Arrivederci!

Arrivederci!

By the end of the day, we will be on our way to Florence, Italy to visit #2 Son Alex who is studying abroad. We are so excited to see him!

We are also excited to explore the city of Florence, as well as Tuscany. It's been ten years since we were there on a family vacation, so I look forward to seeing it all again with fresh eyes and an appreciation for the history and beauty of Italy--especially this time of year.

Of course, I'm bringing my camera and my laptop, so stay tuned for upcoming episodes of

"Vignette Design in Tuscany!"

Homemade Grape Jelly

What to do when you have too many grapes? Make jelly!

We gave away tons of grapes, even to the local food bank. We even made sorbet, and some just had to be discarded.

So, it was time to take action and make jelly!

A basket of grapes like this only yields about 8 pints of jelly.

After washing and picking through the grapes, stemming them and discarding the bad ones, we processed them minimally in a food processor. Just enough to crush them.

They are then cooked for about ten minutes until all the juice is released.

Then strained through a cheese cloth strainer. The goal is to gather 5 cups of pure grape juice.

We boiled the 5 cups of grape juice, 7 cups of sugar and one package of pectin for one minute. This should be a hard boil!

The hot jelly is then poured in to warm, sterilized pint jars and sealed, being careful not to tighten the rings too tight.

They then are put in a processor to boil for 5 minutes. This kills any bacteria and also seals the lids. Lift out with tongs and let cool for 24 hours.

You know the lids are sealed when the lids are sucked down, not popping up and down.

Luckily, all mine sealed tight. The jelly will last up to a year in a cool dark place.

We ended up with 24 pints of grape jelly!

They will make perfect little gifts for the holidays for friends and family.

Just tie on a fabric scarf with twine!

Homegrown in Asti, and handmade with love! What could be better?

For a detailed tutorial on how to make grape jelly click here.

I'm joining the Foodie Friday party at Designs by Gollum.

An Autumn Tablescape

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." ~George Elliot

Autumn is most definitely my favorite time of the year!

So, I decided to create a fall tablescape with these grape leaf dinner plates as my inspiration. They were a recent find on Ebay.

I already had the salad plates which I layered over the dinner plates. Wicker chargers are a nice and rustic foundation.

Burlap placemats keep everything earthy and natural.

The goblets are my favorite, with their three colors of green, purple and amber.

I've been waiting a long time to use these vintage French Barbotine knife rests. This one is a red pepper, and there is also a celery, an eggplant and a radish!

Taking center stage, the centerpiece is a large wooden tray with gathered pumpkins, gourds, apples, grapes, leaves, pinecones and moss.

A large heirloom pumpkin sits on an antique majolica compote...

...and candles are elevated on vintage chalkware candleholders.

I think I'll leave this table setting for a while, just in case we decide to have an impromptu dinner party!

I'm thinking a nice pork tenderloin, butternut squash soup, savory bread pudding with chanterelle mushrooms and a lovely aged cabernet sauvignon would be perfect with this table setting!

Ahhh, delicious autumn!

Of course, I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for her Tablescape Thursday party! It's been a while since I joined her party and I'm excited to see all the table settings there. I imagine there will be lots of fall decor and inspiration, so check it out!

I will also join Artie for Vignette Fridays at Color Outside The Lines.

Resources:

Burlap placemats: Francis Ford Coppola Winery

Wicker chargers: Marshalls

Dinner plates: Ebay

Salad plates: Sur la Table

Goblets: TJ Maxx

Napkins: Pottery Barn

Wooden tray: Gift from Maureen

Compote: antique majolica

Candleholders: antique chalkware

Wheat stalks: Ross

Flatware: vintage silverplate

French Barbotine knife rests: vintage, The Antique Diva

Blue Angels In San Francisco!

The Blue Angels were in town this weekend for Fleet Week in San Francisco. As we were trying to get over the Golden Gate Bridge Sunday afternoon, they were flying over and performing their stunts on the Bay.

What a thrill to look up and see them flying over!

Flying over Alcatraz Island.

These photos were taken by a professional photographer for the Chronicle, but I attempted to capture the excitement below with my Canon Rebel and telephoto lens.

Keep in mind, I took these photos in a moving car!

I just clicked away and hoped a few photos turned out.

It's so cool to see all the ships and sailboats on the Bay.

Looking west, the sun's reflection on the Pacific Ocean was blinding.

It was one of those rare days in San Francisco. The temperature on the bridge read 75 degrees.

It's usually 58! We had the Giants game on the radio and the Blue Angels overhead!

We got home just in time to see our beloved San Francisco Giants beat the Atlanta Braves!

It was all good on 10-10-10!

I'm linking up to Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

Just for fun, check out the video below. It really captures the exciting Blue Angels air show over San Francisco Bay.

Fall Centerpiece Ideas: Smashing Pumpkins

When it comes to pumpkins these days, white is the new orange! My favorite centerpiece inspiration photo is this silver wine bucket with a white pumpkin. Perfect for a fall wedding!

Who knew pumpkins could be so elegant! No longer just the traditional orange, the new heirloom green and white pumpkins look wonderful as a fall tablescape centerpiece.

I like the idea of carving out pretty pumpkins and using them as vases.

Without the typical fall colors, wouldn't this table top vignette look wonderful in an all white or neutral room?

Even just a simple gold pumpkin in a rusty urn would look elegant on the table, but also on the mantle.

The same rusty urn with dried hydrangeas. They look wonderful with pumpkins all around.

In fact, hydrangeas and pumpkins look fabulous together, don't you think?

Here is another simple centerpiece idea, crystal cake stands with pale pumpkins under glass.

Very elegant, uncluttered and so easy to create.

Here is a rustic and earthy centerpiece that has a little bit of everything. It would take you all the way to the holidays!

I'm really loving this because I have a similar wooden tray and plan on filling it just like the one above. I already have lots of pine cones, gathered leaves from the maple trees down the street, little pumpkins, gourds, pomegranates, apples and some moss! Just add the candles and done!

What I also like about this centerpiece is that it can all be real. No need for faux here. Everything is found at the grocery store or outside on the ground!

I'm joining Artie at Color Outside the Lines for Vignette Fridays. Be sure to visit his fabulous blog and also check out the other participants for more inspiration.

The Clock Finds a Home

Remember this clock? A recent find on a trip to Los Gatos, I wasn't sure when I bought it exactly where it would live.

It lived for a few weeks in our kitchen, propped up against the tile, under the cabinet.

Last weekend, we took it to Asti and found the perfect home for it.

Although it is a little high up there, it ties in nicely with the ironstone in the cabinet.

What do you think? Does it work here?

I'm sure loving it!