Christmas Dinner with Friends 2015

Christmas Dinner with Friends 2015

We love to open our home to acquaintances, friends and family throughout 

the year. However, one of the times I enjoy the most is our yearly 

dinner with friends. I try to choose a different theme each year so that 

the dinner is not only a feast for the tummy,but also a feast for the eyes. 

I do try to plan several years in advance so that should I choose to make any 

purchases,they aren't full price. 

This year's theme was the Night before Christmas. Luck was on my side last year

and I snagged the 'Twas the Night... tablecloth and dessert/salad dishes on sale from

Williams Sonoma.

Last Year's set of plates

This year's set. I sure wish we had a Williams Sonoma near us. I would have purchased

the Nutcracker plates!

I selected a red Thomson dinner plate to pair with the WS 'Twas... dishes. These were placed on

a Jay Imports gold charger. Gold flatware completed the setting.

I found the fun napkins at Home Goods and embroidered them with a big B.

I love to add the personal touch to our table. The color green in the embroidery

was selected from a very dominant green in the tablecloth.

For the life of me, I do not remember from where I purchased this embroidery font.

.

The Fitz and Floyd reindeer (found at an estate sale!) fit perfectly on the table

 as they repeatedthe colors of the tablecloth and kept the conversation 

flowing withtheir cheerful faces. Several years past, I had seen the idea to 

glue ornaments to a mirror as individual vases. I will admit it was

a bit tricky until I came across some circular foam with a center hole

from a CD stack.

 Another theme that paired well with the 'Twas idea, 

was an abundance of ornamental balls. I had them 

strung on the chandelier, in bowls, and outside in planters. 

With a venture of that undertaking, I made several trips

to our local Dollar Tree. You had to be there early to get

the ones with designs on them! Let's say I started in November.

I used a tureen to hold the flower arrangement, which consisted of 

eucalyptus, red roses, green buttons and white mums. An extravagance

that made the table feel sumptuous!

 Our Ajka Arabella wine hocks paired up with the Mikasa Parklane iced teas. Whereas

the clear crystal might have faded into the background, the red pop of the Ajka crystal

added a bit of color on yet another level.

On overhead shot. I just stand on my tippy toes and point down with the camera. 

My canon has a vari-angle lens so I can see the shot before I take it.

Each guest went home with an embroidered stocking. 

I designed and embroidered the free standing fabric 

holly leaves that had wire inserted in the embroidery process.

Not nearly as scary as it sounds. The names were 

embroidered on a ribbon that was knotted and then hand

tacked to the stocking cuff. Filling them was a blast!

In these last photos, you might notice that I decided that the napkins

needed a napkin ring. I love to add table jewelry when it seems to fit.

Thanks for stopping by, I know it's been a while, praying that the year

ahead will afford me more time to be more active on line. A family, still working

full-time, and being a BSF International bible study leader eats up so much of my time.

I would love to be able to spend some time with y'all.

Joining:

Between Naps on the Porch

The scoop #203 @ Confessions of a Plate Addict

Mother's Day in Blue and White tablescape

One of Mom's set of dishes came home a few weeks ago. It was bittersweet.

Getting them where Mom wanted them took some doing.

Dad finally relinquished.

 

To celebrate, the sun came out to play and dance a jig across the table.

I paired the Hutschenreuter salad plates with some new Coalport Athlone blue dinner and bread plates.

 

I had Replacements looking for a pattern name for the Hutschenreuter pattern. To no avail. First time I've stumped them. So now, I keep looking for more information. I do have a setting for 12, but one salad plate is cracked and I would love to find the matching bread plates.

I embroidered the napkins Sunday morning. For those who have an embroidery machine, do check out Sonia Showalter designs. They stitch out beautifully. I've never had a misstep in any one design!

 

I know Mom was smiling down on the table.

I do think I'll be using this china quite a bit.

I am collecting "accessories".

 

I used one of the 3 tureens for a centerpiece bowl. Mr. CJ went to the wholesale florist on Saturday morning to pick up Peonies and Iris. Thank you Denny!

 

I love how they came together.

Blue flowers are a bit hard to find!

 

I pulled out the Libbey Rock Sharpe wines and paired them with some blue waters.

 

 I started collecting the Waterford/Ajka Clarendon wine hocks to go with this set.

They are just photoshopped into this photo.

Since seeing is believing, it's a great way to convince Mr. CJ that yet one more set of crystal is absolutely necessary. He he.

 

With so much gold on the table, the silver candelabras, didn't work. They screamed out "I am wrong. I am wrong." So I chose crystal candleholders, one set has a gold band.

 

 

These cute horns are individual flower holders for each place setting.

They are Rosenthal. Also stumped Replacements with these.

Mom only had 5 left. So I added the sweet Lenox swan.

If anyone sees any of these, would you let me know?

Please and thank you!!

 

 

That is mom's tablecloth from her dowry, too. It's a really beautiful damask and has 12 matching napkins. I used different napkins because I really wanted a blue monogram on the plates.

Mom's tablecloth and napkins are all embroidered, by hand no less, with her initials.

Every stich was exactingly place by my grandmother's loving hands.

 

Paired with gold flatware, the plates are perfectly accessorized.

 

 

Not my most stellar effort, but it was time for a Black Forest Cherry Cake.

I promise to share that recipe soon.

 

Cast:

German Damask tablecloth

Napkins - My Place to Yours

Dinner and bread plates - Coalport Athlone

Salad plates - Hutschenreuter Unknown

Gold flatware - International Silver

Crystal knife rests - Mr. CJ's grandmother

Flower vases - Rosenthal

Crystal wine - Libbey Rock Sharpe

Blue water - unknown

 

A Mother's Love

There are times when only a mother's love
Can understand our tears,
Can soothe our disappoints
And calm all of our fears.

There are times when only a mother's love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we've dreamed about
Quite suddenly is real.

There are times when only a mother's faith
Can help us on life's way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.

For a mother's heart and a mother's faith
And a mother's steadfast love
Were fashioned by the angels
And sent from God above.

--Author Unknown

 

I miss you Mom.

 

I'll be sharing this tablescape at both Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish on Wednesday evening

and also at Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

I hope to see you there!

 

 

A Valetine's times two tablescape

 

What's in a name? Oh I know Shakespeare has the answer, but that's not where I'm going!

The ever so delightful and ueber-talented Cherry Kay from Entertaining Women blog is my partner at the table setting party tonight!  

 We chose to use our Schumann Dresden dishes. I've used them before HERE and HERE. And I just realized I used the same tablecloth from one of the tables. But with a twist. I paired them with a gold charger today and used gold flatware. 

We actually used this table last Sunday evening. So I didn't use a lot of any hearts. Shame on me. 

In their stead, I used some vase napkin rings to reign in the napkins, freshly embroidered. In each vase, I inserted a single alstroemeria blossom.

I love how the sweet blossoms present their precious heads far above the plates.

Now don't laugh.. but I have a confession to make. I'm sure this has never happened to anyone else. Ever. I probably took the first 20-30 pictures of the table.... sans glasses!! Yep, as I was fixing dinner, I noticed my omission. And sprung into action and pulled out some glasses. I'm sure the guests would have just had a good laugh and dinner would still have been a success! I wonder if I would have laughed at myself.

I placed a hot pink tablecloth under the lace to set the tone for the table. 

By this time the late afternoon sun was streaming in the window and there was no

 way to avoid the sun dance!

I used the silver candelabras on the table. I think it's perfectly acceptable to mix metals. 

What do you think?

Because all good things are in 3's... the silver plateau found it's way under the bouquet of flowers. Which, truth be told might be a tad bit high, but everyone could still be seen over them, and conversation flowed as freely as ever.

I think the lace, embroidery and crystal help give the table a very romantic look, even without hearts. What do you think?

I love how crystal seems to come to life when the sun or lighting hits it just so.

Finding flowers for the centerpiece proved a bit of challenge. Here's a tip.. take a picture of the dishes, carry it with you and then hold it up to the flowers in the store. It's amazing what pops out at you when you do that. 

No roses, but every color in the bouquet is in the dishes.

Because Cherry Kay often uses soup tureens as centerpieces; in her honor, I used the matching one to the dishes to sit in as a container for the flowers this evening. 

The silver butter dish and the Lenox swans add a bit more jewelry to the table.

After the near disaster of the missing glasses, I didn't take any pictures with the candles lit that evening. Too busy with guests and getting our dinner of pecan crusted trout, garlic roasted red potatoes, steamed broccoli with hollandaise sauce on the table. Our first course was a fresh mixed lettuce salad with vinaigrette. And to follow all this up, I served a mixed berry dessert over which I spooned a tequila cream sauce. Yummy!

I hope you will find your way over to Cherry Kay's to see her table, which I might say is absolutely fabulous. She, too, chose pink as a backdrop.. but oooh with just her special touches, it looks so stunning.  You do know that it was her gentle nudge that pushed me ever so gently into forward motion and got me collecting these beautiful dishes. So it was fitting we teamed up to bring you a duo of tables for Valentine's. 

Wishing all of you a Valentine's day full of happiness and joy. It's not the big things that matter, but all the little things that happen along the way that really make a difference. So single, in a relationship or married for eons; do something fun, enjoy the day and buy yourself flowers if need be.

Cast:

Chargers - Hobby Lobby

Dishes - Antiques, Schumann Dresden (ebay)

Flatware - International

Water goblets - Mikasa Parklane

Wine glasses - Libbey Rock Sharpe

Silver candelabra, silver plateau - antique 

Lenox swan salt cellars - Lenox "To the Bride"

 Embroidery design - Sonia Showalter designs

 Joining the party over at Cuisine Kathleen's - Let's Dish - on Wednesday evening

And then I'll be partying over at Susan's Beneath Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday!