French Country Fall Dessert Table

This beautiful French Country Fall dessert table was styled by Sandra of Sandra Downie

Event Design and was featured on The TomKat Studio's blog.

It's just so beautiful! If you haven't seen Sandra's blog - The White Library, you are missing

out some great party inspiration!

Original Source found via: The TomKat Studio's Blog

Other vendors that collaborated on this shoot:

Photography by: Jennifer Fiereck

Fleur De Lis Cookies: Rollin In Dough

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies: The Hot Cookie

Dessert Tent & Pie Signs: Paper & Pigtails

Caramel Apple Cake & Pecan Pie Tarts: Whole Foods

Apple Cinnamon Whoopie Pies: Bake Me Pretty

Opulent Thanksgiving Tablescape

This spectacular Thanksgiving table was styled by Amanda from Shindig Parties and was personalized using her new Thanksgiving printable collection sold in her Etsy shop.

I LOVE how the elegant use of warm tones and fabric garland bring such opulence to this table decor! I think my favorite part of the tablescape is the table runner...made from burlap and corn husks for the ruffle. So rustic!!

Head over to Amanda's blog for a full tutorial; and be sure to stop by her Etsy shop for these and other darling party printables!

Original Source: found via Divine Party Concepts

HUGE Thanksgiving DIY Printable Package {FREE}

Found via Half Baked, this amazing Thanksgiving DIY Printable Package is FREE from Carli at Dimple Prints as a thank you to all of her loyal customers {including me!} This party package includes everything you'll need to dress up your Thanksgiving! You'll find a menu, food cards, pie bunting, banners, favor tags, patterned paper, cupcake wrappers, party hats, water bottle wraps, straw flags and much much more, all ready to be downloaded and printed!

You can download your free printables HERE or on the Dimple Prints blog. Be sure to stay awhile on Carli's blog - she has so many great items...and leave Carli a thank you while you are there!

Rancho Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano

It feels like forever since I've posted on my blog...and then when I look back, it really has

been forever!

Before Halloween in fact.

I've almost missed out on a whole holiday! Thanksgiving will be here before I know it, and I have so many great Thanksgiving posts to share with you, {including lots of free printables}!

...and so much to be thankful for.

It wasn't a conscious decision to slow down on blogging, it just happened that life got

really busy all of a sudden...in a good way :) For those that already know, this won't be

new information, but for those that don't know, here is a peak into what what I have

been doing lately.

My home church, Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, acquired a new venue...Rancho Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano. Since I am the current Wedding Director for Saddleback Church {and have been since 2002} I have had the good fortune to be involved in helping develop policies & procedures, doing demographic research for cost analysis, composing a new brochure, and interviewing preferred vendors. It has been a wonderful experience to be on the ground floor of something so amazing.

Also, we recently held an open house ~ a full week ~ of days welcoming the community to our newest venue. I was blessed to be a part of the open house each day as part of the wedding ministry, and spent a lot of time at Ranch Capistrano meeting amazing couples that desire to be married on our campus.

Initially I thought that I would be "giving something" by being there; whether that be my experience with weddings in general, my familiarity with being part of the wedding ministry at Saddleback, or maybe to help inspire couples to make changes in their lives and start doing things "God's way" so that between now and the date of their marriage they are honoring God by the way they conduct themselves in their relationship.

But the truth?

The truth is that I was incredibly blessed by the time I spent at Rancho Capistrano. To be a part of something so magnificent, and represent a ministry that God has shaped me for, was truly a gift. And what I didn't expect is that the stories that I would hear, the people that I would meet, the lives that would be changed, and the extra-ordinary work God is doing through ordinary people would bless me. I will forever be changed, and am incredibly humbled by the experience and the time I spent serving God and His people through the open house at Rancho Capistrano. If you haven't been to Rancho Capistrano, I encourage you to take the time to experience it! Services start on Christmas Eve, 2010.

I've also been doing a lot of wedding & holiday party planning, as well as doing ordinary life while trying to be the best wife and mom I can possibly be to my family.

Anyway, back to blogging about party planning!

Martha Stewart's Harvest Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients Serves 6 to 8

• 1 small sugar pumpkin, halved, seeds and stringy fibers removed and reserved
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
• 3 cups water
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 small parsnip (about 4 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 small Yukon gold potato (about 6 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 small turnip (about 4 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 small shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon packed light-brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pumpkin halves, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 50 minutes. Scoop out flesh, and puree in a food processor (you should have 2 cups).
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add reserved seeds and fibers from pumpkin, and cook for 4 minutes. Add stock, water, and thyme, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 9 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin puree, parsnip, potato, and turnip, and cook for 5 minutes. Add shallots, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add wine, and cook until liquid has reduced by half.
4. Strain pumpkin-seed mixture, reserving broth and discarding solids. Add broth to pumpkin-wine mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook 20 minutes. Let cool.
5. Pass soup through a food mill into a clean saucepan, or puree in a food processor in small batches until smooth. (If soup does not reach desired consistency using a food processor, press it through a fine sieve to remove any remaining lumps.) Heat soup in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in cream, sugar, salt, and pepper, and serve.

From Martha Stewart Living, October 2007

{REAL WEDDING} Napa Valley Shabby Chic Wedding

In trying to keep up with my vintage wedding posts, I have been admiring this touching backyard wedding I found on The Wedding Chicks.

The wedding took place in the bride's parents home, and the bride & groom exchanged

vows underneath a big cotton wood tree at sunset. If that isn't sentimental enough, they

pulled together rickety furniture, desks, drawers, frames and doors, along with lots of heirlooms that were found around the barn, the bride's parents home, and her grandmother's home to celebrate the day.

If that isn't sweet and sentimental, I can't image what is. However, the day was bittersweet; along with their tears of joy, there were tears of sadness brought on by an unfortunate event that occurred 2 days before the wedding...you can read all about that on The Wedding Chicks.

Location: Winters, CA (Backyard Wedding)
Cake: Solono Baking Company
Coordinator/Florist: Amanda Dannenberg
Photographer: Marin Kristine Photography

Southern Bridal Inspiration Shoot

I'm still trying to get caught up on some wedding posts that I have found and love, including this charming Southern vintage bridal photo shoot found on Elizabeth Anne Designs. An entire team of talented Dallas professionals collaborated on this shoot, led by Catie Ronquillo Photography and Lauren Kelly Events.

Lauren and Catie wanted to weave old elements into a natural atmosphere to rework the current vintage trend into something new. These designers' vision was to ensure that nature was enjoyed in every capacity along with additional pops of color, and without too much fuss.

Well done!

The following Dallas wedding vendors contributed to this inspirational wedding shoot:

Photography – Catie Ronquillo Photography
Floral – Lauren Kelly Events
Antique Shop – Laverty’s Antiques
Makeup – Faces by Angela
Hair – Salon Wabi Sabi
Cupcakes – What About Cupcakes
Bridal salon – White Gown Showroom
Long dress – “Barcelona” by Blue by Enzoani
Short dress – “Audry” by Stephanie James Couture