Such Pretty Things

An Autumn Picnic in the Park

A few weeks ago, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful Autumn weather and hosted a little picnic in our favorite neighborhood park. I had fun putting together all the picnicy elements.  From vintage crocheted blankets to lounge upon...

...to pretty vintage trays for holding food and drinks...

I kept the menu simple. Delicious sandwiches in combinations like Brie, turkey, & apple and roast beef & swiss...

Pretzels and potato chips were the perfect picnic accompaniments and were served in fun vintage tins (washed and lined first!)...

For beverages, I served jugs of fresh apple cider.  An old Coca Cola crate corralled a selection of sodas in old-fashioned style glass bottles...

I used vintage floral sheets as tablecloths. For centerpieces, I put pretty Gerbera Daisies in blue mason jars. Colorful striped paper straws were also a must!

For dessert (sorry, I was too busy having fun to take photos!), I set out chocolate brownies, my s'mores bars, and chocolate chip cookies.  And favors were more of those chocolate-caramel apples that I showed you last week...

The park setting was a great place to host a picnic. The kids were able to run around and play...and the adults got to chat.  The food was yummy, the weather cooperated, and everyone had a wonderful time.  A perfect Autumn picnic in the park!

:-)

Jessica

 

 

 

Cherry Blossom Picnic 2013

The Cherry Blossoms here in the D.C. area have been very, very slow to bloom this Spring - resulting in a great many disappointed tourists (and residents!). And even though we were skeptical of reports that they would finally be at peak bloom this past weekend, we took our chances yesterday and headed down to the Tidal Basin for our family's annual Cherry Blossom picnic.

Honestly, the blossoms still had a way to go. A few trees were displaying all their puffy, pink gorgeousness, but most were only partially in bloom. We truly didn't mind though because the weather was absolutely perfect - sunny, warm and breezy. Now, typically, in an effort to beat the crowds, we head down early in the morning for a breakfast picnic, but this time we decided to try something different - an evening picnic! And I am so very happy we did. That late afternoon/early evening light was just so beautiful - it was truly rather magical.

After a proper picnic dinner of fresh turkey and brie sandwiches, a layered vegetable salad with a lemon vinaigrette (served in mini mason jars), and fresh fruit, I set out our dessert...

As always, I like to make things extra festive by bringing along items like real vintage china plates, tole trays for serving on, and vintage floral tablecloths. I also like to bring my own fresh flowers - especially since picking the blossoms is strictly forbidden!

For dessert, there was something for everyone. Cupcakes for the girls...

With pink roses, of course.

Some more adult-like treats for the husband and myself - Italian candies and these yummy sugared almonds...

Mini mini-me even brought along some of her pretty prized M & M's (from Dylan's Candy Bar in L.A.) to share...

It was such a fun evening. We just sat by the water - watched as the ducks swam by and enjoyed our treats. Then, as we do every year, we took a bunch of family pictures and the girls climbed on the rocks and fountains at the FDR memorial.

When the sun started to fade, we packed everything up and headed back to the car.  It was a lovely evening, but it was time to get home - the season premiere of Mad Men was starting in just an hour!!!

:-)

Jessica

Cupcakes to Go!

Lately it seems that everyone in the blog-o-sphere is making desserts in jars, so today I am jumping on the band wagon. My family loves to picnic and I'm always trying to think of good desserts to bring along. The girls love cupcakes, but they are hard to transport and often end up getting smooshed.  So, cupcakes in jars seem like the perfect portable solution!

I bought the clear glass jars at Micheal's for about a dollar each. These were just the right diameter (the opening needs to be able to comfortably accommodate a fork). This is a fun project to do with the kids and don't worry if they end up looking a little messy - you really can't go wrong when cake and frosting are involved.  :-). I just baked up some cupcakes and sliced them in half.  Depending on the size of your jar (and your preferred ratio of icing to cake), you'll need about one and a half cupcakes per jar. Simply alternate layers of cupcake with layers of icing until you reach the top of the jar. I also added some confetti sprinkles between each layer - for extra color and crunch!

End with a swirl of icing on top and a little decoration if you like (I used some icing roses). Then, seal them up and tie on a fork with some pretty ribbon and you're ready to go!

XOXO

Jessica

Cherry Blossom Picnic 2012

I think we truly picked the most beautiful day ever for our family's annual cherry blossom picnic.

Spring has arrived early in the D.C. area and everything is blooming with pink and green buds.

With temperatures in the mid-70's, it has seemed more like early summer and we have been more than happy to break out our sundresses and flip-flops! This year we were super lucky to find a great parking space (a miracle) and an empty bench to spread out our picnic...

Those of you who know me, know that I like to make our picnics extra-special, so I always bring along real vintage china...

...and a vase of fresh flowers (no blossom picking allowed!)

I also used a vintage floral duvet as our tablecloth - such a pretty backdrop for our meal. After a yummy lunch of salads and sandwiches, I put out the special treats...like these fabulous French creams.

And these chocolate dipped Madeleines...

Mini-mini-me enjoyed some sparkling pink lemonade (you gotta love the green magic marker on her fingers).

Personally, I could sit under that canopy of fluffy, pink blossoms for forever and a day.

But, eventually it was time to pack-up and head back home - but not before a leisurely lap around the Tidal Basin. And, as we always do, we stopped to take a ton of photos of the girls...and the blossoms. :-)

Happy Thursday!

XOXO

Jessica

A Little Picnic

It was a gloriously beautiful day today!  It is been super hot and humid around here as of late, but today was absolutely perfect! So, I grabbed the girls and we headed out for a little picnic...

It was a great opportunity to use some of my vintage floral cupcake picks, my new Cath Kidston-esque napkins (HomeGoods), and my newest melamine pink polka dot plates (Pottery Barn Kids). It's amazing how the littlest details can elevate a simple picnic into something special...

For dessert, we had to have some cupcakes..with sparkly sugar crystals and a pretty posy, of course!

I just took some basic iced cupcakes from the bakery and embellished them a bit.  The girls went crazy for them. :-)

And since that just wasn't enough sugar for us, we indulged in some mini "ice cream" cones...

These were made of yummy marshmallows - perfect for a warm summer day, as they didn't melt in two seconds flat!

So, maybe not the healthiest picnic around, but definitely a delicious one. :-) And what a pretty, pretty day we had!

XOXO

Jessica

 

Cherry Blossom Picnic 2011

Yes, it's cherry blossom time again! I just adore our annual family picnic down at the Tidal Basin in D.C. and eagerly anticipate it all winter long. We usually try to wait for the warmest, sunniest day to go, but the weather just hasn't been cooperating with us.  So, this year, we bundled up, headed downtown, and braved the crisp, chilly air.

Luckily, the blossoms were clearly oblivious to the cold spell and looked as gorgeous as ever...

We brought a simple and portable picnic of warm, fresh croissants, thick Belgian waffles, juicy strawberries, orange juice, and coffee (hot chocolate for the girls).

I'm not a fan of paper plates.

:-)

Since you can't pick the blossoms, we brought a few of our own (a little shabby, but pretty).

And, as is true every year, the view is breathtakingly beautiful...

Happy Spring!

Jessica

A Shabby Chic Picnic

The weather was perfect for a picnic this past weekend.  So, we brought some friends and some pretty desserts to the park for a shabby chic picnic...

Why use paper plates when you can use pretty china!

I kept the desserts simple...

Some pastel meringues,

some pretty candies...

and a butter-cream confection...

I always like to have fresh flowers at a picnic.

I just placed a small bunch of roses and in a lavender drinking glass.

We had such a lovely time and it was such a nice way to end the summer...

:-)

Jessica
 

Shabby Chic Picnic Prep

Well, the girls went back to school this week...wearing sundresses and shorts! It's been incredibly hot, so there's been no opportunity to wear their new Fall clothes just yet.  Yes, for now, the sweaters and boots will just have to wait while we hang on to a few more weeks of summer. The weather is supposed to be absolutely gorgeous this holiday weekend (despite the fact that a hurricane is heading our way!), so I am preparing a little shabby-chic-inspired dessert picnic.  

I've been gathering up pretty vintage china plates.

And these gorgeous meringues will be a perfect addition (Thanks, Michele!).

Loving the pastel colors.

Not sure they're going to make it to the picnic.  ;-)

I'll be back soon with all the details. Happy last days of Summer...

XOXO

Jessica

Cherry Blossom Picnic

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, it's Cherry Blossom time again here in the D.C. area.

And that can only mean one thing...time for our annual Cherry Blossom Breakfast Picnic! We make a pretty big deal out of this yearly event, as it has become one of our favorite family traditions. So, we pack up the picnic basket, head downtown to the Tidal Basin, and find ourselves a nice bench to picnic on...

I try to make our picnics extra special by bringing along real vintage china plates, fresh flowers (more pink Tulips), and pretty floral quilts.

The menu isn't fancy or complicated...just warm croissants from the local bakery, orange juice, and coffee (chocolate milk for the girls!).

Simple, but yummy.

Berries are always better in a real china bowl.

The best preserves...

And it's all made even prettier when you look up and see this overhead...

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday! 

:-)

Jessica