gathering

What A Hoot! Halloween Owl Decor!

Date: October 12, 2015
Author: Sweetwater Style
Categories: decorating, gathering, Halloween, holiday, thrifty

I have this fun feathered owl that I bought a few years ago!

It cost way too much money…..
AND
It was really hard to explain to Mr. S that I really needed a black feathered owl!
BUT
I loved it….
I knew this guy would be a great Halloween decor item!

Guess what!
I was right!
Four years later….I still love to get this guy out and display him.
Oooohhh I love when I am right!

The “perfect branch” that we found in the Sweetwater woods finally bit the dust! You know I am a little crazy when I “store” the owl branch in the garage from year to year!

Not to fear….I knew I could find a better branch!

Mr. S and I took a lovely day trip to the Wisconsin woods this week.
He was looking over the hunting situation….

I was “foraging” for decor supplies!

Add lunch in a classic roadside tavern and a bright blue sky….

It was a wonderful outing!

I was actually looking for stumps to use as pumpkin stands for the front yard….those were in the wood pile that is waiting to come home to warm our hearth! The old bench from the backyard moved center stage under the bay window.  We still haven’t decided what plantings to do there….so this is a nice temporary fix.

And then….I spied it!  The perfect owl “branch”….except it was a stump!
You have to admit…it is exactly the best owl perch ever!

The branch is sitting in an old enamelware cakepan.  We “harvested” the cool looking moss from the woods on our day trip! (Way cheaper than buying preserved moss in a bag from the craft store….I did check for bugs and other creepy crawlies before I brought it inside)

HMMMMM…whooooo has an idea for the perfect way to add some eerie lighting effects?

If you wanted to make something like this for your house…..the owl is available at Amazon fot $9.99!  I am sad to say that I spent a tad bit MORE than that….oops!

 Or…you could do Ravens instead of owls!

 Then you will have an excuse to take a trip to the woods to do some collecting!

Have A Good Day!

Link Parties
Merry Monday 
A Vision To Remember 

A Wedding in the Family!

Date: September 30, 2015
Author: Sweetwater Style
Categories: decorating, flowers, gathering, vintage, wedding

Congratulations are in order for the Sweetwater Son and our lovely new Daughter-in-Law!

Are they not just the most gorgeous looking couple?

The wedding was on Saturday at Willow Ridge Gardens.
It is pretty nice to have a brother and sister-in-law who have a wedding venue!

The weather was absolutely perfect for a morning wedding and brunch!

I can’t wait to see the pictures from Matt Hodgman at Edge Gallery .  He took formal as well as candid photos of the lovely people and place.

Of course….I was too busy to take photos during the wedding or at the party…

But I do have pictures from Friday: preparations, the Groom’s dinner as well as early on Saturday morning before anyone was up! I can share some of those with you.

Sweetwater Style is dedicated to sharing ways to save money and still be stylish and elegant!
This wedding had lots of touches that were very special and thrifty!

What fun to create the flower arrangements for the reception tables and help the bride make her own bouquet.

 Here are the arrangements on their way to the barn…..we used my collection of off white Haeger vases with fall bright blooms from the Farmer’s Market and the gardens at Willow Ridge. The total cost for 16 arrangements was less than $100.

The Bridal Bouquet was pretty stunning!  The blooms are from Bachman’s Floral.  The pale pink roses are an amazing color.  They are mixed with white Hydrangea and white Spider Mums with accents of seeded Eucalyptus.  The bride put the flowers together herself!  With a little help from me…..they were wrapped with floral tape and finished off with white silk ribbon.  This bouquet is every bit as nice as one made at the florists…..for a fraction of the cost!  The “special order” flowers cost $60.  There were enough to make the bouquet and all of the boutonnieres and corsages.  There were even flowers left to decorate the cake.  The average cost for a bridal bouquet from a florist is $250 …..and this bouquet certainly doesn’t seem “average”!

The Groom’s dinner was so much fun.  All of the close family from both sides as well as some close friends from out of town were invited to come and celebrate on Friday night.

We were able to hold the dinner in the barn at Willow Ridge Gardens.  The entrance to the barn was decorated for us with this lovely Fall display!

It was a great place to gather for Happy Hour and conversation before dinner.

We set up a large Harvest Table in the barn for people to sit at when they filled their plates from the catered

The flower arrangements on the Harvest Table were the ones that were used on Saturday on the high tops at the reception.

It was also a fun spot for candid fall photos!

Sorry…..but you just can’t blame this Grandma for showing off these cute photos….

The Sweetwater Grandbaby really loves his second cousin!

Now…after that brief commercial…back to the thrifty ideas!

We put a 8 tables together for this giant table so that all 35 guests would be seated together.
That makes for a wonderful feeling of togetherness and a great flow of conversation.
Such a large table presents some problems when it comes to a table covering!
I don’t know about you….but I really really hate plastic party table cloths!
This solution was the genius idea of the Sweetwater Daughter!
All we did was gather all sorts of cloth tablecloths that all had the same color wave and feeling.  In this case….it was sort of “luncheon on the farm”  vintage with some denim thrown it.  Then those were just laid on the table in a sort of random but artistic fashion.  I love the casual elegance…..but mostly the avoidance of plastic or rented linens!

After the wonderful dinner….it was easy to do a bit of last minute set up for the big day!
HMMMM…..a glass of wine while you work does make the job seem more fun!

Then….off to bed in the darling little “Granary”.  Saturday dawned with this perfect sunrise!  I was up before almost anyone else…except the Sweetwater Brother who was out and about tending the gorgeous grounds.

I wandered around enjoying the peace, calm and serenity!
 This is the “aisle” for the wedding ceremony!  

 How cute is this rustic sign post?  With a venue this spread out….people needed some direction!  Kudos to the Sweetwater Brother and Sister-in-law for providing the perfect backdrop for this.

The sunrise streaming in to the barn shows off the great looking flowers on the bartops.

The Mason jars and feathery grasses are a nice rustic touch.

The containers for all the fixings for the Bloody Mary Bar and Mimosa’s were all set and ready to be filled…..

 

It was sure to be a perfect day…..

And it WAS…filled with so many memorable moments!

For now….I am enjoying the memories as we  celebrate the happy marriage of this lovely couple.

I promise more to come when I have more photos!

You have a Wonderful Day!

Goodwill Amusing Musing!

Date: September 20, 2015
Author: Sweetwater Style
Categories: decorating, gathering, goodwill, humor, thrifty
Does this ever happen to you?
You are in the thrift store and you see an item that you really like.
Then you see the price…..and think….
Oh my goodness….$9.99 for a basket of potpourri….what a splurge that would be.
There is something about the idea of the thrift store that messes with my sense of values.
Obviously this basket had never been used….and it was the right color for my decorating scheme.  If I had seen this in a retail store…I would have thought it was a real bargain!  But at GW $9.99 seems costly!  HMMMMMM???
I actually did go back and SPLURGE on this basket…
and this is why:
  •  All of those seed pods will be great additions to holiday arrangements.
  • The orange berries will tuck nicely into the cornucopia at Thanksgiving.
  • The wood shaving roses will be great package decorations.
  • The other stuff will add to any number of displays.
  • The pears are just darn cute!
  • The little chicken wire basket has lots of possibilities.

 HMMMMM….now $9.99 doesn’t seem like such a splurge!

For now….all those items got spread out in a large basket in the front window of the living room.  They really didn’t show off their charm when they were crammed into the littler basket.

I think this has a pretty “high end boutique” look! 
And for less money than a nice bottle of wine!
It will probably last longer too!
I would love to about your thrift store splurges!
Have a Wonderful Day!

Pasta Bar For a Crowd!

Date: December 30, 2013
Author: sweetwaterstyle
Categories: entertaining, friends, gathering, holiday, kitchen, recipes, tips
Four Parties in Six Days!
What was I thinking?
Yep….counting:
 Christmas Eve…. 
Christmas Day….
A Cocktail/Fondue Party…
 and finally a Pasta Buffet yesterday…
There was lots of celebrating here at Sweetwater!
We had lots of fun through it all….
(but I do have to admit that I am a bit tired of cooking)
I had never attempted a pasta buffet before…. 
there were some moments when I wasn’t sure it was going to work….
but we were pleasantly surprised at how smoothly it all went.
In fact….this might just become a go to menu for future gatherings!
The menu was simple:
Kale Salad
Caesar Salad
French Bread
Spaghetti Sauce Bolognese
Swedish Meatballs in Gravy
Alfredo Sauce w/chicken-broccoli-roasted peppers
Fettucini and Wide Pasta Noodles
 Various Desserts and Sweets contributed by the guests
Swedish Rice Pudding w/Lingonberries


Recipes Tricks and Tips

  • Best recipe for chicken strips for the Pasta:  Buy them…..Already cooked….in a package….  The texture and taste of the already prepared chicken strips from CostCo were more than acceptable when covered with sauce!

  • DON’T blanch your broccoli ahead of time….I thought this was smart and did it to save time….except I left it in the pan with the cover on and ended up with mushy over cooked vegetables….won’t do THAT again!
  • Cook the pasta ahead of time and keep it in the oven with the absolute lowest temp….in fact…I kept turning the oven off to just have the tiniest bit of heat.  The pasta was in those aluminum catering trays.   A little pasta water poured over the pre-cooked noodles brought them “back to life” when it was time to put the pasta on the table.  (a warming tray kept the temp “lukewarm”)  This also allowed an easy replenishing of the pasta when needed.





This Sweet Kale Salad from CostCo is a new favorite at Sweetwater.  It comes with all the fixings. Just pour into a bowl…add the dressing and “stuff” that is included and enjoy!  It was simple enough to make a second batch when it ran low during the party….maybe people thought a little crunchy greens would make for something “healthy” given the decadence of all the pasta!



  • The Bolognese sauce was “almost homemade” by using prepared Spaghetti sauce with meat and spices added.  I really made this for the kids….but the “big” kids seemed to enjoy it too!
  • I sort of stressed out about finding the “perfect” Alfredo Sauce that could be made ahead!  This recipe worked very well….in fact the teenage boys at the party told me they thought this would be great for their own sports “Pasta/Carbo loading parties….which I took as a “high compliment”

Do Ahead Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup real butter
3 TBSP Cream Cheese *nuefantel worked fine
2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Cup grated Parmesan  (store brand cheap stuff worked fine)
Melt the butter, cream cheese and cream in a saucepan,
Add the cheese and stir until it is completely incorporated.
Cool and keep until you are ready to heat it up in the microwave and put in the crockpot to serve.
YES….it is that simple!
Simple….but rich, rich, rich and YUMMY!
This sauce stood the test of sitting for more than 4 hours on the buffet without losing texture or taste!
It is definitely a KEEPER!

  • Mr. S decided that pouring frozen bags of prepared meatballs and adding mushroom soup and beef broth would NOT do for this buffet.  He painstakingly prepared meatballs from SCRATCH using a recipe from his mom’s Swedish Woman’s Cookbook!  I have to say they were delicious!  (maybe I can convince him to write a guest post and share the recipe with you some day!)

  • Add some crusty sliced bread and butter…..A bowl of nice Parmesan Cheese and you are DONE!
The party was lots of fun and there were plenty of entertaining activities!
….the Vikings WON the final game in the Metrodome….Surprise!
….The Packers pulled off a last minute victory…..amazing!
….the slide show on the computer of hundreds of digitized slides of the family history going back 50 years made for some wonderful trips down memory lane!
Now…..I am going to heat up some of the leftover Cider…..start a fire…..and read a good book….
ALL DAY…..since it is 10 below zero outside and I don’t have anywhere to be!
Have a Great Day!

Pasta Bar For a Crowd!

Date: December 30, 2013
Author: Sweetwater Style
Categories: entertaining, friends, gathering, holiday, kitchen, recipes, tips
Four Parties in Six Days!
What was I thinking?
Yep….counting:
 Christmas Eve…. 
Christmas Day….
A Cocktail/Fondue Party…
 and finally a Pasta Buffet yesterday…
There was lots of celebrating here at Sweetwater!
We had lots of fun through it all….
(but I do have to admit that I am a bit tired of cooking)
I had never attempted a pasta buffet before…. 
there were some moments when I wasn’t sure it was going to work….
but we were pleasantly surprised at how smoothly it all went.
In fact….this might just become a go to menu for future gatherings!
The menu was simple:
Kale Salad
Caesar Salad
French Bread
Spaghetti Sauce Bolognese
Swedish Meatballs in Gravy
Alfredo Sauce w/chicken-broccoli-roasted peppers
Fettucini and Wide Pasta Noodles
 Various Desserts and Sweets contributed by the guests
Swedish Rice Pudding w/Lingonberries


Recipes Tricks and Tips

  • Best recipe for chicken strips for the Pasta:  Buy them…..Already cooked….in a package….  The texture and taste of the already prepared chicken strips from CostCo were more than acceptable when covered with sauce!

  • DON’T blanch your broccoli ahead of time….I thought this was smart and did it to save time….except I left it in the pan with the cover on and ended up with mushy over cooked vegetables….won’t do THAT again!
  • Cook the pasta ahead of time and keep it in the oven with the absolute lowest temp….in fact…I kept turning the oven off to just have the tiniest bit of heat.  The pasta was in those aluminum catering trays.   A little pasta water poured over the pre-cooked noodles brought them “back to life” when it was time to put the pasta on the table.  (a warming tray kept the temp “lukewarm”)  This also allowed an easy replenishing of the pasta when needed.





This Sweet Kale Salad from CostCo is a new favorite at Sweetwater.  It comes with all the fixings. Just pour into a bowl…add the dressing and “stuff” that is included and enjoy!  It was simple enough to make a second batch when it ran low during the party….maybe people thought a little crunchy greens would make for something “healthy” given the decadence of all the pasta!



  • The Bolognese sauce was “almost homemade” by using prepared Spaghetti sauce with meat and spices added.  I really made this for the kids….but the “big” kids seemed to enjoy it too!
  • I sort of stressed out about finding the “perfect” Alfredo Sauce that could be made ahead!  This recipe worked very well….in fact the teenage boys at the party told me they thought this would be great for their own sports “Pasta/Carbo loading parties….which I took as a “high compliment”

Do Ahead Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup real butter
3 TBSP Cream Cheese *nuefantel worked fine
2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Cup grated Parmesan  (store brand cheap stuff worked fine)
Melt the butter, cream cheese and cream in a saucepan,
Add the cheese and stir until it is completely incorporated.
Cool and keep until you are ready to heat it up in the microwave and put in the crockpot to serve.
YES….it is that simple!
Simple….but rich, rich, rich and YUMMY!
This sauce stood the test of sitting for more than 4 hours on the buffet without losing texture or taste!
It is definitely a KEEPER!

  • Mr. S decided that pouring frozen bags of prepared meatballs and adding mushroom soup and beef broth would NOT do for this buffet.  He painstakingly prepared meatballs from SCRATCH using a recipe from his mom’s Swedish Woman’s Cookbook!  I have to say they were delicious!  (maybe I can convince him to write a guest post and share the recipe with you some day!)

  • Add some crusty sliced bread and butter…..A bowl of nice Parmesan Cheese and you are DONE!
The party was lots of fun and there were plenty of entertaining activities!
….the Vikings WON the final game in the Metrodome….Surprise!
….The Packers pulled off a last minute victory…..amazing!
….the slide show on the computer of hundreds of digitized slides of the family history going back 50 years made for some wonderful trips down memory lane!
Now…..I am going to heat up some of the leftover Cider…..start a fire…..and read a good book….
ALL DAY…..since it is 10 below zero outside and I don’t have anywhere to be!
Have a Great Day!