Holiday TablescapeThe dining room is festooned with feathers & ice-dusted pine. Topping the table is a silk arrangement of feathers & poinsettias in an earthy terra cotta shade. It sits atop a faux block of ice-(a glass block window) atop a skirt of peacock feathers surrounded by faux berries, pine & orange pomanders studded with cloves & coppery glass ornaments. The tablecloth is a burnished bronze with gold accents-(a gift from my husband the previous Christmas). Three gold & embroidered runners cross the table. The centerpiece is flaked by a pair of English barley twist candlesticks & a pair of woven baskets with glass inserts filled with cranberries & two pillar candles.
The chargers are gilded melamine & the dinnerware Holly & Ivy by Portmeirion. These are my everyday dishes throughout the winter. I bought them all in bits & pieces on eBay throughout the years. The silver is my “company silver”. I call it that because it has to be washed by hand so I use it only for “special” occasions. The glassware is Bavarian etched crystal with deer, pheasants, grouse & ducks. They are lovely in the candle light & bring a bit of a “lodge” feel to the table. I bought them all at a yard sale this past summer for $1.00 each-(What a find). American Brilliant cut glass lends to the feel of sculpted ice. They all have some small imperfection but are beautiful none the less. Red plaid napkins complete each place setting. Sparkling votives twinkle in gold glass cups scattered around the table. The lighting is soft & intimate befitting a dinner of family & friends.
Portmeirion Holly & Ivy china.
Sideboard centerpiece lit with sparkling white lights.
The Pomanders are a tradition in my family. When I was young, my mother & I made them every holiday. The spicy fragrance always reminds me of Christmas. These pomanders are faux. I used real cloves to stud them but the oranges are from Michael’s & the Dollar Store. I made a pattern using mini cookie cutters traced onto paper for the hearts & stars. For the bands encircling the orange, rubber bands did the trick to keep the rows even. I used a permanent marker to place dots on the areas I wanted to insert the cloves. Using a tool to start holes-(It came in a mini screwdriver set of my husbands) I poked a hole just deep enough to insert the clove. The oranges feel like plastic on the outside but have an interior made of Styrofoam so they were fairly easy to work with. Faux lemons or limes would work just as nicely. Everyone thought they were real & but these pomanders will still be lovely next year.
Happy Tablescape Thursday to all. Be sure to Visit our hostess Between Naps on the Front Porch for more eye candy & fabulous ideas.
