A Christmas Eve Tablescape

Christmas has come and gone.  Everything has been packed up and stored for another year.  Before we move on to the next big thing, I thought I'd post the rest of the Christmas photos.  There was no party this year, but we had some of my children's friends over at different times, accompanied by their parents, who are our friends.  I enjoy the Christmas decorating, even though it is a ton of work, and I'm hoping that down the road my children will have good memories of the beauty and joy of the season.  And maybe even of their mother, haha!  I know they appreciate our efforts as they get older, and I think they even enjoy being with us.  We, of course, love having them home, and I always get sad when they have to leave.  So one last glimpse of Christmas! 

While shopping at Tuesday Morning, I ran across this reindeer.  He was so regal and beautiful, I knew that he had found a home.  Since I am a regular shopper at this store, the kind ladies are always looking out for me.  This reindeer had a mate that came in on the next truck, and they kept it in the back for two weeks, waiting to see if I would want it. Unfortunately, I didn't come back in for awhile, and they sold it as soon as it was put out. A lesson learned, check back frequently, you  never know what's on the very next truck!

I decorated this fella up using poinsettias and a bow.  He sits on top of a field of decorated greenery.

The poinsettias I used are also in the arrangement on the sideboard.  The colors used here were that silvery gold, not the bright gold or dark gold often used at Christmas, but I decided to use gold accoutrements instead of the red that I usually use at Christmas.

I used mercury glass votives and finials that I used last year on my table, and I also added some silver and glass ball ornaments.

We ate our Christmas Eve dinner in the dining room, and my husband's brother joined us.  Normally, I have 7 or 8 for Christmas Eve, but this year it was just the five of us.

I used my battenburg tablecloth again, because I can change the look by using an under-cloth, and it fits my table well with all the leaves.  Since Rudolph was so big, I kept the leaves in the table for the entire season.

I also used my antique silver candlelabras with silvery candles.  I special-ordered them in October, and they are nice and tall!  

My gold-rimmed antique stems were used for dinner as well.  For dinner we had our usual--beef tenderloin, potato casserole, broccoli casserole, romaine salad with fruit and blush wine vinaigrette, spinach squares, and hot rolls.  We had drinks and appetizers in the kitchen before, which were pecan cheddar spread, shrimp cocktail, and hot crab dip.  For dessert, I had a tray of goodies I had been preparing all week.  No one left hungry.  We did start in the afternoon, and we just kept eating and socializing into the evening!

I put up my small Christmas tree in the corner of the dining room again this year.

My husband likes to hunt.  Let me re-phrase that--he likes the whole idea of hunting.  He likes being outside and looking at the game and beautiful surroundings.  He gets impatient, and doesn't necessarily like killing the animals.  He enjoys watching them, but often just lets them go.  We do have a problem with the deer population, though, and they can cause a lot of harm.

I enjoy decorating with deer at Christmas, and I use them all around the house.

I also used my Lunt flatware, and gold dinner napkins, and my Christmas china.  I again used my silver chargers I lucked out and found at the local Goodwill store.

While shopping at Pottery Barn, I ran across a beautiful red velvet spread that I thought would look great on my bed at Christmas.  After looking at the price tag, I thought it was a big extravagant, but I loved the look. Again, I found something similar at my local Tuesday Morning store.  This coverlet is just a great red color, and I thought it went well with the gold in my bedroom.  But they did not have the pillow shams.  Lucky for me, the kind ladies called around until they located two for me at another store!  Love those girls!!

I also did a bit of work in my son's room before he came home.  We had his room painted (revere pewter, by Benjamin Moore, I think) and I did purchase this new comforter and shams at Pottery Barn.  

We are headed to New York at the end of the month to help my daughter move (just to a new apartment, not home).  I started a new blog--totally unrelated to tablescapes--but if you get a chance, take a peek.  It's concerning helping my grown-up children with the next phase in their life while trying to help myself!  It's called Seeing Stars In My Eyes.

My photography isn't the greatest, sorry about that, I have two very nice cameras and neither one of them is working.  All the photos above were taken with my cell phone.  Some aren't too bad, and it is convenient, but I will try to get the cameras repaired in the near future. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Stay warm and carry on!  --Betsy

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Creating Centerpieces for the Holiday Table

Now that the Halloween boxes are all stored away, it's time to think about the holidays. They are quickly approaching, and once here, there's a finite amount of time to get everything done.  An elegant and beautiful holiday table is on our to-do list, but sometimes amid the hustle and bustle, it is not at all what we had hoped it would be.  You can achieve an elegant look, and create happy memories with your family and friends, without a high price tag or a huge time commitment by using some items you probably already have around your home.  A beautiful table is all about the centerpiece.

I will show you how I create two of my go-to centerpieces for Thanksgiving and Christmas using a simple grapevine wreath.

DIY Fall Wreath Centerpiece:

This fall-themed centerpiece started with a grapevine wreath that I found around the house.  You can purchase them at Michaels, for under $5.

I placed my wreath on a charger so it could be moved easily, and began by placing ivy around the wreath.

My supplies included artificial fall leaves (you can use real), varigated green acuba leaves, gourds, and cylinders with acuba leaves and floating candles.

I began inserting the fall leaves around the top  of the wreath.  It's easy to just stick the leaves in between the layers of the grapevine.

Keep inserting leaves all the way around, and then begin placing leaves around the outside.  I like using the bigger leaves toward the outside, and the smaller ones on the inside and top.

The wreath is now looking full, and could be used as is.  But let's take it to the next level.

I couldn't find my third cylinder, but I had two of the same size, so I simply elevated one with a small Tupperware cup.

After adding the cylinders, I placed the acuba leaves all around the inside, filling in where necessary.  Again, ok as is, but let's give it the "wow" factor by using the gourds.

Ta Da!!  A elegant centerpiece your family and friends will envy.  All you need to do is place this on your tablecloth or runner.  The personalized table runners from Shutterfly will add just the right touch.  Add Grandma's precious china and flatware, and you are good to go!  Now some folks don't want to use candles, as they eat during daylight hours, so here's another option, with pumpkins instead of the cylinder floating candles.

Click here to see a tablescape using this same idea..

Let's move on to the Christmas wreath:

The same principle can be applied, using the grapevine wreath as a base.  For this piece, I used a combination of evergreen from my yard, and some decorative items from my stash and Michael's.

 
I decided I wanted a white, sparkly centerpiece, so I chose sparkly baby's breath, white sparkly berries, a white branch-type garland, and evergreens--yew, cypress, holly, nandina, and cedar.

I started with the yew, and stuck it all around the outside of the wreath. You don't need big, long pieces, but they can be doubled up for volume, if necessary.  The greens will last longer if you soak them in water overnight before arranging.

I used the other greenery to fill in the top, inside, and outside of the wreath.  Continue using the greens until you are satisfied with the look.

I cut off the white branches from the garland and began placing them around the wreath, using my eye as a guide.

The wreath can then be decorated in any way you so desire.  I used the baby's breath to fill in the inside, and then used the berry  branches on top.  I felt like it still needed something, so I added clear, glass ornaments.  The final touch--a white, sparkly Christmas tree candle!

Not into sparkly Christmas tree candles?  Here's another option with the same base--

I used a large hurricane globe with a lacy, white pillar candle in the center.  You can even fill the hurricane globe with any type of vase filler--berries, fruit, table gems, etc.  The idea is to use what you have, or what you would like your theme to be--for the center of the wreath.

Thank you for visiting today!  I look forward to seeing what you create for your holiday table!

--Betsy