 2 stickers....girl/boy, girl/girl or boy/boy.....I chose 2 "Team Stashes", with the thought they would have 2 little boys.....

The REVEAL was exciting, announcing there will be two little boys coming soon!  I guessed correctly!

The home was filled with balloons and there were presents galore.  These little boys will be welcomed with lots of love and many treasures!  Each guest brought a book to build the babies' library!

It was fun to visit with Blogging and Instagram friends:

There were so many special touches and tasty treats!

The food and drink was plentiful and displayed with such festivity:

I don't know where to begin to describe the cake  - We watched the assembly and the cake filled the kitchen island.  The 'tree' was a "Rice Crispie" creation and one end of the huge log was a vanilla cake, the other end was chocolate - it was stunning and tasty!

The Nursery is ready to welcome the babies:

The Winnie the Pooh theme was carried throughout the party:

We share a love for MacKenzie-Childs and I was in awe of the special pieces of furniture, tableware,  and home decor.  The vignettes and creative displays were flowing, each room more exciting than the next.....enjoy these photos that they are generously letting me share with you:

We all look forward to doting on these two lucky baby boys!

Valentine Lunch with Rebecca Proctor at MacKenzie-Childs in Aurora....

Yesterday, Valentine's Day, I attended a luncheon at MacKenzie-Childs in Aurora, NY. 

 It was hosted by Rebecca Proctor, creative director and chief brand officer, and held in the historic farmhouse.

The front doors were decorated with heart shaped wreaths which welcomed us into the foyer...

...to a festive table decorated with a lovely bouquet of fresh flowers in the Great Vase.

The dining room Diorama Table was cheerfully decorated with a parade of cloches housing Patience Brewster characters......

...Apothecary Jars filled with candy conversation hearts, Courtly Check heart dishes....

....Taylor Cabbage Rose Heart dishes and chowder bowls and canisters filled with nosegays of fresh flowers.

Each place setting was layered with a Sweet Briar  dinner dish, a Courtly Check enamel dish, a vintage Lollipop dish and a Courtly Check Compote.  The napkins were folded into hearts accented with a petite flower and a gingham bow.  The Blooming Flute was filled with champagne for a toast!

The chandelier was decorated with lots of courtly checked flowers and bows....

...and cheery hearts...

Twelve of us introduced ourselves and then listened to Rebecca share her history with company!

Rebecca exudes joyfulness, enthusiasm and pride and shared some delightful tales of her many years working at MacKenzie-Childs.  

Todd, Farmhouse Tour Guide extraordinaire, was our "butler for the day"!

Rebecca is warm, inspiring and cheerful and it is so apparent that she loves her position in the company.  Her jaunty tales and perky personality kept us all amazed with her energy and commitment to inspiring and developing new ideas constantly!  You can't help but smile as she shared her enthusiasm with us!

The luncheon, prepared by the Inns of Aurora, was delicious.  We began with a champagne toast and then we were served a beet and cauliflower pureed soup, chicken or salmon, a tasty tomato and spinach farro and dessert was a decadent heart shaped chocolate torte with raspberry syrup! 

After lunch we all received a sweet gift, the Cabbage Rose Heart Dish with chocolates, signed and dated by Rebecca!  

This is such a special memento and I will treasure the memory it will hold.

Rebecca finally got to meet my Traveling Tote, Miss Kenzie and invited me to share the Tales of the Traveling Tote series with the rest of the guests:

It was a magical day, filled with cheer and pure delight and I smiled all the way home!

A special thanks to Liz who organized this luncheon,  Linda who decorated the farmhouse and the Inns of Aurora for the delicious cuisine!  This was a very special Valentine's Day!

Joining Life and Linda

A Valentine Surprise....

I made these Valentines for two special people!

I cut four matching heart shapes out of brown paper.  I painted a few vases of flowers on two of them and trimmed them with stripes:

I bought large candy bars that were smaller than the hearts:

I placed the candy bar between two pieces of paper....

...and stitched the candy bar inside the hearts!!

I glued a bow on top of each one:

The best part of giving away one of these Valentines, is to watch the expression on the recipients face as they ask "what's inside and how do I get it out?"

A Sweet Valentine table... and a cocktail recipe...

My table is set for a Valentine Lunch....

...with a layer of red dinner dishes, a pink MacKenzie-Childs napkin, a Sydenstricker glass plate and a MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check fluted heart plate:

Each setting is on a white plastic lace placemat!

This is a Sydenstricker glass plate.  Sydenstricker Glass Gallery is on Cape Cod, in Brewster.  Years ago there was also a Gallery in W. Palm Beach, where these dishes were purchased.  Visit the site to learn about the process of making these beautiful dishes.

The red silverware has been around for years and I use it often!

These are Dollar Tree wine glasses that I painted:

The centerpiece is the MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check Globe Canister

What shall I serve in the wine glasses?  

Maybe a Lovebug Cocktail:

Are you doing anything special for Valentines Day?