Sketchy Santas

We all remember the holidays from our childhood years. For me, these fond memories include our Christmas tree covered with hundreds of ornaments from Scandinavia and my dad's perfectly applied tiny white lights, cheeseburgers and french fries for Christmas Eve dinner, and my Aunt Tess who was the most anxious one of all of us to open the gifts!

And of course...the dishes.  For as long as I can remember, we used these green square dishes by Franciscan China.

Although the majority are a deep, dark green...

there are several assorted lime green pieces which add to the fun. Over the years, these dishes have acquired quite a few chips and scratches, just adding to their charm.

And how many of us had these Santa mugs?  Oh so vintage, Santa's beady blue eyes always seem to follow you.

"He looks a little sketchy", according to my daughter, Sofie.

Equally vintage is this rustic red linen runner with a green edge, bearing the wax drips and wine stains of many a holiday dinner.  Not so fancy, really...but the memories are priceless.  I can't wait to see all the fabulous holiday tables this and every week at Between Naps on the Porch.

Gobble...Wish...Give...Thanks!

Thanksgiving...possibly the greatest holiday of the year.  The only thing I love more than the stuffing or the creamed spinach is the chance to set a spectacular table.

Oh, what fun I had with this one.  The inspiration for this table all began with these Harvest linens from Crate & Barrel.

Shafts of wheat have been embroidered with metallic threads on a natural linen background.  Butterscotch cotton napkins are a perfect compliment to these gorgeous placemats.

Let the layering begin.  This shiny silver and gold woven runner from West Elm gets things started.

My ruffly gold leaf(ish) chargers, also from the Crate, are next.  Those versatile plain white plates appear once again, just perfect every time.

And now...my favorite find of the season.  Not being the traditional turkey plate kind-of-girl, I fell in love with these whimsical Thanksgiving plates from West Elm.  Just a simple...

gobble...

wish...

give...

and thanks...

in shiny silver adorn these adorable little plates.  Many thanks to the folks at Better Homes and Gardens who ever so kindly have been emailing plenty of creative ideas all season long...like this fabulous centerpiece that took only minutes to assemble. All you need are some tiny cattails (West Elm), matching bud vases (IKEA) and dry beans (grocery store)!!

How cute is that?  The table is set...can't wait to share the day and a wonderful meal with family and friends.  Please feel free to revisit another of my favorite Fall tablescapes, Indian Summer, featured earlier this season.  And finally, a special thank you to my photographer, Laura, whose work just keeps getting better and better.

Marigolds and Lemons

Before winter descends upon us, and our blogs are filled with festive holiday tabletops, I thought I would set one last bright and sunny table.

This tablescape was put together with a little bit of this...and a dash of that.  My Hamptons green rimmed dinner plates are from Crate and Barrel as well as the cheery orange and yellow marigold napkins.

These bright yellow mats, I picked up at Kohls.

Perched on top of my favorite white plates is a stunning little Herend lemon, part of my Aunt Tess' collection.  On the other, a pretty yellow art glass piece.

Years ago I found these fun orange goblets at Home Goods.  They come in so handy, time and time again. The marigolds...snatched before the frost ...from my garden!

I can't wait to set my Thanksgiving tables next week.  I'm thinking a little silver, a little gold...and the debut of some awesome new flatware!  Make sure to check back and see what all of us have been up to each and every Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Front and Center

This "oh-so-versatile" container from Crate and Barrel has truly become my favorite "go-to" piece for creating an ideal centerpiece.

Call it whatever you like...a candle holder...a vase...It does it all.  I have nestled a row of tea lights into anything from sand to...

coffee beans to...

tiny purple pebbles...

corn...

or mung beans and black beans.

How about some shiny red jewels?  Each changing season brings new possibilities.  Looking for a unique  holder for flowers?  Just nestle buds into a row of tiny containers.  Voila.

And the best part about this centerpiece...its sleek low profile...perfect for entertaining.

I Almost Missed the Missoni Boat

I like to think of myself as someone who knows what's going on in the world, particularly when shopping is involved.  So how did I possibly miss the recent Missoni phenomenon at Target?

There I was that eventful Tuesday, reading a news story on my computer and learning that, apparently, all of the Missoni merchandise had already sold out!  How did I miss this?  I didn't get anything?  Who is Missoni?  I wanted in.  Something bright or ziggy baggy.  Luckily, weeks later, I stumbled upon these two (yes, just two) dinner plates at my local Target.  I quickly grabbed them, then the wheels started spinning.

I remembered those pink and purple honeycomb and bee napkins I made over the summer (Raspberry Hive Fabric by Patty Young for Michael Miller).   Seems like they found their soul mates with these Missoni plates.

And those eggplant grass mats that I recently purchased from Crate & Barrel...I knew they would come in handy time and time again.

My bright green Lyla wine glasses from the Crate seem right at home on this table.  

Tying it all together is a gauzy purple table runner (actually a Converse scarf from Target)!  I am so glad I got my chance to jump on the Missoni bandwagon.

As always, remember to check out all of the other creative tablescapes at Between Naps on the Porch every Thursday!