Traditional Christmas Tablescape

I've set the table today with my first Christmas dishes and linens purchased around 20 years ago. These are the ones that hold sweet memories of Christmas breakfasts when the kids were home.



Actually it's not like I have a huge collection of Christmas dishes, I only have one other set...but I've gotten Christmas dishes for both my daughter and daughter-in-law as well. As much as I craved a set of Holiday china, it was never in the budget. Especially at Christmas time. I still remember being delighted to find a boxed set for four place settings after Christmas at Kmart for $9.99! I was so excited to finally have a set of Christmas dishes!


Over the years I've added to that little boxed set, finding more settings at Goodwill and on eBay. I even found four tumblers to match. I believe that now I have place settings for ten.



A simple centerpiece for today....just a red poinsettia from the grocery store.....


....white candles (I swear they're really straight)....


....holly from my bushes in my vintage flower ring.


I still love these little dishes....


....they're nothing very fancy, just a Gibson holiday set...


....from a long time ago.



Now, I know another little trick that I could have actually afforded years before I purchased my little set. This may be a Spode pattern that you're familiar with.....



....but when you remove the clear glass top plate.....


....this "china" is actually a set of paper plates purchased at Marshall's (8 for $2.99) --- they have them right now at the one near me.....just a little thrifty tip.....but, back to my tablescape.



Centerpiece overview.


Tabletop overview.



I've layered two tablecloths together.



This top one came from Walmart years and years ago.


And just a few years later I found this holly tablecloth that was a good match. I believe I've used these every Christmas since I purchased them. They're both a little faded....but I'm still using them.



One more shot of my "traditional" Christmas china before....



.....I light the candles.....




.....and wish you a Most Merry Christmas with those you love gathered around your table.

Be sure to visit Susan our tabletop hostess at "Between Naps on the Porch" to see all the dish delights posted this week for Tablescape Thursday.See ya!

Tablescape Thursday - Nutcrackers and Sweets

It's time for Tablescape Thursday and you know what that means.....lots of tabletop inspirations all across blogland to see. A real treat for us "dishaholics" week after week!


This week I've set the table with some old friends in mind. My nutcrackers have been packed away for the past few years and I was glad to unpack them to enjoy once again this year. This week they are the inspirations for my table.


I've set this table with my grandgirls in mind---looking forward to taking them to see "The Nutcracker" ballet when they get a little older, just like I did with my daughter when she was taking dance lessons. Wonderful memories.


Tabletop overview.


Centerpiece overview.


Little wooden mice tucked in here and there -- I've always put out these three little mice with my nutcrackers...don't ask me why....I just do.



Four nutcrackers....


.....stand guard....



.....for all four.....



...place settings.


Some sweets here and there as well....maybe THAT'S what's attracting those mice!



A sweet peppermint candle in the middle --- I've looked and looked this year for a peppermint striped candle and can't find one anywhere --- this was as close as I got.






Four different little Santa mugs for each place.



Nutcrackers on each plate.



My mother made these napkins for me years ago -- I've always loved holly.



Gibson Clairmont dishes, plain and simple....except for one funny little thing.....




....this plate looks like it might run away! Since my table has a leaf in it, two of the plates completely cover the little figures appliqued on each corner of the green overcloth -- but two don't quite cover ...want a peak at what's under each plate?



A quizzical little reindeer....


...an adorable angel....



...a perky bow-tied penguin....



...and a lovable snowman.


Time to light the peppermint candle and wish all my friends across blogland a most Merry Christmas. Be sure to visit Susan at "Between Naps on the Porch" each Wednesday night to get a peek at what everyone's pulling out of the china cabinet and setting on the table.

See ya!

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!