Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Tis the Season


Welcome! I'm glad you stopped by on this Christmas Eve day for Tablescape Thursday with our hostess Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch.



Tis the season for holiday parties, and the tablesape I want to share this week is a wonderful dinner party with a group of girlfriends. Our group of eight have shared evenings together for twenty five years now. We used to meet each month; more recently busy schedules have limited our dinners to five or six times a year. Without fail though, it is always a delightful evening: the night's hostess sets a beautiful table, a delicious meal is served, and the room is full of the chatter and laughter of long time dear friends sharing good times.



Our hostess has many wonderful Santas around her home, some of which I'll give you a peek at later. For now take a look at this old world Santa. With list in hand and a sleigh full of toys he took center stage on this lovely dinner table. Doesn't he have the sweetest face?



Santa and his sleigh were surround by a forest of mercury glass trees paired with mercury glass candlesticks of varring sizes.



A mercury glass vase filled with "diamond" studded red carnations and green or silver foil English party crackers were at each place setting that was set with . . .



elegant Fritz and Floyd St. Nicolas plates atop red chargers on green linen mats. Victorian figural silver napkin rings held festive plaid napkins.



Waterford crystal Lismore stemware sparkled along with the Frances the First sterling flatware.



Our hostess has a fabulous collection of the figural napkin rings such as this one of a young girl holding a vase. Take a look at the ones used that evening . . .



A regal hare . . .



The whimsy of a young boy riding a tortise . . .



This sweet puppy on a lesh . . .



A magestic reindeer for the season . . .



A young maid with her basket of fresh cut flowers . . .



One of beautiful birds . . .



And this one portraying the race between the hare and the tortise.



This beautiful shell shaped silver server held the dinner rolls.



Several party favors in addition to the lovely vase of carnations at each place setting went home with each guest.



A beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers sat on the livingroom sofa table and filled the room with fragrance.



The gorgeous tree decorated with ornaments collected through the years . . .



and special toys from years gone by under its branches stood in the living room.



A garland of greens and a collection of Radko glass ornaments swagged the mantel.



This Santa stood watch over a silver tray filled with special ornaments and Lomoges Christmas boxes.



The mother of our hostess stitched this needlepoint Santa years ago.



A collection of lighted glass Santa figures and fresh shooting star hydrangea added a festive touch to the powder room.



An extremely special custom Santa by local artist Judy Tash greeted all on arrival and bid us farewell at evening's end.

Christmas Blessings to each of you
on this Christmas Eve.

There will no doubt be an abundance of holiday tablescapes for your viewing pleasure @ Between Naps on the Porch. I plan to post another holiday party on Friday. Hope to see you then.


Sarah
Sarah

The summer we married, my husband was in graduate school, and I was employed as a teacher. We took a portion of our savings that summer and purchased a sailboat. We christened our Catalina 22, “Hyacinths For The Soul” after Saadi’s poem. Our "Hyacinths" provided years of pleasure.

27 comments:

  1. What a beautiful table setting, I love all the pink. And the Santas are just gorgeous. Merry Christmas Sarah, hope you have a wonderful time.
    xxxx
    hugs
    Denise

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  2. What a gorgeous tablescape and all of the Christmas decorations are just stunning. Everything looks just so perfect and all decorated with great memories from past Christmases. May you have a blessed Christmas. Hugs, Marty

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  3. What a fantastic tablescape.

    May your holiday season be blessed & beautiful ~
    Merry Christmas ~
    TTFN ~ Marydon

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  4. It is perfection, Sarah! Absolute perfection!

    Merry Christmas!!!

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  5. Just beautiful! Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful holiday!

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  6. Christmas Greetings, Sarah...

    Ohhh my...what a fabulous Christmas table!!! It's sooo very elegant...simply magical! Your friend is a very talented lady! I love the Old Father Christmas Santa in the sleigh...he's gorgeous! Hmmm...can we say that Santa is gorgeous? Hehe! Love the pretty mercury glass trees too! The place settings are really beautiful...very elegant! The Christmas china is lovely! Ohhh my...one of my favorite things about this beautiful table are the figural napkin rings! I've never seen any like this before. I just loved looking at all the different characters...especially like the bunnies! Sarah, your friends table and home is just gorgeous in all of its Christmas finery...please extend our thanks for sharing it with us today!

    Well my friend...I'm just making a few stops today...in between cookie and candy making! But I wanted to send you my very best wishes and blessings to you and your family for a very Merry Christmas!!!

    Chari @Happy To Design

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  7. Beautiful tablescape! I love the napkin rings. I also really like the color scheme, nice change.

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  8. hi sara, such a pretty table, love your accent color. those napkin rings are fabulous!

    just popping in to wish you a very merry christmas and thank you for sharing your pics at food with style.

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  9. Hi Sarah, I just love your friend's collection of figural napkin rings. They are all so pretty and the table is set so beautifully. Merry Christmas to you and your family...Christine

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  10. Sarah, what a stunning table. I am in love with all the unique napkin rings, they are treasures. The Old World Santa is adorable all dressed in fur so he can stay warm and snuggly.
    Merry Christmas!

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  11. An absolutely stunning table! Everything this perfect! Love the napkin rings -- I collect silver ones, also, but not the figurals.

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  12. Sarah, How wonderful to have such great friends to dine with throughout the year! I wish I had a group like that here...everyone is always so busy working to plan anything. So glad you shared this wonderful tablescape. My favorite part of all were the figural napkin rings. I've been wanting to collect some of those...they are sooooo cute! Thanks for all those great close-ups...loved it!
    Merry Christmas to you and your family, sweet friend!
    Susan
    P.S. Please tell the hostess how much we enjoyed seeing her beautiful home and table setting. The Old World Santa was wonderful!

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  13. O how beautiful all this is..just breathtaking...I really love her banner of ornaments on her fireplace.

    I belong to a group of ladies that meet once a month, too. We do have such fun. Sometimes we meet in our homes, other times, we might check out a new eating place. 5 of us went to school together, graduating in 1956. 1 of the others started in 2nd grade with me and we graduated high school together...now over 50 yrs since graduation, we are still best friends. I am blessed!!

    MERRY CHRISTMAS...

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  14. Wow... you girls had a festive table to sit at. I love the napkin ring holders.. I'm over the top in "love" with them.. would love to get my hands on some of them. The old world Santas are out of sight. I think it's wonderful you gals get together, I wish we had a bunch that could get together. Thanks so much for sharing... From our home to yours a Very Merry Christmas..hugs ~lynne~
    p.s. Please thank the host for sharing her beautiful home with us..and a Merry Christmas to her.

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  15. wow you just must stop putting such wonderful things on your blog, those figural silver napkin rings are the most beautiful and unusual I have ever seen, how wonderful to have them on the table. It is nice to have friends who actually get together and enjoy each others company. I always love your beautiful and creative blog and I hope you have a great Christmas and a grand New year...Phyllis

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  16. Oh I forgot to tell you how much *I love your skinny tree, I have a skinny one I love too....Please if you could help me find that darned black and white checked ribbon you have used on your tree, I wanted to do that this year and I looked everywhere and i mean everywhere, it looks like it is wired, I would love to find it, thanks so much...

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  17. I love the "diamonds" in the flowers and all the mercury glass AND the figural napkin rings. DIVINE!
    How wonderful to have such a life-long group of dear friends!
    Many blessings to ALL of you,
    Lana

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  18. Now those napkin rings just took my breath away. I absolutely love them! And your table, well, it's just so pretty. I got excited the minute the first picture came up and I saw those pretty flowers and all of that mercury glass. And the best part is the fun you'll have with all of your friends. And that is the best reason for a tablescape!

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  19. Very beautiful table...loved all the colors. The mercury glass trees and silver napkins rings are wonderful! Merry Christmas to you and yours! Hugs!

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  20. Hi Sarah,I now you had a wonderful time it is all so beautiful...I so love the napkin rings...Hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas.
    xoxo
    Julie

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  21. Sarah,

    What a beautiful table. The napkin rings are exquisite. I don't think I have ever seen any like those.

    Have a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year.

    Carol

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  22. Your friend's tablescape and home are absolutely beautiful!! And an evening spent with long time friends sounds like a ture delight...so very special!!

    Merry Christmas Sarah!!!

    Blessings ~

    :) T

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  23. Simply amazing! Have a very Merry Christmas.

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  24. What beautiful decorating and Table Scaping Sarah! Thats the great thing about being invited out! You get to see other peoples Table Scapes! Always have that camera handy! LOL! Boy I would sure be scared to hang those Christopher Radko ornaments from that garland! I just love them, but I sure wouldn't want to break one $$$! Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season! Merry Christmas! Sherri : )

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  25. Sarah, marvelous post! I love these images, and the napkin rings. Wow! :)

    Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. xo

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  26. I am sooooo glad you remembered to bring your camera to this lovely dinner party! What a beautiful collection of *pretties* she has!
    I know it must have been a delightful evening with good friends.

    Merry Christmas to YOU, my friend!
    I hope you have a blessed holiday with your hubby.
    Thank you for opening your heart & home to us with your wonderful blog.

    fondly,
    Rettabug

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  27. Sarah, I am late getting here, but I LOVED this post! I have always wished that I could afford to collect those figural napkin rings. Every time I see one, my heart skips. Your friend has so many beautiful ones, and I loved seeing them. Her table and her home look beautiful. What a fun time you and your friends must have had. laurie

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