Christmas at the Lake Tablescape

This is a table that came about quite by accident. I was clearing things off of the large table in the dining room, placing some of the pieces on my table for two in the conservatory. Before I knew it, I had a nice table setting coming together, so I just went with it.

 The canoe once belonged to my mother. She had a very rustic, woodsy guest bedroom that I always loved. When I had to clear out her and dad‘s house, I took everything from that room, but up until now wasn’t entirely sure how to use it all. I had brought the canoe up from the belly of the beast and just set it on the table in the conservatory and loved the way it looked. I decided I was going to go with a rustic, in the woods, by the lake kind of vibe.

The placemats are among my favorites and are from Pier One. If I’m ever struggling to get in the Christmas spirit, these placemats always do the trick.

They are topped with tin chargers on which I have placed both an earth tone stoneware dinner plate, and black stoneware salad plate, each from different collections. On top of the plates are super cute little sauce pitchers that I am absolutely in love with. They work well at breakfast for syrup, or at dinner for barbecue sauce, mustard sauce, or horseradish sauce, depending upon your entrée.

The napkins and the twig reindeer (one of a set of three) are from Pottery Barn. I’d like the casual, knotted look that forms a half circle around a green-stemmed dessert dish that I inherited from longtime family friend, Betty. To replicate the bells in the placemats, I chose larger bell ornaments, and I love the look. Each guest can go home with one as a remembrance of the gathering.

The coffee mugs are new this year and I think they work well here. The champagne flutes I have been using for a variety of different cocktails, so I couldn’t resist putting them on this table to give it a bit of sparkle.

The flatware, one of my favorite sets, is from Cabela’s.

 The rustic tea lights (aren’t they adorable?) are bits of hollowed out bark. They are perfect for this table! In the photos you’ll notice that I used real tea lights. I think I would use faux tea lights if I planned to have them burning for any length of time. I wouldn’t want to catch the wood bases on fire.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this table as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Pretty much everything on this table came from Amazon. Click on the highlighted names of the various pieces to take you directly to the listing.

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday

 

Winter White Tablescape

I always find the first tablescape of the New Year to be particularly challenging. I don’t mind the month of January, but it tends to be rather bleak and uninspiring. I chose to pull a few elements from a recent holiday table, mix it with whites representing the dusting of snow that we have on the ground at the moment, and pair this with crystal and candles. I like the look.

 
 The centerpiece of this table consists of two of my favorite pine trees, now strung with tiny lights. At the base of them are three ceramic houses, each illuminated with a tea light candle. You can find something similar here. 

At either end are a pair of crystal candle holders that my husband bought me years ago, each holding a pair of 10 inch white taper candles.

 

Snowflake candle holders that I got from Crate and Barrel years ago provide a bit of sparkle and light at the center of the table, and at each place setting.

The darling house salt and pepper shakers are by Magnolia Home and were purchased a couple of years ago from Target.

The scalloped, chippy, wooden chargers are from Pier One, and undoubtedly you have seen these before, on my blog, and the blogs of many others. My only regret about this purchase is that I only bought four of them. 

They are topped with Maison Versailles Blanc Amelie dinner plates and appetizer plates, separated by a simple gray napkin from Pottery Barn.

The "cabin" flatware is from one of my favorite places (as you all well know), Cabela's!

Half moon, pressed glass salad plates add a bit of frostiness alongside the plates, and are perfect for serving salad.

Marquis lead crystal wine glasses and simple white cappuccino cups finish out the place settings, all of which rest on top of a beige tablecloth with a macramé runner.

 

Comfortable, delightful, and wintry, this table is certain to be appreciated by your guests.

 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

"Pining" for Christmas Tablescape

   It’s Christmas week, can you believe it?! With our weather fluctuating between 75° and 36° highs, it’s hard to get a grasp on just what time of the year it actually is.

I am in love with nature and the color green, so when these pine cone plates became available, I pounced on them. Both beautiful and educational, each one is different, and provides both the common and Latin name for the tree they represent as well as illustrations of the seed, greenery, and both mature and immature pine cones.

The pine cone salad plates (from Creative Co-Op) pair nicely, I thought, with the pine branch and pine cone-edged dinner plates that I got from Pottery Barn a couple of years ago. Both of these get a wonderful punch of color from the green edged, Italian chargers underneath from Roma New Works.

 

The wicker placemats set on top of my favorite checkered tablecloth on which I put a rustic table runner that I got from Pottery Barn this year.

The centerpiece of lighted greenery and frost-laden pine trees provides a nice backdrop for the Pottery Barn twig reindeer in both full-size and miniature as candle holders.

 The pine cone flatware is from one of my favorite places to shop for flatware, Cabela’s.

The “Fa La La” napkins with their text in muted gold are similarly from Pottery Barn, and brighten the table with a bit of sparkle.

The green water glasses were my mother’s. I love the jewel-toned depth of color here. The mugs are by Maxcera, and are in the “Postcard Owl” pattern. I found them appropriate because while they feature an owl on the front side, there is a lovely pine cone image on the back that I found suitable for this table.

 

 Because this table isn’t overtly Christmassy, I plan to use it to take me into the New Year, and a couple of days beyond. After which, this will be replaced with a more wintry tablescape.

Merry Christmas to all of you! Try to relax and enjoy.

 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday