Before we went to eat, though, Rick and I checked out some of the other buildings. The fountain outside the milking parlor was decked in autumn splendor.
And I noted that inside the Corn Crib, there were some beautiful vignettes. I was taken by how this letter was displayed, framed with a feather.
And I liked this arrangement too, backlit in the late afternoon light.
A workshop was taking place that evening (we were not attending that much to the relief of Rick!) and we peeked into the workshop tent to see the project. Wouldn't it be fun to bring one of those home?
After checking things out we knew it was time to meet up for dinner.
We were going to be dining in the Hog House.
Back in the 1800s, this charming building was home to the farm's hogs.
The walkway includes a bridge over a koi-filled pond and hanging on the fence were still-bright pansies in metal pots.
Inside a faux fire awaited us!
If I put a hat on a vase in my house, it would look very wrong. Here it looks so right!
Beautiful arrangements were placed on lovely antique furniture. It seemed as though you could find something seasonal no matter where you looked, whether it was eye-level...
... or looking up!
And if you weren't satisfied with what was inside, looking outside was just as good!
And Chef Elsie's Peruvian chicken (my special request) was delicious. So was the salad with its moon grapes and cheddar, variegated carrots and potatoes. The lemony cake for dessert (and an abundance of wine) didn't hurt either!
We sat as couples at separate tables, well spaced apart. Fans above circulated the air in the large room.
And there were plenty of smiles.
Especially mine.
It was so good to be with friends, inside, at a lovely place and feeling relatively normal. A place of beauty...
....of nature...
...of spirit.
And one other thing -- Jan, Kate and I all took home a completed autumn lantern, made for us by Micah, who is Southern Exposure's craft guru! It looks beautiful on my table and is just the right size!
Now that the house is paid up, I think I'd better do a little tidying!
56 comments:
I am so glad you got to do this! It sounds like it was a lovely evening.
So glad that you were at last able to get out and visit your beloved Southern Exposure and have a fun time with your friends. Have a safe week! Valerie
Such beauty. Congratulations.
Lovely series!
Lots of people probably think it would be as fun to work at Southern Exposure as it is to visit. When I was working at a large floral shop where I was in charge of changing the displays every two months I can't tell you how many people would say things like, "I'd do your job for free" or "I'd kill for your job." Sure made getting raises hard. LOL Southern Exposure is beautiful...to visit.
The arrangements and vignettes are outstanding. Love the flowers on the fountain. I'd just love to wander thru this place.
What a beautiful post, I’m living trough you vicariously! It’s such a joy to see this wonderful place so beautifully decorated for autumn, Jeanie.
We haven’t eaten inside a restaurant yet, but have done outdoors dining. I am sure it was a blessed evening!
Southern Exposure never disappoints, always so much to discover during your visits, and a great place to meet up with friends.
That frame with the letter and feather is so pretty and so is your Fall lantern.
Enjoy it Jeanie :)
Forgot to say - congratulations on paying your house, it must be a relief!
What a happy making post this is! Everything is so charming indeed, and your meal looks so delicious and tempting.
I am all swoony over the pumpkins, they are super, especially as mine arrived today, and with no control over choosing it I can only say one word. Disappointing. Still, I am over that and I have something brewing now, so watch for my next blog!
So happy you got a lantern, what a perfect addition to your mortgage free home!
Deb in Wales.
Jeanie, you have no idea how this brought so much delight to my eyes! Those autumn decorations!!! Plus I love the apples and the pumpkins plus the photos from your dinner with friends, oh they are beautiful memories! Sending you hugs and please keep warm!
Hello Jeanie,
What a lovely place for your dinner, the Hog House is just so pretty. I love all the decorations. The wine, dinner and dessert sound fabulous. The lantern looks beautiful too. Congrats on paying off your home, it is a good feeling. Great photos and happy memories. Take care, enjoy your day. Have a great new week!
What a wonderful experience! I love the decor and the cuisine. Excellent! So glad you all had such a great time. And again, congratulations on paying off the home mortgage.
I'm a little late to the party, but enjoyed the virtual experience and your photos, Jeanie. It looks lovely - I doubt the hogs would recognise it. And I'd definitely raise a glass or three to paying off the mortgage!!
Drool!!! What a wonderful place!!i TFS
So wonderful that you were able to meet your friends. The décor is gorgeous.. so perfectly fall themed.
What a perfect dinner party for you and your friends, Jeanie. It's lovely to see all the Autumn decorations. I'm so glad you have one of those gorgeous lanterns for your mortgage free home! Such a happy post full of beauty.
Getting your mortgage paid off is quite the accomplishment!
What a wonderful way to celebrate :-)
Wow, Jeanie. I went straight to the "rolling horse" and then saw you took the photo for me. I was so thrilled and felt honored. You shared many beautiful photos of the buildings and the various vignettes. I was so impressed with it all. The new owner did right by you, that's for sure. Your meal looks delicious, too. Of course, I could have eaten about six times more of those veggies (grin). I was especially struck by the bridge over the koi pond with the metal baskets of flowers. That was a show stopper. I'm so glad you took us with you, because I felt like I was there, at least in spirit. what a gift you gave your friends and their significant others, dear Jeanie. Your heart is sooooooooo big, my friend.
Southern Exposure is just as nice inside as it is outside. Such a cozy and welcoming feel about it. Your meal looks delicious. I bet it was so nice visiting with friends and catching up. I love that photo of the candle light outside the window. And the fire place is so charming and decked out for Autumn.
Have a wonderful week, Jeanie, and that's great news about the house!
~Sheri
What a lovely post, Jeanie! Congratulations on your accomplishment and such a nice way to celebrate. I really enjoyed all the photos and the tour of this great place - so inspiring for autumn decorating and gardening and a fun place to hang out with friends! x Karen
What a sweet little building. Gives me hope for my shed!
I’m so glad you were able to do this. I know this is your happy place. The meal looked divine - and the wine sounds especially good since that is off limits for me right now. :) I bet it was nice for things to feel ‘normalish’ for a change. That was a great way to celebrate owning your house free and clear!! It’s an amazing feeling!!
It really does look like your kind of place.
I can imagine your home decorated quite similar.
I am so glad you enjoyed your meal and time there.
I am also taken by the framed letter with the feather. As well as those cool glass jugs. That hog house has sure come a long long way. I looks fabulous. The fireplace is beautiful and so nice they had a faux fire for you. That little hog house would make a great little studio also. Thanks so much for sharing that delicious meal with us and also your celebration. It was definitely something to celebrate! Hugs-Erika
Oh my...what a lovely, lovely place! I think I salivated over each and every photo!!!! And congrats on a paid-up mortgage:) Isn't it a wonderful feeling. We haven't had one in quite a few years now. Made sure of that before I retired:) Sometimes I long for a bigger, more modern home...but then I think of having to pay a monthly mortgage again and I go "uh-uh, no way"!!! Love your lantern:)
Southern Exposure is certainly a beautiful place and having a celebratory get together there was a wonderful idea. I loved seeing all your photos in this post and the prior one. Congratulations on paying off your mortgage!
I am glad that your dinner was a great success, and that you were finally able to get together with friends. Covid has the potential to get worse before it gets better, so it is doubtless a good thing that you did it now. Great to be mortgage free eh Jeanie?
This was the perfect celebration for you -- I'm so glad the folks at Southern Exposure made it possible. I'll never know the experience of a paid-off mortagage -- or any sort of mortgage for that matter -- but I know the job of no car payments, and I'll probably drive Princess until I die!
HOORAY... oh, seeing this (and your previous post too) was PURE JOY, Jeanie! So glad you were able to get to SE this year, in spite of this year! The place is a wonder for the senses... *sigh*... I hope heaven looks like this... haha! How marvelous this place is in autumn. And what wonderful food--as always! Haven't seen those moon grapes here. LOVE seeing all your HAPPY smiles... I could just cry ((HUGS)) And congrats on paying down the place--more HOORAY!
So fantastic, Jeanie. A lovely evening and place to celebrate.
Absolutely perfect and lovely!
Now this is some very happy post, so nice to read you went out and about in these weird times! Such a nice place and the food lucks superb!
And all the smiles, wonderful - thank you for sharing such a positive post, you made me smile, too!
Congratulations on paying off your mortgage Jeanie. Such a wonderful venue for your party with friends. I love when you visit here, such beautiful gardens and decor and the autumn vignettes. What a wonderful evening with friends for you. Your smile says it all!
Kudos all around..and how refreshing too see so many happy happy people!
What a little paradise! Both SE and the restaurant. I've never seen moon grapes before... sounds exotic. Other than the mask on server Kelly, who'd have thought this is pandemic living. You're blessed. :)
A happy, beautiful post. Thank you!
Such a fun, fabulous and special evening! So glad you could safely have dinner with friends, and I know that is an incredible place...I'm sure your fingers were itching to craft one of those lanterns, and I love love the metal pots of pansies along the bridge!
Jenna
Oh, Jeanie, what a marvelous celebration. I am so happy for you that all of you could spend happy times together. Special memories. In your photos of you and Rick, you both look so happy. And, by no means was your dinner served in a Hog House.
I have the exact bust of the lovely girl in your photo #5. I named her Sophie.
This was a lovely post during our troubled times, it gives us all hope for better times.
Best wishes, Jeanie!
What a wonderful mantle! My paternal grandmother converted one of her chicken coops into a playhouse for her grandchildren. My cousins and I loved it and made many memories in it. Janice
Wow that place is always a treat to see! Loved all the details in every location! How exciting to have paid off your mortgage! Cheers 🥂
Jeanie, this is such a lovely place and what a beautiful celebration! I am so glad that you had a wonderful evening with friends that felt almost like normal. I am happy for you!
Hello, I just stopped by from GretchenJoanna's blog! What a lovely place Southern Exposure is and the fall decor is charming. It seems like a great place to explore. I was inspired to find their website and watched the virtual video tour as well. Now, if only we didn't live so far away here in Southern California! And congratulations on your paid-off mortgage. That's a great feeling.
It's a pleasure to have "discovered" your blog. I look forward to further visits. Sara
Wonderful shots!
What a wonderful place to eat and visit with friends. It looks like you were all safe but were also able to relax and enjoy your meal. I could spend hours there just looking around, I think.
I love the photo of you with your big, beautiful smile.
The Hog House looks like a delightful spot. Congratulations!
What a beautiful place. It's was nice that you could meet with your friends in such beautiful surrounding.
The Autumn lantern is such a beautiful colour. Wow!
Happy Fall. Thelma.
Oh, Jeanie, I have been following along with you and your return to Southern Exposure, but just haven't had time to say so until now. What a joy to be able to spend time with your friends at a place that you love. You look like you all are having such a good time. Congrats on paying off your house. Isn't that a great feeling? You have reason to be happy, my friend..Stay well..xxoJudy
What a wonderful outing with friends! Every time you post about this place, I want to visit too!
Cheers! So glad you were able to celebrate the end of your [long-standing] mortgage with longstanding friends in one of your longstanding favorite places. It all looks beautiful -- and just like you, to share your good fortune with the people who matter the most to you...
As grand and wonderful as can be . . .
Loved . . .
Great post, great pictures, great smiles.
I am just so pleased you were able to visit Southern Exposure again and enjoy more special fun times with your friends. Such wonderful memories.
All the best Jan
Looks like a lovely evening and a very nice place.
We just paid off our mortgage too. Very exciting! :-)
Congrats on the paid off mortgage, Jeanie, and what a reason to celebrate! It looks like everyone had a wonderful dining experience amidst the lovely decor. That lantern gift was lovely and has given me an idea for creating a winter-themed one as a friend gave me a similar lantern she no longer wanted.
Just amazing!
Jeanie!!!!! Congratulations on paying off your mortgage! Quite an achievement! Happy to feature your trip out at Share Your Style this evening (#280).
Again, congratulations!
Hugs,
Barb :)
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