WE started the Month off on DECEMBER 1,2018

with a BEAUTIFUL DINNER given by THE GARDEN CLUB at THE OLD ORINDA COUNTRY CLUB.

 MY SON, brought us the TREE from his LAND up NORTH!

 I think it’s THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TREE we HAVE ever had!

 This year it landed in THE KITCHEN as that is where THE ITALIAN put in the TALLEST CEILINGS!

You see WE didNOT want to cut the TREE!

THREE FEET had TO BE REMOVED TO FIT!

Next Up was a TEA PARTY at a Home where ME and THE FABULOUS SHARI had to make the ARRANGEMENT for the DINING ROOM TABLE!

Lets PEEK at THAT TABLE!!

SHALL WE?

 This would be GRAND CENTRAL for THE TEA PARTY!

 I was going for The POWDER ROOM but MY BUDDY SAID THIS ROOM!!!!

I meekly said, “OKAY!”

Those of you from CALIFORNIA will remember LONGS DRUGS?

This was the FAMILY’s ESTATE years ago.

SO, I got THE IDEA from my favorite PAST TIME!

INSTAGRAM!

MY MOUTH DROPPED OPEN and STAYED THERE for SECONDS!

 

BY the way this is THE ACCOUNT of SERENA CRAWFORD  who was FEATURED on AGELESS STYLE HERE on Cindy’s BLOG a couple of months ago!

If YOU MISSED IT CLICK HERE!!

SHE does a FABULOUS INSTAGRAM PAGE!!!!

YOU CAN TRAVEL THE WORLD WITH HER in the COMFORT of your own HOME!

Ps. SHE KNOWS PEOPLE I KNOW IN South Africa!

HOW COOL IS THAT??

SO THIS IS HOW THE DINING TABLE THEME came to FRUITION!

 

 

IS YOUR MOUTH A GAPING?

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN OUTSIDE in THE BRISK SUNSHINE!

OUR FINISHED VESSELS for VEGTABLES!

SHALL WE TAKE A BOW?

 ONWARD TO RED FRUIT VESSELS!!!!

With a TOUCH of GREEN!

NOT DONE YET!

JUST HAD TO STOP AND ADMIRE MY HANDY WORK!

THE BEST COMPLIMENT was from SHARI’S HUSBAND THE DON………. as SHE CALLS HIM!

“IT LOOKS LIKE A DUTCH STILL LIFE PAINTING!”

                                                                                                              THE DON

I’m SUPER PLEASED!

((((CAN YOU TELL!))))

THE MOUNTAIN in the distance is MOUNT DIABLO for YOU Bay Area BUFFS!

This is SHARI’s VIEW from HER HOUSE with THAT DON!

SHALL WE ENTER THE TEA PARTY?

ENTRY TABLE!

MY NEW FRIEND KATIE from GARDEN CLUB’s FLOWER VESSEL & BOUQUET in the FAMILY ROOM!

ANOTHER PRETTY CREATION!

I think this was in THE MUSIC ROOM!

THE MAIN SALON!

There were TWO of these!

OH SANTA!

 

DINING TABLE!

YOURS TRUELY and SHARi’s CREATIONS TOOK CENTER STAGE!

THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN BIGGER!!

BUT they are HARD TO TRANSPORT as they are HEAVY!!!!!!!

NO WATER BUT those VEGGIES HAVE WEIGHT!!!!!!

Who KNEW LOW CALORIE GOOD FOOD for YOU has a WEIGHT PROBLEM in TRANSPORT!

If one was to make on LOCATION it could have been BIGGER!

I think I will do ONE for MY HOME every WEEK!

I can PLUCK my vegetables as NEEDED as the week PROGRESSES!

TEA PARTY SCENE!

LOTS of TREATS to MUNCH ON!

I had my DOUGH made the day before but left it in THE FREEZER TOO LONG!

So, at 6 AM the MORNING of THE TEA I started again from SCRATCH as I wanted to make these sugar cookies with POMEGRANATE DRESSING!

I READ ABOUT HERE ON CLAUDIA’s BLOG called GOURMET PROJECT.

 

 MY COOKIES!

I had a bit of difficulty with the cookie cutter so made BLOBS!

They cooked TOO BIG!

     AS I’m NOT suppose to EAT as I am Gluten FREE I Passed and told people to break OFF a piece!

They did………and kept coming back FOR MORE!

I will make again!

As that RED topper is SO MAGICAL for THE SEASON!

They are VERY SIMPLE TOO!

CAN YOU IMAGINE IN A HEART SHAPE for VALENTINES DAY!

This GAL was a FREQUENT SHOPPER AT THE HEN HOUSE when I dabbled in The ANTIQUE and VINTAGE STUFF!

SHE looked ABSOLUTELY STUNNING at the TEA!

HER EARRINGS KEPT SPEAKING TO ME!

Lucky ME she told me where!

I was NOT as LUCKY!!

HOWEVER,

I did FIND TREASURE TOO!!

It’s the SEASON to be SHOPPING for OTHERS!

Why is it I always FIND MORE for ME THAN the GIFTS I NEED?

I MAY have a WHITE ELEPHANT SALE HERE TO LET YOU PARTAKE IN THE JOY OF RHINESTONE JEWELS!

WOULD THAT INTEREST YOU?

THE LIGHT MAN has FINISHED and is PROUD of his TREE!

NOTE WINSTON under the LADDER!

Isn’t that BAD LUCK?

THE ITALIAN did a BEAUTIFUL JOB

and he knows NOT TO ASK ME TO HELP as I am NOT as PRECISE as HE!

I wrapped GIFTS instead, close by with MUSIC BLASTING the CASA with HOLIDAY SPIRIT!

 

 

 

ABBIAMO FINITO!

WE ARE FINISHED!

JUST IN TIME FOR OUR ANNUAL STREET PARTY!

Tell Me do PEOPLE R.S.V.P. to YOUR PARTIES?

WE had ONE RSVP as of YESTERDAY!

 WE are the DESSERT CASA ONLY.

With DESSERT you get MIDNIGHT PASTA TOO!

AS THE HOSTS on our street FOR THE MAIN FARE THEY WORK FULL-TIME and NEED TO SHOP and PLAN FOOD the week before!NOT to mentioned re-arrange Furniture in their living room to set up MORE TABLES!

MY THEORY which has JUST COME TO ME!

Is that PEOPLE DO NOT ENTERTAIN anyMORE and have NO IDEA

what goes into SETTING UP A PARTY!

THEY JUST SHOW UP!!

I THINK YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT AND I DONOT NEED TO SPELL IT OUT!

MY FAMILY has TWO PAGES in this BOOK and MY GORGEOUS SON is on the COVER!

MY MOTHER’s CHRISTMAS TREE in her last few years………

AS SHE WAS THE MOTHER HEN at The HEN HOUSE STORE her daughter owned!

THEODORE did NOT make the BOOK as The photo I submitted was NOT up to SNUFF!

Just know HE was a RESCUE CAT from the POUND and a CHRISTMAS Present to ME many years ago by THE SECOND BORN!

BEST CAT EVER!

  AS THIS IS THE BEST GIFT EVER from THE FIRST BORN!

BANKSY landed in my kitchen on VALENTINES DAY to live with me and THE ITALIAN for EVER AFTER!

HE HAS NO IDEA HOW GOOD HE HAS IT!

THE GRAND DOGS!

WHO MADE THE BOOK AS WELL…….

NOLLIE on the LEFT.

Goose on the RIGHT.

(GOOSE is full of CANCER and has been given just days to LIVE!)

He is LIVING A GOOD LIFE and GETTING ALL THE FOOD HE DESIRES………MY SON reports he is a VERY HAPPY DOG at the MOMENT!

  PLEASE ORDER YOUR BOOK TODAY on AMAZON CLICK HERE TO VIEW BOOK!

  AS EACH DOLLAR YOU spend for THE BOOK GOES TO AN ANIMAL IN NEED!

  TO DATE FIFI O’NEILL has written TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CHECKS TO SHELTERS AND ANIMAL RESCUES around the United States!

 I think the book has been out for about TWO MONTHS ONLY!

 PLEASE HELP AND SPREAD THE WORD THAT WITH every BOOK PURCHASE YOU CAN HELP FURRY,FUNNY AND FABULOUS CREATURES who doNOT have a HOME!

THE BOOK IS FULL OF STORIES that will MAKE YOU SMILE and MELT YOUR HEART!

PLUS,LA CONTESSA’s animals and FAMILY are on pages 32 & 33!!!!!

WILL YOU PLEASE ORDER A BOOK FOR A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?

IT’s as EASY as ONE TWO THREE……….PRESS THOSE FINGERS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE!!!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I ADORE ALL OF YOU and your COMMENTS and EMAILS!

IT’s LIKE WE ARE ONE BIG FAMILY!

THANKS FOR READING and STAY HEALTHY!!!!

WE HAVE ONE LIFE TO LIVE………LET’s MAKE IT COUNT!

XOXO