Thank you to everyone for all of your sweet comments about my Breakfast Room.
I am so glad you enjoyed the look back
from years past.
To continue, I am sharing my formal dining
room, mantel and buffet.
This was a special Christmas, as my son was
going to be deploying right after the
Holidays. I wanted to make it a Christmas
that stood out in his mind while he was
in Iraq.
Thank you for letting me share this
with you. xxoo
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First of all....I would like to say Merry Christmas, my blogging friends.
Second - I am sorry I have been such a bad blogger. I realize I have not posted a single entry since my grandson was born. Needless to say, its been a busy time at the Grits House. I have been decorating up a storm. My babies are coming home in a week, and because my son deploys again to Iraq (for the third time) in February....I want to make this a super, special Christmas filled with memories that will last a lifetime.
I am starting The Grits Home Christmas Tour with my formal Dining Room. I am a traditionalist at heart, but especially so at Christmas-time. I love all the glitz and glam of the newer Christmas colors and styles. I see them and admire them when others use them. But, for some reason....I always pull out my traditional reds and golds. "Stick with what you love," my mama always says. :)
So come on in....I have fresh coffee brewing with a dash of cardamon and cinnamon. Make yourself at home.....
Chargers and Christmas dishes wrapped in french ribbon bows.....like individual little packages for each dinner guest.
A neutral-colored tan and cream hounds tooth tablecloth with cream-colored sateen napkins.
Black lanterns are nestled next to a large, overflowing centerpiece.
A snow covered center is sprinkled with ornaments.
(thanks to KD at Southern Whimsy for suggesting and letting me "borrow" her scattered ornament idea. )
Candlelight creates a welcoming glow....
Stemware and antique family silver glisten....
I love square candles.
Red, green and glittery gold bows accent the lanterns.
A square gold charger is the base for Christmas china (dinner and salad plates) and green and white transferware plates.
Champagne glasses filled with mini-ornaments and sprinkled with snow....
Gold-rimmed stemware...purchased in Prague.
Small, red votive candles are scattered throughout the center of the snow-sprinkled table.
A "chocolate cake" sits next to an antique salt and pepper cellar stand...perfect holders for tealight candles.
Above the silverware, you see crystal knife rests purchased in England.
And now....let's move on to the fireplace and mantle...
I love lush garlands, especially when you can see layers and layers of goodness. I used berry garlands, grapevine, pinecones, hydrangeas and apples.
Three designs of french-wired ribbons create luscious bows.
The three plates in the center were added last minute to tie the tablescape into the mantle. (some pics to follow do not have these plates) I could not decide which Christmas plates I wanted to use this year.
I happened upon these reindeer this year at Marshall's. They have a great textural feel about them. I bought the lamps at HomeGoods. The Santa portrait was purchased about three years ago at Kirkland's.
Here - you can see the layers...
...and layers.....
...and layers.
I love how the lamps soften up the hardness of the brick.
Now, let's looks at the sideboard.....
The two plates are more Marshall's finds. Part of a wonderful collection I was able to pull together.
The print is surrounded by greenery and berries and topped with another large bow.
That's it for the formal Dining Room tour. I will also be posting the breakfast room tablescape and hutch, as well as, the foyer Bombe Chest.
I am joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. If you did not come from there, please make sure you hop on over to Susan's beautiful blog, where she will have a list of other tablescapers with a plethora of eye candy.
Blessings, Barb