Valentines Dining Table~Shameless Admissions and Updates

Today's post is a 2011 Valentines post re-run.  Throughout the post {highlighted in red}  I'm sharing updates, interesting facts and answering frequently asked questions about this space.  The room is now used as a combination formal dining room/home office (you can see what the space looks like now by clicking here).  Back then, it was just a formal dining room.

Here is the original post…  

This Sunday I hosted a dinner party in honor of our Daughter and Grandmothers Birthdays.

  

{Update, Our beautiful and loving Grandma passed away a few weeks ago.  We laid her to rest on her 93rd Birthday}.

Between Church, Catechism and our usual Sunday routine, it left us with 2 hours to clean the house,

{Shameless admission…our chandelier is not wired.  We have recessed lighting on a dimmer switch and no hard wiring for a chandelier.  I wanted one so bad, but didn't really need the additional lighting.  So I faked it.  Instead of paying an electrician $500 to wire and install the light, I removed the wiring and hung the chandelier from a hook.  No one has ever noticed that it doesn't work.  I can take it down and put it up as my mood changes}.  

cook dinner for twelve and set the table.

{These photos were featured in Romantic Homes' Kitchens Magazine in an article titled "Dining In Style, Casual Simplicity".  It was my very first magazine feature, such an exciting experience}.

 Most importantly, set the table.

{You can see this year's Valentines table using these same amaryllis by clicking here.  These potted plants were a frugal DIY project.  I purchased the flowers at a discount store, placed them in terra cotta pots and put them inside thrift store hurricanes}.

I didn't prepare ahead.

I had to use what I had on hand.  

{I am a procrastinator.  Whenever I get caught in a situation where I don't have a centerpiece,  I stop at Kroger and grab a pretty cake to place in my cake dome}.  

There was no time to panic.

I thought maybe I could pull off a Valentines Day theme by using some of my red Christmas Decor.

{The large multi-photo frame is actually an easel style free standing floor frame (purchased at Big Lots). I hung it sideways on the wall.  This frame has a candid photo of every member of our extended family.  For Halloween, the kids glued google eyes on their relatives, we loved the results so much that we left them there}. 

 It was quick, easy, cost nothing and appeared to be thought out.

Even Murphie (who can't resist a sunny corner in the dining room) dressed up.

The kids are excited about having "Valentines" decorations.

Do you decorate for Valentines Day?  

{One of the most frequent questions I'm asked is, "What type of dog is Murphie"?  He is a Bichon Frise.  Sometimes his fur is long and fluffy but most of the time we keep him short}.  

The paint color in this space is Martha Stewart Crevecouer.  

Drapes/drapery rods are from Restoration Hardware. 

Dining set is from VCF.com

Crown molding plate shelves were made DIY style by my husband. 

 It's always fun to look back at old blog posts to see how our home and our family has evolved.   

Thanks for going back in time with me today. 

*For information on my affordable online design service, Please Click Here. 

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