Monday, December 25, 2017

The Gift of Friendship



I had the privilege of hosting the Christmas dinner
for my group of girlfriends who have been 
in a dinner group for over thirty years.

The table was set with festive cranberry colored dishes
and sprinkled with golden glitter. 

The cranberry chargers are Italian by Bitossi.
Dinner plates are Queen's Rooster for Neiman Marcus.
Comfort cups are Winter Frolic by Juliska.
Sterling flatware is Sir Christopher by Wallace.
Antique napkin rings are French.

Kate Spade ornaments dangled from above
to set the mood of Fa ~ la ~ la ~la ~ la.


Fragrant winter greens mixed with winter berries, lilies, peonies,  hydrangeas, and an exotic bloom filled my cherished 
MacKenzie-Childs Piece de Resistance tureen.

Festive glass Christmas balls served as party favors
and place name holders for each guest.
Some with golden polka dots, 
some with golden stripes.

Others with golden words of Fl La La or Merry.
All echoed the Kate Spade ornaments from above.

Dinner was prepared by "The Chef".

We served Beef Bourguignon 
and a side salad.

 Dessert was served from the buffet with a choice of
home baked pound cake and a variety of Tiny Pies ~ 
cherry, apple, pecan, or chocolate.
The delicious pound cake was a gift from my cousin.
The recipe, Vanilla Cream Cheese Pound Cake
is found on page 208 in Ina Garten's Cooking for Jeffrey.

The cute Jingle mug with its golden antler 
reindeer stirrer is new this year, 
but the Winter Frolic party plates have served 
us well for the past several years.

Dapper Santa figures dressed in tuxedos
are by folk artist, Nancy Thomas.
The "sleigh" of Santa figures are vintage from the 1950s.
All the Courtly Check is available at MacKenzie-Childs.

It was a Merry Christmas evening!
Sadie and I wish each of you a very festive 
Merry Christmas!
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Saturday, December 9, 2017

Snow in Texas, Y'all!



Yes, Mother Nature surprised us 
Thursday night with snow in Texas.
We had only a dusting here at Hyacinths for the Soul,
but for my family in and around Texas, 
many woke to a winter wonderland.
My niece lives near Houston and took this 
video of her horses on this snowy day.
They don't seem to mind at all!
Sadie, on the other hand, 
didn't much care her morning walk.


Back in the warmth of our home, I decided to reach back into the archives and share a previous snowy day tablescape.
This post was previously shared here in 2014.

It's cold and blistery outside,
so come on in and warm up by the fire.

I've set a table for us on the sun porch
where we'll be warm and comfortable.

These cheerful fellows are so 
happy you have joined us today.

They've actually been patiently waiting
for their turn to be featured on a tablescape.

Salad plates, designed by Williraye Studio, 
are called "Snowy Smiles". 

To pull out the red and yellow colors 
of "Snowy Smilies" I used a yellow dinner plate 
for one setting and a red one for the other. 
The Courtly Check chargers mimic 
the border of the salad plates.

The snow people thought these colorful glasses
with etched "snowballs" were a good choice.

Along with the "Treble Clef" 
flatware with its curled shape.

White winter berries ring 
the napkins which are edged in lace.

The delicate lace designs remind me of
the little snowflakes of the "Snowy Smiles" plates.

I layered various textiles 
to give the table a cozy feel.

These are actually vintage tea towels 
which are large enough to use as 
 tablecloths on my small drop leaf table.

Both have fringed ends, and the largest of the two
has rows of red check details at either end.

The other has wonderful textural details 
and end borders of this red design.

The napkins are actually 
beautiful little hand towels.

I wanted you to feel warm and cozy, so 
I pulled in a couple of my French provencal 
pillows to use as chair cushions.

Layers of rich colors
highlighted with my favorite
black and white checks
warm my heart.

Even the snow people 
are happy to be inside today.

So pull up a chair and join me
for a light lunch and a little conversation.

We can talk about your plans
for the holidays and the new year.

Perhaps you have a few garden tips to share, 
a fun new project in the works, 
or travel plans to some fabulous destination.
Have you finished your holiday shopping and cooking?
If you celebrate Christmas, is your tree up and decorated?

I'm eager to hear all your news!

Joining

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Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Cozy at Christmas Holiday Blog Tour 2017

 
2017 Cozy at Christmas Holiday Blog Tour
Welcome to this year's Holiday Blog Tour
where you will find over 20 bloggers sharing 
inspiration for a cozy Christmas.
My mom has been busy decking the halls.
Listen and I just bet you can hear her singing,
"Fa la la la, la la la la".
With a recent cold front, it's chilly here in Texas.
Good thing I have my cozy Courtly Check sweater!

We keep a basket of wool throws close by.
Help yourself and get cozy.

Tradition is the cornerstone of our Christmas holidays
with lots of tartan and Courtly Checks.
Decorations are treasures that come out year after year,
like the big tartan balls in the bowl above which
hung on my tree when I was single and living in an apartment.
Everything has a story!

Come sit by the cozy fire, and I'll share
a few of my collected Christmas treasures.

This Santa is one of my all time favorites 
and a very special piece among the Christmas decor.
He is one of a kind, hand crafted by a local doll artist, Judi Tasch.
Created in 1985, it was a gift from my forever friend, Kay.

Two other very special Santa figures are much older.
The jolly one in the middle is plastic and was always on our
family's Christmas tree when I was a child. 
The one to his right is made from plaster of Paris
 and belonged to the chef when he was a child.
The other little guy is from the same vintage, 
but one I purchased from a vendor at Round Top.
I tuck my small Santa figures in among the French faience
that sits on the shelves of the Irish pine cupboard in our kitchen.

The Quimper tray with Christmas motif was a gift 
from a friend who lives in Quimper, France.
It's the perfect spot to gather together the mini figures 
that were collected over time, mostly in the 1980s.
I think the trend at the time was miniatures, and many were gifts from friends and my sweet first and second grade students.

Across the top of the large pine cupboard is where I like to display 
my vintage plaid lunch boxes and Mary Engelbreit tins.
I add faux greens and mix in some larger Santa figures.
The tins, mostly from the 1980s and 1990s, were student gifts, usually filled with some delicious homemade goodie.
They definitely give me a cozy feeling!

Back in the living room, a cozy
mood prevails with the glow of a fire.   .   .   .

And the twinkle of the lights on our
Christmas tree dressed in plaid and Courtly Check.
Cozy at Christmas Blog Tour 2016 here.
Christmas in Texas Blog Tour 2015 here.

Merry Cozy Holidays, my friends!
Thank you to Katie @ Let's Add Sprinkles 
for organizing this year's tour.
Follow the links below for more holiday inspiration.

Cozy At Christmas 





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