WINTER GREETINGS (Part Two): A Lenox Tablescape and My 300th Post/No Strings Attached Giveaway!

One year ago (Christmas 2013)), we had plans to go on a trip with our godchildren and their family the day after Christmas, and I had no plans to do a Christmas tablescape.

We had invitations to dine with close friends for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The following day, we were bound for our road trip.

That all changed, however, when a friend who was hosting an ornament exchange dinner  became ill.

Her illness shifted the event to my house, and I had to decide how to proceed with very little prep time. So this is what I devised...

One of my ideas was to place these ornaments in a punch bowl in the kitchen which was a staging area, an easy peasy, no-brainer centerpiece that nods to the ornament exchange theme...

As to the actual dining table, one of my favorite Christmas patterns is an everyday pattern by Lenox called "Winter Greetings".

The pattern features four varieties of birds, and years ago, I started collecting some dinner plates with chickadees and others with redbirds, the latter seen featured in this shot from Google Image...

 While our dessert plates feature chickadees (also a shot from Google Image)...

As do our mugs (as seen from Google Image)...

Another blogger and friend, Pat from Back Porch Musings, has this same pattern, and I have been interested in how Pat has dressed her hearth room table over the years.  I used this shot of Pat's tablescape (below) as an inspiration point for mine...

But instead of using Christmas trees which I didn't have on hand, I used some twiggy tole candle holders we've owned for many years...

I decided to intersperse those with faux greenery as seen in this inspiration shot from who knows where...

We have a variety of napkin rings, but I thought these old standbys (from Maas Brothers, remember them?) would do the trick since the cinnamon sticks look like mini logs...

And echo the twiggy effect of the candle holders as well as the greenery, pine cones, and berries woven down the center of the table...

The flatware also echoes the twigs...

While the red goblets...

Pop the red from the plates, the napkins, the Christmas crackers, and the berries...

My holiday tables always nod to England with the inclusion of Christmas crackers.

Who doesn't like a corny joke, a prize, and a jolly paper crown??? (Makes me wonder if members of the Royal Family wear them on Christmas!)

These tiny plaid votive holders were purchased years ago and are often used on the table which, in this case, is dressed in a white plaid jacquard cloth...

Next, I tucked candy cane ornaments in with the napkins as one of the party favors for the ornament exchange...

And each guest also received a monogram ornament as a party favor, a prize that sort of softens the blow when things become testy with people stealing ornaments from each other as the exchange heats up to a fever pitch! ;-)

I set the table several ways before the dinner. I debated serving salad as a separate course, but opted out and chose to serve cranberry congealed salad on the dinner plate instead. So just ignore the placement of the salad forks.  This is not a test. ;-)

And ignore the dessert forks which I placed before I decided to serve dessert in the library...

Which is why they were removed from the table in this next shot.  Didn't want you to think I had gone all wonky on you. ;-)

I tried to get shots at different times of the day because the lighting in this room is not kind to photos.

And as usual, I can't decide between shots.

So I will just let you choose and hope you enjoy my nod to WINTER GREETINGS...

Lights, Camera, Action!

There were some beautiful guests who went along with this tablescape, but I don't have their permission to feature them on the blog and have to respect their privacy.  Besides, they were all wearing their paper crowns which sort of squishes your hair! ;-)

Now, I am joining:

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for TABLESCAPE THURSDAY.

Michael Lee West at Rattlebridge Farm for FOODIE FRIDAY AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for PINK SATURDAY.

I also hope you will join me in saluting the old year and ringing in the new while celebrating my 300th post and SIX YEAR Anniversary!  I simply cannot believe I have been blogging that long and have written that much over the years, and even more astonishingly, that you read it! :-)

CONTEST!  CONTEST!  CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST!

To that end, I thought I would reward one of my readers/fellow bloggers with a favorite tablescaping book by the late Joe Nye.  It's called FLAIR.  The thing I like about Joe Nye, aside from his interior design skill and cute eyeglasses, is that he used common, grocery store flowers as centerpieces and made them look special.  He also discussed in the book how to condition the flowers. After all, he started his career as a florist and went on to become a famous event planner and decorator.

You DO NOT have to be a follower to enter, and everyone has the same chance.  I will put each name in a shopping bag and draw a winner.  This is not a promotion of any sort, but a gift from me to one of you. And if you don't want to enter, that's fine, too.  Just say so in your comments. While I hate to limit this to North America, I am afraid I have to because the shipping to other countries on a book this size/weight would be prohibitive along with customs. 

Since tablescapes seem to be what you enjoy most on my blog, I would like to know whether you want to see me do more formal tablescapes or more casual ones?

If you could leave your preference in your comments that would be grand.

I have seen a trend starting with your favorite posts, and I'm wondering whether I should ride the wave or not.

I have had a tendency to feature tablescapes that are affordable and hopefully cute, but if you want to see more formal fare like some of the tables featured on the blog, that can be arranged.

One thing I have no shortage of is china.  I feel a bit like Imelda Marcos and her shoes, though when accused I have been known to defend myself by saying that china is meant to be shared while shoes are not. ;-)

Happy New Year, best of luck, and let the tablescapes begin!

xoxox

Mrs. Magpie (Sheila)

ACCOUTREMENTS:

CHINA:  Winter Greetings Everyday by Lenox (Unfortunately discontinued, but wonderful because it's dishwasher safe!)

FLATWARE:  Dark Faux Bamboo Handles from Horchow (Very affordable and dishwasher safe! Sometimes you can find this as Ross!)

RED GOBLETS:  A gift from my Mother in Law

PLAIN GLASSES:  Dollar Tree (Love the shape of these and the pricepoinr at a dollar apiece!)

TOLE TWIG CANDLE HOLDERS:  Vintage (Thrifted many years ago in North Florida!)

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS: Found at a number of stores from Marshall's, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning to Pier One, and you could probably find them at World Market, too.  Right now, they are on sale at Pier One as I saw some there earlier this week!

WINTER GREETINGS (Part One): Counting My Blessings!

Greetings of the Season!

Which, coincidentally, is my favorite season of the year.

And though this year's celebration has seen our activities curtailed somewhat due to my need for rest and recuperation and Mr. Magpie's hectic work schedule...

It did not curb our enthusiasm for Christmas. No, indeed, it did not.

Just as the lack of snow in Florida doesn't curtail my love for snowmen...

 And all things snow-related...

They are all part of the wonder, the color that is Christmas which is why I love the season so!

It's a season where those of us who are no longer young in age, can easily find excuses to indulge our inner child with reckless abandon! I mean, come on... is there any other way to do it?  Nay, I think not. ;-)

It is the one time of the year I allow myself to sing (outside of the shower) with gusto, whether in church or locked out of my car at the gas pump!

Yes, indeed, it happened.  Right across the street from the Police Station.  And it was raining cats and dogs, too.

But I?

I was singing!

"O, Come All Ye Faithful" and any hymn I could think of to serenade the gas pumping hordes.

Were they enthusiastic?

Well, let's just put it this way, "You've Got Talent" has not come knocking, but that doesn't mean they won't! 

Ever the optimist, here.  ;-)

Oh, how I love Christmas and the hub-bub surrounding it! From shopping for other people (which took place mostly online this year)...

To searching high and low for the things I think they will enjoy...

To finding just the right gift wrap to match the gift or the giftee...

From decking the halls like the Little Drummer Boy and friends did here...

To decking the walls...

To simply decking our hearts with what is important sans the glitz and the glitter, which is exactly what we did this year...

 I give thanks for all!

I also give thanks for you.  You put much of the "joie" in my joie de vivre!  So in honor of you,  my blogging buddies, a slight revision of a special poem:

'Twas the night before Christmas,

And all thru the town,

The revelers were shopping and running around,

The Magpies were happy,

All snug in their beds,

As visions of Christmas danced 'round in their heads.

On presents,

On turkey,

On gravy,

And dressing,

From 

Takeout

to 

Pigout

to

Hallmark

to 

Blessings

to

Calls from the family

to 

Calls from the friends

to 

Parties we made

and

to

Others, amends.

 'Tis the season 

of 

Peace,

'Tis the season 

of 

Joy,

'Tis the season

of 

Thanks

 for

The life

of 

The Boy!

And we also give thanks

For the new little ones

Whom the Lord brought to stoke

Many future years' fun.

And we're thankful for memories

of 

Christmases past,

For loved ones long gone, 

but

of

 Love that will last...

Through the ages,

And seasons,

Through the days of our lives,

And the laughter

And smiles

That sweet memory revives.

Just as quick as a wink,

The day might be gone,

But the true joy of Christmas

Renews with each dawn!

--  by Mrs. Magpie (Sheila)

(With my sincere apologies to Clement Clarke Moore for altering his masterpiece!)

Wishing all the blessings of the season to each and every one of you.  As an Anglican (actually a Presbypalian with my parents being the "Presby" part and my husband, the "alian"), our twelve days of Christmas begins on Christmas Day and ends with the Feast of Epiphany in January which represents the day when the Wisemen came to visit the Christ Child with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  That is fine with this little magpie who wishes the spirit of Christmas could go on all year.  I do my best to make sure that happens.  

Well, maybe with one notable exception.

TRUE CONFESSION TIME:   Shameful as this is to confess, like George Washington and my first grade self who told on myself that I had crawled under the work table with the boys when they got caught and I didn't, I cannot tell a lie. Yes, I (Mrs. Magpie) actually rendered a "salute" to the grinch who honked obnoxiously (laying on the horn), scared me half to death, and nearly ran me down in my sleigh as I, who had the right of way, attempted to turn left to rendezvous with the good folks at the takeout counter at Cracker Barrel!  You know, a friend who is a minister says the "Spirit of Slap" comes over each of us from time to time. I guess the trick is to resist it. But while we can't all be perfect like Mr. Magpie is, we do try!

Love to each and every one of you and to all a "Good Night"!

xoxox

Mrs. Magpie (Sheila)