For my Five Faves with Annie and Cindy, I want to show you how to make an easy tabletop fire pit (the elements arrived the next day from Amazon) using a concrete look bowl, rocks, a small cement fire pit, and rubbing alcohol that we had on hand.
I also have the dinner menu for a friend’s 60th birthday that we had last weekend, a tv movie I enjoyed, my sister in a San Diego commercial, and more. So glad you are here!!
1. A Special Birthday Dinner
Our friends were visiting this past weekend to celebrate Bob’s 60th birthday. I set the table with these garden roses from Trader Joe’s.
Howard’s Festive Menu:
- Shrimp Cocktail
- Grilled Vegetables
- A Tomato, Cucumber, Onion Chopped Salad with Parsley and Cilantro (with a balsamic, olive oil vinaigrette)
- Sauteed Then Baked Crab Cakes With The Best Remoulade Sauce
A couple of days later, I put the leftover chopped salad into the food processor and we had a delicious cold gazpacho soup for lunch.
2. Extravagant Chocolate Cake
Bob loves chocolate and I had every intention of baking a cake until I saw this over-the-top chocolate cake on our local bakery’s website. This could be an inspiration for a homemade or bakery cake…just add pieces of favorite chocolate candy for an extravagant presentation.
3. My Sister And Her Dog In A Bank Commercial
A couple of San Diego readers have asked if my sister, Teresa is in a local commercial. The answer is yes! She is in the first shot and her dog (Chief’s brother) is in a later shot.
You may remember Teresa from My Sister Teresa’s Unpretentious But Spectacular Ageless Style.
4. Easy Tabletop Fire Pit To Add Cozy Warmth To Your Patio
When my friends Debbie and Jen were here, we relaxed in the Ladies’ Lounge (my upstairs screened deck). Debbie thought I should have a tabletop fire pit and sent me some Amazon links to make one.
By the way, have you visited my Amazon store?
- Purchase a larger bowl (ours is from Amazon).
- Place the marble base and small fire pit inside.
- Surround with pebbles (I used white ones from our garden and a few shells that I collected on my beach walks). You could also use another type of rock such as river rocks, fire glass, or sand from one of the garden centers at home improvement stores.
- Fill the canister leaving a half inch to the top with rubbing alcohol (we already had it on hand). Or you could use Bioethanol. They both burn without smoke.
- Light the liquid with a long lighter.
We placed it on our outdoor patio table here for a quiet escape. Of course, we would put this in a different place with kids around.
That’s all there is to it for an easy tabletop fire bowl to give your outdoor space a little ambiance with a small flame.
5. What To Watch: “Faraway” on Netflix
This is a sweet, funny movie about a middle-aged woman who leaves her unappreciative family after inheriting a home in Croatia. It’s basically an escape to beautiful Croatia (mainly why I liked it)…not exactly the best storyline. They speak Turkish and Croatian (with subtitles) but English to communicate with each other. Note: I watched it by myself while Howard was watching sports.
Free TV Screensaver
Last week I mentioned how I found free screensavers on YouTube…and here’s how one looks in our living room.
Notice the fire in the fireplace is back since we’ve had a bit of a cold snap. This is unfortunate as our pool and landscaping are in but we still haven’t hopped in the pool.
Let’s see what Annie and Cindy’s Five Faves are this week:
Cindy Hattersley Design
Most Lovely Things
Shop The Post
I made a fire pit out of a bowl I had purchased to grow a salad garden. I love it!
ps: I wish my husband cooked like Howard!
that is so cool!
Mary Ann,
Your Ladie’s Lounge is beautiful. I love the surrounding trees and it appears there’s plenty of room for girlfriends to hang out. The mini fire bowl is a great idea. Do you have a way of turning it off, or extinguishing the flame?
Karen B.
Yes…it comes with a metal lid that you just put over it to extinguish it.
As if your ladies lounge wasn’t spectacular enough … now you’ve taken it over the top! Do you spend all your time there? I would. You and Chief each have a sibling in a commercial! You’re celebrity adjacent!!! Love Howard’s celebratory dinner menu .. and that cake is the best! xo
Definitely will make the fire pit. Thanks for the info. Funny now I have seen that commercial quite a few times. It usually comes on during the news.
Linda
Love crab cakes what a gorgeous menu!! I hope you had a beautiful night !Thank you for the recipe l am going to make that. And so fun to see your sister in the commercial very exciting !! Happy week Mary Ann.
If you follow the remoulade link it will also take you to the crab cake recipe.
The crab cakes look DELISH, Mary Ann — does Howard make those? I have printed out the remoulade recipe, so I’m ready for crab cakes when the weather warms (June!). Lovely festive table setting!
Your living room w/ fire going and pretty screensaver look so inviting…
Joan, If you follow the remoulade link it will also take you to the crab cake recipe.
Mary Ann,
Your table and your menu look beautiful. I’m sure Bob was feeling all the love! How cool is your DIY tabletop fire pit. It’s perfect for the space and adds ambience!
How fun that Theresa is in a commercial! She is such a natural!
xx
MaryAnn, Looks like a delicious menu. Fun idea making your own fire pit in the girls’ area! xo
Wish you were here, Kim.
Thanks for the fun post. Howard’s menu looks delicious. And that cake!! Your sister is beautiful and looks so serene in the commercial. Loved the peek at Chief’s sibling. I might just have to try to make one of those tabletop fire pits. You and Howard should run a bed and breakfast. Not really, who’s got time for that, right? You really put a lot of love in everything. From flowers, to menus, to appropriate activities, to the charm and warmth of your home. Super Host and Hostess! Have a wonderful week.
Deanna… your comment has made my week. Wishing you lots of happiness!
Okay now I have to make one of those for our table in the courtyard! What a fabulous idea! And Howard never disappoints with his menus. We have a great seafood place here. if I had seen this yesterday I would have purchased the ingredients so we could have it tonight! What a fun Sunday fave today!
Cindy, his remoulade sauce is the best!!
Would you mind sharing where you got the candle holders in the first picture on either side of the roses.
Thanks so much.
https://rstyle.me/+DWF93ywXWJ6qAjA2xLvacQ I love them, Bonnie.