Red & Gold Christmas Table, 2014

 
Please come into the dining room, where the table has been set for Christmas!



Instead of my usual cream Lenox *Winterberry* china, this year, I went with Mikasa's Rouge! 
A dear blogging friend, Mary McC. blessed me with four place settings of this gorgeous china.
Thank you SO much, Mary!  I immediately ordered four more so that I would have service for eight.



I love the rich red color & the deep coppery gold scrolls are right up my alley.
I like LOTS of bling!

  

This table has many treasured gifts on it this year.
The Lenox gingerbread man ornament was a gift
from Kathleen M., last year.  
I hung him in a spot, front & center.
Thank you, Kathleen!
I shall say a prayer for you every time I hang him on my little dining room tree.



I have two of the plates set on a gold double-tiered serving tray, positioned on the buffet sideboard.
It is flanked by two beautiful angels with feathered wings.







Atop the salad plates, are my Arte Vetro stemmed compotes, made in Italy by the Vitri company.
The intricate lace rims are hand painted in 18 karat gold & are hand wash only & only by ME.  That way, if I break one, I have only myself to blame.



Waterford crystal & Oneida Americana flatware complete the place setting,
along with white, hemstiched napkins with glittery gold napkin rings.



This HUGE Red poinsettia, with gold glittered brackets, was a Thanksgiving hostess gift from my beautiful daughter.
Thank you, Valerie!  It will be placed on the sideboard once we sit down to eat, and the compote-matching Arte Vetro vase will take its place, center stage, between two Ralph Lauren crystal candlesticks with gold candles.  




I even bought the butter dish that matches the china.
There are many more pieces to the set.
My birthday is coming up next month...I may have to go shopping! *wink*

Another very thoughtful gift on the table is this Portmeirion pair of salad servers from my "Lace Camp" sewing friend & mentor, Jerry R.  
Thank you so very much for your thoughtful & beautiful gift, Jerry!  You, too, will be remembered in prayer with every salad I serve with them.



They are resting in my Waterford salad bowl, that I hand carried onto the plane when we returned from Ireland, years ago.  I make a special point to tell my granddaughter about the  birthplace of her maternal great, great, great, great grandmother!  I also want her to know the history of the pieces she will inherit someday.



This round, crystal butter dish, which is currently holding ribbon candy, is also Waterford that I purchased on that same trip.



While out shopping a few months ago, with my quilting friend, Robin, I came upon this BEAUTIFUL vintage sugar skuttle!

I usually fill it with cashews but left it empty so you could see how the interior absolutely glows.  The intricately carved exterior resembles some of my other pieces, like the wine caddy below.



The pretty *crinkle glass* Christmas bulb wine stopper was a gift, from Cathy M. a sewing friend from my days of living in Venice, FL.  Thank you, Cathy!  Even though we have lost touch, I think of you every time I put it out.
 



This sleek crystal water pitcher was a gift from my step-son & his wife, (who live in Chicago) on a visit here to see his Dad.
What a thoughtful hostess gift...thanks Tom & Deb!




 

A second Waterford dish holds more ribbon candy on the other side of the centerpiece.  I have a real *thing* about balancing both ends of the table.  It also makes it easier for people to help themselves to a sweet treat to go along with their coffee & cookies at the end of the meal.







A pretty cut glass bread tray will hold some homemade rolls, using my father's family recipe.  His grandfather & my father's Uncle Scott, owned a bakery in 1916.  I have a token coin for a 5¢ loaf of bread from their bakery (with the family name) framed so that you can see both sides of it, along with a handwritten note from his cousin & a photograph of the two men standing in front of the bakery.  You can see it in this blog post.
 

As usual, I've used my sofa table, placed along the wall, as a sidebar, to set up coffee/tea cups.



My pretty poinsettia teapot matches the cups perfectly...another gift...from my sisters this time!
 
Thanks Weezie & Fritzie!!  I do ♥♥♥ my tea!
Christmas cookies for dessert are located on a round table, off to the side.
 



As I'm sitting here, typing this post, I glanced over to one of my two extra dining room chairs that we keep in the den.
I was amazed to see that the scroll design on the pillow is almost a perfect match to the scrolls on my new Mikasa china!!

Serendipity for sure!

I will be posting this table with

Tablescapes Thursday

& 

Foodie Friday which includes Everything Else, too

I hope the warm glow of the Christmas holiday continues to light up your homes throughout the New Year.

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.

I'll have Nicole's Mom's Christmas Tree quilt all ready to show off next time you visit.  I did the quilting with my Innova long arm quilting machine.  It came out SEW cute!!!

Christmas Preparations for 2014

I think everything is ready for Christmas!
The decorations are in place...



the wreaths have been hung, both inside & out...

 

the Santas & Angels are all in their usual places.


   

 I've been a crazy lady, baking all my favorite cookies the past few days!

 




I experimented with 'floating' icing this year, along with piping some icing details with special tips. 



 
  Love those "FROZEN" looking snowflakes!






 This is the first year I've seen Nestle's RED & GREEN Chocolate Chips!  



I had fun playing with my food...one Santa face for each grandchild's place setting.

I need to add some last minute touches to my table, so those photos will have to wait.





Wishing you a very Blessed Christmas!  

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.

KISS Guild Winter Wonderland Quilt Show

This past Tuesday, my KISS quilt guild held their Christmas Holiday party & combined it with a Winter Wonderland Quilt Show.  It was not open to the public & was just a gathering of the member's Christmas/Winter quilted items. 
We meet monthly, in the basement of a local church & received permission from them to use pews upstairs as our quilt "racks". 



 
A big "Thank You!" goes out to Norma H. & her team of elves, who set up the quilts, both the day before as well as on the actual day of the party.  Lots of work but it was SEW worth it to get to see all these wonderful quilted treasures.



My friend, Robin & I were in charge of the party downstairs, where we had tables set up for 100 people,
with cute Mason jar centerpieces holding Fat Quarters Flowers of pretty red & green fabric.



Each jar, filled with peppermints, had a festive holiday lid attached to the side as well as a darling cork snowman, fastened with raffia.  Thank you, Robin, for all your help with this party!





The decorated jars were all different & were awarded as door prizes at the end of the meal.

Since we meet at 10 am, members brought breakfast casseroles, fresh fruit salads along with muffins & quick breads to share. 

We used the Perfect Potluck site to coordinate the food contributions, which were abundant & DELICIOUS, too!



Each place setting had a sugar cookie in the center, as a favor. 

We tucked them into CD sleeves with clear cellophane windows & then sealed them with a winter snowflake sticker.

Not my usual elaborate placesetting type of tablescape but festive no less!

Let's go back upstairs to enjoy more photos of the quilt show!!







They were displayed all over the church...some on pews, some on the organ seat...
 

some on the steps.











Some even up in the sanctuary!
I think they were running out of room!
 











Did you recognize any of mine??












 

I see a little elf, working in the back doorway...
Hi Cathy P.!! 

 


I hope you enjoyed the show.  Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.
I'll be in the kitchen, still baking up a storm,



as there are only 4 more days till Christmas!  If you're in the neighborhood, stop by for some cookies & a cuppa tea.

Merry~Merry Everyone!!