Christmas in the Dining Room

If you were reading my blog last Christmas, you will recognize that my dining room looks the same as last year. I rarely change things in this room as I display my cherished Bethlehem Christmas dinnerware. If you are new to this blog, welcome. If you have seen this before, please indulge me a little. I designed this dinnerware in 2003 and had it mass produced. It can be purchased at Bethlehem Christmas.com . (By the way, it is on sale now at the lowest prices ever!!!)

I purchased a nativity set that coordinates with the colors of the dinnerware that I use in the center of the table.


The nativity set is elevated on cake plates to give it more presence. Then it is surrounded by artificial greenery and a few angels that I have collected over time.



I use silver trays as placemats to add more sparkle.

I use red goblets and my sterling flatware. However, I have to place the flatware on the wrong side due to the size of the tray since the knife and the goblet will not fit on the same side of the tray. Everything fits, if I put the forks on the right side (which is also the incorrect side) and the knife and spoon on the left side of the plate.

The dinnerware tells the Biblical Christmas story in 8 verses. Each verse has an illustration.







Having the table set makes a big impact with very little effort. The dining room stays this way throughout the Christmas season. When we eat in here, we use the dinnerware, run it through the dishwasher, then return the plates to the table so that it is ready to go for the next meal.

This is by far the quickest and easiest of my decorating! I still have much to do! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

I’ll be linking to Tabletop Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch and to the Christmas Tablescape party at the Lettered Cottage.
I'm also linking to the Holiday Dining Party at No Minimalist Here.
I'm also linking to Holy Days at Imparting Grace .

Dining Room Update Reveal

For the past few weeks I have been helping a sweet friend update her dining room. The difference is quite dramatic.
 
The photo on the left shows the before shot:  chocolate brown walls, brown hardwood floors, and brown wood furniture. The furniture was on loan from her grandmother until she could find something that she wanted to buy. All of the new furniture, with the exception of the settee, was purchased second hand and repainted. The chairs were a lovely brown with floral upholstery.

Chair seats and joints were numbered to make re—assembly easier.

All loose joints were glued and clamped to dry.


Everything was given a fresh coat (or five) of paint and glaze.

We decided to add a dark edge to provide an added detail to the table top.

Because we could not find a suitable used settee, we purchased a new one and painted it to match the chairs.




I happened to run across a pair of lamps for the buffet.

I really like the crackle finish.

This little tea caddy shaped box was painted and glazed in the dark accent color.

Thankfully, everyone involved in the project was pleased with the results!  Thanks, NP, for giving me artistic liberty!

I’ll be joining Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style.

I've had several emails regarding the new color of the walls.  It is Svelte Sage by Sherwin Williams.

Faux Mercury Glass Lamp

In a previous post I shared this faux mercury glass lamp.

When I purchased the lamp at a second hand store it looked like this.

I think that it held shells at one time but there were no shells when I bought it. I took it home and took it apart. I started by taking off the harp and light socket.

If you look carefully at the socket, you will see the words “press here”. You press there to remove the cover. Then you unscrew the wires.  I usually mark the screw with the smooth wire with an “S” since one side of lamp wire is smooth and the other side has ridges. It does make a difference! Now that the socket has been removed, I can pull the lamp cord down through the bottom of the lamp to take everything completely apart.

Next, I gave the globe a good cleaning, inside and out. Then I used a spray bottle with water to spray a light coat inside the globe. I followed this by a thin coat of Looking Glass spray paint.

I followed with several light coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry before the next. The finish turned out great .

I really like those dark spots!

You never know what the finish will look like! It is unique every time. After the paint dried, I reassembled everything. I was very pleased with the outcome.

Bird Tablescape

This is a bird themed tablescape that I created recently. It was created with things that I had on hand.

I used a variety of textures to add interest.

I started with my wicker chargers that were purchased some time ago from Nell Hills Online. Next, I used a round white plate with a textured edge and topped it with a square salad plate placed on the diagonal. The plates were also purchased some time ago from  Homegoods. They work together very well but were not purchased at the same time.

The napkins are embroidered hand towels that were purchased on clearance at Pottery Barn. I love how the birds face each other.

I used some brass twig flatware that was purchased at an antique store. I like the twigs but I am not wild about the gold tone brass. I have ordered a “brass darkening chemical” that I will be trying out soon.

The bubble glasses were a purchase from One Kings Lane.

For the centerpiece, I used yard clippings again!

These hedge apples or Osage Oranges were picked up from the side of the street. I had seen them for days, thinking they were tennis balls. I wondered why they were there since there were no tennis courts in sight. Then I saw them on another blog and I knew that I had to rescue them too. They are very pretty and have an aromatic smell too.

I also scattered my palm tree clippings along the table. You can read about them here.

The hurricane candles usually stay on the table. You can read about how they were made here.

The votives were purchased at Target

and the birds and nest are usually found in the guest bath.

I even made a modified version of pear salad thanks to Yvonne of Stone Gable. I ran across some beautiful red pears at the grocery store which were perfect for this salad.

This festive tablescape is getting us ready for the big bird meal in a few days. I can hardly wait.

I’ll be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.