The Bees Are Buzzing - 24th of July Celebration

We are lucky in Utah because we get to

have fireworks both on the 4th of July and

on the 24th of July.  On the 24th of July we

celebrate the pioneers entering the Salt Lake

valley in 1847.  It is called Pioneer Day.

Utah is known as the Beehive State,

so today's table honors our 24th of July

Celebration with a bee table. 

A few months ago I received an email coupon for 30 percent

off anything on Horchow's  website.

Of course, I had to go take a look and  I found these

fun Bumble Bee plates.

They are a soft buttery golden color and the 

raised detail is just wonderful.

Matching salad plates have the reverse design 

with the honeycomb around the rim and the bee

in the center.

They also had Wallace's 

Napoleon Bee flatware, and with everything

30 percent off, I decided to splurge since I am from the

BEEHIVE STATE.

Here is a closeup of the bee plates.

It was really fun to use these for the first time

for a family dinner.  Adults and children alike

were really enchanted by the bees, both on the

plates and on the flatware.

I added a little craft store bee to a silver napkin ring

and tucked in a little ivy and a yellow rose from

the garden.

The beehive table needs a little beehive

cake don't you think?

Yellow and clear bubble glasses

and ruffled placemats sit atop a

stone table.

Since bees love flowers and so do I,

I cut some Peace roses and my very first

gardenias ever.

The gardenias are a potted plant that I hope to 

take indoors for the winter.  

The smell is just incredible!

The Bee hive cakes were made

from 

Betty Crocker's  Bonnie Butter Cake Recipe

which is always my go-to recipe for a buttery, rich

cake.  I have my Betty Crocker Cookbook from 1976,

right after I graduated from high school!

 I baked them in my mini bundt pans and

stacked two, then crumb coated them and piped

on a Honey Cream Cheese frosting.

Yum! (I will have to fight off the bees!)

Thanks for helping to celebrate the 24th of July

or

Pioneer Day

with me today.

Hope you enjoyed your visit to 

Purple Chocolat Home.

Plates and flatware - Horchow

Glasses and topiaries - Tai Pan

Napkins - Pier 1

Napkin Rings - Wal Mart

Placemats - Home Goods

I will be posting this with 

Tablescapes Thursday

If you love pretty dishes and placesettings,

come visit Tablescapes Thursday.  It is so much fun!