Tuesday, June 29, 2010

My New Favorite Thing and a Winner


It's no secret that I love to entertain, it's something I inherited from my mother.  She had enough dishes to open a store, and even more napkins!  She loved to gather her friends and family around, prepare a good meal, and dress a table to the nines!



With lots of renovating going on at our house over the last few years, we haven't done much entertaining , but that is starting to change.  If I would ever get my backsplash installed maybe I wouldn't worry so much about having people over!



Actually I have kind of gotten over that, and we even hosted a neighborhood Christmas party here last year.  I do want to get the darn backsplash installed at some point though!



If you love to entertain, then you'll understand the need...ok want...for lovely dishes, glassware, and wonderful serving pieces.  I have been longing for a beverage dispenser ever since I saw them at my publisher's home a few years ago.  She had them set up with various types of wonderfully colorful drinks and fruit in them, and I just fell in love with the look and the practicality of it all!



Not only is she my publisher, but she is also a dear friend, so when I emailed her recently asking where she had purchased hers, I got a message back a few days later saying that she was standing in BJ's Wholesale Club and that they had some beautiful glass ones for only $25!!!




And as much as I love to entertain, I love a bargain even more!!  So I hurried on over the following day to pick one up!



Today I decided to have a little tea party and try out my pretty new drink dispenser!  Of course you can't have a tea party without a few cookies!



Or lovely plates!  I have a set of these, each with a different flower.  They were a wedding gift from a dear friend's parents, and came from the ever stylish Gumps department store in San Francisco, California.



Any tea party worth its salt should have some lovely flowers, and a few sweets in pastel colors!



And if you have your fine china all packed away and never use it, go get it out of hiding right this minute!  What's the point of owning it if you never get to enjoy using it?!



That goes for your crystal stemware as well...what are you waiting for?!  Holidays aren't the only time to enjoy all of the wonderful things you own.  These glasses were inherited from my maternal grandparents.



This lovely little scarf came from a small shop in the south of France and is the perfect table scarf for an afternoon tea party!



Don't forget to have a some fun with your accessories when you have guests over.  This pudgy metal bee is guarding the napkins just in case a sudden breeze decides to blow through!



So there you have it, my new favorite thing, a lovely glass beverage dispenser for a song, and an afternoon tea as a special treat!  What have you treated yourself to lately?



I'd like to give a special thanks to everyone who entered to win Trish's beautiful artwork!  And now for the winner of that gorgeous Zinnia painting from The Old Post Road!  (Thank you Trish!)

It's Stacy from the wonderful blog Red Door Home!  Congratulations Stacy!!


Don't forget to check out my latest Giveaway by clicking HERE!

36 comments:

  1. Wow Kat, you are a master at entertaining! I love that you use all your lovely pieces, and I agree - why have them if you never use them? And I love your beverage dispenser - too gorgeous! Sounds like you had a wonderful time! K xx

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  2. I love your beautiful tablescape. The beverage dispenser is wonderful! I might be heading to BJ's tomorrow. Thank you so very much for hosting such a great giveaway. I am so excited to own a piece of Trish's wonderful artwork. I have followed her blog for a while and have always been an admirer.

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  3. I couldn't agree more about pulling out our special things and using them more often! I love your beverage dispenser- I've seen them around at Homegoods, Sam's Club and Christmas Tree Shop but have been undecided about buying one- you are convincing me I should have one with your delicious looking tea!

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  4. Congrats to Stacy. I guess I will have to buy one if I want one.

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  5. What a lovely tea party and I cannot believe that dispenser was that cheap in price. Hmmmm.

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  6. Lucky Stacy! it's a beautiful painting....and thanks for the invitation to tea!

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  7. That beverage dispenser is awesome! Love your tea party setting, its very inviting. Congrats to Stacy!

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  8. Congrats to Stacy! I couldn't agree w/you more about getting out that china and crystal and using it! I used to use mine alot more but we are entertaining less these days. I sure would love to entertain more again and you bet I would break out all the good stuff! Everyone I know is well worth it!!! I love these drink dipensers too I've been seeing different versions of them everywhere! Yours is wonderful!

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  9. Hooray for Stacey~lucky girl!

    I have been wanting a drink dispenser, too. I love the look of ice tea or lemonade in them. Having a few set up sounds so neat. I'll have to be on the lookout! Love the china from Gumps, too!

    xoxo
    Janie

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  10. Congratulations to Stacy! I know she will be thrilled. I was hoping you would tell more about the scarf...I spotted it right away and wondered if it was a tablecloth. It's beautiful! Love your drink dispenser, too. I used lots of things like that when my kids were at home and we had lots of people over. ♥

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  11. Yay for Stacy! Loved your tea party, Kat. You are so right, it is wonderful to pull out things that we love and USE them! And there is no better occassion for pretty things than a tea party. My daughter wants to host one for some of her friends over the summer, which will be a fun thing to plan. Thanks for the iced tea, it was quite refreshing and charming dispenser, too : )
    xx Suzanne

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  12. A wonderful painting for Stacey. Joy. Twenty five dollars for that drink dispenser is an awesome price and it is pretty! You had me with the Jordan Almonds as I adore them.

    xo,
    olive

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  13. I recently treated myself to a new coffee/dessert set - white with big gold polka dots!!! Now, I have 6 full sets of dishes, not counting the everyday dishes - plus depression glass sets in 4 colors, 3 sets of clear patterned and 2 flowered dessert dishes .... but I needed these polka dots (makes me happy)

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  14. What a lovely tea party Kat! I love entertaining! I love your pudgy metal bee and new beverage dispenser!

    ~ Tracy

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  15. YOur teascape is gorgeous, I love all of your china, so pretty. Your drink dispenser is fabulous. I would love one too, but the only ones I see are waaaaaaayyyyyyy expensive. You have a beauty for such a bargain price. Love it. Hugs, Marty

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  16. Congratulations to Stacy!

    Oh, and I love the drink dispenser. Wish I entertained often enough to have one... it's really lovely.

    DI

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  17. I would so love to visit you at your house!
    Brenda

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  18. fabulous pictures - oh my! I simply adore that beverage dispenser - just beautiful! OK - now I want one too! Wish I was there to have a drink of that ice tea right now!

    Vicki

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  19. I would love to come to an afternoon party at your house! Your dishes are just beautiful and I agree, use everything you have...every day is a special occassion.
    I haven't seen a dispenser before as pretty as yours...I will be on the look out now though. It would be beautiful with some sliced fruit ~
    Thanks for sharing all your pretty things with us! Backsplash or not...start entertaining! :)
    Sarah

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  20. What a lovely drink dispenser, it's like a piece of art. I love all your beautiful photos.
    You've got me wanting a glass of iced tea right now!!

    hugs
    Sissie

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  21. I love the afternoon tea party! That glass dispenser is just beautiful! Everything looked so yummy too!

    Congratulations to Stacey!

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  22. I LOVE those drink dispensers and I think I really really need one for This Old House. I have not come across any for $25. though, the price is what has held me back.

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  23. You have such a wonderful blog. I have been enjoying your past post for a good chunk of this evening! So lovely.
    I was at a french design shop today called Pierre Deux and they had that exact beverage urn for $$$$$! I did a double take when I say yours. And you got it at BJ's! SCORE!
    I am also a new follower!
    Yvonne

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  24. Everything looks so lovely and your drink dispenser is wonderful. I have one and use it when ever I entertain.

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  25. That was a perfect little tea party you had there Kat! Just love your new glass beverage dispenser. You have the best ideas, like the way you used that French scarf! ~Lili

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  26. Congrats to Stacy you lucky girl!
    I love that beverage dispenser!! So much more chic than a punch bowl!! : )

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  27. What a lovely tea party setting. I love your scarf from France and the little sugar bowl. I enjoy seeing peaks into your china cupboard as you reveal your treasures - there's nothing like some pretty china.

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  28. Sending a sweet hello from Frog Hollow Farm. I loved reading through your post this evening. Like you, I love entertaining, and I love collecting dishes and glassware and especially napkins and tablecloths! Did you see that post from The Tablescaper a few weeks ago about 'where do you keep it all?'? Here's the link - it's really a fun post to read...and talk about 'stuff'!!

    http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/2010/06/where-do-you-keep-it-all.html

    Thanks so much for sharing - I'll have to check out BJ's for the beverage dispenser. I found one in either Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn last year. I plan on using it for lemonade in a few weeks when my husbands office staff come over for a bbq. My new thing is making ice cubes with fruit - lemonade ice cubes with mint and blueberries for lemonade and coffee ice cubes for my iced coffee. Ciao, bella!

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  29. Congrats to the lucky winner! Everything is just lovely.

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  30. Kat,
    Your beverage dispenser is very pretty and thrifty too! Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday weekend!

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  31. What lovely photos, Kat! Makes me hungry just looking at them... and I LOVE the beverage dispenser!!

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  32. Ooo I love it too! The photos are excellent by the way!

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  33. Kat, What a great tea party! I love the glass beverage dispenser. I saw a ceramic white one the other day and thought that I needed it, however, it was a little pricey. Good for you for finding a bargain!! I hope you had a good time!

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  34. Love the beverage dispenser! I have been looking for one that has a pretty shape...this one is perfect! I will be on the hunt;)!

    Your tea party is darling...I adore all of the elements you used!

    I am new to your site...I popped over from Kim's to say hello! I look forward to following along!

    Enjoy!
    Cathy

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  35. I have the same beverage dispenser and I love it. It was a gift from a friend last year.
    A wonderful summer accessory.

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  36. Hi this is Stacy from Red Door Home calling to claim my painting. Just kidding, lol. Congrats to Stacy. She is one lucky and I do mean lucky girl.

    I love your tea party photos Kat and almost feel as though I was there for some reason ;^)

    -Rene

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