Make a Joyful Noise

Every year there is one holiday event we look forward to more than any other.  Our dear friends the Scotts,  host a Christmas feast for a group of great friends and it is the highlight of our seasonal celebrations.  They pull out all the stops on the menu and the decor and this year was no exception.  

Her inspiration started with this nest she found in the trees outside of her office.   The small nest is nestled inside of a larger one made of small twigs which we think were all done by the same bird.  She sprayed the outside twigs a soft white.  

Then she added more sprayed branches some with little dried flowers on top of a vintage piece of lace found in a previous trip to Round Top, TX. 

The vintage sheet music is from her husband's collection, placed inside glass hurricanes which glowed from the candle light within.  

A vintage piccolo that her husband "just happened to have in the attic"!  Can you imagine?  How many of us would be able to access a piccolo on a moment's demand?   

Royal Doulton crystal sparkling in the candlelight with a snowflake coaster. 

  A second nest found in the same trees! 

Vintage damask napkins found on this year's trip to Round Top.  

Individual place cards each with a different Christmas carol. 

And then there was the food!  

Julia Child's Boeff Bourgionne with Homemade Noodles, Roasted Baby Carrots and Brussel Sprouts, Mandarin Orange Salad with with Candied Pecans and Homemade Baguettes.

Pecan Cake with Caramel Sauce and Whipped Cream topped with Dark Chocolate and drizzled with a Caramel Sauce.

 Yes, I ate almost every bite!  

Vintage marching band music stands added to the overall theme.  

We were all dazzled and amazed at every turn and the evening exceeded all our expectations.  
Joining Seasonal Sundays and Tablescape Thursday

Good Stuff

My friend Janie asked  me if I would help her decorate for our office Christmas party at her house.  Usually when I decorate my own house, I spend some time developing a theme, reviewing my inventory of possible items to use and planning the entire composition.  This was totally on the fly, working with what she had on hand.    

The kitchen counter decoration.

The kitchen table with cobalt candles and Christmas balls and Blenko Glass pitchers and a Fenton vase.

The buffet table in the dining room.  My landscaper husband made a delivery of Christmas greenery for us to use. 

We just dusted the magnolia with gold spray paint.

More greenery on top of the corner china cabinets. 

The living room mantel

Yum! 

Smoked Salmon

I learned that if you have good stuff to work with you can do almost anything.  
Joining in the following parties:
Tablescape Thursdays and Tablescape Sundays

Clear Inspiration

You may have seen my last post about how I threw together the centerpiece, but didn't have any ideas about how to put the whole table together.

So I promised I would post again when I figured out what dishes I wanted to use with this centerpiece and it hit me like a lightening bolt as I was rummaging through my dish closet and came across some Fostoria Holly salad plates.

The fairy lights on the table are from Smith and Hawken several years ago.  I just love how they make everything sparkle.  

Mirror Placemats - Ross

White Chargers - Old Time Pottery

Clear Square Dishes - Unknown, but my dish expert friend thinks Fostoria

Clear Round Holly Dishes -  Fostoria - thrift store

Glassware - Fostoria Ballet- local thrift store

Thanks to Susan for hosting Tablescape Thursdays    Cheers !

Pre-Christmas "Now With Dishes!"

I have the most fabulous plans for my Christmas table, but there is just one little problem, the plans include all white.  The problem: I don't want to put my white table out and risk getting it stained before the holiday, but I also didn't want to go into December with my Thanksgiving table,  or worse,  nothing on the table (how horrible would that be???).

As we were decorating the Christmas tree; oops,  did I say "we", I meant ME.  My husband brings it all down from the attic, puts the wreaths on the house and puts it all back in the attic after the holiday, but the decorating is usually all mine.  I had no plans to do a tablescape at the same time I was decorating the tree, but it just happened!

I started with crystal rose bowl in the center filled with clear Christmas balls.  It was OK, but it didn't show up very well and it just didn't make sense.  Then my old memory kicked in and I remembered a crystal star in the attic and asked sweet hubby to please find it.  
When I put the star on the cake plate, it wasn't tall enough so I experimented  with a few pieces to create my own pedestal.  I used a Waterford vase with Reidel crystal plate and a little clear museum wax to hold it all in place.   The angels and the star just seemed perfect together.

I wanted something that would work with different sets of dishes and didn't require a particular color scheme, but had spent no time thinking about what that might be.  As I unpacked boxes, I found a few pieces that worked together and set them aside.  I gathered a few candlesticks and after the tree was finished, I arranged it all in about ten minutes.
I guess I can't really call it a tablescape since I don't have any dishes out ...... yet.  When I figure out what dishes go with this, I'll be posting again.  Happy Decorating to All!  I'll be linking up with Susan's Tablescape Thursday

So I promised I would post again when I figured out what dishes I wanted to use with this centerpiece and it hit me like a lightening bolt as I was rummaging through my dish closet and came across some Fostoria Holly salad plates.

   Sorry I don't have any daytime photos, but it was already after dark.  Come back and visit Seasonal Sundays again.  

Cheers !