Do You Take Pictures of Your Dinner Table?

We've done it for as long as I can remember. Whether it's a birthday, a holiday or any other family celebration, if there is a meal involved, we set a lovely (usually themed) table and take a picture of it. We often take a picture of the spread of food and/or our plateful of food, too. It's what we do in my family. If there's a cake involved, we take a picture of that, too.

Some people make fun of us for this, asking, "What are you going to DO with hundreds of pictures of tables and food and cakes??" {"some people" being my brother and my husband}

We're just capturing the moment and trying to remember how much fun we had. This is how we celebrate LIFE! And each other! It doesn't matter about what becomes of all the pictures.

Some recent parties:


November 20th: My mom's birthday brunch.


Our brunch food, prepared by a local chef. It tasted as scrumptious as it looks.


November 29th: My birthday party table with a winter/snowflake theme.


The spread of food.


Christmas Day, Ethan at my mom's table. He loves to check it out, to see what we did. He already appreciates a fancy table. It doesn't hurt that he also matches the tablecloth.


December 28th: The winter/nature-themed table for my grandmother's going-away dinner.


We had the ham my husband's company gives out for Christmas (with a fabulous apple compote) with scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, biscuits and iced tea.


I duplicated it a week later for our New Year's Day dinner in our back yard.

When we were house hunting, I saw a picture of this tree in the yard and envisioned eating under it. It's so cool to literally be "living the dream."


It's dreamy, isn't it???


This time the menu was pork tenderloin, a black-eyed peas gumbo kinda thing and corn muffins (with iced tea, of course).

We try to dress up according to the theme when possible, too.


At mom's party, which had a Julia Child/cooking theme. Evidently I forgot I was still wearing my apron.


Me, my mom and my grandmother WITH the table at my birthday party. I asked my guests to dress festively. My mom was Mrs. Claus and I was a snow princess. I'm tellin' ya--we have fun.

Say what you will about "going to all that trouble" or spending the money but I don't care. It's all about celebrating life and enjoying good food with the ones you love and I'd have it no other way.

Now to think about our Valentine's Day table and food...