I do love a good dinner party!!
There's something special about having dear friends over for an evening of fun, food and fellowship!
Welcome to the Chapman home!
Come on in! We have been expecting you!
I spent the day preparing for your visit!
I even bought a special wine just for this night - an Apricot flavored white wine that was simply delicious!
Our special guests were dear friends I have known for years and years!
My friend, Val, took these pics! She loves to visit here and I love having her!!!
She is so much FUN!!!
I am thankful for my friends.
They make my life sweeter.
I'm thankful for my home and the hospitality I can share with them.
This young lady is Claire and I have known her since she was a little girl!
Claire and Summer were best friends growing up.
Summer would have joined us if she could!
Perhaps next time!
We had a great dinner thanks to Louis Dean!
He fried chicken and made gravy and I fixed potatoes and baked beans.
I made chocolate chip cookies for dessert by Louis Dean's request!
He had to get our car inspected yesterday morning and asked if I had some baked goods to take to the mechanics. Never under estimate the power of COOKIES!!!
We didn't have a current insurance certificate IN THE CAR.
We HAVE current insurance but those cookies saved him from having to drive back to the house and getting it! It helped that I have been doing business with this mechanic for the last 13 years!
After dinner we sat out in the gazebo and caught up with LIFE as it has happened to us!
Louis Dean and I even entertained them with some Johnny Cash and June Carter songs!
It was a magical evening!
Thank you, Val and Claire, for coming!
Louis Dean had a ball with THREE ladies hanging on his every word!!!
The weather has been more 'fallish' this week and we have been sleeping without the A/C on!
The best sleeping weather is when I can use the attic fan and we have had three nights in a row with it on! I LOVE it!!
Tuesday was a ladies lunch day!
I fixed a pasta salad with a good portion of chicken fried chicken!
My friend, Brenda, and I share September birthdays and we have been trying to get together for weeks now!! Life and health issues get in the way sometimes. First I was sick and then her parents were ill. FINALLY we made it happen! Brenda and I went to church together back 25 years ago and then she and I worked together for a few years at a State Farm agency where she still works.
I love Brenda and of course I love Ruth Ann!!
Brenda had to go back to her office and Ruth Ann and I went off to Goodwill!
I found a few treasures!
An Ann Klein cardigan and another really good one - I forget the brand but it was brand new with an original price of $32! A Bath and Body Works candle holder and animal print shell plus TWO brand new sunflower swags and a spooky candelabra were my finds!!
The candelabra has orange flicker lights and I will be using this outside on Halloween night!
Ruth Ann scored this great - new and in the box - deviled egg platter!!!
It was a good day at the Goodwill!
Now it was time to switch gears and prepare for art class!
I am just now learning to make light cocktails for us!
Tonight I used some lavender infused simple syrup, white rum, fresh blueberries and mint with a small bottle of citron lemonade from ALDI. It.was.delicious.
Sherry, Ruth Ann and I sat out on the deck visiting and enjoying our cocktail before we started painting.
There were five ladies around the art table tonight!
Sherry working on a special project and Sabrina......
Lisa was our guest tonight and she has a wonderful eye for critiquing!
The Santas are proving to be a challenge!
Painting BIGGER is certainly EASIER!!!
I KNEW that and yet I chose to paint one LARGE and one small.....!
Everyone is gone now and the art table is back to normal.
Louis Dean has been sitting out here in the gazebo with me as I write my journal entry.
He's ready to pour us a glass of wine to end our day.
And this is just exactly what we are doing right here right now!!!
Oh my, what a lovely home. If I ever visited, I wouldn't want to leave.
ReplyDeleteMary
What a great couple of days you had! From your family reunion, to your visit with Trystan and now your friends and art. You certainly keep yourself busy. And all the food looks so good! I like your porch too. I hope you are giving yourself some time to rest this week.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that last quote!
ReplyDeleteYour home is a reflection of the warmth, love and friendship you and Louis Dean have in your hearts. You offer hospitality as easily as breathing, and I can tell that others feel welcome in your home.
Deanna
That cocktail looks divine! So enjoying your blog these days.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I feel in my heart, that when you make friends, they are friends for life. You always seem to enjoy all your company. Of course when you have a sexy man cook...well who would not want to come to supper. He is Princess Charming too, that is why you ladies hang on his every words. :):) I would love to see all your Santa painting line up together when you ladies are finished with them. Are you using acrylics? Blessings, Love you, Susie
ReplyDeleteWhat fun...if I come to Texas will Louis Dean make supper for me? Fried Chicken please!! On Saturday evening we went out to dinner with all my GBH friends. Marvin said he thought of telling the waitress we were polygamists and these were all his wives!!lol... And when I come, I want some art lessons too Linda!! Yours is one of the first blogs I read every day as I have to see what is happening at your house. Another local friend who reads my blog also reads the blogs on my blog roll and you are her favorite as well. We were worried about yall when you were sick!! Love my bloggy friends!!
ReplyDeleteeverything looks cozy, warm and inviting and yummm on the cookies and the other food... i could eat any of your food anywhere anytime...
ReplyDeleteIt appears that everything is back up and running normally at The Chapmans! Good to see this and hear about the celebrations of life, love and autumn!
ReplyDeleteHi Linda....looks like such a wonderful time!!!... You are soo blessed to have a hubby that cooks.....:)....Brian is almost done the book you sent....he is a slow reader:)))..... Hugs!!
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, I am finally back to blogging and catching up on posts! Anyway, your home is just MAGICAL for the season. I wish I could see it in person! It sounds like you had a wonderful time of it and I bet Louis Dean was as pleased as punch to have three ladies adoring him. lol xo Diana
ReplyDeleteps...not sure if you did or not-but if you have time sign up for my giveaway if you'd like.
Your dinner party looks so lovely and inviting! You remind me of my mom in a lot of ways, she's always entertaining and doing things for others. We've moved far away so i don't get to see her as much. She does luncheons, etc for her friends too. I bet the two of you would get along great. :-) It's so wonderful to see a happy spirit enjoying life! Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Jill
I love the way you truly invited us all into your home to share the evening. You have a wonderful gift of making us all feel welcome. I enjoyed the dinner party , strolling through the house was very nice. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda. I just sent you an email. Be on the lookout for it. :)
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help but smile thinking about you and LD singing Johnny and June songs. I'm certain you two are a barrel of fun!
ReplyDeleteI love how you love entertaining so much! Your just an amazing lady Linda!
What a warm and inviting home you have created! Your thrifting finds were fun too ... love that deviled egg platter. And your blog background for autumn is absolutely gorgeous!
ReplyDelete