Blue Willow is one of my all-time favorite patterns. It's lovely with the white lace tablecloth over the blue liner. Your DR "ice cream parlor style chairs" are so pretty. I have the table that matches, but no chairs. Your menu sounds yummy.....and yes, the clean-up is always the worst part. When you add it all up it's really amazing the amount of dinnerware you go through for a crowd that size.

We always clean up before going to bed (my DH is big on that and he does most of the work.) It's the putting away part the next day that I detest!

But the memories of good food, good friends and good times keep us going back for more! Well done. Oh, forgot to add: the hydrangea bouquet is lovely; so full and lush!

Frou...love the "simplicity" of your table using the lace, Blue Willow & cobalt blue & crystal glass accessories...it is just so very, very lovely. Not simple to do all that work & dishes afterwards! Your centerpc is gorgeous! And the view out your DR window of your gardens & blue glass...breathtaking! Of course, your DR is so elegant...the wall & drape colors/bird cage/wall scounces/ & of course, that beautiful pearl draped chandi!

What a warm, wonderful place! Now I'm hungry! (menu sounds delicious!) TFS! Jeanne S.

WOW, that is beautiful!!!, and the food sounds wonderful!!
Thanks for taking the pictures for us!

What a truly gorgeous setting! Very elegant and I love how you can see glimpses of the blue cloth under the lace one.

Frou, I love how you used the blue under the lace, tied it all together perfectly. Your pretty blue glass for the flowers and candles were just right and left room for the food. Speaking of the food, it all sounds so good--making me hungry and it's nearly midnight! LOL Your baked shrimp scampi and bloody mary aspic sound really good, are those easy recipes? I only do easy! ;o)

Luvs

What a lovely Summer table, Frou! Your table looked very fresh and elegant at the same time. Lucky guests with such a yummy dinner, too! I know what you mean about trying to find time to take pics of the food when you're entertaining guests and trying to get everything on the table . . . and keep it hot. I can almost never manage those pics! BTW, the view out your dining room window is lovely!!!
Lynn

I can't take my eyes off the centerpiece! it's just gorgeous!

What a great space you have! and you love to cook and entertain... it all sounds great to me!

Very pretty, Frou. And yes, the flowers are so pretty! My favorite!

Beautiful!! Love the blue under the lace, the crystal, and your chandy.

Do you have any leftovers? Your menu made me hungry, LOL.

TFS

TTFN,
Candy

Frou,
What type of hydrangea is that? I enjoy gardening and am in zone 5, which means I can grow hydrangeas if I chose carefully. So far, I have two Endless Summers that are blooming profusely. Just came back from Cape Cod, where hydrangeas grow like weeds, and am longing for more varieties.

Blue Willow was my FIRST love, and any and ALL Blue & White I could collect from there on.
Your table with the lace tablecloth and Blue Willow is just lovely. I also love your flatware too. Is it a vintage set?
I think I would have loved to be one of your guests to enjoy that wonderful meal...I would have even helped with all those dishes!! I too 'HAVE TO' clean up everything before I go bed. Just makes me sleep better and makes it so much easier to wake up in the morning with everything 'back to normal'! lol

jane

Thanks for all the great comments on my sorta plain table. Jeannie, this is really my sunroom, I have a smallish wrought iron and glass table in here. DH cut me two different sizes of plywood table toppers to make it larger, so I can seat up to 12. My chandilier is on a swag and I put three hooks up so I can move it accordingly. I made a sitting room out of my dining room which is open to my kitchen. We use the sunroom for everything, it also has a couch chairs and tv in one end and a desk. Bonnie, the hydrangas are "Pee Gee", they like to be planted in full sun and bloom for about 8 weeks in the hottest part of the summer. I cut them back each year by 2/3 in the winter. I live in zone 7 so I don't know how they might do elsewhere.
Luvs the scampi is really easy, we put about 8-10 shrimp in a individual ramikin, then put a giant dollop of butter and about a tablespoon of minced garlic on them and cook in oven or on grill till the butter boils. We also used Panko crumbs on top this time. Slinky and Bonnie, I ususlly like to clean up before bed too, but this time after dinner we all went to a dance and we didn't get home till nearly two, so it had to wait till the next day. It was all worth it though, we love to do dinner parties for our friends.
Frou