The Famous Oklahoma Club Special

Visit just about any golf course in Oklahoma that has a bar, and they'll have Club Specials.  Visit just about any bar in Oklahoma and they'll have Club Specials.  Legend goes, the Club Special was invented at Twin Hills Golf and Country Club in Oklahoma City.  The course opened in 1923, so that's a lot of history, a lot of golf and a lot of  beverages.  I've sampled my fair share, and nothing beats a cold, refreshing Club Special in the golf cart on a hot, Oklahoma day.  One local golf course even serves them up frozen-style.  If I could master that technique, I'd never leave my kitchen.  They're delish, and not just for golf.  Believe me.  Obviously, I'm not a golfer.  But I do know my way around a cocktail and this one is a hole in one!

I've also heard this called a Vodka Special,
or a Country Club Special, but round' here
it's just a Club Special and that's
good enough for me...

 

This also makes a wonderful big batch
cocktail.  We brought the Oklahoma
Club Special to Colorado for
an Oklahoma Football Watch Party!

We pre-mixed the vodka, limeade and Sprite
and added some lemons and limes for color.
Then instructed the guests to add the mix to their
glass and add the club soda and garnish!

Club Special

2 ounces vodka
1 ounce limeade
1 ounce Sprite
club soda
lime and lemon wedges

Combine vodka, limeade and Sprite to a glass of ice.  Fill with club soda and garnish with a lime and lemon wedges. 

Prep Time:  Approximately 5 minutes     Cook Time: 0, you drink it!

NOTE: This post was originally published 11/13/13 and we recently decided to add a big batch version on 10/12/25.  For a large batch, simply multiply the recipe (We based it on how much limeade was made from the 12 ounce can of concentrate.  Combine the vodka, limeade, and Sprite.  Then serve, adding the club soda individually so the cocktail stays fizzy for the guests.  Serve with additional lemons and limes for garnish.

Ranch Water - The Cocktail of West Texas

Every region's country clubs have signature drinks.  In Oklahoma, you'll usually find the "Club Special," which I'm proud to say is the number two most popular recipe of all time on at The Devilish Dish.  It's a tasty little lemon-lime treat full of vodka that will sneak up on you on a hot day at the golf course if you're not careful.  So a while back we were visiting the Devilish Nephew in Midland, Texas.  Imagine my surprise when I ordered a Club Special and saw the bartender reach for the tequila!  It turns out a Club Special in Oklahoma is NOT a Club Special in west Texas.  It is however, equally delicious and refreshing.  Their club special is known as Ranch Water and it's made with a fun new ingredient:  Topo Chico.  It's a brand of sparkling mineral water that has been made and bottled in Mexico since 1895.  How has it been around since 1895 and we've only recently been introduced?  Well the Coca-Cola company acquired the company last year, so it's quickly becoming popular allover the US.  I'm even starting to see it in our local grocery stores, where as previously we've only found it at the Hispanic market.  This refreshing cocktail is so surprisingly simple, I'm a little embarrassed to blog it, but I feel like I can't keep the secrets of west Texas all to myself.  The world must know of Ranch Water, so grab some Topo Chico, some good quality tequila and a few limes and let's enjoy a new kind of club special!

Refreshment courtesy of west Texas.

Topo Chico also comes in lime and
grapefruit flavors.  All are delicious
on their own or in a cocktail!

Our new favorite summer cooler...

Ranch Water Cocktail

1 bottle Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral water
1-2 (1 ounce) jiggers good quality Tequila
Limes for garnish

In a glass, pour the Topo Chico over ice.  Stir in Tequila.  Garnish with lime.  Enjoy!   

Frozen Club Specials in the Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker

 Mr. Devilish Dish and I have been working quite a bit in our backyard this year.  We added some really cool cafe lights around our deck and a couple of fun flower beds (even one that is fishing themed!) Since we both enjoy fishing so much, we try to stay acclimated to the heat.  We spend a lot of time sitting on our patio.  We've created quite the little oasis, and sit out there in the evenings and watch TV or listen to music.  All of this made more enjoyable with a cold beverage.  For my birthday this year, I treated myself to the Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker.  It features 5 unique presets that use a RapidChill Technology to determine the perfect temperature for the ideal frozen drink.  Translation: It is not a blender, no ice is involved.  The results are the perfect textured frozen drinks that are not watered down.  They don't have to be adult beverages either, with settings for milkshakes and non-alcoholic slushes.  I've shared with you before that Oklahoma has a famous drink called the Club Special  It was invented at a golf course, and has grown in popularity, so much that you can pretty much order one anywhere around the state.  A few places even feature a Frozen Club Special, which is the more attractive older brother of a Club Special on the rocks.  The day we took our Ninja Slushi out of the box, we were determined to create our favorite cocktail in frozen form.  Success!  The Frozen Club Special is our favorite summer beverage on our patio. It is sweet and tart, from Sprite and citrus juices and so refreshing on a hot day.  

The Famous Oklahoma Club Special-
made even better in frozen form with the 
Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker.

The ideal patio beverage on a hot summer day!

FROZEN CLUB SPECIALS IN THE NINJA SLUSHI

40 ounces limeade (made from frozen concentrate
8 ounces Sprite
4 ounces vodka
4 ounces club soda
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce fresh lime juice

Combine ingredients and pour into the Ninja Slushi vessel.  Choose the spiked slush setting and enjoy.
NOTE: This makes a little more than you need for the 72 ounce machine, but will fit perfectly into the 96 ounce machine.  We like to make a batch or two of this in advance and have it ready to refill the machine, so we don't mind having a little extra. 

Green Chile Club Special Featuring Hatch Green Chile-Infused Vodka

I've posted before about my family's deep love for the famous Hatch Green Chiles of New Mexico.  Honestly I need to devote an entire section of The Devilish Dish to green chiles, there are so many recipes on here.  Our passion for green-chile EVERYTHING started with my husband's Famous Green Chile Stew. Thankfully every season during the Hatch Chile harvest (late August-early September) our local grocery store brings in tons of fresh Hatch Chiles and roasts them on site.  If you haven't smelled green chiles roasting, you've been missing out.  Scentsy should make that a thing, seriously folks.  This year we decided to try something new: Infusing vodka with green chiles.  We weren't sure whether to use fresh green chiles or roasted green chiles so we experimented with both.  Fast forward 5 weeks and we have the most interesting (slightly spicy) vodkas you've ever tasted.  The vodka made with the fresh chiles has a fresher, crisper flavor, and the roasted chile vodka definitely has more of a kick and a deeper golden color.  Now we have all of this wonderful vodka to play with (I'm thinking Bloody Marys.) Since the go-to drink in Oklahoma is the Club Special, it seemed only natural the first cocktail we mixed with our fancy vodka would be the Club Special.  I made one with the fresh vodka and one with the roasted chile vodka.  Both were equally tasty.  A fresh citrus tang with just a note of chile flavor and heat.  A sophisticated (and New Mexican) twist on the Oklahoma golf course favorite.  Club Specials will never be the same!

Cocktails will never be the same...

Vodka infused with fresh green chiles (L)
and roasted green chiles (R)

Tart citrus flavor with a chile kick.
Our new favorite drink.

National Pina Colada Day - The Chi Chi in the Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker

It's National Pina Colada Day!  If you haven't tried a Chi Chi, then you are in for a treat.  It is Pina Colada's little sister.  Where a Pina Colada is made with rum, a Chi Chi features vodka.  We were in Palm Beach, Florida a couple of weeks ago and it is safe to say we enjoyed our fair share of Pina Coladas and Miami Vices.  Now that we're back to the Oklahoma heat (minus the beach view) I wanted to re-create the flavors of our vacation using our Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker.  Last week I shared a Frozen version of one of our favorite cocktails: The Oklahoma Club Special. We have had so much fun with our Slushi Maker, I have been determined to adapt some of our most revered cocktail recipes for the Ninja.  After several trial runs over the July 4th weekend, we finally achieved success with the Chi Chi!  And I think I might even like it better than a traditional Pina Colada because I may or may not have had too many Rum & Cokes back in my college days.  Run, don't walk and get yourself a Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker so you can cool off with a Chi Chi.

The Chi Chi - Pina Colada's delicious
little sister.

Garnish with whipped cream and a cherry
if desired.  Delicious but not necessary.

Apparently in Florida the correct garnish
is a fresh flower!

A beach, a book and a Miami Vice...

THE CHI CHI (Adapted for the Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker)

9 ounces Pineapple Juice
6 ounces Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut

2 ounces Vodka (Rum if you want a traditional Pina Colada)
1-2 cups club soda

In a measuring cup whisk together pineapple juice, cream of coconut and vodka.  Pour into your Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker.  Add 6 ounces of water to the measuring cup and kind of rinse it out, adding to the drink maker.  Select the Spiked Slush setting and the highest setting (10 bars)

Enjoy once it is frozen! (Garnish with whipped cream and a cherry if desired - or if you're in Florida, apparently a fresh flower!)

Frozen Aperol Spritz in the Ninja Slushi Professional Drink Maker

I'm obsessed with this drink.  I've made this at least 4 times this summer.  At first I thought a frozen cocktail could not get any better than the Frozen Club Special, and then I mastered the Frozen Hillstone Crisp Martini.  That was definitely last summer's drink of choice.  This year will go down as the summer of the Frozen Aperol Spritz.  This is so easy to make, I just dump everything into the Ninja Slushi Professional Drink Maker and let it do all of the work.  The bright, bittersweet taste of Aperol is a flavor unlike anything else.  It highlights the orange juice perfectly, for a not-too-sweet cocktail.  When I say you can enjoy these all afternoon I mean it.  You probably shouldn't.  That is on you.  I'm just saying when you see what a bright summery-colorful drink this is, not to mention the refreshing flavor, you might be tempted to have more than one.  I will be having more than one.  All summer long on my patio.

The drink of summer 2026!

My absolute favorite way to use the
Ninja Slushi Professional Drink Maker.

The color is so vibrant and the taste
is even better.

Can you tell I've made these
several times already?

I love a regular Aperol Spritz, but
something about this frozen version
is even better.  Especially on a hot
summer day.

FROZEN APEROL SPRITZ in the
NINJA SLUSHI PROFESSIONAL DRINK MAKER

1 750ml bottle Prosecco wine
1 cup Aperol liqueur
1 cup club soda
1 cup pulp-free orange juice
orange slices for garnish

Combine the liquid ingredients into a large pitcher and carefully pour into the slushi machine.  Select the "spiked slush" setting and allow the drink to freeze.  Once the slushi is frozen, dispense into a glass and garnish with an orange slice and enjoy.

Oklahoma Theta Burger Soup

You know I'm an Oklahoma Girl through and through.  In the past I've shared several recipes that have their roots here in Oklahoma, including Cattlemen's Salad Dressing and the Famous Oklahoma Club Special.  Another recipe with its history tied to my state is the Theta Burger.  It's a hamburger topped with mayonnaise, pickles, hickory sauce and shredded cheese.  It's definitely on the menu just about every place in Norman and Oklahoma City and I've heard it's even available at a place or two in Austin, Texas.  I'm unsure of when the burger was actually invented, but the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority at the University of Oklahoma lays claim to having their name on it and the version I'd like to believe is that the burger was invented right here in Norman, OK by Ralph Geist who owned the historic Town Tavern that stood on campus corner for many years.  Legend says during the 1930s and 1940s the sorority had a curfew of 10 pm and would call the Town Tavern for a late night burger delivery.  Ralph always obliged, but as you can imagine a house full of hungry sorority girls would have quite a complicated order.  Legend says Ralph compromised and invented a burger they could all agree upon.  He named it after them and added it to his menu.  The true story may be lost to history, but thankfully the burger survives to this day.  It's my husband's favorite burger and we got the wild idea to create it in soup version, inspired by my friend Brandi at Aunt Bee's Recipes and her Bacon Cheeseburger Potato Soup.  We garnished the hearty bowl of soup with plenty of shredded cheese, chopped pickles and a generous drizzle of mayo and hickory sauce.  It tastes EXACTLY like a Theta Burger in a Bowl.  It's incredible.  Trust me.  You may think the combination is unusual, especially if you're not from around here and aren't used to seeing the Theta on your local burger menu.  But there's a reason this flavor combination has survived for nearly 100 years.  If you can't make it down to Norman for a true Theta Burger, then definitely try my version in a bowl!

 

It's just like a Theta in a Bowl!

The ingredient line up...

Garnish with mayo, Hickory sauce, chopped pickled
and plenty of shredded cheese for the Authentic Theta Flavor!

Oklahoma Theta Burger Soup

8 slices uncooked bacon, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound sliced white mushrooms
1/2 chopped onion
4 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning (I didn't have Montreal Seasoning so I used "Panhandle Chicken Fried Steak Seasoning" because you know: OKLAHOMA)
1 quart beef broth
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Garnish:
mayonnaise
Hickory Sauce
chopped pickles
additional shredded cheese for garnish

Sauté chopped bacon in a large stock pot until crispy. Remove the bacon from pan & drain on a paper towel, leaving drippings in the pot.  Increase the heat to medium add the ground beef, sliced mushrooms and chopped onions. Brown and then remove most of the leftover fat.  Add the minced garlic & sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn the heat to high and add the potatoes, beef broth, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and steak seasoning. Boil for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.  Add the reserved bacon pieces back into the pot.  Reduce the heat to low & add the shredded cheese and stir until the cheese is completely melted.

Garnish with mayonnaise, hickory sauce, chopped pickles and additional shredded cheese.

Prep Time:  Approximately 20 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 25 minutes 

3 Cocktails You HAVE to Try!

Since the surgery on my hand last year, Mr. Devilish Dish and I have stepped up our bartending game.  It helps that we love to travel and love good food.  We're always down to try a regional beverage when we're on vacation, and even when I know I'll probably wind up ordering a Diet Coke, I never miss the opportunity to peruse a new restaurant's cocktail menu.  These three cocktails happen to be things that peaked my interest on social media.  Once I tried them and deemed them worth sharing a quick search of the internet proved these aren't new cocktails.  Just new to me cocktails.  And more than likely given new names by a new generation.  Which makes them even more fun.  We definitely claim the CLUB SPECIAL, here in Oklahoma and I knew west Texas lays deed to the RANCH WATER.  I'm willing to bet a lot of folks claim these cocktails as their own.  While I'm not sure of all of their origins, I am sure they are tasty, refreshing and worth sharing!

No matter what you call these, they are tasty!

The Beermosa, also known as 
the Man-mosa, or an Arizona Mimosa.
This is refreshing, and a tasty twist
on a traditional champagne mimosa.

The Diet Cokagne.  One of my favorites
as I LOVE champagne and I love Diet Coke.
If you're one of those people that enjoys a
Diet Coke with lime, then that slight 
sweet/tart flavor of the champagne is similar
when added to the Diet Coke.
Super refreshing.

Also known as a Diesel, Colabier,
or Colorado Kool-Aid, this version
uses Diet Coke where traditionally the 
beer is blended with regular cola.
The Coors Original Banquet Beer, brewed
in Golden, Colorado is a must for a 
Colorado version!

ARIZONA MIMOSA

6-8oz light beer
2-4oz no-pulp orange juice

Pour the chilled beer into a pint glass or beer mug, then top with cold orange juice.
Garnish with an orange wheel if desired.

DIET COKAGNE

4-6 oz Diet Coke
2oz dry champagne or sparkling wine
ice

Fill a highball glass or champagne flute with ice.  Fill the glass about 2/3 full with cold Diet Coke.  Top off the remainder of the glass with champagne.  Garnish with a lime slice, lemon twist or maraschino cherry.

COLORADO DIET COKE

6-8oz light beer
6-8oz Diet Coke (or regular Coke if desired)

Pour the cola into a tall beer glass or pint glass.  Slowly pour in the beer.  Mix if desired.  Serve with ice if desired.

Drink Responsibly,

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Birthday Party

We have some dear friends with the cutest lil' guy you've ever seen.  He can shoot baskets and throw a football or baseball better than I can.  And I'm no slouch.  When his second birthday rolled around, his Mama asked me if I would help her with his party.  It was a no brainer because I love her little guy and I pretty much love Mickey Mouse more than Mr. Devilish Dish.  (I should do a blog post sometime on my kitchen and how it is decorated with Mickey Mouse memorabilia--say that five times fast.)  Between the two of us, we had enough fun serving platters to make it a fabulous day.  The party was at the local YMCA and all of the attendees got to swim for a bit before we enjoyed lunch, cake and presents.  As they say on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, "We've got ears; say Cheers!"

Instead of cake,
we had cupcakes.  I made
a simple vanilla cake with
a white buttercream frosting.
Decorated with 1 large OREO
and 2 small OREOS
to represent Mickey Ears!

The birthday boy's mom purchased
a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse-themed
package of printables from
Amanda's Parties To Go. 
I helped her by cutting and assembling everything.

Here's the spread,
all ready for the hungry swimmers!

The Mickey Mouse bowl made a
perfect container for the chips...
And by the way, Skittles make a colorful
and tasty filler for vases and
centerpieces.

"CLUB" sandwiches for
Mickey Mouse's Club house
of course!

When I heard the theme was Mickey Mouse, I
said, "Perfect.  I have lots of Mickey dishes."
My friend replied, "I knew you would."

Hot Diggity Dogs
A.K.A. Pigs in a Blanket!

Fruit with a simple fruit dip. Seriously
you don't need a recipe.  It's a
7-ounce jar of marshmallow
creme combined with an
8-ounce package of cream cheese.

Veggies with Beau Monde Dip.
Recipe HERE.

The polka-dots remind me of
Minnie's dress!

The birthday boy's dad requested
chocolate dipped pretzels.
I happened to have some awesome
Mickey Mouse sprinkles!

No party is complete
without a big bowl of Crack Corn.
Recipe HERE.

Party favors included:
mini buckets with crayons,
play-doh, coloring sheets
and Mickey or Minnie ears.

Happy Birthday Cash!
Thanks so much for letting me be part
of your special day!

40th Birthday Bash for Mr. Devilish Dish

A while back my husband hit the BIG 4-OH.  Much to his chagrin I wanted to throw a party.  I finally convinced him that it would be more of a "football watch party" than an actual birthday party.  (Damn I really wanted a pinata and pin the tail on the donkey.  Maybe when he's 50.)  He was born on an Oklahoma Sooners football game day, forty years ago.  My in-laws were on the way to hospital, my mother-in-law in labor when my father-in-law turned the car around and went back home.  Because he had forgotten his transistor radio to listen to the game.  And football great Greg Pruitt had an outstanding rushing game that day, while my mother-in-law was giving birth and my father-in-law was cheering on the Sooners.  And the baby was named Greg.  And he grew up and I married him.  And he turned 40 years old.  So it seemed only natural, in a family that bleeds Crimson and Cream that we should have an OU-Themed watch party in his honor.

Titanic Themed Rehearsal Dinner

One fall morning in the September of my 8th grade year, my parents called from the hospital to tell me I had a nephew.  And that's when my love affair with Cade began.  Circumstances brought him into our lives on a full-time basis when he was 14 years old and for lack of a better explanation Mr. Devilish Dish and I just refer to him as our son.  Needless to say, he's an extra special person to us, and when he announced his intention to get married the wheels started spinning with ideas for the rehearsal dinner.  When Cade studied the Titanic in the third grade, no one knew it would become a lifelong interest for him.  Some people have golf, some have gardening.  Cade has the Titanic.  You may think something as tragic as the story of the Titanic might make for a morbid wedding celebration, but from the beginning I envisioned a romantic, Edwardian-themed evening with some history thrown in.  No cheesy Jack and Rose "I'm the king of the world" business.  We're talking silver tea services and candles galore.  Cade chose McNellie's Public House as the location for the dinner and having the meal in a British-themed pub was ideal.  Since there isn't a lot for the pseudo-mother of the groom to do besides host the rehearsal dinner, I wanted to pull out all the stops and have a very Cade-centric evening.  He was totally surprised and really happy with the entire night, and I think you'll enjoy it too:

When we came up the stairs to enter the private
dining room this sign read, "Shots $3.50"
My friend Barbara suggested that we
change the board.  As she put it,
"Maybe $3.50 shots is NOT the first thing
the Baptist grandparents need to see."

Here's Cade admiring the decor.
He was genuinely happy and surprised
and I caught him several times looking closely
at the memorabilia.  He asked, "Where did you get that
model of the Titanic?" and I explained that I ordered it.
Then he wanted to know what I was going to do with
it after the dinner.  I gave it to him of course!

Cade lost his grandfather during his senior
year of high school.  He was a very important
part of Cade's life and a great influence on
the young man Cade is today.  I wanted a way to
honor his grandad and make his memory part
of our celebration.

Several years ago I purchased a pack
of Titanic paper memorabilia from Ebay that
I've used for various projects throughout the
years.  Thankfully I never throw anything away, so
the decor was inspired by these pieces.
I thought it fitting to include this on the memorial
table.  It is in memory of Titanic's Orchestra who
played their music to calm the passengers even
as the ship sank...

My daughter had this Union Jack trunk in her room.
It made a great addition to our table.

I ordered the Titanic replica from Amazon.com because
out of all of the decor I had, I didn't have an actual ship.
Cade has many in his collection but I wanted
to keep the theme a surprise.  Oh well, now he has
a new addition.

The doilies I've been collecting for some time now.
(I'm gathering them for another project)
To be honest I had almost all of the items I used
for the decor on hand.

Here's a little message for the memorial:
In honor of those
who are watching
from Heaven.

The restaurant had two decorating stipulations:
No confetti and No flames.
Thankfully I found these great
battery-powered candles
(including the votives and tea lights)
They flicker and give the ambiance of
real candles.  Bonus: they can be used
again later!

I've included the design that I used in the frame
as a FREE PRINTABLE for you.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Right click and save to your computer.
Open with the software of your choice
and print onto cardstock.  These images are
my exclusive artwork.  Please be courteous
when using these printables and remember
they are for personal use only.

In addition to being handsome, intelligent, outgoing,
successful, funny...(You get it.. he's awesome)
Cade is quite the artist.  He drew this very detailed
picture of the Titanic in the third grade. It was framed and hung
in his great-grandmother's room for many years.

I wanted to capture the elegance of travel by
ship, so I incorporated some vintage suitcases
and travel labels into the decor...

A party isn't a party without a party favor...

What's more appropriate for a Titanic theme than Lifesavers?
Get It?
I found rolls of Lifesavers at Sam's Club in boxes of 10.

I've included the poem I framed
and used for the party favors
as a FREE PRINTABLE for you.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Right click and save to your computer.
Open with the software of your choice
and print onto cardstock.These images are
my exclusive artwork.  Please be courteous
when using these printables and remember
they are for personal use only.

I've also included the wrappers for the Lifesavers
as a FREE PRINTABLE for you.  The Lifesavers
were the multi-flavor pack and the colors just didn't
go with my theme.  So like a crazy lady,
I wrapped 60 rolls of Lifesavers with
these printables using double sided tape.

Click on the image to enlarge.
Right click and save to your computer.
Open with the software of your choice
and print onto paper.
These images are my exclusive artwork.
Please be courteous when using these printables
and remember they are for personal use only.

I envisioned antique steamer trunks lining the room,
but neither my budget nor my husband would allow it.
When my great aunt passed away a couple of years ago
and we were cleaning out her house, I grabbed these
two old vintage suitcases.  They've been in the attic
awaiting a project, so I got them out, dusted them
off and put them to good use.

They still had my great aunt's actual luggage tag on them.
I left that on there in her honor.  She would have loved
the fact I was putting her old luggage to good use.
(Don't tell anyone but I had to pick the locks with a paperclip)

I found images for old travel labels online and
printed them onto sticker paper.   It worked perfectly
because that paper isn't too sticky and the labels came
right off and the suitcases are now back in the attic
awaiting a future purpose.

Here they are stacked up and ready for travel.
Imagine you are boarding an old steamship
for somewhere exotic...
Perhaps the Palace Hotel in Milan?

I used the smaller of the two suitcases to hold
the party favors.  Sadly the mirror was cracked,
but I hid that with another doily.
Isn't it just the cutest?

I've included the travel labels as a
FREE PRINTABLE for you.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Right click and save to your computer.
Open with the software of your choice
and print onto adhesive sticker paper.

I tried to include as many from
the White Star/Cunard line as possible.
That was the actual company that
owned the Titanic.

And a few others from exotic locales...
I wanted to give the illusion of
world travelers...

At first the labels that read "Not Wanted"
confused me.  Why would a label say
"Not wanted on ship?" Then I realized it
was used to distinguish the luggage the
travelers actually needed during their
voyage and the luggage that was simply
stored on the ship to make the trip
across the ocean.

I just love these old labels.

I considered going out and getting more
vintage luggage just so I would have a place
to stick all of the interesting labels I found.
The artwork is gorgeous.
Don't you wish travel were still that elegant?

I'd love to visit these places someday...

Alongside the party favors was:
Sign the Wine.

And of course a Titanic Menu.
This was the actual meal served to
First Class passengers aboard the ship.
Our menu had a few less courses...

Instead of a traditional guestbook, I saw an idea
for having guests sign a bottle of champagne for
the couple to enjoy on their first anniversary.
These two are serious wine connoisseurs, so
I got their favorite wine instead:
Elyse C’est si Bon
translation: “It’s so good!”

This turned out to be a really fun idea.
Of course the bridal party had the most fun
writing their inside jokes on the bottle.
It should be hilarious to read a year from now.

Here's the sign I framed inviting everyone to Sign the Wine.
I've included it as a FREE PRINTABLE for you.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Right click and save to your computer.
Open with the software of your choice
and print onto cardstock.These images are
my exclusive artwork. Please be courteous
when using these printables
and remember they are for personal use only.

The centerpieces were my favorite part of the whole evening.
I felt like they most represented my vision
for an elegant and romantic visit back in time.

Believe it or not the ONLY thing I purchased for the
centerpieces were the red glass votive holders and
the battery operated tea lights.
(and a few postcards...)
Everything else I had on hand.
Between my mother, aunt and I we had enough
silver trays for several rehearsal dinners!

Picture the pomp and circumstance of a traditional
English tea service that one might enjoy on a luxury liner
like the Titanic.

I used assorted silver trays, more doilies,
candles...

More of the Titanic ephemera.
When I ran out of the stuff I had
previously purchased from Ebay,
my daughter and I poured through boxes
of vintage postcards at the antique stores
to find things that looked English or nautical.

I have no idea who the gentleman in the picture is,
but doesn't he look like he's steered many a ship
in his lifetime?

Then I used every silver sugar bowl,
creamer or mini coffee or tea pot I could find...

The greenery is simply ground cover I cut out of
my flower beds.  I felt it would be wasteful
to buy fresh flowers to use for two hours.
The greenery provided the natural look
I wanted anyway...

I have no idea where or why I had all of these
glass stars.  Between my mom and I we had enough for
every centerpiece. I liked the pop of blue
it added to the table...

The guests really enjoyed reading the different
pieces of ephemera.  There were memorial cards,
menus, postcards and old boarding passes.

No two centerpieces were exactly alike.
And I was okay with that.  The pub had
an old wooden, mismatched theme. 
None of the chairs or tables were alike.
The vignettes really complimented the eclectic
and vintage vibe of the room.

I even had enough strands of pearls to add the
romantic feel to each tray.
(Hi my name is Candi and I'm a craft hoarder.)

Note:  If you don't hoard silver trays like the women
in my family, Dollar Tree actually has some neat
little metal trays that look engraved.  You could
get the same feel without spending a lot of money.

Of course the Bride and Groom to be needed
their own designated spot...

I created these "life preservers"
using foam wreath forms, strips of white canvas,
red ribbon and rope.

I wrapped the wreath form with the strips of
white fabric, securing with hot glue.
Then I used wide red ribbon to create the
look of the life preserver.
I added the rope for a nautical feel,
and wrapped some around the top so I could
secure it to their chairs.

I found these cute little metal chalkboard signs
at Hobby Lobby and used a chalk pen to write "Bride"
and "Groom"  If I were rich, patient and had started
making these when Cade was born,
I would have made one for every chair. 
That's how cute they turned out.

Here's the happy couple to be listening to a toast
from the Maid of Honor...

Here they are checking out the decor.
Aren't they a beautiful couple?

Here's my sweet nephew with his
groomsmen and ushers.
Some are childhood friends, most are fraternity brothers.
A great group of guys and lifelong friends.
So handsome.