Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Christmas Memories ~ 2012






The aroma of chocolate 

filled our home this Christmas Eve.




Earlier in the season, vintage chocolate moulds 

and their faux counterparts found their 

way to our home for a holiday vignette on the sideboard.





They sparked the theme 

for our Christmas Eve table with 

a centerpiece of real Chocolate Santas.




A Chocolate Santa at Each Place Setting




Beaded Placemats, Pewter Chargers, 

Ginori China Rimmed in Gold and Chocolate Brown, 

Topped With a Tartan Plaid Tidings Plate.  




Heirloom linens tied 

with a red tassel held Christophe silver.




Each napkin was hand monogramed 

by my husband's grandmother.




Wine Stem of French Crystal

and Water Stems by Denby




All nestled around the centerpiece of chocolate Santas.




Each one to be taken home 

at evening's end for a little midnight snack.





~ Christmas Eve Dinner ~

Beef Tenderloin

Served with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and 

Roasted Carrot Rounds

Mashed Potatoes

Schnitzel Beans




Followed by dessert of 

German Chocolate Cake




From our Home to Yours




We Send Special Holiday Wishes




And Share Snippets of 

The Holidays Here At

 Hyacinths for the Soul




Fresh Greens and Holly Berries

in Antique Quimper 




Touches of a French Christmas

(Thank You, Emily!)





A Mix of Courtly Check and Tartan




Treasured Childhood Santa Figures




Petite Santa Figures 

Collected Through the Years





Framed Photos of Our

Sweet Sadie Girl





A Group of Malicorne Sleigh Bells

Made of French Faience 




A Collection of Christmas Redware 

and Copper Moulds in a Vintage Dough Bowl




Needlepoint Santas 

Stitched Many Years Ago




My Favorite Father Christmas 

By Judy Tasch

With a Few Tartan Treasures




~ Sadie Mercedes ~

Our Joy and Love 

Every Day of the Year!

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

Recipe for Schnitzel Beans here.
(We use the thin haricot vert or French cut regular green beans.)

German Chocolate Cake here.

Joining

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

What's It Wednesday @ Ivy And Elephants

Let's Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Home and Garden Thursday @ Delightsome Life

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper

Sunny Simple Sunday @ Sunny Simple Life

On the Menu Monday @ Stone Gable

Mosaic Monday @ Little Red House

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

63 comments:

  1. How absolutely LOVELY everything is! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
    ~N

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  2. That's some serious comfort food you had. Yum! Love your decorations too.

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  3. Your holiday dinners always look so delicious and the presentation is super too. I remember the chocolate Santas from an earlier post of yours. I love them. Can you still buy them?

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  4. Looks like you had a beautiful Christmas Sarah! Love the great chocolate Santa (and plaid) centerpiece! Schnitzel beans... New to me and I'd love to hear about them:@)

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  5. I had to smile at your special dinner, as it is so much like the meal I am preparing for my husband's birthday, tomorrow. Rinder rouladen, roasted root vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans gremolata (Ina's newest book!) I call it my 'man's meal' as every man loves it.
    Your table and collections are all so beautiful. Each little vignette a delight to see. I love the little needlepoint Santas!

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  6. Sarah, I really enjoyed seeing all your Christmas treasures. Your collections are so interesting and beautiful.
    I'll bet you're an awesome cook, because your Christmas eve supper looks de-lish. Is that a home made German chocolate cake? YUM! Thanks for sharing the photos of Sadie in her new tartan frames. She's a cutie.
    Hope you've had a relaxing day,
    Babs

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  7. A beautiful collection of priceless Christmas treasures...I adore each and every one. Hope that you had a peace filled and blessed Christmas! Cherry Kay

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  8. Hi Sarah, the decor is so beautiful and the menu so scrumptious. I've never heard of schnitzel beans! It was fun seeing all your pretty vignettes. Happy New Year to you!

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  9. It looks like you made a very special dinner...and your accent pieces are just lovely...Your dinner looks delish!! Wishing you a happy New Year!

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  10. Table and food look fabulous, Sarah!

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  11. You have a special touch in arranging your collections in such tasteful vignettes.
    Every single one dear.
    What a feast:-)
    I can tell that everything is a keepsake to you.

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  12. That beef tenderloin is absolute perfection! My goodness, what a beautiful meal!!! It has been ages since I had German chocolate cake, and now I MUST have some!!! Your table and all the decorative elements were absolutely beautiful and perfect for the season! I love all the fresh greenery here and there!!! Have a Happy New Year!!!

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  13. What a nice post, Sarah...I can almost smell the chocolate. You have many interesting collections...love the trio of Quimper pitchers...and the tartan napkin rings...and the Santas...
    Wishing you a Happy New Year.

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  14. Sarah, this is so wonderful. Did you actually pour those chocolate Santas? There are so many details that I have to go back for another look. I love the tartan plaid napping rings in the bowls and the plates too. Tell me more about the sleigh bells. I am not familiar with Malicorne or French Faience. dianne

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  15. We were away on vacation for Christmas so our stockings were our only Christmas touch although our house was fully decorated.

    Thanks for letting me vicariously enjoy your beautiful Christmas.

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  16. Gorgeous Christmas Eve table! I love the chocolate Santa theme, which you carried out to perfection! I may have to copy you next year -- the grandchildren's eyes would light up for the chocolate Santa's at each placesetting!

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  17. Your home must have looked beautiful in person, Sarah, because these photos look wonderful! The plaid , the chocolate Santas, the accessories....all add up to a lovely Christmas! :-)

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  18. Beautiful post! Gorgeous tablescape.
    Hope you had a dazzling Christmas.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Hope to see you on my blog:)

    A Very Happy New Year to you and yours!

    Greetings from Singapore~ Sanghamitra

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  19. Oh how I loved seeing your table with oh so familiar tartan plates and chocolate santas! Love your tartan ware napkin rings. And loved seeing your doggies in their tartan frames. I put Dexter in my Target tartan frame too! Happy New Year Sarah! ~Delores

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  20. I don't know where to begin! I also love plaid and featured a new plaid tablecloth on our Chrismas Eve table this year. I also had a filet of beef for the main course. I know I would feel so very comfortable in your home! The chocolate Santas are wonderful and so are all those lovely vignettes. There are lots of take-aways to file for next year. What an awesome post!

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  21. It is all so lovely as usual. I hope Santa was good to you. Happy New Year to you. I hope to see you very soon!

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  22. Everything from the plaid to the chocolate to the Santas is an absolute delight. I easily imagine being very comfortable at your table.

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  23. Oh how I love the tartan plates and touches throughout your home! Beautiful Christmas decorations Sarah and lovely vignettes. Your antique Quimper pieces with the Holly Berries look so festive. The Quimper stocking looks very much at home hanging on your French hutch! And, Sadie Mercedes looks very beautiful for her Christmas photo. All the best dear friend for a wonderful New Year............

    ~Emily


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  24. Sarah, Thank you for sharing your beautiful Christmas table with us! Everything looks so delicious! Happy Christmas memories were made I'm sure.

    Wishing you a Blessed and Happy New Year from Linda and Jeannie @ The French Hens Nest!

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  25. Hi Sarah, the chocolate Santa's are brilliant. The Quimper is gorgeous at this holiday too. Thanks so much for visiting me. Happy New Year, Olive

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  26. Sarah~ Your Christmas memories are as delicious as they are beautiful! I always enjoy seeing your treasures~ Courtly Check and Tartan never looked so good! Sweet Sadie is one lucky pup :)

    Merry Christmas week and Happy New Year Wishes!

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  27. Sarah:

    Your home and table look so spectacular! Love the chocolate Santa theme, along with the photos of your furry baby.

    Merry Christmas.

    - The Tablescaper

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  28. Everything looks magnificent, Sarah...just beautiful.
    The meal sounds sooo good...and German Choc. Cake is my man's very favorite...no one could bake one quite as good as my mama but bet yours was delicious. :)

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  29. love all the great pictures and the fact that you used real chocolate santa clauses now that is a great idea was anyone tempted to take a bite? LOL

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  30. Sarah, I devoured each and every picture in this post. You just can't get any better than chocolate, plaids, Santas and Quimper all mixed together. All are favorites of mine. The table setting was beautiful. I'm coveting that wonderful stocking, and I love the way you added Santas and holly to your Quimper. The plaid candle in the center of your table was another favorite of mine. It all just looks gorgeous, and Christmas Eve dinner looks so yummy. Thank you for asking about our little D. Cooper. He has good days and bad days. We are praying that soon there will be more good days that bad ones. laurie

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  31. I forgot to tell Saidie that I think she looks great in plaid. She is such a cutie and looks like she has a fun personality. laurie

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  32. Oh my dear Sarah...everything in your images are gorgeous! I stayed a half hour staring at the and every detail is beautiful and every piece of the dtails!! You have such gorgeous things, I'm in love with..like the plaid dishes, the cute doggie, the Quimper and all those amazing Santas..and I can go on and on..I'd love to go to your house and touch everything, I'm kinda phisical, lol..The food looks yummy too, the entire table and home is magazine perfect! Thanks for your sweet and kind visit. I just got back home, after a 3 hour drive and I'm finally answering tonight, as earlier before I hosted mother's 83 b'day tea party, lol..I'm exausted! (I posted it too) Wishing you a new year filled with blessings, happiness, health and prosperity. xoxo
    FABBY

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  33. This is truly a beautiful post and one of favorite tablescapes of the season. I absolutely love your collections. I have already told you how much I love your Qumiper pottery, I think (and that I have been there and lived about 1 1/2 away for four years). I just love all your tartan. It's just so beautiful and classic. Those antique chocolate moulds are amazing and I love that you used them...I would be ecstatic to take one home for midnight snack!! Happy New Year!!!
    Karen

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  34. very lovely! and that dinner looks so delicious!

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  35. Sarah,
    My, dear friend, what lovely tablescaping centered around Chocolate Santas!!! Exquisite hand work on the monogram napkins!!! Your home is a vision of loveliness in Celebration of Christmas through your snippets and vignettes! Thank you for sharing your lovely Christmas feast with us!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  36. you truly have the most beautiful mercedes I have ever seen.....what a sweetheart Sarah! So many pretty holiday things here! I would love a piece of that cake if you don't mind. :) Happy happy New Year

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  37. What a feast for the eyes...and, the tummies, too! I love all your Christmasey touches. Plaids, black and white checks, plenty of red, finest needlepoint, blues of the richest hue...Your home ia so enchanting, so warm and inviting!
    Blessings and a Happy New Year, my friend,
    Carolynn

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  38. Sarah, such a wonderful table...love those special embroidered napkins. I know you treasure them. Your dinner looked much better than the rib roast I fixed the night before Christmas...I'll have to try a tenderloin next time. :) Love all your holiday decor! I've just started putting some of my things away, trying not to rush the season too much. Happy New Year to you and your family!

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  39. Your Christmas decorations are all so pretty, Sarah! Love all your collections. Christmas meal sounds and looks delicious! Happy New Year!...Christine

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  40. What wonderful memories you made! I adore your monogrammed napkins.

    Have a very Happy New Years!

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  41. Happy New Year to you Sarah.As usual great decor and a great posts.love sujatha...:):):)

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  42. What a wonderful array of photos ~ Love your dog and have some Quimper and recognize lots Xmas decorations ~ Happy New Year ~

    (A Creative Harbor ~ aka ArtMuseDog and Carol ^_^)

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  43. Such a beautiful post! I think I have looked this over several times! Your food looks divine. The beans -- is this bacon and onion? They look so good!

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  44. How special everything is. Those vintage chocolate molds are lovely. The monogrammed napkins are such a treasure. Such a beautiful post. Happy New Year to you.

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  45. I especially love the chocolate molds and other antique collections you use in your decorating. And I am so glad you included the site for the Schnitzel Bean recipe. Happy New Year!

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  46. That is my kind of centrepiece, chocolate! Your home is so lovely decked out for the season, especially love the plaid. Diane

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  47. Hi Sarah,
    your table and decorations are gorgeous as always. I love the different plaid patterns. And they make so lovely frames for your cute little dog. What a sweetie. I wish you and yours a wonderful New Years Eve celebration and a healthy, lucky and successful New Year.
    Best greetings, Johanna

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  48. Sarah, Everything is beautiful and I love the chocolate molds. Thanks for joining the Open House party and have a wonderful 2013.
    Hugs, Sherry

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  49. Sarah, don't be surprised if you see me at your door next Christmas Eve!! Your table and dinner looked amazing....I really love the plaid candles. They look just too nice to use!! Haha
    Suzyq

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  50. Everything is so beautiful. I love thetartan plaid napkin rings and frame. I am your newest follower. I thought I was already. I hope you will visit and follow Uptown Acorn. Happy New Year to you and yours. xo

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  51. Hi Sarah, This is a beautiful post! You have some amazing collections. I started out by inhaling to see if I could catch a whiff of that chocolate. I can never resist. And the sleigh bells are gorgeous. I am wondering if they are purely decorative or if they could be used? I see that they are faience so I'm not sure. Of course the tartan candles and dishes are so appealing too and the monogrammed napkin is truly a treasure. Happy New Year! Linda

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  52. The chocolate does look amazing! Love all of your beautiful decorations, especially the beautiful stocking! Happy New year.

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  53. I have a sudden craving for chocolate!! Everything looks wonderful!!! You have some great collections.

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  54. Love your Santa collection and all your displays.
    Happy new Year.
    Audrey Z.

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  55. Great tablescape using the chocolate! The food looks delicious!

    Love your Santa collection!

    Happy New Year!

    Katherine

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  56. Chocolate makes everything better! For a time I collected chocolate molds, then switched to ice cream molds. They both make nice, and interesting additions to a table. Thank you for such a nice peek into your lovely home.

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  57. Looks like a yummy Christmas. Happy New Year.

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  58. Your home had so many fun Christmas vignettes! I love the chocolate centerpiece, so cute! Dinner looks fab!

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  59. Sarah you home looked so pretty for Christmas and look at that yummy food! Oh my! Wishing you a very Happy New Year! xox

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  60. Sarah, I had to stop back by and take another look at these beautiful Christmas vignettes (and pin a few of them). In my previous comment, I didn't mention how much I love the simpicity of the plaid napkin rings in the silver compote, surrounded by greens. Everything is just gorgeous! laurie

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  61. Sarah, thanks for sharing your pretty Christmas decor at Wow. I love those chocolate Santas and the cute tartan frames. Your baby is too cute.

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  62. I tried to leave a comment on this the other day, but my keyboard was speaking in tongues that day! Love the theme, the chocs, and of course the Tartan! I envy your candle, I will be on the lookout!
    Happy 2013!

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  63. Beautiful Sarah! Thank you for joining Home Sweet Home!
    Sherry

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Thank you to each of you who take the time to leave a comment. I read and appreciate each and every one and will respond to any questions. Your notes are the only way I know who has stopped in for a visit.