Tablescape Tuesday

Tablescape Tuesday: (just a little early!) O Come All Ye Faithful

December 22, 2014~ Food & Entertaining, Tablescape Tuesday

“O Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord”
-O Come All Ye Faithful

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…well not quite -but our table for two in front of the fireplace was the perfect ending of a perfect day! Sitting on the hearth with a plate in your lap and a warm fire at your back is very nice. We do that once in awhile. But this setting brings dining in the family room to a new level. And, Jack Frost was not able to nip at our noses!

And today (at the end of the post), we share with you a recipe for a holiday goodie!

Candles, Christmas lights, and a fire! Perfect evening at home after a busy week!

Red roses and julep cups of fresh short leaf pine…all that we needed for our little romantic table!

I discovered the vintage poinsettia table square at an antique shop in Highlands, NC! The napkins are also a poinsettia pattern. Love the festive colors!

The nutcracker salt and pepper shakers are Fitz and Floyd

Butch bought the roses and arranged them! He is a man of many talents!

Dinner plates are CMG and the salad plates are Royal Stafford and both were found at TJ Maxx!

Love all the pops of red on the table!

Chocolate peppermint rolled wafers from Williams-Sonoma-so good!

Dessert plates are “Christmas Lodge” and appeared here: A Very Merry Birthday!

On our shopping trip last week, I saw the tartan plaid espresso cups at Sur la Table, so I purchased a couple. The peanut butter truffles and shortbread cookies were the perfect finish with an espresso!

Our family room Christmas tree in background with my collection of Radko ornaments!

Peanut Butter Truffles
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp vanilla
1 lb confectioners sugar
White chocolate almond bark

Cream room temperature butter and peanut butter in a large bowl. Add vanilla flavoring.
Gradually mix in confectioners sugar until fully incorporated. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and place on wax paper.
Dip into melted white chocolate and remove with toothpick. Add sprinkles for a little fun! Let stand for 1-2 hours or until white chocolate has hardened.
Enjoy!

“Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.
For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world— to bear witness to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
John‬ ‭18‬:‭37‬

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Linking with Pieced Pastimes , It’s Overflowing , Be Different Act Normal , Silver Pennies , By Stephanie Lynn, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice , Creatively Living , Rustic-Refined , Three Mango Seeds, Pink When , Mod Vintage Life , Coastal Charm, Knick of Time, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Dedicated House , Dwellings-Heart of Your Home , Savvy Southern Style , Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage , From My Front Porch To Yours , Stone Gable , Confessions of a Plate Addict ,Worthing Court , Between Naps on the Porch , Cedar Hill Farmhouse , A Stroll Thru Life , The Style Sisters , The Charm of Home , The Winthrop Chronicles , Cornerstone Confessions , A Delightsome Life , Imparting Grace , Craftberry Bush , Posed Perfection , Katherines Corner , The Vintage Farmhouse , My Romantic Home , Chic On A Shoestring Decorating , Rooted In Thyme , Share Your Cup

Tablescape Tuesday: Gloria In Excelsis Deo!

December 16, 2014~ Food & Entertaining, Tablescape Tuesday

“Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Come to Bethlehem and see, Christ whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King”
-Angels We Have Heard on High

We highlight Tuesdays with our”tablescapes ” but another way to describe it around our house would be “table escapes”. Gathering around the table with family and friends for any occasion is the great escape. We can put the difficult parts of everyday living aside for a little while as we break bread together. It’s not only a time of enjoying good food, but a time of laughter, reflection, sharing, and caring. Even heavy hearts and tired souls can find rest and encouragement around the table. Perhaps you experience this at your gathering place, wherever and whenever that might be. It is our prayer that you do!

The gold deer are the focal point of our Christmas dinner table. Often I place a large centerpiece on the dining table and once the guests are seated I remove it so we can enjoy conversation. These deer were purchased many years ago from Kirkland’s. They always show up somewhere during “the most wonderful time of the year”!

I placed a runner on top of of the tablecloth. You can’t see much of it, but I like the way it becomes the foundation for all the ornaments.

I do not remember where I found the ornament place card holders, but they always make an appearance during the Christmas season. The gold chargers are glass and have an elegance that is sometimes hard to find. I purchased these at Hobby Lobby, but they no longer stock them!

A little glam for the red cotton napkins! The faceted crystal napkin rings are by Fifth Avenue Crystal and I found them at Tuesday Morning a few years ago!

The Fitz and Floyd china appeared a couple of weeks ago here: ‘Tis the Season. The beautiful ruby red sherbets were a gift from my long-time friend, Kathy! They will be used for my Mother’s delicious ambrosia recipe that is always a must-have for my Daddy!

Some of you have asked the color of my dining room walls…Mediterranean Spice by Benjamin Moore. I have never tired of it and I love the drama of a red room! Perfect anytime-but especially Christmas!

The ruby red stemware appeared here: A Very Merry Birthday!

I wanted to show the beauty of this Williams Sonoma Indian cotton cloth. Along the border are six different Christmas carols depicted. I have enjoyed using it for several years!

The center of the table is decorated with an assortment of ornaments, including this gorgeous tassel!

More ornaments with sprigs of fresh holly!

I added a couple of bouquets of glittered faux tulips!

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We enjoy using the large nativity in our dining room! I always have five or six nativities in our Christmas vignettes. You can see a few of them here: Miracles & Mangers. Without the birth of the Christ-child, there is no Christmas.

A couple of cute polka dot stars are gracing the table!

As you can see, I used an assortment of different ornaments, but their commonality is their colors…red, gold, and
a lime green!

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭13-14‬

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Tablescape Tuesday: A Very Merry Birthday!

December 9, 2014~ Food & Entertaining, Tablescape Tuesday

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”
John 1:14

As many of you who celebrate a birthday during December know, it is often hard to give the birthday the attention it deserves! The day can be minimized and often overlooked as the year long anticipation of Christmas draws near! Our son, Seth was born on December 11th, and for several years I would wait until we had his birthday party before I decorated for Christmas! I also noticed something I had never paid attention to prior to his December birth-people often wrapped birthday presents with Christmas wrap. That would never happen for a July birthday! In other words, we really tried hard to keep his birthday and Christmas separate. But now as he turns twenty-nine, his birthday dinner is a Christmas setting- and he doesn’t care as long as I prepare some of his favorite foods! The menu he always requests: manicotti with lots of Italian sausage and bechamel sauce. Hope you enjoy Seth’s birthday (Christmas) tablescape!

And while we are talking about Seth’s birthday, be sure to check back on Thursday for Butch’s post!

It is a breathtaking sunrise on the first Sunday of December. The sun cast the most beautiful light on the raspberry walls of our dining room!

The table is set with a natural and rustic theme, since we are celebrating Seth’s birthday!

I didn’t use a tablecloth, but allowed the warmth of the cherry table to set the tone of this tablescape. The placemats are red and green plaid with a metallic gold thread running through the pattern. I have had them so long, I can’t remember where they are from!

The Nikko “Happy Holidays” pattern is my oldest Christmas china, and I still love to use it! I often use the rattan chargers for texture.

I totally love the pair of antler candle stands that Seth made me-aren’t they perfect for the table?! I found the “Christmas Lodge” snack plates by 222 Fifth last week at TJ Maxx and used them as a bread and butter plate. They really work in the theme!

Freshly cut pine!

The center of the table was an assortment of rustic elements: small birds nestled in the pine, pine cones scattered, a pair of tall birds! I used tartan plaid napkins found at TJ Maxx with ornaments from Wal-Mart as napkin rings!