Hello everyone!
As I am recuperating from my hand surgery, I want to introduce (and some of you may already know)
Pam, of Everyday Living. She is a multi-talented lady who lives in a most beautiful home
surrounded by the most gorgeous gardens that she and her hubby have so lovingly created
over the many years that they have been in their home.
Be sure to visit her blog and experience a real treat!
Take it away Pam!
A warm hello from the Appalachian foothills everyone!
I am Pam and you can find me over at Everyday Living. I am so
excited to be a guest on my talented friend Shirley’s beautiful blog…
what a blessing she has been to me ever since Istarted blogging two years ago!
We finally met last weekend for lunch with our hubbies, and we had the best time!
You will find me doing a little of everything…
tablescaping, decorating, gardening, traveling, cooking, and of course
gushing over my first granddaughter!
I love to entertain, and today I want to share with you an easy idea for hosting a
small group of girlfriends! And there will be little to no clean up involved…because let’s face it…
when you gather ladies
around sweet treats, there is usually nothing left!
Today, I want to invite you to sit down and make yourself comfortable
around my coffee table…we’ve got some chatting to do!
I decided to keep it simple and prepare an assortment of “sweets” to set up on my coffee table….
because who doesn’t love sweets?!
Serving in my family room is more casual for this small get-together,
and I don’t have to prepare a full meal!
I love to cook for guests, but you can easily buy many wonderful desserts from your local bakery
or grocery store and the kitchen stays clean!!
In the foreground is sliced brioche topped with goat cheese, apricot preserves, and
a sprig of thyme.
A mini angel food cake topped with raspberries and blueberries, doesn’t get much easier than this…
and at least we get our serving of fruit in!
Using a tiered stand for serving is great because it adds height and you can see all of your options!
This peacock tiered stand is “Artesian Road” by Tracy Porter.
My silver coffee service sits in a rattan basket rather than using the large silver tray…
perfect for this casual gathering
and provides texture! The dessert plates and mugs are also “Artesian Road”.
A tempting selection of chocolate-covered pretzels, lemon squares, macarons, and shortbread biscuits
to enjoy with coffee…all of which I, of course, had to sample! Which would you choose?
I mixed roses from the grocery store with cuttings from my garden to fill the rustic birch container.
*
Six different macaron flavors…fig, lemon, salted caramel, apricot, coconut, and pistachio.
I took a class to learn how to make these heavenly French confections
at Sur la Table, let’s just say, I prefer to let the professionals make them and I will do the eating!
With a nod to my favorite season of autumn, I added antlers for more texture.
You’ll notice I love to mix rustic with a little elegance!
My coffee table is an antique that I found at least twenty years ago…it remains one of my favorite finds!
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8
As you can see, I love color and I’d rather mix than match!
My family room has an English Country feel…things collected over time that have stories,
memories, and sentimental value….things that are truly irreplaceable! My style is
quite different than the current “farmhouse look”, but in staying true to what I’ve always loved
my motto is, “your home should reflect your own personal style,,
whether that fits with the current trend or not!”
A special thanks to the always gracious and sweet Shirley
for allowing me the opportunity to share my Everyday Living.
You can find me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Thank you Pam! …. I always love it when Pam blogs about her wonderful recipes
and you should see her beautiful tablescapes in the setting of her exquisite dining room or gardens!
Have a most beautiful day everyone!
Pam, this is so beautiful and I love the color and mix of patterns in this room. That coffee table was a great find and I don’t blame you for hanging onto it. It’s a classic.
Good luck, Shirley with the surgery and wishing a speedy recovery!
Kim, thanks so much! Wishing you a great week and join you in wishing Shirley a speedy recovery!
What a delicious looking display and such a classic piece of furniture
Shirley, I hope you are feeling better soon! Pam, your SWEET offerings look delicious and even more special in this beautiful setting! I LOVE those dishes and will have to go check them out too. Thanks for filling in for “our Shirley”. She is the best! I totally agree with you about decorating with what WE love rather than trends! My home is also filled with things collected over the years and also inherited.
Pinky, thanks so much! I love desserts and enjoy sharing with my friends over a cup of coffee!
What a delicious looking display and such a classic piece of furniture! I love the colors and inviting feel to these photos…and I always enjoy reading Pam’s blog. Hope you feel better, Shirley!
Shelley
Thank you, Shelley! Have a great week!
What a gorgeous spread for friends to enjoy! Beautiful presentation…who wouldn’t want to join Pam around her lovely coffee table.
Trust your recovery goes smoothly and quickly, Shirley!
Mary Alice
Mary Alice, thanks so much and I wish all of you sweet ladies could join me around the coffee table!
Hello Pam nice to meet you and see some of your beautiful home. Your treats look so yummy. What a great presentation.
Shirley I hope your surgery is successful. Sending you healing thoughts and good wishes for a fast recovery.
Hugs,
Kris
Hello Kris, thank you for joining me around the coffee table! Have a great week!
Speedy recovery, Shirley! I remember when you were the newbie!?
Kathleen, I join you in wishing Shirley a quick recovery!
Shirley, I hope your hand is healing well. Thank you for introducing us to Pam, what a beautiful post. Pam truly has the gift of entertaining. I love the gorgeous attention to details for this lovely sweet entertaining set up.
Lidy, thank you for your sweet comments and for joining me around the coffee table!
I loved the post with all the amazing sweets that you have served. What a beautiful room, love the couch and coffee table. I’m with you, I do not follow trends either, when I find something it is mine for life and I love color.
Have a great week.
Mary
Mary, thanks so much for gathering around the sweets and for your “sweet” comments!
Hi Shirley! Hi Pam!
Well Pam this is just beautiful as always! I”ve run out of adjectives to describe your gorgeous tablescapes! Just know it’s perfect and I’d love to be invited.;-)
Shirley get better and take good care of yourself!
Lisa, you are way too kind, but thank you! I would love for us to sit and chat around the table!
Sending hugs and best wishes for a speedy recovery! and now I’m hungry…
Come on over, Anne, I have leftovers!
I hope you have a very speedy recovery Shirley! Pam’s little “tea party” looks beautiful and delicious. I would have to sample everything!
Pat, I would love for you to sample it all, I certainly did! I see diet in my future!
Pam, your gathering for ladies is just lovely. I may nab some food ideas as I have a ladies gathering at my house in a couple of weeks. I love your decorating style and it speaks to me in a big way! I am Anglophile and Francophile If possible to be both at the same time. Ha! Wonderful that you could help Miss Shirley while she recuperates! 🙂
Sheila, thanks and I hope you have a lovely gathering with your friends…hope to see you post about it!
What an absolutely gorgeous spread for some lucky girlfriends. And I love your room…it looks so comfortable and gracious. I like that you use things you love and have collected and are comfortable with.
Shirley, saying a prayer that you heal quickly and completely. Thanks for introducing Pam.
Mae, it is so nice to meet you and thank you for joint me at the coffee table!
Sorry, Jae , my typo
What a gorgeous, delicious spread. Love this.
From one Pam to another, thank you so much!
I share your love of saturated color mixed with many patterns in the English Manor house or countryside look! Your family room is gorgeous. I thought I’d get on the neutral farmhouse bandwagon by helping my daughter decorate her new home but seems they love color and pattern too! Shirley I’ve had surgery on both hands and I know what a challenge it can be. Take it easy, if you can lift the coffee cup to your ls then you’ve done enough for the day. ?
Pamela, so nice to meet you and thank you for joining my little party !
Shirley, I wish you a speedy recovery. Our weather has been less humid and a little cooler. Hope you can do some porch sitting as you recuperate. How nice to have Pam guest post for you.
Lovely post, Pam. Who wouldn’t like to sit around your beautiful table filled with pretty treats! We could chat for hours!
I love your style. You are a marvelous decorator and talented blogger.
Thank you, Bonnie! Yes, you and I could chat for hours…have a great week, my friend!
Shirley, I hope you heal quickly! And hello Pam! I love your pretty home. How nice to see someone sticking to what they love. Don’t get me wrong, I love farmhouse style but it refreshing to see something different. Besides, English cottage style has always been a favorite of mine. 🙂 It’s great to meet you!
Cecilia, it is so nice to meet you and thank you for your sweet words. Wishing you a great week and blessings~, Pam
Well, Pam, you already know how I feel about your blog and your style! This setting is wonderful; and I am sure that anyone would love to be hosted in your beautiful home! Shirley, I wish you a very speedy recovery and thanks for sharing Pam with us today!
Shenita, you are so sweet and gracious! I would love for you to sit around my coffee table so we could just chat! Blessings~
Hope you’re hand surgery went well.
I love that your style is mix rather than match Pam! We recently had a date night cooking class at Sur La Table and I saw the macarons on the schedule and thought that would be fun. I’ll take your advise and pass on the class and have someone pass me a plate instead. 😉 Wishing you a speedy recovery Shirley!!
THANKS MARY! i AM LEARNING TO TYPE WITH ONE HAND!
Pam, who would not love to sit around that coffee table???? I will have one each please! Your family room is Beautiful! I love a mix also and love color. Neutrals are pretty that you see trending but please give me Colors….love your lamp.
Take care Shirley and thanks for posting.
Nancy, you are so kind with your comments! I have a pair of the lamps that I found in the back room of a dusty antique mall, they are signed and dated and are French, a bargain on top of that! Shirley is a sweetheart and hopefully mending and taking care of herself!
Pam has a great blog ; nice to see her post here. So sorry about the hand surgery and here’s hoping that you have a speedy recovery! 🙂
Everything is lovely… Hope you are healing well and stay off that hand…