A Christmas Two - Fer

So...a few days have past (remember I'm still sharing my 2014 Christmas tablescapes) since the Simply Plaid dinner party, and I'm now set up for a small luncheon for a handful of my dearest friends.  We'll be dining in the living room at the games table.  Several more days will pass, and I'll repeat this same tablescape design, with a few changes just for fun, for another small luncheon for some of my dearest friends.  Now you understand why I am calling this post "A Christmas Two Fer..."Two Fer the Price of One".  Come on in and join us.  I'll pull up an extra chair and put an extra place setting on the table.

The tree is trimmed, and the table is decked in a wonderful plaid taffeta tablecloth, an eBay find.

 We'll begin our luncheon with a wonderful Squash Bisque...

 ...served in the Glastonbury-Lotus gold rimmed footed chiller...

 ...seated nicely on one of Nana's antique crystal accent plates with the glorious green trim.


Anchoring the setting is the Anna Weatherly Blue charger plate.

 
Nana's antique damask napkin is held in one of my mama's Christmas basket napkin rings.  The gold tone flatware was a great get at a Dallas estate sale.  The funky little piece placed to keep the dinner plate from shifting around on the charger plate?...While at physical therapy for my knee, I noticed my therapist visiting with an older woman who appeared to be down-trodden.  When I inquired, my therapist told me that she was homeless and lived in a shelter.  She crocheted potholders to try and earn her own way as much as possible.  I was overwhelmed by her determination to make her own way.  I ended up ordering potholders for each of my friends and as stocking stuffers for my family.  Today they were put to good use on my table and then went home with my guests.


The dinner plate is Royal Worcester Regency... 


...Nana's plate will return for dessert.


Beverages were served in the Waterford Simply Red and the AJKA Xenia goblets.


You saw the AJKA Green pedestal bowl used in my post, Renaissance



My guests' Christmas gifts were gathered around the centerpiece.


This made me happy.

Let the party begin.

It's now several days later, and I've tweaked my design in just a couple of ways.  Can you find the differences?

Do you ever play that game at the back of people magazine...the one where they have made maybe 10 slight changes to a photograph, and you're supposed to find them.  I'm a sucker for the game, and I have to admit...I'm not awful at it.

Another party down.  Christmas, 2014 is drawing closer.  I'll try to add another one tomorrow.  Are you ready for New Year's Eve?

This week I'm joining:
Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

Simply Plaid for Christmas

Two days after the Garden Friends luncheon, Sweet Mister invited some of his friends to join us for a Christmas dinner party.  Tonight I set a table for 12.  This party was male centric, so that determined the tone for my design.  We're in the dining room again.  Come on in and join us. I plan on making this one short and sweet...at least that's my plan so far...Hey!  It could happen.  What's that?  Fat chance?  Now just a minute...or two...or ten!

 Since this one was for a majority of men, I figured most of them would never notice that I left my apple green glitzy stuff in the chandelier and on the buffet while going with a more traditional green and red palate for the table.

 The Williams Sonoma Classic Red Tartan tablecloth made me happy on numerous levels.  A.  I adore plaids.  B.  Pulling centerpiece elements for this cloth was a breeze...I was going for masculine, English, traditional, and on hand in my closets.

 A quick rundown of the place setting...An inexpensive Hobby Lobby black acrylic charger plate, held the Wedgwood Queensware Plain dinner plate.  Queensware Plain is another dishwasher safe dinner plate, so yay for me.  Keeping it simple I topped the plates with a Pier One homespun green napkin, a true wash and wear napkin.  The flatware is L'Argent Sophia Gold.  I just liked that little punch of a yellow/cream tone.

 Stemware for this evening:  The Lenox Holliday Gem red goblet and the Viking or Colonial (can't remember...I've had them since the early 70's) green goblet.  Another dishwasher safe pairing.

An assortment of 3 antique English containers became the inspiration for the centerpiece.  Years ago, Sweet Mister brought me the oak and copper wine pitcher from  Mill House Antiques in Woodbury, Connecticut.  Go there if you ever have the opportunity!  The short copper pitcher was a gift from a friend, and the oak and copper bowl was an inexpensive eBay find.  Combined with my collection of Barley Twist candlesticks and randomly placed Hobby Lobby greenery picks, the centerpiece came together quickly and with minimal effort...truly a collected tabletop.

 Those glass raspberries made another appearance this week.  Thank you , Target

 I served Chicken Tetrazinni...

 ...a simple green salad...

 ...dinner rolls,  and Brandy Ice for dessert.  Comfort food for a comfort-filled evening with friends.

Wow!  I just love plaid.  How about you?  This one's ready to roll.  Now it's on to my next event.

This week I'm joining:

Worthwhile Wednesdays #103 with Craftie Allie

                   

Rennaisance

It's been so very long, but here I sit with my new computer...a pocket of time...and so many things and tablescapes to share with you.  I've longed to join my circle of blogging friends for just about a year, and I'm thrilled to renew our friendships.  I've missed staying up with you.  So many of  you have touched base periodically, and you can't imagine how your notes have encouraged me.  Our little family is doing well, and we've enjoyed pretty much a normal and traditional Christmas this year.  I've decided that I'll try to begin again where I left off...Christmas of 2014.  If you have followed me you will remember that I had my first knee replacement on October 27, 2014.  KC and David were so generous to host us for Thanksgiving that year, and indeed, her beautiful tablescape was my last post for quite a while.  Although I was hobbled with a walker and then a cane, and I definitely didn't have the agility or stamina to do much at all, I did have a secret weapon...Cindy, my home care giver and I became friends, and she came back to help make sure that I was able to get Christmas decorations displayed and tables cape designs assembled for a variety of entertaining opportunities that I was determined would indeed take place.  And take place they did!  First up:  a Christmas luncheon for my dear Garden Friends, my Bible study group of about 30 years.  Come on in, we're in the dining room...

Traditional colors set the mood for our luncheon...

 Now, I still wasn't allowed to drive when I designed this table, so motoring to the market for fresh flowers was definitely not an option.  My storage closests yielded an assortment of ruby glass bells and hurricanes, a pair of AJKA green crystal pedestal bowls holding glass raspberries.  and one of my tureens...

 ...the Copeland Spode Camilla Pink tureen.

 My anchor...a 50⍧ acrylic charger from WalMart

 An additional charger, just because I could, the Maryland China Company "Minuet" charger.  Check out their website.  They sell mostly to china painters, and their "blanks" are superbly priced.  They also offer pretty nice price breaks for quantities that we could consider purchasing.

 Just because I couldn't blog didn't mean that I couldn't continue to collect.  Offered at very good prices from Replacements,  I've grown quite fond of the Johnson Brothers, "Great Britain Pink Castles Christmas dinner plate.  I chose to buy it with a plain white center because I knew that I could use it beyond the Christmas season.

 I picked up the coordinating luncheon plate with the Christmas tree for when I wanted to make it scream Christmas.  Tidbit:  These puppies are dishwasher safe, and my family is now eternally grateful that I bought them.  Silly family...they think that I'm going to use them every time.

 Do we still do the close up of the stack?  I'm sure that I'll learn that now that I'll be able to peruse more of your blogs.

It's been a year, but I'm fairly certain that it was the Williams Sonoma Holly Damask that was my inspiration for this table. The sterling flatware is Reed & Barton Grande Renaissance.  The Madeira napkins were an estate sale find....very inexpensive!

 Thought you might enjoy seeing the drop of the tablecloth.  I really like this piece!

 For most of the last year, there were times that I was pretty certain that I was going to spend the rest of my life in physical therapy...more on that later.  Anyway, I made certain to always have my trusty iPad or iPhone with me, and during the incessant time spent icing (not griping...ice was a life saver on many occasions), I completed my collections of AJKA Arabella goblets and Waterford Simply goblets through eBay.

This luncheon for 10 turned out to be the first of 6 opportunities to entertain during the Christmas holidays!  I'm going to try to post the additional parties as quickly as possible.  I'm going to lean heavily on the knowledge that there are really 12 Days of Christmas...after all I have two years worth of tablescapes to share with you.  Hang on...it's going to be a holly good ride!  I've added some more posts this week for Christmas, 2014.  If you're interested, check out:  Christmas Two Fer and Simply Plaid for Christmas

This week I'm joining:
Inspire Me Tuesday #298 @ A Stroll Through Life

Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm

The Scoop #203 with Debbi @ Confessions of a Plate Addict

Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

I am so out of touch that I'm not certain who is hosting memes, old or new.  If you host a meme, or know of one that will be appropriate for Entertaining Women's content, please, let me know in a comment?!  Thanks for helping me.