LOL! I can totally understand... you should hear me talk about soil with the garden center people! Never go food shopping when you're hungry, and never go bulb shopping after a nice dinner that includes a good wine! CHAD was waiting for you outside that restaurant!

Punk, these talented gals here have taught me so much when it comes to creating tablescapes. The best thing I've learned is to shop Goodwill and places like Marshalls for bargains.That, and almost anything can be the start of a fun table centerpiece! I hardly ever buy a full set of dishes, though. Salad or dinner plates are easier to use . . . and store! DD: I wish you lived closer, too! I wish you all did, as it would be such fun to get together for shopping excursions and for some meals, too! Betty: More pinecone plates? Oooooh . . . that sounds tempting, but I think I'm at my limit with those. Thanks so much, though. Your kind offer means a lot! And yes, please do keep an eye out for more pieces of that other set. I'd love to get some of those dishes. As for my furkids, yes they do seem to like to pose for pics. They're both sweeties and I love them. Despite the bad rap dobies get, they are the sweetest, cuddly dogs. Ronin would like nothing better than to sit on our laps and sleep in our beds. We don't go that far, though! We dobie owners call them "Velcro dogs" because they always want to stay close enough to be touching you. Lynn

Good for you, mrs tlc! I bet next time you will be able to enjoy your party as much as your lucky guests obviously did. jkom52 wrote, "Why would you want to be Martha Stewart?" Excellent point -- but it made me think of something else, too. Martha Stewart's parties probably have plenty of little glitches, too. EVERYONE'S do. What makes people great hosts is their attitude, not their flawlessness. The "Marthas" we all know don't have only guests who clean their plates, robotic pets that never need to "go," or perpetual propane tanks. What they DO have is a gracious "oh-so-what" attitude when little things go awry, so that nothing short of having to call an ambulance or the cops ruins their parties. Anything smaller just bounces like a rubber dart off of their giant-size hospitality. We have all heard the stories of Julia Child and the uncarvable pig and Jackie Kennedy (or Mrs. Astor, or anyone else who turns up as the star in this urban legend) unflappably asking the maid to bring in "the other turkey." I cheerfully confess that there have MANY "disasters," sometimes at our very best parties and holidays, many of which our guests never realized. And you don't have to be born that way -- indeed, no one is. Ask your local "Marthas" -- I bet they will tell you that they were complete wrecks the first few times they entertained. Anyone can become a great host. Here are some of the things the regulars on this forum have shared as the way to do it: 1) Keep the focus on your guests, not on yourself. (This should probably be numbers 1- 10, as all the others seem to flow from it.) Lindac is the expert at expressing this one. You are not being graded. Your guests are not there either to critique your imperfections or to applaud your skills; they are there to have a nice time. What will help them do that? 2) Don't bite off more than you can chew. Some people try to serve 75 people ten untried complicated recipes without any help preparing or cleaning up. How could things NOT go wrong? But even worse, it makes the hosts frazzled and distracted and therefore unable to follow rule #1. A burnt dish or a broken glass never ruined a party. A stressed out host always will. 3) BE NICE. Even if a guest brings an uninvited guest of her own, your spouse forgot to pick up the dessert, or no one eats your specialty, LET IT GO (you can deal with your spouse later!). Do not embarrass your other guests or throw cold water on your own party by chastising or arguing. Even if you are 100% right, hospitality comes first. 4) I suppose this is also a natural corollary of all the others, too -- roll with the punches. When something doesn't go as you'd planned or hoped -- and something always will -- keep smiling and don't let it throw you or take over the event. Your guests are going to take their cue from you to behave as if it is a big deal or not; therefore, you have the power to make it NOT a big deal. So use it! Can you imagine the guests of someone following all those rules NOT having a great time?

There's bunches of this recipe doing a search and they basically say laying in that order. Here's another Layered Raspberry Salsa Bean Dip A delicious Robert Rothschild Farm raspberry salsa is available at VivaÂs. This is a delicious and different bean dip. 1 can black beans 8 ounce reduced fat cream cheese 1 small red onion, chopped fine 1 jar Robert Rothschild Raspberry Salsa or other fruit salsa 8 ounce Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded Layer ingredients in casserole or quiche dish in order above. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in a 325° oven until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.