Autumn Lunch with Friends

We had our Florida friends stop in for lunch recently while on their way up to

Albany, NY to visit their children.

We've known each other for over 24 years &

they were actually part of the reason we relocated to Florida in 1997.

I don't think she has forgiven me yet for moving back home to Ohio.

I made sure to put out all of my autumnal decor because in Florida,

you don't get to see much of it.

I remember the first year I lived down there,

I tied corn stalks to my light post & set a few

pumpkins on hay bales at the base of it.

Within days, the heat had begun to deteriorate the pumpkins

& nasty red ants had invaded the entire scene.

Never did it again!

I put out my paternal grandmother's Carnival glass biscuit barrel

just because the colors go so beautifully this time of year.

Up high, on the top shelf of the baker's rack, I have displayed her Carnival glass berry bowl,

her Fenton Carnival glass hat bowl

as well as a faceted Carnival dish in the beautiful marigold color.

I treasure each of these pieces, not for their monetary worth but because my

grandmothers hands touched them.

She, sadly, passed away 10 years before I was born.

The bottom of the bakers rack has some wine bottles, a wine themed tray, my tea caddy

& my bread making bowl...with a pumpkin in it at the moment.

I had some fresh flowers inside, for the little shoe-shine box my son-in-love made for me.

His mother had one that she kept herb pots in out on her deck.

It was destroyed in the winter weather so she asked him to replicate it for her.

That's how I got one, too!

Hubby has treated it with a coat of varnish to help it stay nice.

The brilliantly sunny day for our lunch helped to

create some cool shadows.

I used my everyday dishes along with last year's pumpkin plates & little bowls

from Walmart & I noticed yesterday that they have them again this year.





Although these placemats photograph a redish burgundy,

they really go well with the dishes, honest!

I don't know why they photograph so off???





I served homemade slow-roasted tomato (what else???) soup first,

followed by salad on these pumpkin plates

& a mixture of fresh fruit went in the little pumpkin bowls.





A favorite fall candle sat next to a wire & grapevine bittersweet-pumpkin centerpiece.

Using my covered autumn pie dish gave a hint as to what we were having for dessert.

However, the pie dish was a ruse....nothing in it!







I made more of those darling individual lattice topped cherry pies

with the William-Sonoma pocket pie mold.



I just love that little thing & I'm going back to get the apple shape, too.

My sewing friend & mentor, Carol, sent me the sanding sugar you see sparkling on the tops.

What a nice difference it makes in the appearance of these little gems...

Thank you again & again, Carol!!!

They look like little diamonds sprinkled on top!

The fruit was naturally sweet but I like to offer a topping to dress it up a bit.

If you haven't tried Marzetti's strawberry cream cheese fruit dip, you don't know what you're missing! YUMMO!!

Pull up a chair & I'll drizzle some on this for you!


fondly,