St Patty's tablescapes

Today I wanted to share with you my grand daughters little table. The kids are getting excited for St Patrick's day. We are having our annual leprechaun hunt. The kids make traps and bait them with gold coins. They follow the clues left behind by the tricky little guy to find the pot of gold. Maybe this year they will catch him.

Kali's little table is ready for a St Patrick's day lunch. I used Fiestaware plates with Longaberger shamrock bowls. I found the little soda glasses at GW, they will be perfect for a shamrock shake. The little cauldrons were on clearance after Halloween. They make perfect little pots of gold. My mother gave me the Irish santa/leprechaun.

                            Kali loves to see what is new on her table. I love how special it makes her feel.

I did a little tablescaping for the adult table as well. I really changed gears this year. I wanted to honer the Irish flag. It seems that here in America we forget the orange when it comes to decorating. Orange is very prevalent in St Patrick's celebrations in Ireland.

I started with a charger and my Bordello cabbage chop plate. Cabbage and potatoes and corned beef is always on our St Patty's menu.

Next I used a white Fiestaware dinner plate and a tangerine Fiesta salad plate. The napkins are Longaberger shamrock pattern.

                                                 Easy, quick St Patrick's tablescape.

Thank you for sharing this very special holiday with me. Check out my giveaway and enter to win 4 Fiesta shamrock dinner plates.

                                                                 Blessings, Missy

Mantel Monday, St Patrick's

Whats on your mantel? Today I am sharing my St Patricks mantel. My mantel is really not a mantel at all. My husband installed a large shelf for me to use as a mantel. Our home in IL has a very beautiful mantel and I loved decorating it for the holidays and seasons. For now I will decorate my pretend mantel in our little rental cottage.  I am still looking for the right size mirror for above the mantel.

In the center is one of my favorite irish blessings. Propped on the frame is grandpas pipe and a very old horseshoe painted gold.

                                                 Did you notice the shamrocks on the pipe?

A little leprechaun lost his boots. I found these old baby boots a few years ago and thought they looked like leprechaun boots. I added shamrock ribbon for the laces. The little cast iron cauldron makes a cute little pot of gold. The gold nuggets are just small stones painted gold. Another old horseshoe in the background.

I love vintage Lefton figurines. Here are a set of hard to find Lefton Leprechauns. I painted an old brick gold for different levels of display. 

I have one more area to show you but it will have to wait for another day.

Blessings, Missy

St Patrick's Pistachio muffins in Fiestaware cups

If you are like me you have dozens of Fiestaware cups. The cups are to small for coffee and I seldom drink hot tea. What else can you use them for? Make muffins in them.

I love the way they look and they turned out super moist and yummy. The pistachio pudding made them just the right color green. I added no food color in these muffins but if you want a more vivid green you could add a drop or two of green food coloring.

                                       Just look at the color, it matches the lemon grass fiesta.

I used shamrock and lemon grass Fiestaware and Longaberger napkins. The tablecloth was a GW find for $2.99 and was half price so it was only $1.50

                                      Now you know what to do with all those Fiesta cups.

Recipe, St Patrick's pistachio muffins

Preheat oven 350
place 8 Fiesta cups on a cookie sheet and give them a sprits of oil spray

1 (3.4oz) box instant pistachio pudding mix
1 3/4 c all purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 stp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients, mix with wire whisk. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Fill cups 3/4 full. You will have enough for 8 cups. Bake for 20-25 min or until lightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on baking pan for 5 min. Enjoy

Win 4 Fiestaware shamrock dinner plates

I am so excited for St Patrick's Day that I have decided to share my love for the holiday, dishes and decorating by giving away a set of 4 Fiestaware shamrock dinner plates. One LUCKY follower will win.

To enter to win, just follow my blog and leave a comment at the end of this post between now and midnight March 16th. This giveaway is open to anyone in the U.S. One winner will receive 4 Fiestaware shamrock dinner plates. I will post the lucky winner on March 17th. May the luck of the Irish be with you.

St Patrick's Day

St Patrick's day is near and dear to my heart. My grandfather was Irish. He passed away when I was 7 but I have very vivid memories of him. In honor of my grandfather I have done a little decorating.

On a little shelf in the kitchen a leprechaun left his shoes. I found a pair of vintage baby shoes at GW and painted them green and added gold laces. I plan to use the shoes for a leprechaun hunt for the kids. The figurine is one of a set of three Lefton leprechauns. This is the one I needed to complete the set. The others are still packed away and will make an appearance soon. The hankie with shamrocks was my grandmothers as well as the vintage post card. The moss covered rocks are a Dollar Tree find.

The kitchen cupboard holds my Shamrock, Lemon Grass and white Fiestaware. Lets open the doors and take a closer look.

On the top shelf in the middle is a vintage decanter from 1972 made by the Old Fitzgerald Collectors Gallery for Stitzel Weller distilleries. I found it at a local flea market for $2.00 I have to have any vintage Irish or Leprechaun things I come across if the price is right. The next shelf in the center is a Longaberger shamrock dish with a leprechaun blown glass ornament peeking out.

The bottom shelf has my Smith Moon and Stars pitcher and toothpick. I has several pieces of this vintage green glass. Please come back and visit for more St Patrick's decor and an exciting giveaway for St Patty's day.

                                                            Blessings, Missy

Valentines Day tablescape for my grand daughter

My precious grand daughter Kali loves to come to grammies house. She always checks to see if her table is set for a tea party or special lunch.

Simple but so sweet, chocolate and flamingo Fiestaware with scarlet Fiesta bowls. I found the small soda glasses at GW and the tablecloth is just a yard of material from the fabric store. The vintage Lefton vase was a gift from my husband last Valentines day. My son is 11 now but he is such a great uncle, he and Kali will have a special Valentines party after school Friday.

This is about the extent of my Valentines decor here in our little rental cottage. I really miss my mantel in our IL home.

Valentines Day china cabinet

I love dishes! In fact I have an addiction and my husband is an enabler. I already had white,flamingo and scarlet Fiestaware and I was satisfied with them for my Valentines cabinet. I had always wanted the chocolate but did not get them before they were discontinued. Well I came home yesterday to a huge box on the porch. I knew I had not ordered anything so I texted my husband at work. He told me it was my Valentines gift and to go ahead and open it. I had no idea what it could be. I usually got Sherries berries, roses and chocolates for Valentines day. I went right to work on the huge box. I could hardly believe my eyes, it was the chocolate Fiestaware that I had wanted. There was more, what could it be? Scarlet Fiestaware heart bowls! My husband really hit a home run this year. I got my chocolate and wont get fat. The heart bowls are so sweet and thoughtful. I am truly a lucky lady.

                        I can't wait to serve my boys Valentines dinner on my new Fiestaware.

                                               Just look at these heart bowls, I love them.

These pics do not do them justice. The cabinet is tucked into an dark alcove in the kitchen and if I use a flash it reflects to much on the dishes. The top plate under the heart bowls is actually flamingo/pink.

                                              I hope you enjoyed my Valentines dishes.

                                                               Blessings, Missy