Batty Brunch and Dinner 

Almost Halloween !  We had fun entertaining friends at brunch and dinner earlier this month...and have more friends coming for lunch this week!  I saw a photo of these napkins somewhere and decided to try and get "batty".

I did not have black napkins...and I just found the black sparkle chargers at Dollar Tree, so I tried Amazon and found these - 

Surmente 17-Inch Polyester Cloth Napkins Linen Dinner Napkins - Set of 12 for Weddings, Banquets, or Restaurants (1-Dozen) (Black)

I chose the 17 inch - they also had 20 inch.  I was not sure I wanted polyester napkins, but figured I would not use them very much, and they were a deal at $ 9.99

Once I got the hang of folding the bats it was fun !

I ironed the napkins and think that helps with keeping the bats in place...

Fold the napkin into a triangle..

Turn the triangle upside down with the point facing you...

Then flip the point up...

And flip each side up to make the bat wings.

At this point I pressed the entire napkin to make sure it did not flop out of place on the plate...

And I also gave a shot of steam to the top of the "head"  - that makes it easy to press in with your finger to make the "ears"!

And that is it !  Easy...and they were a big hit with our guests!

We were four for dinner, so I did not used a table cloth - just these fall color placemats that I bought at the Cash and Carry Sale our community has ever few months.  These four mats - with the tags on them - were just some of the many things I crammed into a bag that you buy for $2 dollars ! The chargers are from Dollar Tree, as are the skeleton salad tongs.  I used my A&J water glasses that were a wedding gift and are showing that cloudy look glasses get after a while...well...47 years.  I can't seem to get rid of the haze, but I also don't have the heart to get rid of them.  Once water, ice, and lemon are in the glasses they look fine.

Simple centerpiece...candy corn for filler, a mini pumpkin, and a ceramic ghost... also vintage - made by me 47 years ago!

Salad dressing went in this little glass pitcher with a Temptations Spooky saucer to catch the drips.  

Lasagna in the crockpot was our dinner - we had attended a church service beforehand, so it was ready and waiting for us.

You can find the recipe for the lasagna here - 

Crock Pot Lasagna

A week later we hosted a brunch for some neighbors.  I used my everyday white dinner plates again...with the chargers underneath they really show off the bat napkins!

This time I used smaller water glasses that are so pretty...I was able to get these stuffed in that bag at Cash and Carry where I found the placemats.   I am using these more often...and probably will retire the A&J glasses...:-(

Used seasonal dish cloths with the mimosas and champagne.

Along with my favorite chalk board saying for brunch...

"Brunch, without booze, is just a sad, late breakfast!"

We had a great time with our friends...I love having people in our home and enjoying food and fun.

I always say I am not going to decorate as much for Halloween, but I end up putting out all of the items I accumulated over the years.

I made this wreath several years ago and since we are now in an apartment it does not get any weather and is holding up well.

Our entryway with some Dollar Tree spiders and a print I downloaded from the internet...

I painted some old books black and added some seasonal wine to the wine rack...

More bats...

My cherished ghost made by my Aunt Mamie...

Simple coffee table arrangement...

Spooky corner of the kitchen...

and our Jack O' Lantern that I made the first year we were married...every year when I pull it out I remember how excited I was to make it and decorate our first home for Halloween.  Feeling very blessed to enjoy all our days together.

Do you decorate for Halloween ?  Do you like to entertain?  And do you set a seasonal table ?  I would love to hear from you - please leave a comment below !  Reading the comments makes my day!

Enjoy the rest of October and wishing you all a safe and

Happy Halloween!!!

Paris and Nice !

We were so blessed to be able to travel to London, Paris, and Nice last month.  After our tour of London and Paris we had one day on our own in Paris before we joined another tour in Nice. Our hotel was located on Republique Square - steps away from a Metro and across the street from this statue of Marianne - the symbol of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.

We had a list of places we wanted to visit and got an early start...walking through the streets of Paris until we got to Angelina.

Have you heard of this place ?  They are said to have the BEST hot chocolate and each time we have been in Paris the line to get a table has been so long...we did not want to waste Paris time in a line.  This time there was just one couple in front of us and we had a table in minutes!

And...it is true...

The hot chocolate was wonderful!

Thick, creamy...

and served with a bowl of whipped cream, too!  We had some pecan cookies with our chocolate and enjoyed the atmosphere of the Belle Epoch era café.

Filled with our hot chocolate we wandered over to Notre Dame...reconstruction is ongoing and you still can't enter, but it is great to see the progress that is being made.

Right near Notre Dame is the famous bookstore Shakespeare and Company.  We love wandering around the nooks and crannies of this historic space.  Once again, there was no line and we were able to browse to heart's content.  Have your read any books about this famous store ?  I read two this year - 

This one tells the tale of a woman who travels to Paris and ends up living in the bookstore for a bit....these people were called "tumbleweeds" and it was a great read.

When bookish young American Sylvia Beach opens Shakespeare and Company on a quiet street in Paris in 1919, she has no idea that she and her new bookstore will change the course of literature itself.

Shakespeare and Company is more than a bookstore and lending library: Many of the prominent writers of the Lost Generation, like Ernest Hemingway, consider it a second home. It's where some of the most important literary friendships of the twentieth century are forged--none more so than the one between Irish writer James Joyce and Sylvia herself. When Joyce's controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Beach takes a massive risk and publishes it under the auspices of Shakespeare and Company.

Sylvia Beach opened the store, closed it during WWII, and then George Whitman opened it in the location near Notre Dame in 1951.  He passed away in 2011...we got to meet him in 2005.  Long story for another post...

But, we had such a good time browsing, talking to other readers, and of course...I had to buy a book!

Walking to Isle St. Louis for ice cream at Berthillion

A slow stroll back to our hotel for a nap, then a short walk to the Canal St. Martin

Dinner at a lovely little bistro...

then our flight to Nice!

We took the Collette tour called Spotlight on the French Riviera and it was amazing...

Walked into our room to see this...

then sunrise the next morning...

A walking tour of the flower market and then a tasting tour through the Old Town.

I tried the traditional Nice onion pizza...

John checking the real estate and dreaming...

We could not stop admiring the beautiful coast and water!

Next day Monaco...

visit to the cathedral and tomb of Grace Kelly

Dinner on the rooftop of our hotel..."Rose all day !"

Next day off to Grasse...the perfume center of the world.

We got to make our own perfume

then wandered the streets of the city.

Each day we returned to Nice and stayed in the same hotel...no unpacking and moving each day.  LOVED that !

Beautiful island of Saint -Honorat...olive trees...

Vineyards

and wine tasting.

The island is owned by monks who make the wine, olive oil, and other items.  

Lunch in Cannes

Getting tired ?   We were starting to as this was the longest amount of time we have been away, but this visit to the Rothschild Villa and Gardens kept us going....

A delicious lunch in the Villa Conservatory, then off to Menton and a tour of the town that is so close to Italy

Long walk up to the Cathedral of St. Michael

A place to write your prayer request...

There is my prayer request...that included you, my blog friends!

Last stop of the day...Eze...beautiful views

and a great dinner.  At this point, John was starting his play-off beard in support of his Philadelphia Phillies.  If you follow the baseball play-offs you will know the beard is now gone!

Last day of our time in the south of France...the village of 

St. Paul de Vence

Lots of winding medieval streets...only day it rained and the cobblestones were slippy! 

Visited the grave of Marc Chagall...people have covered it with remembrance stones...and one paint brush!

We enjoyed the art all over the village...met this artist and enjoyed his stories.

Farewell dinner with our group...

This was one of the best meals on the trip...gnocchi with beef stew. 

Good thing we were on our way home....way too much wine, bread, and wonderful food !

As I said at the beginning of the LONG post...very blessed to be able to have this wonderful adventure, and blessed to share it with this wonderful man.   Looking forward to lots more travels.

Thanks for coming along on our travels.  Have you been to Nice or any of the cities in the south of France ?  Have you read any books about Shakespeare and Company ?  Where are your travels taking you ?  Please leave a comment below - I love hearing from you!

Until next time...take care and enjoy Autumn !