My mom's birthday

My mom's birthday was this past weekend so we decided to do dinner at our place.  The weather was perfect and we moved the massive harvest table Dave made out of old barn wood to the center of our back yard:

{sorry about the pics but something funny was going on}
It is insanely heavy and won't be moving anywhere for a good long while...  my back still feels it.

I added pumkins & gourds and eucalyptus & hydrangeas to give it a Fall vibe even though it was so warm:


I'd never gotten fresh eucalyptus before... Trader Joe's was selling it for $6 and I love how it looks just gathered simply in an urn:



I didn't notice any bugs so I think it definitely helped keep them away.

Here's the birthday girl with Christian and my little sister Morgan (13):


My mom's a special lady.  She's the kind of mom I could always tell anything to...  even my friends would confide in her in high school.  She was a single mom (until she & my stepdad, Tom, got married when I was in 8th grade) but still managed to be super-involved & spend a lot of quality time with me: Girl Scouts, festivals & musicals & plays & events...  She's amazing with advice and rarely judges. 


We've had our battles (oh my gosh would we yell!!) but I think mostly it's because battle alike:  get it out and get over it.  (No moping or stewing here!)  She's always coming through when I need her: babysitting, food, help at home, advice and also those "mom" hugs.  We're very alike but very different.   She's lower-key than me, yet supported me going into a creative field/ being self-employed even though it's not something she would ever do and scared her when I started because she understood me.  She had my sister late in life but still manages to be as involved in her life as she was in mine  (if not more so!! :)   I love her so much and she is one of the few people I actually lean upon.   


Here's my gorgeous cousin Jen who just got engaged & will be getting married in Puerto Rico next summer!!  (I'm her maid of honor ;) ;)


And my mom informed me it was time to pull up the carrots Christian & I planted back in March.  (Um yeah, I really know nothing about growing veggies -or anything for that matter- and thought that the time was right to pull them up when they were long like you see at the grocery store.)  So as we all enjoyed some cider (I'm a huge fan of woodchuck haha) and some hummus & pita chips, Christian and I pulled up the carrots:





And they really reminded me of those screaming baby-root things from Harry Potter (mandrakes)... especially the double ones:




(Justin enjoyed the food too as you can see from the bits on his face}

I didn't get any pictures of the food (besides that beautiful bag of pita chips) but we did grilled tilapia and shish kabobs with rice & salad.  We ate just as it got dark & there's something so awesome about eating outside with candlelight.



We finished up with s'mores by the fire where I proceeded to fall asleep. 


And that's a good night for me.  Most of our meals are "normal" and don't include special flowers or table settings and I know I couldn't handle this on a nightly basis, but I would like to do a pretty/ special table at least once a week.  It encourages lingering and laughing and talking on & on.  That's interesting to me...  that our environments really do affect our experiences.  Check out my friend Seleta's recent post to see the gorgeous table setting she created last week with her kids' help. 


xoxo, Lauren

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

If you have a pretty table setting you'd like to share, feel free to link up!!

36 comments:

Janell @ House of Fifty said...

Looks like the perfect way to spend a weekend day!! Janell

Debby said...

What fun. Love the table. You have such a handsome family.

pve design said...

I like that you are not fussy and just embrace everything nature gives you, even your Mom!
pve

{northern cottage} said...

I ADORE that harvest tables & placed on the sawhorses - swoon! Lovely lovely

Jen said...

Love the table setting. And your hubby is amazing for creating that table. It's beautiful!

Katie said...

I agree, the table is perfectly rustic, I love it!!

Anonymous said...

Looks like fun. I just did a post about the dinner my sister and I did for our mom's 70th last week -- http://monkeygrasshill.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-mothers-day.html

I did mr. linky for my girl's night engagement party dinner.

Julie

Teresa Hatfield ~ Splendid Sass said...

Love the table. You did a great job decorating, and I am sure that your mother enjoyed her day.
Have a great day.
Teresa

Acquired Objects said...

Your Mom's birthday looked like a lot of fun! I'm sure your Mom loved simply being around family for her special day, I know that's what means the most to me.

Fran said...

Such a beautiful table and table setting!! Your photos get me excited for the fall - just gorgeous!!

Susie @ Maddie G Designs said...

Beautiful setting and sounds like the perfect evening! Saturday was hot, wasn't it? We went to Cox farms and I thought I'd die. Hoping this rain ushers in some fall weather.

Windlost said...

Gorgeous Lauren! Your mother sounds like a beautiful person and you are blessed to have such a lovely Mom! Happy Birthday Mom!

I have a wonderful mother too and it really is the source of all the good things in my life.

Love your outdoor table and all the decorations. I didn't even think that there was a "living" version of eucalyptus!!

P.S. David is touring VA this week. He is in Charlottesville today. Rain!

xo Terri

Michelle said...

These are the kinds of days you remember in a family forever Lauren, and yours is so simply stylish!!

Best,
Michelle

Donna Lynne Cox said...

Thanks for a wonderful night. I think it was my best birthday ever. Low key, relaxing with my favorite peeps! Thanks for all the nice things you wrote about me, I think you're very special too!

Luv ya
Ma

Valerie@chateaualamode.typepad.com said...

Hi Lauren, I love your table...how rustic and simple, yet so elegant. I love it!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful table! It really would make you want to linger. That is a good goal.... a once a week special table.

Jennifer

Anonymous said...

Beautiful table! It really would make you want to linger. That is a good goal.... a once a week special table.

Jennifer

Haven and Home said...

What a lovely setting! I hope your Mom had a fabulous birthday!

LindsB said...

You throw a really amazing party!! And your mom is beautiful, there is no way she is old enough to have a daughter your age, I need her secret!

carmen said...

your table looks so nice! I too love eating outside, I can't wait for it to cool off enough to do so.

simply seleta said...

What an amazing, special dinner for your mom. Everything was so beautiful it looked like a scene from a magazine. Having the festivities outside is so great for the kids to run, play and enjoy nature. Loved this post!! : )

No.35style said...

lauren, it is all so gorgeous! love the table, the arrangements..all of it! please share how to make that table..where did you find the sawhorses??

Allison said...

Your table is gorgeous. it looks like something out of a magazine! Simple, rustic and casually elegant!

Lindy said...

Love your outdoor party set-up. I'm planning a fall party and I'm inspired to get moving on the plans!

Anonymous said...

Hi Lauren,
I've been doing a lot of tables lately. I thought I would also show you my monkey grass table. I did a new inexpensive centerpiece that I think you would like--since you probably have a ton of it too. I promise, this is my last table setting link :)

Also check out Patricia's (PVE) artwork--hot off the presses!

Julie

Anonymous said...

I added myself to follow your blog. You are more than welcome to visit mine and become a follower if you want to.

God Bless You ~Ron

Velvet and Linen said...

Happy Birthday to your Mom! You have such a beautiful family. I can't believe how big your boys are getting.
Oh, and BTW: my carrots look the same way. I think they have so much more character than the regular store bought ones!!!
xo
Brooke

Cristin // Simplified Bee said...

Your family is beautiful! Love the outdoor setting. Those little carrots are so cute too!

xo,
cristin

lisaroy said...

what a lovely weekend and a beautiful setting! :)

LiveLikeYou said...

Happy birthday to your lovely mom. That explains your own beautiful kindness!! Ellen is inviting you to Knock Out Abuse kick off on Tuesday. Hope you can come!

Stephanie Sabbe said...

love it! so pretty. You always do such a great job!

Sixty-Fifth Avenue said...

Such a beautiful table! I love the simple touches you added, makes me want to do something special just for the fun of it.

Londen

Bailey said...

This looks like my fall dream day, what a lucky momma!

Jane @ The Borrowed Abode said...

What a gorgeous table - both the decor and the actual wood!

katiedid said...

Oh my gosh Lauren! That table is awesome and your mom sounds like she is too! That last photo is so great!!!!!

Loretta Fontaine (EcoHappy Blog) said...

Lauren,

I've been waiting to see that stunning and gorgeous table in use since the first day it showed up on your blog. Wow! What a simple and joyful place to sit and celebrate into the night.

Happy Birthday to your beautiful Mom.

(I'm trying Mr. Linky for the first time ever to link to a table setting on my new blog, and crossing my fingers it works!