Pretty!

Just using what I already have, because adding to the madness would warrant Marie Kondo to move in!

Because I am on an the cell 🤪

Okay, so the bottom dish is my china and the top dish is my kitchen lunch plate.

oh @njmomma, i love that!!!

I particularly like interesting plates with the napkins under, like a matting on art

PS my red (?!?) tartan napkins just arrived. Along with snow.

Awe thank you! Can you believe that the top plate is Corelle dinnerware!?

Don’t forget to post your new napkins

I don’t often use disposable plates, but these from Festive Farm Co would be contenders

oooh, those are nice!

Beautiful prints on those paper plates.

As soon as we cleaned up from Thanksgiving I set the table for our dinner next week with a few friends. I used the tartan tablecloth overlaid with a smaller white cloth that has a beautiful wool crewel holly pattern around all four edges. It didn’t come in a size big enough for my table but I had to have it and it works well enough like this. Silverplate chargers, white and gold Limoges plates, Christopher Radko bowls, Waterford water glasses and no-name plaid champagnes (from Tuesday Morning) with red fringed napkins. I may change the centerpiece to red roses in the faux bois planter if I have time.

I will replace the platters here with serving dishes for the dinner, but the rosemary topiary in my pewter ice bucket will remain. The runner, which you can see in more detail below, has a red velvet band and is appliqueéd and sewn with red beads for berries. I bought it at Target in the very early 2000’s!

Finally, I wanted to share the three small paintings I did tonight. I am painting five more and will write the menu on the reverse side and send them home with our guests.

the paintings are fabulous, KSWL!

Thanks, Mtn— I am going full-on plaid 😁 I have a special friend group in our choral society that meets every Monday for dinner at a local restaurant before rehearsal. Our Christmas concert is Tuesday and I am having them over beforehand for a fancy but light supper..

K, I’m so impressed by your hand-painted cards! Have you always painted/sketched or is it a newly developed skill?

KSWL what a festive table setting and your hand painted menu cards are so beautiful. What a talent you have been blessed with.

I’ve been painting in oils and acrylics in studio classes for five or six years, Bbstx, but just picked up water colors this past summer. There were daily classes on the Queen Mary with two great artists/ teachers, a different one each crossing. I sometimes took both the morning and afternoon sessions— absolutely loved it. and continued to play around with it at home. Part of our downstairs overhaul will turn that sunroom into an art studio for me.

Thank you Bbstx and Njmomma 😊

Wow, ks, I too am impressed with your holiday paintings!

Psst, not to brag, but I have a kswl original framed over my desk.

What gets me, is plaid ... in watercolors! That seems uber hard

Lollol, Mtn.. you def have to let each color dry before adding the next one! It’s a bit time consuming but incredibly satisfying. I am planning a series for Lent; choosing 40 subjects (to paint one each day) is somewhat daunting but I am hoping it will be a valuable spiritual exercise as well as fun.

My goodness, @Kswl, those cards are delightful and your table setting is perfection. What lucky friends you have that get the benefits of your artistic eye and hands.

@Kswl Beautiful paintings!

This isn't for the table, but when we were looking at plates, and came across Ginori my DD1 said to me "OMG, I have that saved on my pinterest like 5 times." She meant the pink and navy colorway.

I saw this little trinket box and ordered it for her.

I also love many of the other colorways:

Like them all but ❤️ the last one… lovely!

Finished my center piece. Until then I'll enjoy it on my coffee table.

Beautiful!

More Hester & Cook

The plates shown are sold out. They recommend substituting these plates from Pottery Barn, which I think are adorable! But for the fact that I am trying to have less, I’d buy them.

The above plate is really lovely. Perfect dessert plate if they come in that size. Your table is so festive and that table runner is perfect.

@Kswl for someone not decorating for Christmas, you present a magazine worthy tablescape, sideboard and the most gorgeous hand-painted cards for your guests. Your not decorating is my over the top effort.

ps - Need a link to your Etsy shop because I would 100% want to start a collection. Beautiful work. I mean, that plaid!

Wonderful table setting photo Bbstx. Those red plates are too cute! I would love a dinner plate size… in green. IF I needed more plates, which I do not! Dishware is a slippery slope 😁

Link to the article where the above table appears: LINK

I stuck a bunch of branches from the back yard in a vintage vase yesterday and bam, I was done with my holiday centerpiece. My green tablecloth arrived yesterday, too, but I haven’t opened it yet.

Asaaah, miss read. Still a pretty table setting

(Deleted because I accidentally posted my pics on the wrong thread, sorry! Anyway, love #5, Mtn!)

When I put out the trash this morning, I realized that I have not put the Christmas wreaths on my front doors yet!

I went to a wreath-making class yesterday; it hasn’t made it to the door yet.

Love the little bluebird!

I got a $12 TJ ’ starter wreath’ and added magnolia leaves and juniper berries.

And with the vision of snow outside my rusty leaves and berries are now anxious to become compost.

Sweet cards, Kswl!

I have nothing but plans at this point, and we won't have any guests for the holiday meals, so no need for fancy table settings, but I will decorate a bit for sure.

And FWIW, a trick I learned in commercial art is to use a hairdryer to hasten drying of paint/inks, etc.

I do use a mini hairdryer Carolb, but am probably going to get a heat gun as the air can redistribute the paint if you’re doing something very wet. Ask me how I know 🙄

Ruby I missed your nice comment yesterday,🥰 thank you! I finished another couple of cards tonight, both trees. One with a red and gold base

And one with a plaid base

and this is is menu on the reverse

The tuxedo truffle mouse cake is coming from The Fresh Market. I was writing the menus and worried that the store might be out of the cake —and that I would have to paint all new cards if they were and I’d included it— so I called the market and stayed on hold for 23 minutes while some person went off the find the cake. When he finally returned he was so apologetic; the store was a madhouse and I could hear it the whole time in the background, there was no muzac and apparently no hold button! People kept asking him for things and the manager had him looking for something else. Luckily they have it and I am picking it up tomorrow …..whew!

adding……Ruby your post alternately appears and disappears on this thread. I have noticed other posts seeming to have been deleted, only to reappear at a later time. Has anyone else noticed this? Is there a reason? Are posts not visible while they are being revised, for example?

Hester & Cook have Christmas tabletop stuff on sale - 20% off

I’m thinking about buying these placemats and a red and white striped runner to go with them.

H&C show the placemats with a gold and white striped runner or a pink and white striped runner. I like both of those looks, but I’m setting a table for small children. They like bright colors!

Christmas 2024 (rental house post-fire)

Brunch:

Dinner:

Love it, Mtn! Since you’ve seen the placemats IRL, do you think they will work with the red and white stripe?

Definitely!

I am still waiting for my Hester & Cook order. It has been a week, which is forever. Maybe today, since I got an email saying it is at least in MA.

Mtn, I love the candles on your table. Were those from the airbb or did you get them somewhere?

I got them last year at Whole Foods -- kind of scrambling to decorate in a very different environment. They have a scent, which I like, but is fairly strong.

It says "Paddywax" on the bottom and "Sea Salt and Sage."

ooh lost of cuties on Paddywax's website

https://paddywax.com/collections/cherie

Would this be like a reciprocal influence loop?

PS okay that was fast - just bought these for my DDs:

Those ceramic covered candles are so cute! I have seen them in a store somewhere.

I spoke too soon, just opened the door to find both my H&C order and my plates from World Market! I love it all, except that one plate arrived broken. I emailed them, including a pic, so hoping they’ll send me a new one. I might have to clear my art project off the dining room table later and try out my new toys!

I like my oyster shell wreath. But BBSTX suggested I bring my bowl from the apartment. I worry it is too big and too high? IN any event I need more greens this I just stole from a mantle

Hmm, I like these?

Might be too busy:

One of my DDs is at the apartment, I will ask her to bring the bowl

I know Sue has a cold, so I will allow her extra time to post her table goodies!

Pearly ornaments in your bowl looks so pretty. Was just given this ornament, could send it to extend your theme.