I have a small shed at the back of the garage that looks like a small shingled house. It is painted a buttery cream just like our house.

We have a 60" caste alluminum dining set that sits 8, with a striped green and cream umbrella that is off to one side of the patio.

Cast iron urns with green spikes and pink, white, and purple annuals flank the doorway leading into the kitchen; varigated ivy spills out of the urns on three sides.

Small white and butter colored buckets hang from the picket fence spilling ivy, pink geraniums, and small daisyish flowers. A grapevine wreath hangs at the picket gate below the arbor leading to the yard.

An old metal milk can that I painted off white is fitted with a flower pot that sits inside the opening. A spike surrounded by verbena, geraniums, and assorted other annuals and ivies, spills out onto the patio.

That being said, my yard is always set up this way. For company I add outdoor furniture consisting of white wicker furniture (two settees, a rocker, and two chairs), and old rustic coffee table that I painted a pale sage green, small iron side tables, adirondack chairs, and sometimes director's chairs for the kids.

My tables are dressed with printed cloth napkins that are placed on the diagonal to give some interest to the tables, and with small flower pots filled with sand for the occasional smoker.

Candles in hurrican lamps are placed on the tables (nothing matches which makes this charming). An old white peely table with a fold-down leaf in the front and rear acts as a buffet for hors d'oeurves and is covered with vintage 50's tablescloths whith white backgrounds and pale pink and blue flowers or designs (I have one that has ice cream store confections on it that is beautiful). I protect the vintage cloths with a clear plastic tablecloth.

I usually place a wood box and bricks under the tablecloths to add height to different parts of the table. There I display fresh daisies or a large enclosed candle or just use it to raise the food to different heights.

White wine is set in ice and water in metal buckets covered with soft, foral wallpaper.

I hang candles from the top of the pergola, just to the sides of the bench, in old mason and baby food jars so that they twinkle like stars at night. Very cozy.

Installed lighting that highlights the various trees and shrubs sets a nice mood too. Outdoor speakers provide the tunes, which are selected based on the crowd, and the type of party.

I guess I treat the outside as an extension of our indoor space, and give it the same attention to detail.

Don;t know if that's what you were looking for, but that's what I do and it always makes folks feel special.

Sue

Rose, You just took me back almost 25 years. When I checked out your page I stumbled on your photo album of Dunn's Falls. Wow, has that changed!

I lived in Meridian through most of the 70s and Dunn's Falls was a favorite place to escape to. There was no walkway down to the river back then. My friends and I would climb the rocks to get to the water. There was a rope hanging over the river that we'd swing & drop from. We'd take innertubes, food and wine & beer and just have a great time. Hardly anybody knew about the falls, so it was a great getaway.

Sometimes after a day at the falls we'd all head to a restaurant on the Chunky River ... can't remember the name. They had the best fried catfish & hushpuppies.

Dh & I met in New Orleans in Dec. of '77 and he visited me for the first time in Meridian the following month. I just pulled out an old album and scanned a few pics from our trip to Dunn's Falls during his visit. They're not real easy to see, but that was 25 years ago, long before digital.

Is the road in still dirt? One of the photo's is of Mike standing in the road. The other he's down in the rocks. The black & white is moi.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

P.S. We had a snowfall on 1/1/02 too. Not quite as much as you. I included a couple shots.

i made fitted,ground length floral table covers for those ugly white patio end tables and pin rafia bows on the corners.

i have inexpensive terra cotta flower pots that i have faux painted and trimmed with sisal rope. place a heavy cardboard circle to fit in the bottom, and fill them with chips and munchies. i use the saucers to place a tub of dip on.

my daughter paints rocks, and we have different theme villages grouped around the yard. the nome village, alps mountain village, the farm yard, etc. and occassionally, one of them becomes a grouping on the big table.

i try and dress platters of munchies with edible floweres like nasturium and pansy. some guests get brave and try them, if not they pretty things up.

hope some of these ideas will work for you. enjoy your party.