Something old...something blue...

 Table for four, please...

This week I wanted to showcase these Romanian crystal juice glasses and I only have four of them. My friend, who also gave me the linen place mats and the tablecloth from last week, gave me these a few years ago. She has gone to Romania almost every summer for missions for the last 10+years and has collected many things over the years. I guess I'm her go-to giftee  because she always gives me the most amazing things!! 

The table is set with JB  Denmark Blue Dinner Plates, Blue Danube luncheon plates & cups and saucers, my grandmother's silver and silverplate, estate sale napkins, Target clearance napkin rings, and my goblets from Marshall's. The centerpiece platter is a new find from an estate sale last week. I don't have a Denmark Blue or Blue Danube teapot, so I used my JB Blue Willow teapot.

I love the details on these cups and saucers.

 I'll be joining Susan from BNOTP for Tablescape Thursday!!

Blue and White patterns make the table

 Last May, my parents traveled to Russia with friends of theirs. I mentioned in an earlier post that she bought me a beautiful ceramic sugar bowl in blue and white. She also found these napkin rings. They're wood and hand painted and for my mom, who says she has the worst memory, they match the flowers on the Indies Blue pattern by Johnson Brothers amazingly well!! She also gave me the tea pot, serving platter and a couple serving bowls to match this set.

  I love the details in this pattern

 I used my Rattan Chargers from Walmart to break up the ecru in the Italian Countryside Dinner plates and the Romanian linen tablecloth. I never tire of this tablecloth. The handiwork is amazing. 

I used my Johnson Brothers Indies Blue Dinner plates and bread plates (as saucers) and the Italian Countryside tea cups to tie in the two patterns. My blue swirled goblets from Pottery Barn years ago (random...I saw these on an episode of Friends last night...circa 1999...I think my brother gave them to me in 2002!) My husband gave me these everyday goblets for Christmas. I have the Iced Teas from my HEB, but found these at Pottery Barn. I used all my grandmother's eclectic silver this week too! If I had time this week, I've have friends over for coffee and scones and a sausage egg casserole. 

Just for fun...I thought this would make a great drink for Valentine's Day...you could add wine or something stronger to make it a cocktail!

It's simply fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, a splash of cranberry juice and topped off with Cranberry Raspberry Sparkling Water...so refreshing!

 I'll be joining Susan from Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. 

and

Designs By Gollum for Foodie Fridays
and
Miz Helen for Full Plate Thursdays

Muffin Tin Monday

Today's it's raining and I had an appointment, so I left some fun snacks for the boys with their sitter! I got these cups at my local HEB on clearance. I think I paid $1 for 6! I thought the red bugs would be cute closer to Valentines too! 

Craisins, Dark Chocolate Chips, Apples, Salami, Colby Jack, Fritos

I'm joining Muffin Tin Mom for Muffin Tin Monday!

Sea World with the boys

I told you I took my boys to Sea World over the weekend of New Year's Eve. I'm just now getting to these pictures because they are from my phone....horrible quality I know, but I still wanted the first memory of them there! We got passes, so I will hopefully get some better pictures in February when they reopen! 

My boys love maps!!

Sesame Street...we saw Abby, Elmo, the Count, Big Bird, Telly...

  I'm joining CJ for her R& R weekend activity at In and Out of My Nest

and 

the Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

Foodie Friday -Slow Cooked pork tacos

In an effort to eat at home and save some on our food budget, I have enjoyed trying to prepare foods that make a little go a long long way! I used half a pork roast for this recipe, half a bag of frozen corn, a can of tomatoes and chicken stock! I cooked the pork all day in a large pot with carrots, onion and celery. Then when it was done, I put the vegetables in a separate casserole and made the pork tacos.

If you like pork roast, you could serve it traditionally the first night and use the leftovers to make tacos.

Slow Cooked Pork Tacos
Pork Roast (trim the fat)
Carrots 
Celery
Onion
Frozen Corn
Canned Tomatoes
Chicken Stock


Cook Roast in oven low and slow (hours at 285*) with carrots, celery, onion and cover with stock. When done, take vegetables out and add corn, tomatoes and more stock. I also added parsley, salt & pepper, and a little more onion. Shred pork and let flavors marry til your ready to eat. I served mine on warm corn tortillas with shredded cheese, sour cream and salsa. It was really good!!!

I'm linking up with Designs by Gollum for Foodie Fridays! Enjoy!
and
Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday

Happy New Year

When everyone is home, mommy doesn't get to play by myself much:) We had a great Christmas and New Year! I hope you and your families were blessed this season as well. We bought Sea World passes this year for the boys and me. My youngest is free this year, so it was a good year to see if they'd like it. It was a blast and almost every time we get in the car, my youngest now asks, "Mommy, we see fish? Mommy, we see dolphins? Mommy, we see penguin?" I'd say it was a good choice on our part to explore this park this year!

I took a week off since I was at home playing with my boys and family and all their new stuff. The weather was beautiful and we've even played outside most days! Our snowmen are built out of rubber balls!!!

Here is a table I set for winter...not too Christmassy but still keeping with the reds I love with the season! I was serving Spinach and Italian Sausage Quiche and Cream of Cauliflower soup (Pioneer Woman recipe)

 I've reused most of my china here.

Italian Countryside Dinner plates, salad plates and cups and saucers. I love how dainty these are!!

French red glass soup bowls bought years ago

Johnson Brothers British Castles salad plates

my grandmother's silver

red handled forks from World Market last year

Water goblets from Marshalls

Red Hurricanes from Pier One

Corn husk flowers from Romania

White linen napkins from an estate sale

Red berry tablecloth Target clearance 2010

White Bird S&P, Berry napkin rings Pier One

Red bubble glass goblets gift from my brother:) 

 I'll be joining Susan from BNOTP 

for Tablescape Thursday

Blessings to all of you this new year!!!