Since all things Christmas have a chance to shine only once each year, I make the most of them during December. Without question, my favorite thing to do is dress the places we eat.
Always I start with a centerpiece. Here it is a most traditional one using an antique mold and a variety of artificial accessories.
No dishes are more traditional or recognizable than these by Spode. Getting them out of the cabinet year after year is like welcoming an old friend.
The placemats and napkins are almost as old as the dishes, and if memory serves me correctly, they, too, were a gift from mother. Eventually they will be passed on to the more traditional of my two daughters.
Playful and fun are the flatware that I found a few years ago at Ross and the holly berry napkin rings that give off a happy jingle.
Adding a bowl for a soup starter and a holiday popper completes each place.
Thinking about who will join the hubby and me at this table makes me smile as I know there will be lots of shared memories and laughter. That is what makes the holidays special.
i so appreciate your visit and the comments you leave behind
Joining
The days around Halloween are my favorite when it comes to table tops. There’s just so much fun stuff with which to work.
Witches see the light of day
and spiders and bats come out to play.
Black dishes never work better
and long stemmed goblets are perfect for witches’ brew.
Witches shoes are pointed and curled reminding if the shoe fits…….I don’t like the looks of this one so think I’ll wait for a prince to come along with a better choice.
And while I’m waiting for his arrival, I’ll munch on a kettle of corn!
With the house having little touches of fall, it was a no brainer to have the next step be continuing them on the table for the evening dinner. Already what can serve as a centerpiece is there making it easy to add the rest.
None of my dishes reflect fall better than these. The rich color with its arty black leaf outline is perfect, and I like using them for another reason. They were a gift from a very special and thoughtful friend who knows how crazy I am about all things for tables.
Some time ago this flatware was on sale at Target, and it has been such a good find. Its coppery contrast with the table’s wood surface adds such warmth.
Thinking about what food is going to be served, I don’t put more dishes on the table than can be used. Tonight there will be an entree and a salad, so nothing more than dinner and salad plates are needed. The black salad plate complements the leaf outline, and its shape will be perfect for the salad.
On any table, the napkin presentation is one of those little touches that make a table special. One of my favorites is this one folded accordion style and fanned to make it stand.
With the addition of wine stems and water glasses, a table can’t be much simpler than this. It started with what was already there and has warm color and texture which makes any table inviting.
I can’t resist sharing with you one of my favorite salads made with delicata squash, one with which I was unfamiliar. The attraction was its green and pale yellow striping, reason enough to give it a try!
For the salad, cut the squash into rings and remove the seeds. Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 400 until tender, roughly 15-20 minutes. To prepare the salad, place mixed greens or any lettuce on a plate. Top with the roasted delicata rings, sprinkle with craisins, toasted almonds and feta (optional). My preference for dressing is a honey mustard vinegarette, but most any salad dressing would work.
The most recent dinner was a visual treat. The delicately designed dishes are quite old, a memory of the hostess’s mother.
Without question, they made a lovely setting when combined with silver and glass.
Playing off the pale green in the pattern, the hostess found the perfect linen tablecloth and napkins. All together the look was quite elegant at the same time warm and friendly.
A few days before our gathering a storm blew through that flattened many of the small blooming things. The hostess was clever enough to see that her damaged flowers perfectly matched the colors in the china, so, voila, a just right centerpiece made in a silver bowl.
So there would not be question about where each person sat, there were name tags directing us to our place. That is always a thoughtful gesture.
The first course, a zucchini mold, happened to be my assignment. It was something with which none of us were familiar, so we all experienced a new taste treat. Not only was it tasty, it was easy to prepare which makes it worthy of making again as it gives a whole new way of presenting zucchini.
It can begin with a kid’s toy
or a collection of sprinkler cans.
When the garden is blooming wildly, gather a handful of blooms and arrange them in a collection of favorite bottles. This is the simplest way to stage any tabletop.
Sculptural shapes are fun to use as part of a centerpiece and interesting textiles are great inspiration for color.
Seasonal creations can be full of whimsey
as well as reflect the season’s bounty.
There’s no time better than holidays for play.
Pull out those favorite things and let them star on a table.
Have a collection? Use pieces from it as part of a playful creation.
Even a serious table can be play as it involves bringing beautiful glass and china and silver out of hiding.
What is wonderful about creating a centerpiece is that it can be used again and again as inspiration for tables. Simple changes can create an entirely different look, so play and see where it leads!
Though I walk for exercise, my eyes are always open for what is blooming in fields adjacent to the path. There’s Queen Ann’s lace, goldenrod, interesting grasses, cattails, lupine pods and things I can’t even name. Often I come home with a handful that combined become part of lovely arrangements for the table.
My favorite way to arrange flowers is to put them in a variety of vessels. It is simple and the containers can be placed randomly to create an easy centerpiece.
The cloth that is background for the flowers is folded on the diagonal leaving part of the table bare. When it’s time to eat, a couple of placemats fill and protect the bare space as well as reflect the quiet background of the cloth.
Playing off the cranberry color of the small vases and the flowers in the textile, these dishes are perfect. They are long discontinued from the 40’s and 50’s and were a purchase from an antique show some years ago.
Their appeal is not only the color but the unusual shape.
Adding the thumbprint glasses continues the color scheme and finishes the table.
Tonight the family will gather around what we call the big house meaning it’s a step up from the breakfast room. Having teenage girls get involved in the table preparation is a great way for them to recognize that setting an attractive table can be very uncomplicated. Sometimes a pretty table is also a gentle reminder to use good table manners!
So, how does one make table setting a creative process? For me, it begins with there always being something on the table from which to draw inspiration. Does that say something about my not liking bare surfaces? Here, it was nothing more than flowers arranged simply on a runner.
Now, I have to confess to being a dishaholic. The beauty is that it creates a variety of options when it comes to selecting. With the colors of the flowers and the runner as influences, I picked these dishes for our evening meal, but the selection could just as easily have been a solid color that works well with a variety of accents. By the way, places like TJ Maxx, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Goodwill are great resources for items that are both inexpensive and add flair to your table.
You will notice that the table is prepared for two, the hubby and me. Whether it’s the two or us or company coming, the table will add to the experience of eating. That is a gift I give to others as well as myself. 
Setting the table to inspire memories of Italy was easy. The centerpiece was a $3 find from the local Goodwill.
Clusters of red grapes repeated the look of the clusters on the candelabra. Talk about an easy creation!
Dishes, each with a different Italian landscape and wine, bought some years ago at TJ Maxx completed the theme.
It’s hard to imagine a table coming together more quickly than this one. With the plates having so much color and energy, there was no need for more than a simple background.
PROSCIUTTO BAKED BUFFALO MOZZARELLAWITH GARLIC & TOMATOES