Labor Day Table

I'm doing a re-run of a tablescape I did a few years ago for Labor Day. I have a bursitis in my hip that makes dragging dishes up & down the stairs difficult. I think I need to go soak in some of those epsom salts I used with that candle!!

I assembled this little round table on our deck as a trial run
for Labor Day weekend.

We invited a widowed friend to join us for
Sunday dinner so I need 3 place settings.




This little table is at the far end of our deck,
opposite the Gazebo House.

Usually, I sit here with a cold Diet Coke,
watching the g'kidlets play in the hot tub.






The flower pot cost me all of $5 at the beginning of summer.
Amazing what a little Miracle Grow will do!

I placed it off center on our picnic tablecloth &
added candy-apple red chargers that sparkle in the sunlight,
followed by blue & white & polka-dot reds!






One of my favorite summer wines is this Blue River Riesling
but the unique bottle has a lot to do with it, too.

I love how you see through the bottle to view the
beautiful river scene.

The Revere bowl is there to hold shrimp tails.
I'm serving Garlic Marinated Grilled Shrimp &
will share that awesome recipe soon!

The red handled flatware is from Target...new this year.






My Napoleon Bee glasses were won in a Give-Away
from Libby at Taste & Twirl.
Thank you again & again, Libby!
I really use them & their matching carafe often.




I bought several of these glass stars last year....Dollar Tree.

They work for so many patriotic holiday celebrations

as well as Christmas.

This one is filled with epsom salts to help anchor the red candle.




Red chargers are from Big Lots,

Blue plates are from Pier One,

White plates are Bianca from Horchow,

Red polka-dots were found at Tues. Morning.




I like to have my guests get up & change location for dessert.

If we eat in the dining room, then I often ask them to move into

the living room for coffee & sweets.

I think a change of locale adds interest to an evening

plus it feels good to move about after a big meal.




We'll move into the Gazebo for dessert,

in case the mosquitoes come out in the evening.

Plus, if it cools off, we can tuck the quilt around our legs.

This is a different quilt than the one I used for the 4th of July.
(see below)







I'll have fresh fruit with mint from  the garden on hand & coffee or tea.

















I also intend to serve mini individual cherry pies!

Yvonne, at StoneGable inspired me when she made blueberry ones.

One ready-made pie crust will make 2 little pies.

You use one side of the mold
(shown below)

to cut the bottoms & the lattice side

to cut the tops.

Placing the solid piece on the bottom of the mold,

fill with 3 Tbsp. of any fruit filling,

top with the lattice cut pie top &

PRESS together to seal & crimp the edges!

Easy as PIE!!

Available at Williams Sonoma for $10.

Any leftover crust can be re-shaped,

sprinkled with sugar & cinnamon,

rolled up, sliced & then baked with the pies.

(Thank you, Carol, for my special cinnamon!)

You know you want to lick up that drip, doncha'?!

A last peek at the lantern in the Gazebo at dusk...

Thank you to everyone who visits The Gazebo House.
Enjoy your holiday weekend!

fondly,

*Good Earth* Tablescape

Today is Cuisine Kathleen's

*Let's Dish* Party

and this month’s special theme is

*Good Earth*

My table represents all the wonderful bounty

that comes from the *Good Earth*.

Starting with the centerpiece of

GREEN GRASS

that comes from the *Good Earth*

behind the garden gate.

That cute little gate container was a gift from

my older sister, Fritzie…Thanks Sis!

It contained these gorgeous ROSES

grown in her own garden,

in the *Good Earth*

I ♥♥♥ that CORAL COLOR!

My salt & pepper shakers are replicas of

ARTICHOKES that are

grown in the *Good Earth*.

The pitcher & matching glasses

are from Turkey & are hand painted

with FLOWERS

that grow in the *Good Earth*.

I thought they echoed the FLORAL motif

(from the *Good Earth*)

of my new placemats that

I found at Old Time Pottery

for $1 each!

I ♥♥♥ those scalloped edges!

Each place setting has either a PINK or GREEN

FLOWER (from the *Good Earth*!) pot with

a candle, as a take-home favor,

along with a pair of gardening gloves.

(which I tied with PINK ribbons AFTER these pictures)

The FLORAL (from the *Good Earth*)

napkins are by April Cornell®,

which I've used before and I

was thrilled to see how well

they matched the new

FLORAL placemats.

My dinner plates & matching

napkin rings are the Mikasa pattern,

"Silk Flowers" (from the *Good Earth*)

The CABBAGE (from the *Good Earth*)

shaped salad plates are by Bordallo Pinheiro

The coordinating pretty PINK CABBAGE bowls

(from the *Good Earth*)

are also by Bordallo Pinheiro.

I served homemade

Slow Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

(recipe HERE)

with ingredients of garlic, tomatoes & basil

(all from the *Good Earth*)

I used two of these large CABBAGE

(grown in the *Good Earth*)

shaped serving bowls,

one to hold a salad & one for the

side dish of four cheese RICE.

(also grown in the *Good Earth*)

My stemware markers all represent

items either grown in or used to dig & play in the

*Good Earth*

Dessert was pistachio muffins,

chosen to looked like GREEN GRASS

from the *Good Earth*.

Topped with DumDum sucker FLOWERS

(from the *Good Earth*)

You just fold a cupcake paper liner

into fourths & then cut a

curve into the top edge.

Poke the sucker stick into the middle &

it turns out looking like FLOWER PETALS!

(from the *Good Earth*)

If you recall, I have

LOTS
of cupcake liners

I thought the small nut cup sizes

looked the cutest.

I served ice cold Crystal Light®

Peach (from the *Good Earth*) Bellinis.

It is one of Crystal Light's® two newest flavors,

the other being "Margarita".

We liked the Peach Bellini much better

than the Margarita flavor!

There is still some left over...wish you could

stop by for a cool glass.

Our garden gate is always unlatched for YOU!

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.

Along with Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish,

I'm joining

Susan's Between Naps on the Porch for

Tablescape Thursday as well as

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.

Oh & be sure to stop by on Friday

to celebrate the launch of

Michael Lee West's new book

"A Teeny Bit of Trouble"

where I'll share the recipe for

the entree I made...

*So Sue Me Grilled Garlic Shrimp*

They are so good, they should be illegal!!