Advent Calendar 2012 - Winter Solstice

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It's the Winter Solstice today!! Time to cozy in - build a fire, light some candles, watch a holiday movie, and just 'chill'!

Some interesting facts:
It's the winter solstice up here in the Northern Hemisphere.
It's the summer solstice down in the Southern Hemisphere.
Why? Because they have summer down there and it's winter up here above the the equator.

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The Sun at noon is at the lowest altitude above the horizon - 23.5 degrees.
That means the North Pole is 23.5 degrees from the sun.

The area above the Artic Polar Circle is in complete darkness.
The area below the Antarctic Polar Circle has 24 hours of daylight.

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The solstices were first heralded by people in the northern Hemisphere.
Stonehenge is aligned with both the winter and summer solstices.
It has been used to mark this passing of time for more than 70,000 years.


It is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
It is the longest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.

How are you spending your day?

A Gilded Tapestry Tablescape

A gilded tapestry - the rerun

first published 11/16/2010

It started with the tapestry. Made these to mimic some I saw in Santa Fe. Quite simple: Buy the fabric. Cut the fabric. Sew a tiny zigzag stitch around all sides about 1/4" inside the raw edge. Fray the edge.

First layer of gild: a charger backed in gold.

 

A white dinner plate.

 

The second layer of gild: a salad plate undercoated in gold.

 

A beautiful stack. Damask napkins in wooden napkin rings.

A crystal basket for the centerpiece.

 

Spider mums and some fitzer branches off of the shrubs outside.

A favorite that just seems to fit the season - rosewood handled brass flatware.

 

Mikasa water goblet with a golden hued wine goblet,

Create a gilded tapestry on which the setting sun works its magic.

 

 

 

 

 

 Cast:

Large chargers - I've seen these at Pier One too, Tuesday Morning

Wedgwood Windsor dinner plate

Gold backed salad plates of unknown (can't remember) origin a decade ago

Rosewood handled brass flatware - gift from Mom

Mikasa Parklane water goblets

Golden water goblets - Stein Mart

Candlesticks - TJMaxx recent purchase

Damask napkins - family heirlooms

Tapestry fabric - Hobby Lobby

Wood and brass napkin rings - Stein Mart

I'm extremely thankful you dropping in today, I can't wait to read your comment.

I'm incredibly thankful for the sun that shines, for the rain that falls, for the snow that blankets, for the leaves that need to be raked!

I'm joining the hostess with the mostest - Susan and her eye-candy rich Tablescaping Thursday party and also to the fabulous Style Sisters for their centerpiece Wednesday! . Be sure to take some time and go see all the beautiful table settings awaiting your perusal. See you there!!!

Drama by Candlelight tablescape

Welcome to Drama by Candlelight. An evening illuminated by at least a dozen candles. 

I've had this one planned for a while, but couldn't decide how to pull it all together. Nothing like a deadline to make that happen! Creativity under fire. Either you thrive on it (I do) or you falter. 

It's already the blue hour as I'm scaping this table. I pulled candleholders in all heights together, limiting them to crystal, mercury glass or silver. Although those little balls do have a yellowish cast.

The placemats and napkins came from my mother. I was with her when she purchased them decades ago. When we were cleaning out her things after she went to be with Jesus, I found these with the tags still on them. I also pulled out the black plates and the white one with the bare branches. Very wintry indeed!

 I love these black plates. With the matte and the glossy finish, they do not tend to keep knife abrasions as is the case with many black dinnerware.

Still loving these plates for their branches. 

Last shot without the candles lit. I think it helps to see the elements more clearly.

And the candles were lit. I love the parade down the center of the table, the varying heights and thicknesses create a moving centerpiece.

The swirl votive bowl is Cheers by Mikasa. Such a versatile piece. Love it!

With more crystal than metal in the candle parade, you can see through many of the candlesticks. The crystal ones certainly carry the light from above to the tabletop.

I do so love this Mikasa Parklane in candlelight!

The chargers came from Hobby Lobby last year. The black plates emphasize the black of the snowflakes on the chargers themselves. The Horchow flatware also picks up the black of the chargers. 

Silver metal snowflakes encircle the napkins that match the placemats.

With this many candles on the table.. be sure to have a snuffer at the ready!

Cast:

Table Linens - Made in Germany

Dinner Plate - Midnight Trellis plates by Home Essentials and Beyond also used HERE

Salad Plate  - Matceramica, Portulgal, also used HERE

Flatware - Horchow

Goblet - Mikasa Parklane

Candle snuffer - Thank you Faith!

Snowflake napkin rings - Dillards, also used HERE

Assorted Candlesticks - Gorham, Mikasa, and others.

Thank you for dropping by. If you leave a comment, it gives me a chance to come visit you! See you again soon I hope.. I'll be linking up to Tablescape Thursdays over at Susan's
and Ivy and Elephants - oh do drop in!!