Dinner Club--"Susan Style!"

Our ward has quarterly dinner groups. Couples are chosen at random and assigned to go to someone's house for dinner. We've always enjoyed ourselves at these dinners, but this one was the bonus of all bonuses! Brian and I got to go to Fred and Susan Taylor's house.

I went over around 4:40ish to help Susan cook and set up.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of the master in action...here she is creating a luscious centerpiece for the table....

Fresh lettuces, hydrangeas and pears were the inspiration for this masterpiece...

Here we are right before diving into the soup course...
(Atkinsons, Sears, Taylors & Monsons)

Susan and Fred Taylor's son, Ryan and their grandson, Miles joined Megan and Seth Clawson at the overflow table.

Susan thought it would be nice for Ryan and Seth to talk about woodworking and other manly topics...Megan was a good sport and took one for the team...

Tortilla soup...

this was my first time making this recipe and I was very pleased with the result...

The colors were so lively and the flavor was oh so yummy!

Check out this loaf of sheephearders head...er...I mean bread! It was glorious....

We all just sat there and stared at it when she brought it out...

It makes Susan already small frame seem even tinier...

Lime chicken served with black beans and guacamole...(this was Susan's son in law, Marc's, recipe)

This is definitely another keeper!

But wait! There's more!
For dessert, Leisha Atkinson brought a delicious strawberry cake and blueberry apricot pie and Susan made a divine lemon cloud pie...

Brian and I were so stuffed from dinner that I made a comment to him around 2am (since we were both having trouble sleeping) that I felt like one of those snakes that eats an entire deer and then spends the next month trying to digest it...

My friend, Angela, has been requesting pictures of Susan's house forever--so this was a perfect opportunity to document all the things that I always gush to her about...

This beautiful wreath sets the tone for what lies inside...

This is what you see when you come in the front door...

I never did end up taking pictures of the upstairs--rats!

This is a little sitting room off to the left of the entryway...

I've always been in love with her downstairs powder room...

Unfortunately, I didn't stand back far enough to capture the beautiful wide ribbon that is attached to the top of the mirror...it's one of my favorite elements to this room...

These french letters were purchased from a flea market in Paris...

Even the window is dripping with style...

She has a way with special little touches...

Behold! the art deco chandelier!
Is that breathtaking or what?!

And this, my friends, is where they sleep...Isn't this the most glorious sleep set up you ever did see?!

A peek into the master bathroom...

Her living room is so warm and inviting...

These giant, vintage dominoes were another flea market find...(The Golden Nugget in Lambertville--every Wednesday)

Be still my heart! A milk glass collection housed in this beautiful piece of furniture...

this is actually located in her "mudroom" if you can call it that!

I haven't seen her basement since she's had it redone...But let me tell you...it was fabulous!

I love her mirror collection!

Everything is perfectly placed!

These empty frames make such a statement! The subtle details of a dried leaf (I forget what kind she said they were) here and there, add a beautiful touch...

Another bathroom fit for a king!

A french postcard looks so grand framed like this!

this tile patten is another one of her signatures...

I used this pattern for the tile in my potting room--

A vintage camera and clock collection with old photos...

This is another one of Susan's signatures...two toned walls and painted ceilings...
I love the way this introduces the color pallette for the room...

I am so in love with this color combination!

I seriously don't think it gets much better than this!

And last, but not least, I got a rare peek into Susan's closet! I promised her that I would only take a picture of her accessories...I was in total awe of her collection...

She showed me this post card that I think sums up her accessory collection to a T!

Before leaving, we took a self portrait together...(notice how her lipstick is still going strong and mine is completely faded!)

So there you have it! It was like having dinner AND a show!

It was a lovely evening all around...

Susan is sooo my inspiration! (Even though everytime I go to her house, I get a case of the greeds)...I feel like I spend every minute ooohing and ahhhing over every little detail...

sigh!

someday...

***Do you often get the case of the greeds?

***Do you have a fancy friend like Susan?