A CHRISTMAS TABLESCAPE AND MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MY HOUSE TO YOURS!

First of all let me confess....I am a dish-a-holic, one who collects way too many dishes (just ask Hubby).  I still remember how thrilled I was to register for my China, crystal and everyday dishes at Linder's in Tulare, California.  One of the highlights of being engaged and planning a future together. I still love and use my wedding china.  As much as Hubby may squawk about my dishes he is the one that put together the racks for our garage and cut the thin pieces of plywood to place on the bottom of the metal racks for stability.  I am often asked where do I keep the dishes and that is the answer - in the garage and in the house too.

Don't you just love the Woody with the tree?  I love these salad/dessert plates and it took me a year to get them.  Why you say?  First I love to mix dishes, as with this table setting the plaid plates are China and the salad/dessert plates are pottery.  One a little pricey the other very reasonable.  The salad/dessert plates are from Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart! They are $3.98 each.  I saw them last year and loved the four different patterns and did not get them right away and they sold out.  People were selling them on Ebay from $15 and up, plus shipping.  So I watched and when the Christmas came out at Walmart there they were.  They have dinner plates and some serving pieces but I just liked these and think that these would not likely chip as I think the larger pieces would.

Santa snuggled in his sleigh with the reindeer and the little foxes - so cute.  I love plaid and have for years had what I call a woodsy, plaid with accents of stags for my Christmas theme. I must confess that this is true for probably the last 30 years with the exception of a rather large brain cramp year before last.  I decided to have a "silver" Christmas - big mistake - I could not wait to take everything down. Still not quite sure what I was thinking.

The only one I was able to find last year was this little darling bunny so I bought him hoping that they would have them again this year - a sweet snow bunny.  This is a setting for lunch with a charger and simple woven mats.

I think this sweet spotted fawn and the red cardinal may be my favorite. I have these plaid plates and some others that are a different plaid but with these salad/dessert plates it ties them together and I have enough plates for a large group. It will look much more elegant with tablecloth but as I mentioned, this is a luncheon setting.

A really simple and easy to make centerpiece.  The glass is a vase not a chimney, a big candle (easy to decorate or not) and I just took a grapevine wreath and added some greenery (you do not have to glue anything if you use a grapevine wreath because you can stick in your greenery and the ends will now show) finished off with two bows.

Some plaid napkins with a spoon napkin ring, festive red flatware and glasses and ready for lunch.

Until last year I always had a tree in the kitchen area - a small, sort of scrawny looking tree that I called my "Charlie Brown" tree and filled it with my collection of Denise Calla for House of Hatten ornaments.  When I first bought them eons ago I could find them after Christmas for a dollar or two at the most.  They are no longer made but can still be found on Ebay. The first step for the "woodsy" tree is to take apart grapevine wreaths of different sizes to wrap around the tree - a messy job so a good idea to put down a tarp. I only have one tree now so the "Charlie Brown" ornaments, garlands, etc. go on the big tree in the living room.

Paper flags, and different garlands lend the country, woodsy feel.

I had never put any balls on the tree but I found these a couple of years ago after Christmas.  They were made by Lane, the furniture company and must have been a one time thing as I have tried to find again to no avail - I love the stag.

Different garlands and picks of berries finish off the tree.

The length of wrought iron is on the wall by the tree and I change the garland with the seasons and by whim. It is Topped off with a steel "home" sign from Joanna Gaines's Magnolia Market.The wreath was easy to put together - I had a simple wreath that just looked like sticks and attached with pipe cleaners (I prefer to use pipe cleaners rather than wire for crafts because it is so much easier on your hands) two pieces of garland and attached a bow. Using the same bows around the house ties everything together.

A tree for Hubby in the master bedroom.  He even bought a special plug so he can have a remote control. I love the top hat and the little hats in the tree.

Mackenzie-Childs inspired, some real, some inspirations.

I made two arrangements to flank the tree.  Here is the link to a previous post on creating this tree: Link 

 Some random shots from around the house, an entry table...

 The center of the entry table, can you find the stag??? He's there, you just might not see him at first.

 This wreath has lights to show off this stag at night.

 A simple candle and ring with the same ribbon, in a bathroom.

 Pot in the entry with some lights and plaid ribbon.

 A favorite after Christmas find from several years ago - just added the plaid ribbon.

I guess I forgot - there is a tree in the kitchen - a real tree from Trader Joe's. I usually like to put a rosemary tree in this old can from long ago Williams-Sonoma, it had cookie mix inside but the can was so cute I kept it and use it every year in the kitchen. Since this is an evergreen we will plant in a pot in the backyard and eventually plant in the ground.

Finally a few shots from outside, some simple greenery in a planter near the front door. I have been using the same faux greenery and plants for four years and they seem to do fine, they get wet, frozen, snowed on but when the sun comes out they dry out and are OK. I live where it gets very cold and snows  so real poinsettias would not last long.

 A fun big wreath by the front door.

Finally the bench out front with a "You Cut Tree Farm" sign I made last year, an old wreath that each year I wonder if it will make another winter and it does and plant pots filled with faux greenery, poinsettias and trees.


 Resource:

Salad/dessert Christmas Plates, Better Homes & Gardens, Walmart - store only
 Plaid bone China dinner plates, Ciroa Plaid pattern, HomeGoods
Red lacquer chargers, by Centrum,Tuesday Morning
Round woven placemats, Marshall's
Red Flatware, Pier One
Red crystal glasses, Horchow
Outdoor greenery, Hobby Lobby 

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you had fun decorating for Christmas this year.