A Look At Christmas 2021~ Table Settings and Highlights

Christmas 2021 is but a memory now, but before the year's end

I want to look back to document a bit of our Christmas this year.

Our tree, as in years past, is decorated with special

ornaments collected through the years.  

Our Sadie girl likes to nap under the tree, and she

loves her new Christmas bowl and Santa lamb.

She likes to nudge her way among

 the gifts, sniffing out any food items.

The adorable Santa lamb, a gift from Joelle,

 her very thoughtful and loving groomer.

My Mother-in-law traditionally gifted us a small Christmas cactus

each December, so I like to continue the tradition in her honor.

A blooming plant provides the perfect floral centerpiece all season. 

Just the two of us for a simple Christmas Eve Dinner, 

but I made certain the plate stacks were festive.

A generous friend sent me an early Christmas package.

Included were a pair of gorgeous Kim Seybert tartan linen napkins

beautifully woven in a traditional blue and green. A delicate

embroidered gold star motif adds sparkle on the borders.

They set the stage for my choice of plates for dinner.

I've long been a fan of lighthearted checks and the complexities and historical significance of tartans from the Scottish Highlands. 

I knew immediately I would use the napkins with my 

MacKenzie-Childs Limited Edition Royal Check Star Plates.

My newly acquired Crown Linen Design black velvet ruffled placemats were a perfect base for green Zrike chargers, 

Juliska's Stewart Tartan dinner plates, vintage Spode luncheon plates,

Arte Italica Finezza salad plates, and the Royal Check stars.

The antique Mother of Pearl silverware added a touch of elegance.

Did you notice the darling Tuxedo Stewart Tartan napkin rings?

I've admired these Juliska charmers for a year, 

so Merry Christmas to moi!

We happen to have 

the perfect blue stemware.

The theme of the evening: 

~ Imagine Magic ~

A simple tabletop tree on the buffet will

take us through the coming winter season.

The branches of this Bethany Lowe green feather tree 

offer the perfect perch for the glitter birds and acorns.

Each bird carries a message.

 ~ Wish ~ Hope ~ Dream ~

A trio of reindeer wait below.

Petite fours from a friend 

were the perfect sweet ending.

Christmas Morning started with ruby red grapefruit.

                                                                                                                                 

Same Stewart Tartan Tuxedo napkin rings, same Zrike chargers, and 

same velvet placemats, but I switched out the napkins for favorite 

Crown Linens with a crown design, Robert Stanley Home Collection winter plates, and cabbage leaf Bordallo Pinheiro bowls.

My guy requested waffles with .   .   .  

Maple syrup and melted butter.

Velvet and needlepoint stockings were hung,

but this year we opted to forgo any gifts to each other.

       

We did make deliveries to family and friends.

Vintage Santa figures were tucked here and there.

Including one from my childhood 

and one from my guy's.

The Santa figures like to mix and mingle

among the French faience.

Darling Byers Choice reindeer and a sleigh full of gifts

arrived as a surprise from a friend.

Vignettes feature Christmas 

needlepoint stitched long ago.

I've not had a needlepoint finish in a few years, 

so my goal this year is to finish a work in progress,

a Woodland Santa by Melissa Shirley.

A favorite counted cross-stitch pillow 

sits in the kitchen sitting area.

It's fun to pull out Christmas pillows.  

The needlepoint button tree was stitched decades ago and

embellished with vintage buttons from my Mother and Grandmother.  Are you a button collector?

I created a new tabletop tree this Christmas

that sits on a chest at the side entrance.

Some years ago, I discovered the unique ornaments offered 

at Coral and Tusk, and began to add one or two each year.

It was fun to pull them together along with a few other 

woodland theme ornaments to create a Woodland Tree.

Coral and Tusk offers unique designs embroidered on linen in

table linens, towels, pillows, and ornaments.

If you sign up and make a purchase,

you can use my code for $10 off.

Just copy and paste:

8c5dabceg49168c32

Coral and Tusk

Still savoring the season here, but the elves and I will 

soon pack it all away and welcome a new year.

Joining

Love Your Creativity @ Life and Linda  Sundays on Silverado @ House on Silverado 

You're the Star @ Electric Red BarnHappiness is Homemade @ Bluesky at Home  Inspire Me Monday @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia    Celebrate Your Story @ Celebrate and Decorate  Keep in Touch @ Let's Add Sprinkles  Over the Moon @ Marilyn's Treats 

Tuesday Turnaround @ Bluesky Kitchen 

All About Home @ Common Ground  Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop @ Electric Red Barn
Share Your Style @ French Ethereal  Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner Charming Homes and Gardens @ Shiplap and Shells  Embracing Home and Family @ The Everyday Farmhouse   Farmhouse Friday @ The Painted Hinge

Tradition ~ Christmas Tablescape Blog Hop

Tales of the Traveling Tote #29

Rabbit, Rabbit

Can you believe it is already December 2021?

Gratitude ~ Thanksgiving 2021

A Place at the Table ~ A Harvest of Ideas

Do you take joy in setting a beautiful table whether

or not it's for one, two, or a group?

Welcome to the 

Thanksgiving Tablescape Blog Hop 2021

Thank you to Rita, our amazingly organized and 

talented leader and author of the beautiful Panoply

Each account in this hop offers abundant inspiration for creating

your own holiday table and ambiance.

Links are at the end of this post.

~ Autumn ~ 

My  Favorite Season

It's rich tapestry of colors and textures 

warm both my heart and soul.

Choose gratitude!

Set each place with a joyful heart and 

savor the special times around your table.

Traditionally, we have enjoyed gathering guests to

share a meal around our Thanksgiving table,

some years hosting as many as twelve or more.

This year, as in the previous two years, we'll be a party of two.

With that in mind, I've pulled from past settings to offer you a harvest of ideas of how to make even the simplest of settings special.

It doesn't take much effort to create a welcoming place

setting for yourself, your spouse, or a table filled with guests.

Natural elements are an inexpensive way 

to add autumn texture and interest.

Wander your own garden or take a walk in nature

to gather acorns, seed pods, and leaves.  

I often add in sprigs of bittersweet that I buy at the flower market.

I readily admit I am a dishaholic, but I rarely add holiday specific 

dishes to our cupboard.  I'd rather bring a holiday look to the

table through a mix of dishes, linens, and accessories.  

In the spring of 2012, I was the lucky recipient of a set of 12 dinner plates in Sacred Bird and Butterfly.  Thank you, Cherry Kay!

Originally a Chinese export pattern from the 1800s, 

it is now available through Mottahedeh.  

As you may notice from my photos, it's a pattern I reach for often.

It's a favorite during the autumn season, though Cherry Kay frequently styles this pattern for a Chinoiserie theme.  

Sacred Bird and Butterfly

This is a Chinese export pattern of about 1800.  The Chinese word for Butterfly, tieh, is a word which expresses the wish that the owner might live to a ripe old age.  The pattern was evident in colonial Charleston, SC, a prosperous seaport and cultural center. Licensed by Historic Charleston Foundation. (Mottahedeh)

Some years ago, enchanted by the whimsical artwork of convivial foxhounds, playful pumpkins, and the festive autumn harvest, I added several sets of party plates in Juliska's Autumn Country Estate.  

Sold in sets of four, each plate depicts a different charming scene of the English landscape.  The delicious shades of pumpkin spice reinforce the cozy autumn feel of gratitude of the season and make these favorites I pull out year after year.  Juliska's Country Estate collection was designed in collaboration with renowned UK designer and painter, Deborah Sears of Isis Ceramics.  The Autumn series is long retired, but Juliska still offers a Country Estate collection.

Color, texture, and a touch of whimsy is my mind 

set as I pull together a place setting.

A dish stack imbued with the 

rich colors of fall offers a cozy ambiance, 

  especially one that sits on a ring of autumn leaves.  

With just the two of us, I don't hesitate to buy a pair of plates

 from time to time when I spot something like these 

Pleasant Run dinner plates from MacKenzie-Childs.

Add a seasonal theme topper on the plate stack as a fun

way to add a holiday touch to solid colors void of pattern.

Seasonally embroidered linens are 

another easy touch to acknowledge a holiday.

A dish stack of different patterns, a cloth napkin, and a 

fun napkin ring are perfect details to spice up a table setting.

I mix in lots of plaids and tartans using both textiles and dishes.

Use a variety of plates for a stack, 

much like you would frame a painting.

Think about color, pattern, and shape 

to give your stack interest.

Or layer textiles under the plate at each setting.

I often use these natural linen ruffled hand towels 

to add in another layer of texture and interest.

Layering different size placemats is another way to 

add a fun new dimension to your plate stack.

Here is a different look with a ruffled 

burlap placemat as the base.

Using a tray at the table offers 

a simple, unexpected look.

If we are entertaining guests, 

I like to include place cards at each setting. 

Even with a small group, the guests feel special

knowing that there is a spot specifically for them.

I also like to send guests home with a party favor.

It's a way of saying, "I thought of you!"

Above a mini grapevine wreath from the Dollar Store 

embellished with raffia and bittersweet did double duty 

as a place card and a fun inexpensive party favor.

With Christmas just weeks after Thanksgiving,

a fun autumn theme ornament makes a great favor.

Just tie on a card with the guests name, 

and it serves as a place card as well.  

I look for ornaments with an autumn feel 

in the After Christmas Sales to 

pack away for the following Thanksgiving.

Package tags make great little place cards, easy

to tie onto an ornament, a box of candy, 

or even the napkin.

Even if it's just the two of us, a little gift for my husband

is part of his place setting.  A chocolate turkey never disappoints!

Candles at an evening setting add a special glow and say to 

those at the table, this is a special time with you.

Candles add a touch of

romance for a table for two.

Flowers as a centerpiece can be simple or elaborate. 

Just remember to keep them low!  

Dinner conversation is as important as the food on the plate.

Use the buffet or dessert table to showcase more flowers

and special details that reflect the theme.

Holiday meals are a fun time to share bits and pieces

of holiday themed collectables from through the years.

I leave you with this paper plate stack.

I spied these cute paper products at the grocery store.

These would be adorable at a child's table or 

to send leftovers home with guests.

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends!

Hop on over to these accounts where more inspiration awaits.

Debbee's Buzz - Liberty Blue Thanksgiving Table with Turkey Napkins

My Hubbard Home - Thanksgiving Table With Brown and White Traditional Colors

Everyday Living - We Gather Together

Home is Where the Boat Is - The Softer Side of Thanksgiving

Panoply - Thankful

Tablescapes at Table Twenty-One - Home for the Thanksgiving Holiday 2021

Pandora's Box - Leopards and Checks

Hyacinths for the Soul - A Place at the Table - A Harvest of Ideas

Celebrate and Decorate - Set a Heartwarming Thanksgiving Table with Neutral Colors and Natural Elements

My Thrift Store Addiction - Vintage Thanksgiving Breakfast Table

The Little Yellow Corner Store - Celebrating Thanksgiving a Little Differently

Me and My Captain - Football AND Thanksgiving

Life and Linda - Thanksgiving with Elegance

Sweet Sensations - Dining with the Gents for Thanksgiving

The Painted Apron - Pumpkins and Pickups

Corner of Plaid and Paisley - Thanksgiving 2021 - A Bit Boho

Living With Thanksgiving - Blessings at Thanksgiving

Belle Bleu Interiors - A Heart Full of Thanksgiving

Bluesky at Home - 9 Steps to Set a Thanksgiving Table

Dinner at Eight - A Seasonal Table for Thanksgiving

The Bookish Dilettante - We Gather Together

Zucchini Sisters - Vintage Thanksgiving Table Setting

Love Your Creativity @ Life and Linda  Sundays on Silverado @ House on Silverado 

You're the Star @ Electric Red BarnHappiness is Homemade @ Bluesky at Home  Inspire Me Monday @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia    Celebrate Your Story @ Celebrate and Decorate  Keep in Touch @ Let's Add Sprinkles  Over the Moon @ Marilyn's Treats 

Tuesday Turnaround @ Bluesky Kitchen 

All About Home @ Common Ground  Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop @ Electric Red Barn
Share Your Style @ French Ethereal  Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner Charming Homes and Gardens @ Shiplap and Shells  Embracing Home and Family @ The Everyday Farmhouse   Farmhouse Friday @ The Painted Hinge