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

Tête-à-Tête ~ Christmas 2020

Christmas Tête - à -Tête 

December 2020

Tête - à -Tête 

~ a conversation between two people

In French, a Tête - à -Tête literally means "head to head."

Pour yourself a cup of tea and a let's have aTête - à -Tête about Christmas 2020 here at HFTS.

No question the holiday season of 2020 was by far

very different from all our past celebrations, 

though that didn't deter me from adding festive 

touches around our home this December.

A tray of Connie Roberts' folk art Santa whistles added

a touch of whimsy and brought smiles.

Twinkle lights and collected Santa figures are 

like old friends come for a yearly visit.

Christmas mice, given to me by an aunt in 1975,

brought sentimental memories of special times.

Early in our marriage, The Chef  hung a petite copper 

heart chocolate mold on our tree, a thoughtful, romantic gift.

Over the years we found more petite copper hearts,

 and a new collection began as I came across other little copper chocolate molds here and there, along with small copper bells. 

Isn't that how most collections begin?

 Now they decorate a small tabletop tree each year.

Another year, the chef gave me a large 

copper heart with an endearing message in German. 

Over time, he found a few more, and they are treasures.

The handsome wooden soldier came to live here in recent years, 

 a purchase from my friend, Rita @ Panoply

She and her sisters have a fun filled space at an antique mall.

Nutcrackers gather on the sun porch table.

Can you spot the new one?  

I couldn't resist the small Highland Nutcracker on a flash 

sale the week of Christmas with Christmas Eve delivery!  

Thank you, MacKenzie-Childs!

The darling watercolor by Monique @ La Table de Nana

is a cherished reminder of friends across the miles any time of year.

The talented Jenna @The Painted Apron surprised

me with this darling farm truck that she painted.

It's the perfect accessory with my 

MacKenzie-Childs Farmer Nutcracker.

Let's talk about holiday table settings!

COVID has changed traditional entertaining.

Tables for eight or ten are now a table for two.

To keep our home festive, I made a point to keep our table

set with the ambiance of the holidays through out December.

I simply changed up the plate stack a little from week to week.

Juliska introduced their Stewart Tartan this fall.

Those little gnomes insisted I add a touch of 

this traditional look to our holiday table. 

My generous, thoughtful friend Victoria @ Crown Linen Designs

sent me the salad plates of the new Arte Italica Natale,

They are a perfect pairing for the tartan!

A snowy vignette on a silver tray served 

as a simple centerpiece for our holiday table.

I added a few bottle brush trees and an

origami reindeer from my ornament box. . . 

Along with this cute MacKenzie-Childs gnome 

and old fashioned faux snow sprinkled across the tray 

to complete the winter wonderland scene.

An Instagram and blogging friend, 

Bernadette @ B home with  Bernadette, 

shared this wonderful stag plate on her IG feed, 

and I rushed to Hobby Lobby with hopes of adding these

to my plate stack for yet another look.  I bought the last one, and searches far and wide to add more turned up empty handed.  

If any of my readers see this pattern for sale, please alert me.  

They are part of the Farmhouse Christmas by Robert Stanley.

I layered the plate stacks atop my favorite 

Crown Linen Design's 

black and white check linens with a touch of 

MacKenzie-Childs tartan napkins kicked to the side.

I traded out the white Vintage Garden charger 

from the Ambiance Collection 

for a green porcelain charger by Zirke.

Part of playing with dishes is trying out different

looks with the same basic stack.

Just change out a charger, salad plate, stack topper, 

flatware, or linens for a complete new look.

Don't forget to add a fun plate 

topper for a holiday touch!

Our Christmas dinner stack included a fun new touch

with Bauble Stockings at each of our place settings.  

Donner for The Chef.

Winter Wonderland for me.

Napkins ~ Victorian Red by Crown Linen Designs

Thank you, Emily @ The French Hutch!

Bauble Stockings are exquisitely hand stitched by women in Haiti who are paid a fair trade wage and provided with tuition for their children's education, books, after school curriculum, breakfast, and lunch.

As a lifetime stitcher, I stand in awe of Kate Stewart, her generous business model, her enthusiasm, her kind heart, 

and these perfect little stockings.

Thanks for the visit.

Leave a comment and let me know

how you celebrated this holiday season.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we sometimes say in Texas,

"Happy Y'allidays!"

Joining

Love Your Creativity @ Life and Linda  Sundays on Silverado @ House on Silverado  All About Home @ Common Ground  Before and After @ Between Naps on the Porch You're the Star @ Electric Red Barn Happiness 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 at Home 

 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