OA, this table is amazing. Nothing could be added in my opinion. Love it that you always go into so much detail for your projects and give us a tutorial to boot! You have a beautiful collection.

Will you be putting up a Christmas tree out there or is it inside? Please share some décor with us. You always have neat things and I'm ready to ooh and aah over all of it.

TFS, Punk

I agree with Punk! I love your Village table and I know your guests will too!
I'm glad you shared it with us, such a neat idea.

Hope you'll be back soon with more decorations, we miss you!!
hugs, Karen

Thanks, Punk and Karen.

Feeling better about it now.
I added a little video to the post. A bit grainy, but still kind of cool.
Check it out! Just scroll down three pics.

Here is a link that might be useful: Back to Dickens Village Tablescape

OA, now your into making MOVIES? Next thing we know you will be in the movies. Hope you'll remember who we R!LOL

I love, love, love your video with music lady. That is the coolest thing ever. Might be your claim to fame. Great to have you back entertainingus. Keep up the GREAT work and don't forget to share w/us.

Punk

Unbelievable! OA ...you are just so very, very creative ... you must not sleep @nite dreaming up these ideas! Remarkable, lady!!!

Wow, what a process for that Dickens table ... the styrofoam & all ... yikes! Great idea using the electric knife ...you must have had tons of bead balls all over the place!

I love everything here...using that shaped table plan again ... the place settings ...your dishes & the bold red napkins folded so perfectly. Now, since you first comment was asking about what was 'missing' (maybe missing), my first thought looking @that first photo in your blog ... was this .... the 'chair backings' ... something needs to be on the chairS!! Something maybe like red velvet slipped over just the top backrest of the chairs.

Ok, that's JMHO ... cause it GRAND w/o that idea, too! ;-) ~~Jeanne S.

After seeing your blog post, I feel a bit like the laughing Scrooge when he said, "âÂÂI don't know what to do! I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to every-body! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!âÂÂ

Wonderful, just wonderful OA.
Your table is fantastic and I love the video.
Your creativity and talent are endless.
I really am at a loss for words.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Come back soon
Nana

Thank you, everyone. I'm calming down about it now. I think I just needed a little distance.

Punk, I'm not putting much up this year. I have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer (caught fairly early) and am going in for the "big double M" on the 27th. I feel fine now, but won't be able to take things down and pack them away after the operation. So, there's not the usual Christmas decorations at my house.

Jeanne, you know, I was wondering the same thing myself concerning the chair backs. I gave a bridal shower last spring and made chair backs and it really brought the whole table up at least three notches. If I can muster up enough courage to get to the over-crowded JoAnn store, I think I'll add them. I really think the combination of the brick and the medal chairs makes for a cold look, and that's what's bothering me about the table.

Thanks for visiting my blog, everyone.

OA, so sorry to hear you have been diagnosed
with breast cancer. Glad to hear it was caught
in the early stage tho. Will be sending lots of
hugs and prayers your way as well as
Jeanne's way daily now.

I think your smart to go for the "big double M".
We'll be here for you with our prayers, cyber
hugs and well wishes during your surgery and after.

Take Care and Hugs, Punk

Hugs & prayers coming your way, OA.
I am done w/chemo for now & surgery next month for Ovarian cancer ...not caught early by my family dr. ...diagnosed as a 'fatty tumor.' So I am VERY happy yours was caught early! My sis is a 5 yr survivor of double M now this year. Enjoy, enjoy your Christmas celebration... heck w/the chair backs! ;-) ~~hugs, Jeanne S

Wow! That is an amazing table. You did a wonderful job. I agree with you and others that something on the backs of the chairs would add a nice layer of texture. I also like your idea (for next year) of using a black tablecloth for added contrast. BUT, even if you did nothing else, your table would seem amazing to your friends and family...just terrific.

I'm sorry to hear that you've been diagnosed with BC. I don't know what your treatment plan will be, but I'm sending you positive thoughts to carry with you through the process. I am a 9-year survivor after a stage III diagnosis and participate in an ongoing support group with lots of survivors, one of whom is now a 25-year survivor. I know that BC will be at the forefront of your mind for the next few months, but know that you will eventually get to a place where you don't think about it every day. Be kind to yourself and ask for help when you need it.

I happened to see these and thought of you. I don't know the quality, but the price is sure about right. They don't have enough for all of your chairs, but maybe you could put one on every other chair.

Here is a link that might be useful: Santa Hat Covers

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I am pretty optimistic at this point. It looks like chemo is in my future, but nothing is for certain yet.

Fun, I like the Santa chairbacks. In fact, Amazon had a lot from which to choose. However, 22 might run me more money than I want to spend, so I'll be sewing my own. In addition, my folding chairs are a funny shape (although you wouldn't know it to look at them). The backs are low and slanted inward, so they must be covered with a short, arched cover ((which I made for a beach themed shower). If I want the covers to hang down longer (to the seat), they must have a gusset between the front and back side so that they'll hang straight down.

Well, that's probably more than you ever cared to know about anyone's folding chairs, but as you can tell, purchasing regular chair backs, no matter how appealing it sounds, just won't cut it.

Tried to find a decent photo of the Hawaiian Wedding Shower to help illustrate my point, but failed. so just trust me.

I've decided to make Tartan plaid chair backs, as I think they can be used for formal or informal Christmases.

Again, thanks for taking the time to comment on the table. Sometimes a person can't see the forrest for the trees. The chairs definitely need softening.

Again, thanks for the kind words too.

OA

OA...you did an amazing job on your Dickens Table!
So clever...I love how the whole display flows along
the table and works beautifully with the curve of the table too.
Not only does it all look elegant but
I'm sure will be fun to sit there
looking either way.
I'll join in the suggestion of using a cover on the chairs giving the table
a backdrop for your setting...

On another note, I am so sorry to hear
of your diagnosis and the pending double M.
How fortunate that it was found in time
Fun2Bhere offered such comforting and
good advice for you to consider.
Please know you have all of us here keeping you in our prayes and lending our shoulders should you need them to lean on.
Take care OA...
jane

OA, your tartan chair cover idea sounds like just the perfect touch. I was so busy looking at the table and village, I never even noticed the metal chairs. LOL.

I am so sorry to hear you are facing cancer surgery, please know you'll have my prayers along with all the others. I'm happy to hear yours was found early.

One of my long-time friends went thru this in
her 60's, more than a dozen years ago. And also one of my grandmother's and my favorite Aunt when both were in their 80's!! They 'rocked' it and did great. Like Fun2.
What inspirational ladies!
hugs, Karen

I would love to see this in person. Lovely! Your guests are so lucky to have a hostess like you. The only problems I could see is one, not eating and two, not leaving - I'd be too busy looking at every little detail. Great job! Talk about hostess with the mostess!

OA, amazing as always!! I love all the thought and detail you put into your tables!! You always make it so perfect.

So sorry to hear about the cancer, but glad you caught it early. T & P's for a full and speedy recovery!!

I love the idea of the chair covers. One other thought that I had was maybe find a pretty Christmas wrapping paper that you like and cut out disposable placemats.

I think what is bothering you about the table is the expanse of white. The placemats would break that up and then set off the snowy field for the village.

Just a thought.

Blessings to you and yours,
Candy

Oh, Candy, that's a marvelous idea. I can cut them any size (and shape - for the curve) and just toss them out after the dinner. I'm off to the store today for sure!
You're such a creative gal!

Much better!
I would have liked to find something in a darker green, but decided, after visiting 3 stores for paper, that I'd already put in too much time on this table.
At any rate, here's a shot of the new and improved Dickens table.

OA, Adding the green paper placemats really change the look of the table. It was wonderful before and it is wonderful now, just a bit more colorful.
Great idea candy!
I'm keeping you in my prayers,OA
Nana

This post was edited by nana2010 on Sat, Dec 14, 13 at 16:01

FABULOUS!!!

The colors now just POP! Your flatware shows up so much better, and the green with the burgundy napkins is spectacular!

It was great before, but now.......I'm just in awe!!

Love it!!

Christmas Blessings,
Candy

Just a word of encouragement to you. I was diagnosed in February, double M in March, and chemo late April-early August. And I'm also a long time Dickens Village gal! Everyone I met who has been through similar bc told me to never forget that the treatment is no fun, but will eventually be over and life goes on. The surgery was not terrible- I took a grand total of 4 Tylenol. The chemo was no fun at all, but everyone is different so hopefully you will not have a lot of side effects. Now it's Christmas and I feel really good!!!

I'm not putting up my Dickens this year, not because I can't, but we have all my kids and grandkids coming for a week and just don't have the room with 7 grandchildren running around. I just want a stress-free Christmas to celebrate my recovery. Good luck to you- keep your goal ahead to be feeling happy and healthy for Christmas 2014!!! It will happen!

OH, Patty, thank you so much for taking the time to post. As positive as I feel most of the time, I do find myself getting a little more nervous as the surgery date draws near. I'm usually OK during the day, but when my feet hit the floor first thing each morning, I feel a little sick.

I am expecting the surgery to be OK. I didn't take anything for the lumpectomy, so I should be able to get along with what they give me for the double M. I am very prone to motion sickness and verdigo, so I anticipate some problems with chemo - but I have a new grandchild coming tomorrow! That's enough to make me know I can stand anything for 6 months.
Again, thanks for your kind words. It's always good to hear from someone who has experienced this first-hand.

LOL. I also have benign positional vertigo! Maybe we were twins in another life. One of my (many) chemo side effects was some instability in walking, but I never had a vertigo attack so don't dwell on that worry. They said I might, but didn't. I was ok walking around the house, but a few problems occasionally when out and about- always wanted to have something or somebody nearby I could grab onto if I felt a little unstable. That has passed and I go out alone now and lead a normal life!!! Hooray for a normal life! Get a wig you love!! My hair is growing back in now, but I love my wig more than I ever loved my own hair. You really want to feel good about yourself!! I decided right in the beginning my life would not be defined by this bump in the road and I would NOT become a "victim". It has helped me stay positive (though you are allowed to whine if you feel like it!). Please keep in touch. So many gals helped me and I would be happy to help you if you have questions. I'll be glad to send my email address if you would like, but don't want to intrude.

Oldalgebra, the green adds a lot of depth. I like it. Good idea, Candy!