Engagement Party for the Future Weber's

Call me the matchmaker...

A few years ago I decided I wanted to set up one of Brent's best friends, Jeremy. And I don't want to give anything away, but by the title of this post, I think you have a pretty good guess how this ends.

I knew the right girl for him would have to exhibit certain unique qualities. She needed to be active, up for anything, easygoing and kind. She needed to be a loyal friend, understanding and compassionate. She had to be as beautiful inside as she was out. Most of all she had to have a passion for life and a contagious laugh.

I found that girl in my friend Tara's sister, Alise. I knew right off the bat that Jeremy would find her attractive---I mean come on. She's got big blue eyes, long thick blonde hair and an athletic petite body.

Fast forward a few years later and they're engaged! I couldn't be more excited for them. They seem to make one another so extremely happy. They build one another up and lift each other's spirits.

So this all called for a party!

Address and phone number blurred out on the image--I promise I didn't send out invitations with smudges on them :)

We sent out invitations---real paper invitations. I wanted it to feel special for all the guests that Alise and Jeremy chose.

For appetizers I made simple caprese skewers, prosciutto wrapped melon and these little bites...

 

 

 

I was inspired by some apple onion jam my friend Shelley gave me for Christmas. So I added a bit of goat cheese and a sliver of pear atop a simple cracker.



 



As always, my philosophy is that simple food is usually the most appealing and delicious. Caprese skewers could not be any easier to assemble.

The tables were set simply as well, with a mix of cloth napkins, our white plates and silver utensils. Because of the number of guests, I squeezed two dining tables into the room...with seating for 15. It was cozy but I think it worked fine.

 

We decided on one signature drink for the evening---sangria! Since the theme of the food was Italian, I wanted something that sort of went along. It was a HUGE hit and I plan to make it more often. We probably could have used two of these! 

 

 

Brent and our friend Tom enjoyed a few glasses in the backyard as the guys played cornhole. The girls stayed inside and shared funny stories around the dining table.

For dinner I made two different kinds of lasagna, salad and breadsticks. We were so busy having fun that I didn't take pics. Same story for dessert which included two different kinds of Salted Caramel Gelato Pie (one was coffee and one was vanilla).

 

Look at this sweet couple! They bless us with their friendship and kind hearts. This was the very least we could do for them.

But secretly I do love that I can say I set them up on a blind date :)

Love and blessings,
Karli

Lone Ranger Party

Little girls have Tea Parties, but what do you do for boys? You can still have a Tea Party, you just have to change it up a bit. What about.....(wait for it)........a Lone Ranger Party!

My dear friend, Kathy, had given Tea Parties and etiquette classes for her granddaughters. She wanted to do the same for her grandson and his friends but needed to make it more boy friendly. I volunteered to help her put the party together, along with my neighbor, Pat. We had all just seen the new movie, "The Lone Ranger," and thought it would be the perfect theme for the boy's party. After all, part of the movie was filmed in our area.

As I've mentioned before, I have a lot of "stuff" from my Antique Store days (numerous displays and window décor). It was fun to pull together our Western themed party. If you've seen "The Lone Ranger" (the past TV episodes or the new movie) there are many related items that can be incorporated...horses, mining, silver, trains, Tonto, Cowboys, Indians, bandanas, masks. Here is what I came up for our décor.

This wooden shutter served as the backdrop for our Lone Ranger décor. I included some fun cowboy
stuff, hat, horse halter, rope, even long underwear.

A framed photo of the Lone Ranger and Tonto

The old chair holds a real cow skull and an old wood box filled with old railroad spikes.

The tables were covered with wide brown paper. An old boot filled with pine branches and feathers was set atop a red checked cloth. Old rope was coiled along the edge and then, of course, we had silver.  

 

 

Silver spray-painted rocks. The boys asked to take some of these valuable rocks home!

Each boy got a black mask and a red bandana in keeping with our theme. Dressing the part seemed to make it more fun. We noticed that the bandanas were worn in a variety of ways. Ha!

An old wood box filled with antique horseshoes, the black masks and red bandanas.

Kathy ordered these masks online.

We had the boys make their own scones. They actually had fun in the kitchen. Evidently they do a little cooking at home. We used these two recipes:

Pumpkin Scones     

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Combine dry ingredients then add with pastry blender:
• 1/2 cup cold butter (cut in pieces)
• Then fold in the wet ingredients:
• 1/2 buttermilk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Combine all, do not overmix.  Knead dough.  Pat into circle 7" round on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cut into triangles when cool.


Chocolate Chip Scones  

• 2 cups Bisquick mix
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 3 tblsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Stir all together. Pat into 8" circle on greased baking sheet. Brush with additional whipping cream and sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Cut into triangles.



We served both scones with Devonshire Cream and jelly. The boys especially loved the jelly. We served their tea two ways...hot and cold. They really liked it best cold and they loved the sugar cubes!

We used Kathy's enamel cowboy plates and cups. We served the cold tea in the fun coffee pot.

The red checked napkins matched the square cloths on the tables.

Kathy gave the boys some information about tea history and etiquette. Then a lady from the southern part of the state gave the boys a program on natural herbs and plants that can be used for teas.

 She brought samples of herbs and plants and shared a wealth of knowledge.

Before the boys went home, we had several "Kodak" moments. 

 Clowning around and getting ready!

 

Lone Ranger Party Official Photo

Kathy is sending copies of the pictures to each of the boys. They got to go home with a black mask, some knowledge about tea, natural herbs and plants, some tea etiquette, and (oh yeah) silver rocks! A fun day and we hope a memorable one for Kathy's grandson and his friends!

Hi Yo Silver and Later Tonto,
Kandy