Happy New Year Tablescape

It's almost time for Tablescape Thursday again! This will be the last tablescape of 2009. I have been enjoying all the tablescapes since I first discovered Susan of "Between Naps On The Porch" a little over a year ago. I first ventured into setting up my own blog and posting in March of 2009 and it's been so much fun. I've always loved dishes and how tables were set, even as a young girl when I learned to set the table watching my mother and grandmother. It's been wonderful to find so many kindred souls through this joint sharing. I've learned so much from each of you and I'm really looking forward to seeing what each of you brings to the table in 2010.


Let's celebrate the new year together -- welcome to the table!


Here's a closer look at the New Year's centerpiece.


As you come even closer you'll see the old Father Time of 2009, a clock (to help us keep track of when the new year begins), and the new baby new year of 2010. Father Time is a past year Hallmark ornament and the baby is a figurine I found at a local thrift store.



Hanging from my light is this "mirrored" ball - representing the ball that drops in Times Square NY every year. This actually an ornament I found today at a local store's 75% off after Christmas sale.




Here's a place set just for you.


A crystal water goblet and champagne flute await you. The water/iced tea goblets came from Tuesday Morning about 6 years ago,. I can't remember where I got the flutes ages ago.


Antique white linen napkins and tablecloth were purchased from an antique store and the silverware came from my husband's mother's family. The green thing to the left is part of the paper horn. Don't ask my why I set a horn AND a blowout at each place -- but take your choice for a noisemaker to bring in the new year.


Let's do the tabletop "strip tease". Our top layer is a paper napkin and and a "blowout" for midnight. Why two napkins? Paper for your mouth and cloth for your lap --- this saves me from lots of lipstick stains.


Under the napkin we see a plate full of confetti. Oh yummy huh?


A closeup of multi confetties of 2010.


This is all topped with a clear plate...you didn't really think I was going to feed you confetti....did you? My clear plates came from Goodwill, but I've seen them at Walmart as well.


The white plates are part of the Gibson collection purchased this Summer from Big Lots. Thanks Jane! (they were a birthday gift)


I found these clear glass gold rimmed chargers on eBay about three years ago -- the plates weren't too expensive but the shipping was high (because they're heavy and they were coming from Canada). I looked everywhere I could think of locally to find some, but finally gave up and got these. I've really enjoyed them so I think they were worth the cost.


Before you leave, we'll have after dinner coffee in these cute Bailey's mugs. Bow ties for the gents.


Hair bows for the ladies. What's New Year's Eve without a little flirting? I found my first set in a local thrift store. Then I found two more sets on ebay. Aren't they fun?


I hope my coffee lives up to the cup commentary. Maybe I'll brew up some of the Starbucks Winter Blend that Santa left in my stocking this year.


I placed a few shiny silver snowflakes on the back of the centerpiece for a bit of interest. The gold and silver stuff is angel hair that I got at Target's after Christmas sale. Everything is set on a cake stand and Father Time is on a smaller stand.


My 99 cents mercury votives are set on top of antique depression glass saucers.


An overview of the table from the mirror ball.


Overview of the centerpiece.

It's getting dark...time to light the candles.


Our New Year's table by candleglow.


A shiny new year to you!


It's almost time to say "goodbye" to the old year of 2009....


...and welcome in the new year of 2010, full of fresh new possibilities.



Wishing you a fun and safe new year! Thanks for extending me so much hospitality and friendships over the past year and I'm looking forwarding to spending time with you in 2010! For lots of fun tabletop inspirations, be sure to visit Susan at "Between Naps On The Porch" -- you'll find a table set just for you.

See ya soon!

Christmas with the grands.

What would Christmas be without a few last minute changes of plans? We had planned a Christmas Eve lunch with our daughter and family with the tablescape I posted earlier, but my husband's step-mother needed his help on Christmas Eve which required a change from lunch to early dinner. That, in turn, changed our guest list to add one more. That changed my tablesetting because I only had four Christmas ornament plates, four Santa bread plates and four green glasses, but never fear....there were other Christmas dishes, and cloths, and decor to make a quick change.

Here we are at a totally different Christmas Eve tablescape.


Santa salt and Santa pepper came back to the table -- they were on my Breakfast with Santa tablescape earlier in the month. The holly tablecloth is probably the Christmas cloth I've had the longest. I believe it's at least 20 years old.


The centerpiece is simply a faux holly vine with battery candles (since we had little ones at the table) and antique cardinals -- they were found this fall at an antique store for $2 each. I used them on my Virginia tablescape back in the Fall.


These are the same holly dishes (Gibson china) that I used in my Romantic Christmas tablescape. I purchased a set of these years ago at Kmart. When our children were little, we always ate our Christmas breakfast on these. Over the years as our family has grown, I've picked up more plates and now have enough for eight.


On the bread plated I've placed my red cloth napkins that were the same napkins my parents used every Christmas. I found a set of pewter Santa napkin rings last month at one of the local antique stores.



Paper napkins in my glasses from Goodwill that I found back in the Summer. The red placemats came from Target a couple of years ago.


I found these plastic Christmas plates last Summer at Goodwill -- both of the chargers were the same and the smaller plates came in green...


....and in red. I knew they would be perfect for the twins.


Here's an overview of our Christmas dinner table.


A closer look at the center of the table.


Keelyn and Kendall are ready for Christmas Eve supper!


After dinner, we gave everybody their ornaments and new pj's to wear for Christmas Eve -- a tradition that we've done every Christmas since our Children were born.


Daddy helping Keelyn.


The next morning we went to have breakfast with the girls and take a few more gifts.


They certainly have the hang of "unwrapping."


Santa was pretty good this year according to the girls.


Here I am with "Santa Baby" aka Kendall.


The whole clan in their Christmas pjs.


Our Atlanta grandgirls weren't here for Christmas, but we celebrated early with them when they were here for Thanksgiving. Here's Stella surrounded by her gifts.


She was very pleased to get a new camera.



Our little Miss Molly was wondering about all the commotion!



Her biggest delight was tearing the paper and playing with the bows.

Hope all of you had a wonderfully Merry Christmas and will have a safe and Happy New Year!

See ya!

Christmas Eve Lunch

Well here we are at Tablescape Thursday once again. Since it falls on Christmas Eve this year, this is the last tablescape before Christmas. It just so happens that I have lunch at my house on Christmas Eve for us and my daughter and her family. It seems to quickly becoming a "tradition" to have lasagna, salad and bread for this lunch. My mother always served an Italian meal for Christmas Eve dinner, so I guess the tradition is now restored in a new way.


Here we are approaching our Christmas Eve lunch table in the kitchen. It won't be quite like this since there will also be twin grandgirls who are 16 months old here too.


My centerpiece is a vignette I borrowed from the dining room. Two snow bunnies and thier woodlands Christmas tree.


I've layered a small square muslin tabletopper over a red checked tablecloth I purchased from Walmart back in the Spring.


Here's a look at our red and green place setting.


I found four of these green glasses at Goodwill a few weeks ago for $2.50.


These little Santa plates will be perfect for the garlic bread. They were at Walgreen's for 99 cents ea. (I saw these on the table of another blogger earlier this month and went right out to get the last four at our local Walgreen's. Don't you love the shopping tips from other bloggers?)


Shell flatwear I've had for ages -- came from a restaurant supply store on line.


These red napkins were the ones that my parents used for their Christmas Eve dinner every year -- another tradition restored! The bow napkin rings came from a thrift/antique store back in the Fall.


The salad plates also came from Goodwill a few weeeks ago -- I think they were about $1 each.


These are Gibson China -- so they were probably part of a set at one time - but all I saw that day were the salad plates (and that's probably a good thing.)


These were purchased at the end of summer sale at Cracker Barrel -- for 80% off! I think they ended up being a dollar and some change each -- they're really heavy plates!


Each one of the ornament plates is a little different.


I kind of like this heart shaped ornament.


They each are tied up with a golden bow.


I don't think you can see it well, but each plate also is rimmed in the same gold.


An overview of the Christmas Lunch table.


Santa's view of the snow bunnies.



Tablescape by light of Christmas tree. After lunch we'll give them all their Christmas PJ's and ornaments to hang on their tree (sort of goes with the ornament themed plates). Later on that evening we'll go to Church services -- I love the candlelight Christmas Eve service! Then on Christmas morning we'll go to their house to eat breakfast (that was our tradition with my husbands parents when the kids were small and now handed down to our daughter). Then we'll see what Santa brought and I think there will be a few more goodies from "Nana" and "Papa Daddy". I wonder what traditions these girls will keep as part of their Christmas when they grow up.

I hope that your Christmas, whether it's full of old long standing traditions, or if you're starting some new ones...will be a wonderful one!

To see lots of fun tablescaping this week be sure to visit Susan of "Between Naps On The Porch" -- you'll be amazed at what you'll find there.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

See ya!