Easter is Almost Here!

Today I attended the Good Friday Liturgy at church...somber, but a beautiful message which gave me a deeper appreciation of the passion of Christ. On Good Friday, the Episcopal Church commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary with "The Seven Last Words from the Cross." {the final seven phrases our Lord uttered as he hung on the cross}

~"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

~"This day thou shalt be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)

~To his Mother, "Woman, behold thy son." To his beloved disciple, "Behold your Mother." (Luke 19:26-27)

~"My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34)

~"I thirst." (John 19:28)

~"It is consummated." (John 19:30)

~"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:46)

So many parts of the message today hit home with me...if Jesus Christ can forgive those who crucified him, surely I can forgive those who do harm to me!

After Church, I grabbed a quick bite at The Olive Garden and got to work immediately putting together my Easter Sunday Dinner! I'm making it real easy this year...all prepared by The Honeybaked Ham people! Ham, casseroles, mashed potatoes, and of course, Sister Schubert rolls {from Walmart}!!!

I took Miss Coco to The Beauty Shop today and she "Got her Hair Did"! She's definitely ready now to priss around in all her Spring fashions:-) "Here's What Miss Coco Wore" today. Lynn Whelan custom-made this cute little kerchief...it's pink with white ric-rac trim. Of course, it's embroidered with her name "Coco"! Her little topknot is adorned with a pink ribbon bow.

I dropped off Miss Coco and our Sunday Dinner at the house and headed back out for a pedicure. Miss Janice is now ready for "Open-toe shoe season" which officially starts on Sunday!

"HERE'S WHAT I WORE." The pink and green palm-motif shift is by Lilly as is the pink cardigan. {This is one my favorite Lilly shifts...one of many I must say!}
The pattern...


The pink 'Revas' by Tory Burch just might be the most perfect pair of shoes I own. Revas in Pink means y'all are gonna be seeing a lot of these cute flats!

Thank you for visiting with me today. I'll be back on Easter Sunday...with photos of "What I Wore" and "What Miss Coco Wore"!

Kick off the Holiday Season - Part 3 of 4

So far, I have talked about five steps to take to ensure that you are stress-free on the day that you entertain others:
~Decide on a date, time, and venue.
~Create a theme.
~Make a budget and try to stick to it!
~Create your guest list.
~Choose your invitations.

The sixth step is to choose the style of dining. Will you have a breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, informal dinner, or a formal dinner?

Then the seventh step--choose the style of service:
~Buffet Style--guests pick up part or all of their meal from displays on a dining table, sideboard, or countertop.
~American-Plated--the food is portioned on plates in the kitchen and served directly to guests at the dining table. Food is served from the guest's left side and removed from the right side. Beverages are served and cleared from the right side.
~Family-Style--guests serve themselves from large bowls and platters placed on the dining table. This style of service originated in the South.
~French Style--the food is partially prepped in the kitchen and brought to the dining table on a cart (French gueridon). The food is then fully cooked in front of the guest. This type of service is considered to be very fashionable.
~Russian Style--all of the food is cooked and portioned in the kitchen and then presented at the dining table on silver trays. Each guest is served individually from the trays. This is a very impressive style of service.
~Butler-English Style--the food is portioned on trays in the kitchen. The trays are held by the Butler and guests at the dining table serve themselves by using tray utensils.

The final step of this post, the eighth step, is to plan the menu. When you are planning your menu, consider the season and occasion. An inviting menu is a balance of bland, strong, sharp, and sweet tastes, with foods of different textures, temperatures, and colors. Be careful not to duplicate tastes; i.e., if cheese is served in a hors d'oeuvre, do not include it in another dish. Serve crunchy with smooth foods and don't forget to be colorful in your selections. Stay in your culinary comfort zone. If pigs-in-a-blanket are your specialty, serve them--I certainly do and they are always a hit with my guests!

Remember, there are no set amount of courses you must have, formal or informal; there are suggested courses you may have. Your table setting will allude to what you will be serving. An informal menu may include as few/many courses as you choose. Here is an example of a formal dinner menu:

Fruit Cocktail

Sherried-Base Bisque (Serve with a glass of sherry)

Turbans of Scallops & Petite Potatoes (Serve with a glass of white wine)

Crown Roast and String Beans (Serve with a glass of red wine)

Herb Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing (Serve no wine with a salad)

Pecan Pie ala Mode (Serve with Champagne)

I hope that this information is useful to you in planning your event.