Longing for Simple

If you are like me, you have spent the last 4 or 5 weeks preparing for the holidays...the menu planning, the shopping, the decorating, the Christmas cards.  Yes, some of it is fun.  But is also overwhelming and sometimes exhausting.  Maybe I was just tired when I set my table for Christmas Eve dinner.  Even my son Anders said...

..."It's kind of plain".  But just maybe that's exactly what we need right now...for things to be simple.  So here it is...my simple little holiday table.  Every once in a while I pull out these fun Santa plates.

I bought them years ago at Kohl's.  I think I found them charming, each one just a bit different....nothing fancy.  Everything on this table has been used in previous settings.

Like these lacy paper placemats,

and bright red napkins, covered with snowballs.  While I usually think of these as "summertime" glassware, on this table they remind me of ice.

I've chosen one single chunky red candle...

I think I'll let this darling snowman family be the stars of the show...

So kiddies...find your spot at the table.

It's a simple dinner...roast pork, dumplings, sauerkraut and creamed spinach (because they won't let me make anything else)!  

Wishing you a happy, healthy, peaceful, simple Christmas.  Please join me at...

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

Take another look from a year ago,  Inspired.

Green and White and Red All Over

What's green and white and red all over??  Why, the perfect Christmas tablescape, of course.  I'm just a teensy bit behind in my holiday preparations, but looking at this fun and festive table makes me smile. Somehow, everything will get done in time...I just need to relax and not take things too seriously.  Like this setting...nothing serious about it!

I started off with a simple table cloth made of Marimekko fabric (always available at the Crate & Barrel for a ridiculously fabulous price).  With its giant burgundy, green and white dots on a bright red background, this cloth is just plain fun.  Time to stack...

I chose my white lacy paper placemats (also from the Crate) and

some shiny red chargers with my favorite plain white plates and

some playful red and white polka dot napkins (Pottery Barn) and

another little white plate and

finally my flatware, neatly tucked into a little red stocking trimmed with green baubles.  Beverages will be sipped from these festive glasses...

...a big chunky red water goblet and a deep green wine glass.  In lieu of a floral centerpiece, I opted for some playful holiday decorations.  From my rather vast collection of snowmen, I chose these handmade glass snow people...

...my very favorites,

This guy in his party hat...

...and this snow girl with her headband and scarf...

and Mrs. Claus!

I think they look rather happy standing next to this little burlap tree.  Excuse me, but I think I just might grab one of those wine glasses, pour something tasty, and ponder my to-do list.  Hope I inspired you to get in the holiday spirit.  Looking for more ideas?  I'm sure you'll find them at these parties...

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

Take another look from a year ago, Green and Gold and Red All Over.

Inspired

Oh, the joys and perils of being a dish-a-holic.  I know I'm not the only one with such problems.  The holiday season rolls around, you're out window shopping (wink, wink) and you stumble upon a stunning tablescape.

You wish you could buy it all...every placemat, napkin ring, candlestick and shiny bauble.  This very situation happened to me at Pottery Barn last year.  So pretty, yet so simple.  Hmmmm...maybe I don't need to buy everything.  Maybe I already some things around the house to recreate this look.  I can do this!  So here is my version of a festive tablescape with inspiration from Pottery Barn.

All that I needed to purchase were these pretty deep red napkins embroidered with big white polka dots. 

How cute this silverware, Aero, from Crate & Barrel, looks tucked inside these linens.

This peppermint striped runner was already part of my stash.

Surprise, here are my favorite plain white plates, looking lovely atop brown wicker chargers.

These shiny red goblets, (Crate & Barrel circa late 80's) always have a place at my holiday table.  A few mercury glass tea lights, collected from here and there, along with some fresh red poinsettias, help set a festive mood.  Pottery Barn inspired me, and I hope have inspired you to set a simple, fun and festive holiday table.  Make sure to visit Between Naps on the Porch for lots of holiday tabletop cheer.

What's Green and Gold and Red All Over?

The holidays always present a problem to a dish lover...so many Christmas plates...so little time to use them all.

Thanksgiving is a delicious memory, but now tis the season for red and green.

This table starts with a classic plaid tablecloth, layered with a red and green linen runner.

A garland of greens and pinecones has been dressed up with a splattering of green and gold and red baubles.

Tiny bands of red and green fill the borders of these dinner plates which sit atop shiny red chargers, while...

salad plates, adorned with holly berries fancy things up a bit.

Looking lovely are my big shiny red water goblets and deep green wine glasses.  Sitting on golden brocade napkins, this stunning new silverware steals the show.

A simple hurricane holds a chunky red pillar candle.

The Table is set.  The presents are wrapped (thanks to help from a little champagne and curling ribbon)!  Now all we need to do is to fill the house with family and friends and share the joys of the holiday.  This table has been a lot of fun, but now I can't wait to see the other fabulous ideas at Between Naps on the Porch.

Champagne and Curling Ribbon

The holidays...so much to get done...not always enough time for fun.  The answer? Multitask!  One of my favorite events that I have been hosting is an annual Gift Wrapping Party. Here's how. Invite a few girlfriends over.

Ask them to bring their presents, some fabulous paper and ribbon, tags, etc.

Open a bottle of champagne and get creative.  Don't forget to break for lunch.  Oh, and remember, you're really really busy...so this time it's perfectly fine to pick up something fabulous at your favorite grocery store.  May I suggest chicken salad on croissants, a simple salad and a fruit tart!

I think my friends are going to love this table setting.

I could not resist this vintage inspired fabric and made myself a set of napkins

I've had this pink-on-pink checked tablecloth for years, and I think it looks just perfect. All that this pretty table needs is the good old plain white plates.

And for my holiday girlfriend lunch, I brought out my loveliest glassware...

...Romantika water goblets from Crate & Barrel (circa early 90's) and mint green champagne flutes purchased long ago from the Horchow catalog.

See..wasn't that fun?  And everyone goes home with wrapped gifts and a little holiday cheer (thank you, champagne!!)  Make sure to stop by Between Naps on the Porch to see what my fellow dish friends have come up with for the season.

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.