High Point Christmas Inspiration

I took the challenge!

December Challenge @ Cuisine Kathleen

I found a photo of a tablescape that inspired me 

to create and share a tablescape of my own.

My inspiration comes from a beautiful table set at 

the North Carolina home of Debbie Jones,

founder of French Laundry Home and featured in

the premier issue of Holiday Cottage 2013.

As with all of Hoffman Media's publications, 

Holiday Cottage 2013  is excellent, 

filled with  holiday decorations, recipes, and 

tours of ten gorgeous homes, 

including the home of popular blogger,

KariAnne @ Thistlewood Farm.

Holiday Cottage 2013 available here @ Hoffman Media.

I don't begin to imply that my setting 

is as elegant and classic as 

Debbie Jones' exquisite setting shown above, 

but when I saw the vintage cream and sugar in this photo,

I was immediately inspired to use a similar set of my own.

Though much smaller 

and certainly not fine pieces, 

the petite creamer and sugar are older

 than my 65 years and are definitely showing their age.

Regardless, they are treasured in my heart, for

they once belonged to my mom. 

When I was a little girl, she let me use them

for tea parties in my play house.

As you can see, 

my tablescape is on the casual side, 

set on the wicker table on the sunporch. 

A vintage silver bride's basket 

holds the linens and silver

just as in Debbie Jones' presentation.

I used a red Christmas china,

Saint Nick 

by Spode for William Sonoma.

I have plates in two different patterns.

This design was produced in 2006.

This one of Santa checking his list

was produced in 2004.

Each of the patterns have similar

but distinctive borders of their own.

I don't have the graceful cups and saucers

 used by Debbie Jones, but rather casual mugs

to fill with a rich hot chocolate.

My touch of elegance is presented 

with antique linens and 

Sir Christopher by Wallace.

The open pulled thread work on the

edge of the linen napkins, and the elegant monogram

offer soft compliments to the lovely chased

work on the silver basket.

~ Red Roses ~ Hydrangea ~ Christmas Greens ~

Just as Debbie Jones used to fill her own

lovely vintage cream and sugar set.

This was a fun creative challenge.

My compliments to Debbie Jones for sharing her

beautiful High Point Christmas tablescape.

Kudos to Hoffman Media on their stellar publication, 

~ Cottage Christmas 2013 ~

Joining

Let's Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Home and Garden Thursday @ Delightsome Life

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olsen

Be Inspired @ Common Ground

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House

Tuesday Treasure @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With An E

The Scoop @ Cedar Hill Ranch

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants

Centerpiece Wednesday @ The Style Sisters

Celebrate!

We recently had 
the occasion to celebrate.

One of my cousins 

had a milestone birthday.

~ 50 Years ~

I wanted to honor Karyn

with a special luncheon for her and her girlfriends

as we had done ten years prior for her 40th.

It was the perfect occasion 

to use the gorgeous plates that were gifted me by 

Cherry Kay @ Entertaining Women.

Sacred Bird and Butterfly by Mottahedeh

This design is true to the original 

antique Chinese export china used in the 

Nathaniel Russell House in Charleston, SC.

The design is in 
iron red with 22k gold rim.

I chose to pair the plates with a 

woven rattan charger for this table.
The texture seemed to fit with 
the natural linen of the ruffled cloths 
used under each place setting. 

The added textural layers,
 atop the rustic canvas of the drop cloth
recently hemmed as a tablecloth, were each
selected to compliment the natural fall elements on the table.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
To compliment the elegance of the china   .   .   .

Sterling Antique Napkin Rings

Crisp White Linen Napkins

Sir Christopher by Wallace

Napoleonic Bee Stems 
by La Rochere of France

Even the invitations were chosen 

to compliment the design of these special plates.

Small grapevine wreaths 

tied with raffia and a touch of bittersweet 

served as place cards for each guest and then

 taken home as a party favor.

Fall Leaves and Acorns

Baby Boo Pumpkins

Touches of Bittersweet

Were scattered down the center of the table

A nod to autumn, 
the season of Karyn's birth.

Thanks for stopping by to visit today.

And a heartfelt "Thank You!" to my sweet friend,

Cherry Kay @ Entertaining Women.

I adore these plates!

Cherry Kay has also posted a table featuring 

 Sacred Bird and Butterfly 

Click HERE to see a gorgeous tablescape

in Cherry Kay's exquisite dining room.

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable
My tip for this week: 
Buy inexpensive canvas 
drop cloths to use as a tablecloth.  
Just cut and hem to the size needed.

Details 

Sacred Bird and Butterfly, Mottahedeh

Rattan Chargers, Pier I

Sir Christopher, Wallace

Napoleonic Bee Glassware, Rochere France

Drop Cloth, Lowe's

Ruffled Linen Hand Towels, Wisteria

Cotton Duck Chair Covers, Wayfair

(Click HERE for a special friend referral code @ Wayfair)

Grapevine Wreaths, Dollar Store

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

C is for Checked

C is for . . .

Checked dishes to set the stage for Valentines.

Courtly Check hearts hang from the brass chandelier,

Courtly Check balls fill a silver bowl,

and Courtly Check bows are abundant.

C is also for Change . . . just for fun each place setting is different.

A black woven mat below a pewter charger anchors this setting.

Layers of red mix between the black and white checked pieces,

and are topped with a sponge ware heart shaped bowl and a crown themed cloth held by a checked ring by Round Top Collection. Flatware is antique bone and silver.

The color block mat holds a 
Courtly Check charger by MacKenzie-Childs

and is topped with layers of red mixed 
with black and white checks.

Red and white flatware is from Pottery Barn.

A small square decoupage plate holds 

a Round Top Collection jar of red hot hearts.

This perky little Courtly Check rooster is the work of talented blogger Linda @ My Shabby Rose Cottage.

More of the crown themed textiles anchor this setting. A white charger in Vintage Garden from Ambiance Collection holds the stack of red pottery mixed with the checked pieces. Sterling is Sir Christopher by Wallace.

Layers of red and white with a touch of the black and white check.

The footed bowl is from Crate and Barrel.

A square woven mat, a gold charger from Home Essentials & Beyond, and a red square Waechtersbach plate from Germany contrast with the round checkered pieces.

The squares are topped with layers of plates in the 

Queen's Rooster from Neiman Marcus and 

Royal Stafford's black and white checked. 

Christophe silver is in the Talisman pattern.

A small checked heart from 
Round Top Collection holds a cloth napkin.

Sweetheart topiary ivy take center stage . . .

along with this key to my heart,

this spiffy red shoe . . .

and a little mercury glass.

The charming Courtly Check hearts are the creative efforts of Linda @ My Shabby Rose Cottage.

This week I'm linking my Thursday post to two fun weekly memes. Stop by Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday for more Letter C Lessons, and don't forget to head over to Susan's to see her beautiful valentine table set for Tablescape Thursday.