Dana-Powers House

Embellish Vintage Rentals for your chic occasion

2011-06-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

For years now, I have had a small selection of rentals that I offer to my brides. For the most part they have been simple and sometimes utilitarian items that fit our particular site. Namely rustic and garden inspired items.
It has occurred to me that to expand this part of my business would be a great fit as I have a great collection of stuff , love to shop and I love to help brides put together their vision for their wedding day. I am in the process of acquiring even more items that I think would be really fun additions to a vintage look.
I recently returned from Oregon with several boxes of old books, a vintage blue typewriter (soo cute), a darling little desk

lots of coupe champagne glasses (the short ones, all etched), more great milk glass, suitcases, and an amazing candy tin for a candy table display (Its pink!)

Since I do not have a website up and running quite yet, I am posting pictures to Embellish on Facebook so you can get an idea of what I am offering.
We will be offering delivery service from Paso Robles to Santa Barbara.
We will also try to look for specific items that you might want so let me know your hearts desire.

Adding a personal touch of color

2011-03-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

I can always tell when wedding season is about to commence. My brides start popping by to check out the venue again and firm up plans for decorations.
I want to share a very quick, simple idea for bringing the color scheme to the outdoor areas .
We have 4 benches that I always have pillows on. I have purposely kept them neutral and natural in green and brown.

Here is a simple treatment to jazz them up
Purchase 45 inch squares of fabric in your color scheme. (softer fabric is easier to do than stiff)
Place (mine or yours) cushion (20 inch square) on the diagonal. (we have 8 for the benches)

place cushion on wrong side of fabric. Points of pillows should not line up with points of fabric. Fold over cushion tucking raw edge under

Then bring the other two corners together and tie those.

Simply flip the cushion over and you have a custom covered cushion.

OR.... if you bring me your fabric. I will be happy to do it for you.
Happy wedding decorating!

We are a preferred vendor!

2010-10-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

I am always interested in what going on out there in wedding world and since I rarely get away from the farm, I have found that perusing the wedding blogs is a great way to stay in touch with current trends. Style me pretty, and greenweddingshoes are a couple of my favorites. I love the fact that they have diy sections which is such a strong trend these days. I have been a diy girl forever. There is so much joy to be found in creating. It does not have to be perfect and the fact that you learn how on your own is immensely satisfying. I have taught myself how to sew (my mother refused to sew for me after I left home so I had no choice but to learn) on my grandmothers old treadle sewing machine. Then I took up cooking after my cousins husband made fun of something I had made. (I was 18). I have to say that after lots of trial and error, I can turn out a fairly respectable meal.
I have been decorating since I was about 10. Not a lot for a girl to do on the farm by herself ,so I decorated every nook and cranny I could get my hands on (boys call them forts). It has been a life long love of mine. I paint, garden and flower arrange so when I have a bride who loves to create her own wedding, I know that it will be unique if nothing else. They usually go all out with the cutest ideas, some of which I see the seed of an idea on the blogs.
So take a look. Type in your favorite color schemes, your favorite style. You will be amazed at what is out there and so adaptable to a fun dinner party or an evening with the girls.
And check out our weddings that have been posted to these blogs. Also newsworthy is the fact that we were just listed on green wedding shoes as a preferred vendor. I love the fact that they have done this with out asking for a fee which just becomes advertising. It is an honor.

2010-08-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

I Have been waiting for someone to take us up on our rental of the firepit set up for smores and finally...... here it is. Andrea and Tom had a darling wedding yesterday with so many handmade touches. I will share some on them with you in my next post. But back to the smores. We furnished every thing needed including the forks, wood, stools and set up. Toms mother Janis made the individual litlle smores packets which contained 2 marsmallows, 2 graham crackers and a small chocolate bar. Some of them had Reeses in them. As you can see, they drew a crowd and people kept going out all evening. Its a fun touch and not something you are able to do at all locations but it is a perfect touch at our barn.

the wedding of Kimberly and Norm 5.22.10

2010-05-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Even though it was a rather cold day in May, It could not dampen the spirit of Kimberly and Norms wedding. Everything was beautiful from beginning to end and was flawless.

The ceremony took place in the garden with our 100 year old olive tree providing the branches which were hung with lanterns decorated with blue and white striped ribbons and green mum spheres.
The aisles were done with more spheres as were the rose petals up the aisle
Denise of flowers by Denise did all the beautiful arrangements. This one is especially beautiful! This girl is a real sweetheart and so talented. We had so much fun working together
The ceremony was done by Barbara Koenig

Appetizers were served on the Patio. There were 5 cocktail tables set up with yellow ticking stripe cloths

The appetizers and meal were provided by two cooks catering.

These sweet potato fries were too cute!

The mac and cheese was a big hit

Photographer Colleen Rosenthal arranging one of her fabulous shots

The reception was held at the barn. Guests were greeted with custom seed packets with their table numbers. A string of pictures of the bride and groom accented the table. The boxes are part of our inventory of props. Mark filled them with wheat grass.

Our wagon wheel chandeliers were covered in white duck by Mark for a more tailored look

Denise rented my collection of milk glass vases

Beautiful with ranunculus, fern, euphorbia, lambs ears and dusty miller

The tables were beautiful with floor length slate blue linen. Napkins were handmade blue and white stripe. Mark made the super cool table numbers .(They were vintage labels that he added numbers to) He chose an over sized clothespin to display them on. Each table had a lampshade over it with a pin spot lighting the centerpieces.

Our chandelier on the bar with one of Denise's beautiful arrangements

Old time soda bottles in one of our display pieces for ambiance

The dessert bar
The pumpkin cookies were in honor of Kimberlys dog "Pumpkin"

Macaroons were flown in from San Francisco
packets of "sweets for the sweet" filed with the most delicious paso almond brittle. The wheat grass filled boxes were transformed for the dessert bar.

The bride and groom chose ice cream cakes. They were purchased at Coldstone Creamery and kept on dry ice until time to serve them
I cannot tell you what a pleasure it was to work with Mark from Mark Padgett Event Design. He is the consummate professional and obviously loves what he does. Fun, super talented, dedicated are only a few words to describe him. He made us look good and I look forward to working with him again.

Our best wishes to Kimberly and Mark. We are so pleased they chose our home and barn for their wedding day

Dj Kramer entertainment great job Beau!

Lighting provided by Kramer entertainment

2010-05-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

My Grandfather in his garden

My roses are in full and glorious bloom.

I did this funky plaque as a tribute to my grandfather whose roses I tend.

This was his rose garden that I have tried to leave intact. He grew mostly hybrid teas which I have to say are not my favorite. I love the english roses, florabundas and David Austin roses. This part of my garden stays true to my grandfather. Only hybrids and teas are allowed in.

I love icebergs for their clean look This is the side of our front porch

my husband built this arbor for me

2010-05-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

A fun wedding Saturday. Chad and Maegan celebrated with their friends and Family with lots of laughter and love.

The signature drink was served in these mason jars which were also the favors
Pink flip flops for the dancing girls. How fun! They were put to good use.
Our steel frame with new white curtains. A simple but effective ceremony site.

Catering was done by Sea Shanty. Carol always does a beautiful display
Aprils flowers did gerbera arrangements. Even the outdoor coffee tables got spruced up

Maegan did darling place cards. She is a nurse and Chad is a sheriff.

Perry of Kramer Entertainment furnished music for the ceremony and reception. I really like the way they set up their music for the ceremony at the back of the chairs. Keeps those speakers out of the pictures

The cake was from Arroyo Grande Bakery

chalkboards

2010-04-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

We have had this chalkboard in our Bar at the house for several years but they have recently become really popular with our brides.
This one is from Amanda and AJs wedding.

As is this one telling people to help themseleves to a favor
We added this one to Lacys signature drink. Her husband is from the south and this is a popular drink there.
I love to see brides incorporate personal touches to their day
An easel and chalkboard I have to do the menu on. I love the shape of it. Still looking for the perfect frame for it.

a list of drinks being served at our outside bar at the barn. Don't you love this frame?

I borrowed this from our driveway that usually announces the wedding. The perfect welcome for christmas at the Dana-Powers House

One of my favorite chalkboards. Used to sit on on the sidewalk of a cafe somewhere in France. I like to think it might have been Paris. I bought it from the Fabulous Coco at one of the barn antique sales. I must have caught her at the right time as she had been saying all day it wasn't for sale. So now I share it with all my beautiful couples.

This was done by a caterer . I am sorry I do not remember which one.

If you are interested in making your own they are super easy. You can get chalkboard paint at any hardware store in either spray on or paint on. I usually start with a frame I like and buy an artists canvas to fit. If it is an odd size you can have a thin piece of wood cut to fit. paint and voila! you have a very cute chalkboard for all kinds of uses.
As a note to my brides I have lots of different sizes so just ask me.

The Luncheon

2010-02-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

I have a great group of girlfriends who have been getting together once a month for lunch at each others homes. We have been doing this for many years and originally started it to be able to keep in touch even though we live near each other for the most part. It has taken on a life of its own and no one misses it except for dire emergencies! Whoever is the hostess can invite other guests which keeps it interesting to say the least.

The deck was fancied up in green and white
appestisers... Birdnests and onion jam topped baguettes

The bar ready to go

My sweet Edie making fresh mojitios for the girls. 75 degree weather didn't hurt

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic and Moroccan couscous fom Barefoot Contessa. Suprisingly easy to fix and can be done ahead for the most part.

Flowers done up in a birdcage which you can barely see.

The favors. Wood rounds cut by Eddie with dome covered birdnests. The place card is a book marker that I stamped with everyones name. Made it so that it was still usable for what it was intended.

The table all set

We have three birthdays in February so there were lots of presents.

Dessert was a mojito" caketail" which I failed to get a picture of but you get the idea.

more birthday pics

2009-12-21T23:30:00.000-08:00

Learning about ponies

just too cute. I know, I am the grandma. Can't help myself

Tables done by Melanie(Mom). Looked so cute. Flowers were recycled fom the wedding. (Thanks April and Melissa) It was perfect as the ones we ordered were not available.

The pony ate the patches of clover in the lawn. Now I don't have to dig them out!

A busy weekend

2009-12-21T22:14:00.000-08:00

The Birthday Boy JACKSON

After a wedding on Saturday (More to follow on the wedding) , we pulled together my grandson Jacksons 7th birthday. It was not without advance planning as it had to be a quick turnaround. Thanks to lots of helpers, the barn was transformed in time for the party. We took our color cues from the striped awning fabric for the lanterns.
The lemonade stand was set up for the children to help themselves using some of my collection of boot glasses

The barbeque crew handling the burgers and dogs

Jacksons ice cream parlour.
I made the canopy. Poppa Eddie and Grandpa Dave installed on Sunday morning.

The kids had the most fun dishing it up themselves.

Cupcakes with"J" flags. Made by Gramma Recipe was from the smitten kitchen blog. Pretty yummy if I do say so myself.

Favors made by Mom. Dad and Jackson cut the sticks on Grandpa Sehons property

The petting zoo was a big hit. The animals were so tame they just rested in your hand

Time to blow out the candle

Necia and Jacob

2009-10-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

A beautiful late summer wedding in the garden. Necia and her Mom must have had loads of fun putting together all the vintage touches. They purchased all the plates , cake stands and spent their time making all the detailed Diy's. Even the programs were handstiched.
Jake and Necia are photographers working with Mike Larson so they have seen the best. We were honored that they chose the Dana-Powers House to hold their wedding.

Our sign out on the road
A very cool picture at the entrance. Love the blue hydrangeas

Scads of presents stacked on our gift cartA tray set at the back of the aisle for Fans and programs
A beautiful ceremony. The gazebo was framed in oak branches. The bridesmaids wore simple white blouses and gray skirts. Looked fabulous. Check out the shoes!

Our door filled with placecards
Family wedding pictures nestled in my shelf on the back deck. I think it works well to incorporate into what is already here.

A large childrens table. Each child had their own totebag with their name on it. Necia made little cloth flags that were set in the canning jars

The tables were so pretty and in keeping with the rest of the theme. White ironstone pitchers set on a vintage napkin. The table numbers were twisted wire made by the bride
Our drink table. I had this vintage yellow rose that I could not resist using since it went so well with the theme

They had two photobooths. Loved the color coordinated curtains

The lights were strung over the dinner garden by the lighting crew of Kramer entertainment. We hung the white lanterns

A dessert table was set up after the buffet
The cake matched the programs!

Vendors
Catering: Upper Crust
Cake and desserts: The cakery
DJ Melissa from KramerEntertainment
Flowers: Panacea
Photographer: Mike Larson and staff
Lighting: Kramer Entertainment lighting division

amanda and aj

2009-10-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Ajs wedding was filled with diy projects that couldn't have been sweeter. Amanda has an eye for detail that started at the arbor where guests walked in and ended as they left at the end of the evening. Everything coordinated down to the smallest detail. It was obviously a family affair from her Dad building the fence dividers, friends putting together the flowers to her Mom overseeing everything to make sure it was what Amanda had envisioned.

The shutters were really perfect in their simplicity. Loved the flowers hung casually on them

Amanda made these pom poms out of pattern paper, coffee liners and tissue paper. They were connected with buttons strung on twine. So cute!
The favor stand with a chalkboard sign
The flower on Amandas dress was copied on the guest book and flowergirl pail. The corrugated tin on the guest book was copied on the drink tags.

Our antique coke bottle box used to hold the signature drink

a sign made by the brides aunt

loved the vintage suitcase for cards
The wooden fences were made by the brides father and visually separated the ceremony site from the reception
The cakes were arranged on white cakeplates which were later used as thank you's for the many friends who helped out. If you look closely, you can see the buttons decorating the cakes which were made out of marizapan

The table settings were a compliation of old books, vintage candlesticks, old wood box frames filled with simple white flowers and their table numbers were done on corrugated paper tied with strips of lace
The pathway was lined with brown paper luminarias to light the way home for their guests.
The caterer was BelloForno www.belloforno.com
The photographer: Beth Armsheimer www.betharmsheimer.com
Cakes: Windy City Bakery 805.868.3821

Hilary and Warren

2009-09-26T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hilary and Warrens wedding was one I had been looking forward to. They both had such great energy that I knew it would be fun. All was in place for a beautiful day. umbrellas in an old wheelbarrow, a beautifully decorated arbor that Hilary had purchased in Los Olivos, signs hand painted by Warren on wood from his Grandparents ranch and then the rain came. Not a huge amount but enough to keep us wondering.

We moved the ceremony indoors when it kept sprinking just enough to keep the chairs wet. I was worried that guests would be more concerned about the weather than being in the moment of the ceremony. I had the caterers light all the candles on the tables, The guests stood on the dance floor behind a few chairs for grandmas and parents. It was beautiful and everyone was able to relax and enjoy the ceremony which was done by the grooms uncle.Darling arrangments by Adornmentsflowers.com. They used tomato cans that they applied a rust finish to. beautiful imported roses and surrounded by peaches and berries. Very effective for the barn
Beautiful bride!
Another beautiful cake by the Cakery (www.slocakery.com)
The little girls did not mind the rain at alldarling peach jams handmade by the bride and groom from his grammas orchard. The label is a picture is of a nest that they found in the tree when they were picking the peaches

A delicious dinner was supplied by Testa Catering of Santa Maria
Music was by Guy Ryder 1.877.54ryder
Photography by Linsey Hahn from Paso Robles

2009-08-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

Jodi and Blake had a beautiful day filled with lots of love from family and friends. Family did the food and they had a delicious mac and cheese from Testa Catering(805.739.0809)

The first dance of Jodi and Blake
A beautiful cake by the Cakery. ( 805.545.7777) Chocolate and red roses
Manzanita trees from the grooms family ranch adorned the wedding site.The wedding was the week of the big fire off 166 and the family didn't know if they lost their ranch or not. Centerpieces were a smaller version.

Redecorating

2009-08-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

It seems like I have been working on our tv room forever. Its always a slow process since we have to work projects in between weddings

One thing I wanted to get rid of was the 70's looking tile around the fireplace. I did not want to deal with a big tile project so I collected oyster shells and glued them right over the tile. I used tubes of lexan . Using both sides of the shell adds lots of texture and color. I saw this in a magazine was was drawn to it because of the brown spots on the shells. (I think I am in my brown phase) I am hoping it stays stuck with the heat of the fires

I actually started The project a few years ago with antique shutters that I bought at Rons Nursery.(www.rons-nursery.com) We replaced Eddies easy chair with a new brown leather from traditions in SLO. My slipper chairs were re slip covered (3rd time) Did them in a brown and beige wide stripe.(bought them at the thrift store for about $20.00 for 2. I love them because they are small scale and easy to move around. I painted the walls dark brown. It' s the same color as the couch fabric.

The light fixture was purchased from Sydney at the last fall sale at the barn Left it chippy and rustic. I love the look. It had been bugging me that the ceiling fixture was off center by about 2 feet so my darling Eddie redid it all. No small feat since the room is lath and plaster. We also decided to add a switch which meant tearing a 5 foot swath thru the lath for that project. Painted the ceiling pale blue. Picks up the blue in the above mentioned shutters.

A new flat screen tv (which we are loving) and a new 8 foot high bookcase made by the Herbert Brothers (herbertbros@charter.net)of SLO has really made the room completely different. I am still working on accessorizing it.
Fabric for the couch was ordered a year ago. It just came in so the couch is next on my list of projects. By the time I get it all done, it will be time to start over!

wed on a summers day

2009-08-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

The photographer(Ashley Blake just sent a link to her blog with more great pics of Christina and Stephens wedding I should give up trying to take pictures!
www.ablakephotography.com/blog

Publish Post

Handmade and adorable

2009-08-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

I have been looking forward to Christina and Stephans wedding when she told me she was making all of the flowers in her table arrangements out of cloth. I knew she had to be artistic and I was not disappointed.
The flowers were all done by Julie anne Martens from los Angeles(www.honeyfloraldesign.com)
818.425.4360. They were beautifully done. Julie specializes in really personal designs

Christinas brother who is a chef provided the meal. He used some of our serving pieces and provided the chafing dishes

The place cards were attached to cording strung between the two fence posts. pots of lambs ears decorated the bases

The cake was by the Cakery... always tasty!(www.slocakery.com) or 805.545.7777
The program and a small pack of birdseed to throw after the ceremony. I loved the line "wed on a summers day. "
a close up of the wedding arch. I loved the moss, the fabric (it had a small brown velvet ribbon stiched on it. the pieces of driftwood wired to it were a great natural touch
The rose petals along the side of the chairs work well because they don't get trampled
The tables were very simple but look closely at the flowers in the urn (handmade out of fabric) and the table card holder is a piece of wood wrapped with raffia covered wire.
This wedding is a good example of having a theme and applying it to everything.
Ashley Blake did the photography (805.234.5775)
AMS DJ provided great music(805.202.2020

Black and White

2009-08-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Landon had a beautiful wedding. Black and white was carried throughout. Very elegant. The wall behind the head table was covered in a mesh of white lights, then covered with a curtain of muslin that had been trimmed with the black and white damask print(waverly). A large black mirror was hung in front that had been embellished with stick on monograms. I though it was a great idea as the mirror could be reused. Amandas friend Shelli was responsible for all the damask as she made runners for the tables and the skirting for the candy, coffee, cake and head tables also. The tables had simple vases in groups of three with all white flowers. This works really well as the tables are 60 inches wide and sometimes a single vase can get lost.
The guests really enjoyed the photo booth provided by Mike Larson (slophotobooth.com) or 234.7678. DJ Sean from AMS Entertainment (202.2020)warned the guests not to do anything in the photo booth that they didn't want everyone to see as the pictures would all be on a disk for the bride and groom!
Flowers were by Lori Boe.(805.709.26340 or loriboefloraldesign.com. I especially like the flowers along the window ledge.
Barbara Koenig did a beautiful ceremony as usual. (805.489.0710)
The sit down meal was provided by Testa Catering of Santa Maria. Always delicious food. (805.310.81350) I love their strawberry salad.

little girls dancing

2009-08-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite images is this one of little girls twirling and dancing out on the dance floor. They were having such a good time. It was a very sweet moment.

Pretty in Pink

2009-08-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

Christie and Andy got married in the garden on July 18. Hot pink lanterns decorated the dinner garden. They really brighten up the garden and add a bit of extra color.
The caterer was Bruce's prime rib from Lompoc with my staff doing bussing etc.
The DJ was Bob Criswell 705.7992
Flowers and photography were done by family and friends
The Minister was Dennis Mogavaro who got married to his wife Dorothy in our garden a few years ago. Dennis does a really nice ceremony.
One of the highlights of the reception was Christies dad singing a Kenny Chestney song (Ithink) to the bride and groom.

more weddings

2009-08-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Keeping up with blogging during wedding season is proving to be harder than I realized. They are all special in their own way. Here are a few we've had
July 4Th, in keeping with the holiday was a special day for a special reason. It was a real patriotic
celebration. Rick was quite the dashing groom in his Army blues and Jada was his radiant bride.
Family and friends joined in to provide food, dj, and flowers for a day filled with love

We also do special events

2009-07-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

This last month we had 2 events other than weddings. I do not always have dates available but due to a cancellation, June 20 was available for a memorial. A local lady who was very popular here in Nipomo wanted a Grand party for her friends . It quickly came togther and was a celebration of her life. She was a member of the red hat society, so many guests came in red and purple. We hung red lanterns and I attached purple ribbon to the bottom. The trio played and A guest sang show tunes They dined on a great barbeque provided by Pleamons catering. The flowers were from the Art of flowers here in Nipomo.
The following week we had a retirement party for a local bank president. The Barn was decked out in great western wear as were the guests. They feasted on great mexican/western style food from Testa Catering. Martin and his crew always do a wonderful job. The margarita machine was a big hit also! They danced to a group of guys who were either retired bankers or had some connection to the banking world. I am sorry to say I do not remember what they call themselves. The centerpieces came fromwww.hessehorticulture.com here in Nipomo.

Simple and sophisticated

2009-06-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

The seafood bar
Adornments did the stunning flowers White peony's, burgundy succulents, white sweet peas, eucalyptus, lambs ears
The paella being cooked
We set up cocktail tables in and around the dance floor. All the tables had natural linen runners made by the bride

Meisha and Marcus chose to be married in the garden. Our white dawn rose was in full bloom so they had their ceremony in front of it.They continued at our garden site with passed appetisers by two cooks catering. At the bar, they had a signature drink of vodka mojitios and champagne. When the photos were done, they led everyone up to the barn. Joe Labarbera had the music on to welcome their guests. Two cooks passed more and different appetisers while Meisha and Marcus did their first dance.Stations were opened up and everyone enjoyed a seafood bar, paella, and salad stations.
Amy Wellencamp was the photographer. She had a slide show set up immediately at the receptions for the guests to enjoy.
Meisha had purchased pashmina shawls in New York City for her girl friends(where they live)
They also provided two buses to provide transportation to and from the wedding

A beautiful rustic cake decorated with succulents and greens by The cakery

The Paella Bar and salad station

A country wedding in May

2009-06-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

Jesslyn and Jeff had a country wedding with lots of fun touches This the third event we have had for their family. Her grandparents had their 50Th anniversary here and her uncle also got married in our garden so it was great to have them back and to be a part of their family celebrations again. It was definitely a family affair as Jesslyns mom did all the cooking! it was so cute to see her out on the dance floor in her apron between duties in the kitchen. An uncle brought his band, family and friends did the barbecue and her mom even did the cupcakes. Applemoon did the photography and a family friend did arrangements in canning jars. The favors were horseshoes from the stable where they met and a friend manned the "photo booth" complete with chaps, hats and various western props It was a very fun day filled with lots of love for Jesslyn and Jeff

Card went in the old galvanized watering can
Flowers in our galvanized cone at the entry walk
The bride in her something blue boots
Great Menu board
This way to the photo booth
Cute photo display of bride and groom on old wood
The photo booth

2009-06-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Summers get crazy around here. I thought I would be able to keep up with my blogging efforts but obviously that has not happened. Brides are booking for next year, planning the rest of this years events, to say nothing of day to day life. So here I am playing catch up on all that has gone on. May events include Amy and Kevin. They chose blue and Ivory for their color scheme. We hung ivory lanterns in the rafters. I like the square fold of the napkin on the plate with a cookie for a favor in the middle. In good taste (delicious) did the catering, The flowers are from the art of flowers here in Nipomo, and Katy Simone did the photography.

Kevins dad built the cute barn/mailbox to hold cards

Tortilla Soup

2009-05-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

Last night Eddie made Tortilla soup. (he cooks Friday thru Sun unless he can find someone to feed us) Its a little different so I thought I would share it This recipe has been on the internet but we have tweaked it as you might want to also.

1 16 0z tomatos (any kind)
1 medium onion
4 tablespoons cilantro chopped up
2 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2-3 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce*
8 cups chicken broth
11/2 lbs chicken cut up into bite size pieces. (you can use leftover cooked chicken)

In a blender, combine undrained tomatos, onion, garlic cilantro and sugar., Cover and blend til nearly smooth. Put mixture into a large pot with chicken, broth and chilpolte peppers. Let cook for 20 minutes

shredded monterey pepper jack cheese (the pic shows cheddar cuz thats all we had. Still delicious
avocados
fried tortilla strips **
Put toppings in a soup bowl, ladle soup over . Top with sour cream

You can find chilpolte peppers in the mexican section of the grocery store. I take them all out of the can, lay them on waxed paper in the freezer then put ones i don't use immediately into a sealed plastic bin. Easy to remove one or two at a time. They are delicious in soups, dips, and we love it in tarter sauce..
We like to cut up flour tortillas in strips then cook them in a good amount of oil til crispy. So good this way. Like a homemade tortilla chip I never said it was low cal.
Enjoy

2009-04-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

2009-04-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

2009-04-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

2009-04-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

2009-04-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

2 mirrors I picked up. I am going to do a large wall of mirrors on the wall of the barn which will be behind the head table area.

2009-04-27T18:38:00.000-07:00

More purchases.... cute rectangle ironstone bowls

I love this frog

markings on the ironstone

a great trash can. I am going to use it at the barn.

2009-04-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

A bench and table set that I got from the Sorensons. and its bullwinkle blue!

marilynmarilynmarilyn.com had this adorable shabby chic sconce

Coco always has the greatest french treasures. I couldn't resist this bridal throne

fun dangle earrings

As you can see from the above pictures, I have a wide and varied selection of things that I love. They will all be put to good use and hopefully enjoyed by many.

remnants of the past antique sale

2009-04-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

What a great event ! It started Thursday with a few vendors setting up early. Carol clipped snowballs and greens for decorations and put up a darling spring drape over the barn door to welcome people. She ended up making bouquets to line the entrance which i hear everyone loved. Maybe we will make them for sale next spring.
Friday all the dealers poured in and it was so much fun seeing everyone again. Lots of hustle and bustle all day. We put together a little dinner down at the house for those that could attend. Lots of wine, good conversation and camaraderie I made a brie which several people asked about so here is the recipe
Baked Brie
1 sm round of brie (about 6 inches)
cut in half and cover with apricot jam
sprinkle on candied pecans lay other half on top
set on rolled out square of puff pastry (freezer section at grocery or trader joes
pull up corners into a little topknot. set in dish that you want to serve it in.
brush with egg wash bake for 20 minutes at 400o
serve with apple slices and crackers

Candied Pecans
I make a large quanity of these at once and keep them in the freezer.
3 T butter
1/2 cup sugar
11/2 cups pecans
Line a cookie sheet with foil, butter it and set aside
In a heavy skillet, melt butter, add sugar and then pecans. Cook over med heat stirring constantly 4 to 5 minutes or until sugar melts and turns rich golden brown. Remove from heat and spread pecan on baking sheet. Cool completely. Break into small pieces and store in air tight containers.
This is good in salads, over ice cream and also makes a nice little hostess gift

I also made some savory nuts to nibble on

Spiced rosemary Nuts (cashews are delicious as are almonds)

2 1/2 cup raw nuts
2T olive oil
11/2 T. chopped fresh rosemary
1T. sugar
11/2 t. ground cumin
1t. salt
1t.freshly ground pepper
1/4t. cayenne pepper(I like a bit more bite so i put a bit more
preheat oven to 300o
Place nuts in a bowl
Warm the olive oil in a pan, add the rosemary and stir til aromatic (about a min)
pour over nuts add remaining spices and stir to coat evenly.
Transfer to a baking pan, bake, stirring occasionally until nuts are toasted, About 20 minutes.
keep on hand to serve with drinks. Another good hostess gift when packaged in a cute little jar.

The sun was out on Saturday and everyone was all dressed up and ready for the crowd. It was a great turnout. lots more people than last year so as the word gets out it will just get better and better.

easter doings

2009-04-07T14:52:00.001-07:00

We have been having Easter here for the last 35 years. I actually grew up with the big family Easter here so we decided to continue the tradition with my family (The Dana Side) when we bought the house . It soon expanded to include our friends also. Many of them bring their extended families so its a multigenerational shindig. We have an easter egg hunt and then a buffet dinner with everyone contributing to the meal. Some years we have 75 and sometimes 125. We are on the 2nd generation of children hunting eggs and its pretty adorable.
Every year I pick a sort of theme and try to tie everything in. This year it is pussywillows taken from an old postcard I had in my collection.

I just finished the centerpieces for the tables which is honeysuckle vine wrapped around a shallow glass bowl. I stuck faux pussywillows around the edge and also a bit of fern. They are topped with sheet moss, 3 blue eggs which I recycled from a previous year. I also had some cement birds I had sponged with green paint. They are guarding the eggs and will be finished off with small fresh flower bouquets.
I found a couple egg wreaths at Michaels which I tore apart and used each egg vine to wrap around the napkins. Had to paint one egg blue to tie it in.

Tablecloths will be pale blue with white napkins.

Ed and I always do a turkey with dressing and a ham, cheesy potatos, homemade baked beans, and rolls. I do a crate of vegies which is a Mr Mcgregors garden sort of thing for the appetiser table. My centerpiece for the dessert table is a lamb cake covered in coconut.

Theres always lots of champagne, wine, and lemonade for the kids.

Its my favorite holiday with the emphasis being on family and a yummy meal.

The first Spring wedding

2009-04-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

We had beautiful sunshine after a very cold and windy rehearsal on Friday night. Matt and Lacey went all out on all the details that go into a wedding.
The 9 Bridemaids wore bright pink dresses and shoes, the guys wore grey tuxes with pink paisley ties, and the groom wore a black suit, white shirt opened at the neck with no tie. very cool. Of course the bride was beautiful in a vintage looking dress. She wore a bit of netting in her hair.
The Flowers were done by a friend in silver teapots which had been collected by laceys mom.

The programs, fans, cones, menu cards were all done in pink and green.
They served a signature drink (pink of course) called low country lemonade which is lemonade and peach shnapps.

The bride and groom opted to sit at a sweetheart table that I covered with a vintage lace cloth

The favors were homemade rasberry barbeque sauce made by the grooms family done up in little mason jars .

The ring bearer pillow was actually a little basket with moss and a vintage pin. The flower girl basket was a vintage wicker purse with vintage silk flowers on top. Very cute.

An aunt did the arch for the ceremony complete with hanging chandeliers.

Mike larson photography did the photos as well as furnishing the very popular photo booth.

The dinner was served by Popolos of San Luis Obispo, The video was Canna Productions. The brides bouquet etc was done by Jenny McNeice and the cake was from the Cakery .

2009-03-31T23:36:00.000-07:00

The next event in January was my oldest sons birthday. The barn has become the favorite spot for family events and this was no different. My Grandaughter Sarah decided that her Daddy should have a party and she did a great job of putting it all together. We had our typical barbeque which is top sirloin or tri tip (I like top sirloin better)cooked over oak, Jocko beans and salsa, corn pie (recipe to follow) salad, etc etc. Toms boss, Andrew came and made his specialty Mango Margaritas. Dessert made by his mama was toms favorite Coconut cream pie and a chocolate one to boot.
Recipe for Corn Pie (This is an old nipomo receipe first introduced by Sandy Knotts of Jockos who also as things go in small towns is also my daughterin laws Grandmother.

1 17oz can creamed corn
1/2 cup milk
1 40z can chilies
1/2 c cornmeal
1/2 t, salt
3 T. Butter
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 inch cubes
Mix all ingredients together and put in small casserole Bake at 300o for 1hour 45 minutes.
You might as well double this as you will just want more (use a 9 x 13 pan)

2009-03-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

My, How time flies. I'm only a little behind in my posts.
I'ts been a busy winter with a couple of weddings, house projects, and getting the garden ready for spring and summer weddings.
To do a little backtracking, we had a very fun wedding in the barn in late January. Unfortunately, I did not get to take pictures as the grooms aunt mistakenly grabbed my camera. I got a couple of photos that she took that I found when it was returned. I am grateful to get it back and enjoyed her pics!
It was one of those weddings where everything just went well. The bride was happy smiling all evening and just adorable. It turns out she was best friends with my niece Alison which we did not find out until after she had booked us. She made all the centerpieces herself and they were really darling. Wood boxes filled solid with pale peach roses, manzanita branches shooting out the top about 18 inches and little tea lights hanging off them. They had a signature drink called "Blakes Ambertini", served in our mason jars, which put everyone in a party mood immediately.

The Holidays

2009-01-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

The holidays are finally over and I am back to my wedding frame of mind. Its always difficult for me to switch back and forth because I want to give my brides and grooms my full attention. We have a large family and lots of friends (lucky us) so we are always having lots going on

Our holidays started with a very fun holiday/housewarming party at our neighbors . Lots of great food and drink with dancing in their new indoor courtyard room. That was followed by Thanksgiving the following thursday which I did here. 20 for turkey.

The following weekend was a wedding for my cousin Jerred and his beautiful bride Olivia. They involved her 3 young children into a very touching ceremony. We ate, we danced, we celebrated family.

The following week was a Christmas party here for a local green house company. It was catered by Debbie Duggan,The christmas decor was in place with lots of candles and cyclamens. It was a lovely party for 24. We attended a great party earlier in the day with friends in rural Arroyo Grande. They made the best little sliders with deep fried onions that I could not stop eating. It was the first burger I have had in 2 years and it was worth it!

The following weekend we were supposed to attend parties on Friday and Saturday night with friends but I came down with the flu. I was not happy to miss those parties.

Sunday we had a wedding at the barn for Josue and Sarah. They are a darling couple and we wish them the very best. I was too sick to eat their delicious looking tacos.

We celebrated Christmas here with friends and family. Prime rib roast with lots of horseradish,scalloped potatos with goat cheese, salad, green beans with shallots and minced mushrooms, homemade rolls, Great wine and English trifle for dessert. My cousin Gina brought homemade enchiladas which were delicious.

Christmas day was wonderful as my 3 older grandkids showed up for Poppa Eddies breakfast. He's kind of famous for it and thats pretty much all they wanted. Other family came by and we spent the day enjoying each others company. We all went to see a movie which we have never done before. Then home for leftovers and bed!

The following week was devoted to getting ready for New Years Eve. It is a tradition that we started 9 years ago in the year 2000. We did not want the kids out and about so we decided to have a joint party consisting of the 9 ladies and their families. It was a great sucess so we have done it every year since. Everyone gets 10 invitations to send out so we have a great mix of families and friends. We started doing it at the barn in 2007 .This year our theme was glitz and glamour. A great party. One of our friends put togther a balloon drop for midnight and another did an incredible display of fireworks. There was lots of great food, dancing , and of course libation. We followed it up with the clean up party the next day. Eddie cooked a huge wonderful breakfast, while the rest of us cleaned up the barn as we had a wedding on Saturday.

It was my first gay wedding (as it was for many of the guests). Mary and Julia are just a beautiful couple that I am honored to have been a part of their day. There was so much love and support for the two of them. I can only imagine what it must have felt to them to be surrounded(literally) by everyone. They had their ceremony in the center of the dance floor with chairs in a circle around them. They had together a very moving and spiritual ceremony. The whole day could not have been nicer.

So, I am back to appointments, pruning roses, arranging for projects to get done. Never a dull moment here. I am posting my recipe for Brandy Smashes which is a standard here from thankgiving through new years.

Brandy Smashes

1 12 oz can lemonade

1 12 oz can orangejuice

9 cups simple syrup (heat 1 1/2 cups sugar, 9 cups water til sugar disolves)

3 cups Brandy (1 750 liter) add when above ingredients are cooled. Put in freezer overnight. Spoon slush into glass. Add a inch or so of club soda Use sprite etc If you like it sweeter. (Its really a health drink with all that citrus!)

2008-11-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

As I was preparing to start my thanksgiving cooking , I thought I would share my system for getting it all together. For years I have been a recipe collector. Don't use them much but love to collect! I am more of a do it once and move on though some have stuck through the years. Especially when it comes to the holidays and family tradition.After years of trying to recollect which book had the recipe I wanted, I decided to put them all in one binder labeled Thanksgiving. I put in tried and true but also ones I run across that I think I might make someday. It is so easy now. Last year I sat down and made a master grocery list. I make a copy of it (s0 I do not lose the original) and off I go to do my shopping. This year I added pictures of decorating for the holidays that appeal to me. (My trick for this is to make copies as soon as I read the magazine so I do not have to go back and hunt for them. Also leaves the magazine or book intact). Someday I hope to make one for each of my kids so they will be able to carry on the family recipes.

Thanksgiving and memories of my Mother

2008-11-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I started thinking about thanksgiving and what I needed to work on. I started with my dining room table and chairs which were in need of serious cleaning. The table was pretty straightforward with a simple cleaning with Liquid Gold (I love the smell and how it makes wood glow) The chairs were a bit more of a challenge. I ended up cleaning them with fine steel wool to remove white streaks(?) and a coat of liquid gold, new screws to replace missing ones, some gluing of split wood and finally new felt pads on all the legs. A nice sense of
accomplishment. These chairs were some of my Moms favorites and she gave them to me before she died. They are not exactly what I would have picked for myself but she loved them and I have come to appreciate them as they are very lightweight but also very sturdy . My next project was realizing that I did not have enough plates for thanksgiving dinner this year. Thank God for E Bay! I now have 14 which is what my table seats. These are also from my Mom. They were her wedding china (Old Rose from Maddock and Sons) and have been on our thanksgiving table for as long as I can remember. She loved setting a beautiful table with these plates and her Sir Christopher silver. Once again they are not exactly my colors but the history is so much more important. So now I set my table with her things and wish she were here to enjoy it..Below is a picture of my Turkey collection. The big one in the middle is from my Mom. Every year she would get it out and do a beautiful fall arrangement in it (She was a flower arranger extraordinaire) It was always on our thanksgiving table and now its graces mine.
I have added a few to her original bird and this picture does not reflect the two I bought last week in summerland!
This year our family is going in different directions and will not all be here but but we have a common bond and I know we will all be thinking of Mom wherever we are. Happy Thanksgiving!

Dia de los Muertos puercos

2008-11-03T15:57:00.002-08:00

Our neighbors and good friends, Gary and Jackie, had a day of the dead pig party last Saturday night to celebrate the trapping and killing of the wild boar that had been coming down over the mountain they live on .The pigs had been eating everything in sight and were keeping them up at night with their midnight raids on the newly landscaped garden. The roast was delicious and Jackie and Gary can finally get a good nights sleep!

The party was great fun. Most people came in costume and a beautiful bounty of food was shared.

I will eventually figure out how to put text and pics in right order. For now I am doing good to get them posted.

Dracula carving the pig

The Hostess with her shrine

The tooth fairys came

Butternut squash Gratin

2008-11-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

This is one of the dishes I took to the party It came from Bon Appetit
Butternut Squash Gratin with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts
31/2 pounds butternut squash (about 2 med), peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (8 cups)
2 T olive oil
coarse kosher salt
4 T. butter
3 cups sliced Leeks, white and pale green parts only
1 1/2 t. chopped sage
1 5.5 oz log of goat cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash cubes and olive oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread out on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until just tender and beginning to brown, stir occasionally, about 35 minutes.
Melt 3T. butter in heavy medium skillet over medium low heat. Add sliced leeks and chopped sage; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until tender but not brown, about 15 minutes. Coat 11 x 7 inch baking pan with 1 T. butter. Spread half of leek mixture over bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of squash and half of cheese. Repeat layering with leeks, squash, and cheese. Do Ahead:can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Preheat oven to 3750F. Pour cream evenly over gratin. Sprinkle with toasted chopped hazelnuts. Bake uncovered until gratin is heated through and cream is bubbling, about 30 min
This is delicious and quite rich. I think it would be a great side dish for Thanksgiving and the best part is you can get it out of the way the day before.

mirror project

2008-10-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

Bought this pink window frame at last springs antique show here at the barn. Had to have it! I decided I needed a mirror on my porch and was investigating tin ceiling material when I remembered this tucked away in my shop. How I love a new project. Had to start immediately.

mirror project

2008-10-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

I have had these old window parts for years waiting for a project. I picked the two that matched the dimension of my frame.

2008-10-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband putting it all together. It took him about an hour, but I have to say that he has all the tools on hand. He even does it with a beautiful smile!

2008-10-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Mounted on 1/4 inch plywood and sprayed with dark gray auto primer paint so that when it weathers, the gray will show through and tie in with the zinc and gray on my porch . Then its off to my favorite glass store(briscos in Arroyo Grande) with my frame in tow. I had them mount the mirror directly on top of the plywood and caulk it around the edge to keep the weather out. A couple coats of old fashioned milk paint and it's done!

A new mirror for my patio

2008-10-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

When the french doors are opened the mirror helps to draw the porch inside making it an extension of our dining room.

Knights anniversary Party

2008-10-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

They contra danced the afternoon away to the "Growling Old Geezers String Band".Dinner was provided by Creative Touch Catering. Family and friends serenaded them with songs . A very good time was had by all.

A welcome sign I recently acquired at the antique sale here. It's from a french cafe that would have been placed out on the sidewalk advertising the daily specials.Many thanks to Coco for it.

On display was her wedding dress (I don't think my waist was that small when I was ten!) and his navy uniform.

Saturday was the 50th wedding anniversary of a darling couple. Over 100 of their dear friends and family were in attendance.

2008-10-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins by Carol Smithback. They sold like crazy. Everyone loves them. She has a darling unique handwriting that makes them special

2008-10-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here are the pumpkins all nestled in straw in the back of Carols pickup.

2008-10-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

The entrance to the sale in the barn

remnants of the past antique sale

2008-10-22T10:58:00.001-07:00

The sale was fabulous! If you missed it The next one is in April. The vendors did a stupendous job of setting up their booths.Each one a work of art. I especially enjoyed the commraderie among the sellers. We had a dinner for them at my home on Friday Evening with wine, appetisers and a casual dinner. A great time for everyone to get to know each other.
I got lots of fun things at the sale which I will be posting later.

remnants of the past antique sale

2008-10-17T05:12:00.001-07:00

We are busy preparing for the remnants of the past antique sale. My Friend Judy Watkins puts it on and it is a wonderful event. This is the 3rd one she has had and it keeps getting better and better. All the dealers are hand picked and they bring their best stuff! We are all very exited and having lots of fun getting ready. Hope to see you there.

The begining of my blog

2008-10-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

I am unable to resist any longer. I am joining the world of bloggers. My intention is to share ideas from the weddings that take place here at the Dana Powers house and barn. I will also share some of my personal projects , favorite recipes, and life in general for anyone who is interested.