You never know whose paths are going to cross. Recently, I received an email asking if I had been at Shepherd’s Pie, a Rockport eatery, that night. The writer was a blog reader and thought she recognized me from a photo on my site. I had, in fact, been there and was flabbergasted that someone would spot me and follow up. As it turned out, this reader lives about 20 minutes from me, and I thought why not invite her to dinner.
Since we both like Shepherd’s Pie, we could have rendezvoused there, but it’s a bit loud making conversation difficult so it seemed a good idea to have her and her hubby come here for a casual dinner.
With only four of us, dinner was in the breakfast room and the table set with these wonderful colorful dishes from Marshall’s. Each plate depicts a different vineyard scene and wine making me think of favorite places.
Note that once again my trusty bottles are on the table filled with dried hydrangeas. I don’t know what I will do if I ever have to make a real flower arrangement when stems in the bottles are so easy!
I love folding napkins and one of my favorites folds is an accordion style that is opened to a fan shape. To me, the napkins add a little something extra to the overall presentation, and it only takes a minute to fold them.
With windows all around, eating in this space is a happy experience thanks to the outdoor beauty.
For dinner, it was an easily prepared chicken dish that can be found here at Wives With Knives. If you haven’t check out this blog, do because there are some very tasty recipes there.
All in all, the evening was terrifically enjoyable, and it was a delight to meet a blog follower in the flesh. If you are ever in the area, I’d love to meet you, too!
i so appreciate your visit and the comments you leave behind
Sharing at
Lulu's Musings 
Sherwin Williams selected three stylists to participate in a color challenge incorporating the use of tablescapes to set the scene for entertaining! We had the opportunity to also work with Bill Hamilton, owner of Bill Hamilton Designs and a very talented event designer!
How wonderful to be recognized and enjoy a meal with new friends. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop linky party. Sorry I’m a bit slow getting here xo
Hi Lulu,
Your tablescape is lovely and very inviting. Your recipe is an added treat, everything looks wonderful! Hope you are having a fabulous holiday week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
I was the lucky blogger who scored the dinner invite!!! What fun!! Such a treat to meet a fellow blogger!! Fabulous dinner and delightful conversations- I think our husbands even enjoyed it more than we did!!!!And tonight we meet again for a party at my house!! Linda is part of the gang now! See ya tonight!!!
You are right about the hubbys. They did well after probably thinking the two of us were nuts for getting together.
That is crazy good!…Amazing!…it really is a small world after all….the Tablesetting is fantastic and that is sure nuff a favorite foodie.I’m visiting from foodie friday.
I’m so glad to have you stop by, and you’re absolutely right about it being a small world.
I’m in Portland, OR now….so fun to note your chicken recipe came from these environs! Hmm, Lulu, now that you have become so recognizable ……guess you better start behaving! Just kidding as we know you always do! Will look forward to spotting you back East!
How fabulous! It’s amazing what the world of blogging opens up.
I’ll try to come with Alycia! I love that your blogger friend followed through, and I adore that you ended up setting that marvelous table for the four of you. Made me smile! Cherry Kay
Why, Cherry Kay, you just come right on up. We’ll have a gay ole time.
How wonderful of you to invite a follower of your blog for dinner….so what time shall I come over????…Would love to sit and chat with you, and of course, that wonderful Alycia!!….I would love to sit at that beautiful table and enjoy that extraordinary view…..you are a true kind soul!!!
Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!!!…Oh by the way…was that you in that restaurant…….:)
If you can get here by tomorrow, I’ll have a lobster waiting for you!
A beautiful, cozy, warm dinner setting…and the chicken dish, truly delicious!
Thank you for your kind comment. It was a very cozy evening, too.
What lovely dinnerware to serve a delicious looking meal. I’ve been finding out lately too that you just never know whose paths are going to cross. Yesterday at the restaurant, a man asked to see me. At first I thought he might be the health dept. guy looking to hassle me but it turned out he wanted to tell me that he saw my photography blog. He was very impressed with my work that he had to meet me. Wow! And of course I cooked him a great meal for lunch. Though my plate isn’t as pretty as yours. 🙂
Considering how wonderful your photos are, it’s no wonder he wanted to meet you. Great to hear from you, and I hope all is well.
Oh how fun! I bet it was a great time to talk about food and tablescaping and blogging. How cool to be recognized.
You know what’s funny, Martha? We talked more about life in Maine than about our blogs. We both love it here.
Beautiful dinnerware! Thank you for sharing the delicious chichen recipe!
Thank you. You’ll have to try the chicken. It really is delish.
Wow, great dinnerware! I live in Oregon wine country and they would be perfect here. I’m happy you enjoyed this chicken recipe. It’s one of our favorites. Thanks so much for the link.
That is WILD!!!!!!! That’s why these days you really have to be on your Ps and Qs. You just never know who out there in the world will recognize you!!! Did you feel a little like Oprah? 🙂 I think it’s cool that you invited your reader and her husband to dine with you, and you set a great table for the occasion! I have stayed out of the stores lately, but I can see there are some beauties out there if those winery plates are any indication!!! I love those! I really like the way you used the neutral placemats to ground the table and visually connect all the colorful plates. Bravo to you for being able to make a napkin stand up like that! I guess I’m just not starching them enough…or too lazy to force them into submission! 🙂 Beautiful table, and fun story! I will give you a little heads up when I’m headed to your area so that I can hopefully score a dinner invitation, too! 🙂 Have a great holiday weekend!!!
I can’t think of anything I’d like more than you coming for dinner!
If only you weren’t so far away!
Billie, wouldn’t it be fun to get together, to find out about all the places life has taken us?
Lulu it all looks amazing!!! (those plates are beautiful) and I bet the dinner you cooked was amazing too… here’s to meeting up with blogging friends!
Dinner was terrific, but I get no credit for that since I borrowed the recipe.