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!

Christmasing the house

I've been later than usual getting my Christmas decorating done this year. I've also done less than usual as well....but I think I've finally just about done. We'll start out by the lamp post. I love holly at Christmas so this was the little garden flag that attracted my attention this year.



A red door Christmas welcome. Sorry that these pictures weren't taken at the best possible time of the day....but it was just the time I was able to take them.


Mr. Mid-Atlantic's childhood sled and some child sized ice skates I found last year at a vintage store.



The flowers in the planters are still hanging in there.



The simple wreath on the door.



A little tin of mistletoe greets you inside the front door.


A candle in the window.



Our living room tree.


Traditional angel on the top.


Filled with quite an assortment.


My husband collects the Hallmark trucks and motercycle ornaments. I think this is my favorite.


This year's White House Christmas ornament. I have all the ones back to 2000. I'm slowly going backward and have the 1999 ornament ordered and on it's way. Perhaps when I finish the whole collection, I'll post on the designs through the years.



Another White House ornament.



Churches and motercycles......



......victorian girls.....



.....and boys....



....ornaments from vacations.....



.....angels....



.....and more churches and snowflakes, and carolers.....just a little bit of everything on this tree.


The mantle nativity scene.



Holy family and an angel and one of the wisemen.



Love this camel.



Baby Jesus....the reason for the season.



Now we're cooking up some fun in the kitchen.



A side view of the gingerbread house.



Every gingerbread man....



.....needs a gingerbread woman!



Last year I made some cute candy trees.....but I found these cute trees this year at Tuesday Morning that seemed to fit right in.



All topped off with a sugar sweet fairy.



In the dining room we have "Nutcracker corner"







Gotta love a "man in uniform".


Vintage Holiday greeting.



My Christmas table set up for the upcoming Tablescape Thursday.



A sideboard filled with Santas.



Santa's to the left.


Santa's "mug shot".


Santa's to the right.



We even have a Santa tree in the dining room this year.


At first I couldn't find my tree top Santa so I stuck the red bow on top.



But I finally found him...(he was hanging out with the nutcrackers!)....so I stuck him on his rightful spot as king of the Santa tree.



Full of Candy....




....and Santas....



....and shiny red balls....



....and more candy.....



....and Santas.....



....and cupcakes.....


.....full of Christmas dreams.....



.....time to light the trees.....




.....and turn out the lights.

Decorating's all done.....well maybe.....

See ya!