Birthday, Bunnies and a Rolling Ball

Here's a recap of a fun Memorial Day celebration in Idaho.  

You just never know what will happen in the country.

We started off by celebrating this cute girl's birthday at home. 

She started to put her own candles on her cake.

She ended up with lots of help with those candles!

Then we took that party to a restaurant where the fun continued.

Cute birthday hat!

Do you want some fun?  Add five little, soft bunnies and 7 cousins to make a happy time.

He does not want to give any of these adorable babies away!

The next door neighbors call to share this fun human rolling ball. 

All children run for the adventure they see in store for them.

They think this is a great way to work off their newly eaten BBQ dinner.

Next it is time to bring out the craft supplies--old T-shirts to cut out circles.

After time we've made a fitting Memorial Day red, white and blue banner for the mantel and

lots of cute hair bands for everyone.

It was a great time for lots of family bonding.

I hope your weekend was adventure-filled too!

Valentine Dessert for Book Club

 For today's Tablescape I set up an informal Valentine Dessert for my Book group.

I used a red and white toile tablecloth on the table and my scalloped heart shaped dessert dishes that I purchased at Pottery Barn several years ago.  They came in sets of four with one each of white, pink, lavendar and dark pink plates.  I have two sets which was just right for our eight members that night.  I used my wedding silverplate dessert forks by William Rogers.

 

We had our ice water in these goblets from Target.  I love their dark ruby color and felt they were just right for Valentines as well.

 

The centerpiece was a large heart on a table stand that I got at Tai Pan last year at 50% off.

 

I served Ina Gartner's Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake with Ganache and on the side Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream with Orange Sauce.

 

Each serving was topped with a cute Valentine pick.

Ina Gartner's Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake

1/2 lb. unsalted butter at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 extra large eggs at room temperature

3 cups flour

1/2 each of baking powder and baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups good semisweet chocolate chunks

for the syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

for the ganache

8 oz. good semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. instant coffee granules

Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan.  Cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, then orange zest.  Sift the dry ingredients together and add them alternately with the wet ingreds.  Toss the chocolate chunks with 2 T. flour then add them to the mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until cake tester comes out clean.  Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Make the syrup by heating until the sugar dissolves.  Remove cake from pan and set on a rack over a tray.  Spoon the syrup over the cake.  Allow the cake to cool completely.  Then drizzle the melted ganache over the top of the cake.  It is delicious!

I am linking up with Thursday Tablescape and Foodie Friday for this post.

Valentine Decorating Ideas

Some people have a way of making you feel welcome and happy to be at their house.  Decorating can help us do this too.  Here are some ideas to help you feel inspired to use this holiday of Valentines to welcome and inspire yourself and others who enter your home.  These are pictures of a friend's home where her little touches of red here and there and her wonderful personality made my heart happy as I walked through her door.  Come take a tour with me and get some decorating ideas.

 

If you have a place to display a collection of cute holiday pillows you could send a sweet feeling with their messages like these two pillows do here.

  

Little plaques with their sayings are a fun way to share your love.

 A nice mantel vignette with it's plaque and "loves me" vase gives a little bit of color there.

A mini bookshelf holds more red loveliness.

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An easy display is to wrap those red Christmas candles with heart-tied ribbons.

 

Another mantel idea.

 And below the mantel.

I loved how these silver pitchers were made into lovely display items.

  

And I loved how she turned her pot rack into a Heart rack!

 I hope you are inspired to share your love in your home this year through little touches of Red!