New Year's Eve 2014

Happy New Year to all of you! 

The table I set this year is very similar to the last two years, but because I got an amazing new toy, it sports a few new touches.  Yep!  I got a Silhouette Cameo for Christmas, and I couldn't resist making some little projects for this table.  First, let me thank my very sweet friend, Amy Barfield for taking time out of her medical practice to teach me the basics of this machine.  She is truly a wonder!  And a thanks to Robin at "All Things Heart and Home" blog for offering a really good bargain for the machine.  I passed it on to several of my friends, and at least two of them purchased one as well.  Now......group lessons! 

While I could have cut this out of vinyl and stuck it on the plate, I elected to cut it from cardstock and simply put the red cut-out on top of the silver glittered circle and sandwich it between the Lenox dinner plate with a platinum border, and a clear glass dinner plate.  You can't see the glass plate, but it's there.  Then I served dinner on the glass plate and that's all I had to wash, and the cut-out stayed nice as well.  (Not like I could re-use it, though.)  The silver chargers are inexpensive plastic ones, but they look better than some.

This is the table: white and silver with just a touch of red.

We almost never have snow in Georgia, so for some reason, this snowflake tablecloth seems silly at anytime other than New Year's Eve, when I pair it with lots of silver.

I added more snowflakes from the dollar store as little coasters under the Waterford goblets.

And, again, in the placecard holder.  I used my favorite mis-matched silverplate.

These cute little bread and butter plates came from the grocery store a couple of years ago. 

Ta-dah!  My other Silhouette project!  I made these napkin rings from the same red card stock.  I'm a little bit proud of this project, as I designed it myself, as my first project and I really, really, really didn't know what the heck I was doing.  You'd never believe how long it took, but I was learning as I went along.  (Sort of a steep learning curve!)  Then we had to have some noisemakers. 

I picked up a dozen red roses from the grocery store and split them into two square clear vases.  A few more flowers would have been nice, but this isn't bad.

Then I positioned this heavy antique silver tray with a mica snow covered scene in the middle of the table, but perpendicular to the length of the table to make it feel more intimate for the three of us.  ( My mom is visiting and at 89, she is too old to go out on the town........come to think of it, so am I.)   

Here's a close-up.  Some of these object are old and precious, and some are from the Dollar Store.

These are my Juliska knock-off white salt and pepper shakers and they look almost like they have snowflakes on them.

And for a little more sparkle, I used this Waterford wine coaster. 

Here's our table.  If I were a good blogger, I would have photo shopped that outlet and cord out of the picture, but I'm keeping it real at A Toile Tale.

May you be blessed beyond belief in 2014!

Joining:

Let's Dish

at 

Cuisine Kathleen

Seasonal Sundays

at

The Tablescaper

Valentine's Day Dinner

I'm sending this old post (complete with bad photography) to a fun linky party.  You can find it here:

Here's the way my post read almost two years ago:

We celebrated Valentine's Day a few days early with some special friends.  The table was a high/low mixture, which I love to do.  The only thing on the table that is strictly Valentine's Day is the salad plate, the rest is just a mix of red and white.

We're still in shock that we had Valentine's Day snow here in Georgia, but it did make for a pretty picture of the pond in the front driveway circle.

Of course, the swan  (egret? stork?) got a pretty ribbon and faux flower.  Isn't the snow pretty on that peony?  The bird always gets the decoration instead of the little guy, because I can reach it standing on the side of the pond surround. 

Next to greet our guests was this wooden plaque from Michael's that I just added pretty ribbons to and hung it from the "speakeasy door".  I forgot to take a picture of the gates which are the first thing guests see.  I hung heart shaped wreaths with faux peonies and lots of ribbons. 

Here's the inspiration for the table and one of my most cherished possessions.  It's a square linen cloth with heart trim that my sweet mom crocheted for me years ago.  It really pops on this red linen tablecloth.

I use it for Valentine's Day and often find a way to work it into the decor of a wedding shower.  I also used it in some way for both of my daughters' bridesmaids luncheons.

The centerpiece was a wicker and wood stand with holes just right for 3 common sized terracotta pots.  I fill them with oasis and then put as many red carnations into them as they will hold.  Then just a few galax leaves make a slight frill around the bottom.  This centerpiece will last for two weeks or more.

Here's a better look at it.  It's chippy and cheerful!

I'm sorry for the quality of this photo.  I forgot to get a close-up so this is over-cropped.  Do you see who came to dinner?  Look closely.  George Clooney!

I put some dream dates on the cardstock flag and asked everyone to pick a seat with the name they most resemble.  It was pretty fun.  Mr. Pressed Pants elected to sit here.  Good choice.  I also put a little glitter embossed and stamped heart on the flag and tucked it into these striped napkins folded in the shape of a heart.  If you Google "heart shaped napkin fold" you'll find several sites with instructions on how to do this fold.  BTW, I took the last seat and it was for Jennifer Aniston.  I hear you laughing!!!!

I chose my mismatched silverplate and the pearl handled knives. 

Glassware was these etched pinky-red stems for water (I'd still like to know more about these.  Anyone?), and Waterford Lismore wine glasses.

These sweet cherub candlesticks held simple white candles. 

The key to my heart, anyone?  I scattered several keys adorned with simple bows around the table.  These keys were actually handed to us when we closed on our first house, believe it or not!  That makes them a very nostalgic addition.

These red chargers are available anywhere and the dinner plates were just some I found at a yard sale.  They are more like pottery.  The red and white plate came from Target last year.  It is plastic.  I never hesitate to use plastic mixed with "good stuff".  Unless you are celebrating a very solemn occasion, go for the mix!  I use these simple red glass bread and butter plates lots of different ways.  Can you see the heart shaped butter pats?

Waterford wine coasters, a French butter container and red s/p shakers finished off the table.

The back of each chair had lots of tulle, ribbons, and a sparkley red heart.  Who doesn't love a sparkley red heart?

As usual, I carried the theme over to the guest powder room.  That small heart shaped box held Altoids.  I got this idea from my best friend.  She always has them in her powder room.  It is so nice to pop one in after garlic bread, ya know?  I just leave the lid slightly ajar and welcome anyone to freshen up!

These frilly flowers and this cherub embossed salt glazed pitcher are made for each other.

And.....as the other powder room says on a vintage postcard......."Valentine greetings" to all of my blogging friends.

You'll find me posted at Between Naps on the Porch for Susan's Tabletop Thursday party.  Be sure to visit for lots of inspiration.

betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

What's Wrong With This Picture?????

What's wrong with this picture?  It's in Atlanta, that's what!!!!  We're experiencing unbelievable weather.  I couldn't pass up the chance to get these photos.  This is the view from the back of the house down to the lake.  Isn't it something? 

All the statuary was cloaked in snow.

Here's the view from the front of the house looking towards the road between the (dead?) boxwoods.  This is the only clearing we did.

I haven't taken the wreaths down from the garden yet.  I'm glad this one on the gate is still up, because I might use this photo for our Christmas card next year.

Here's the potting shed.

This picture is like an oxymoron come to life!

How cute is this?

Check out the post I did yesterday for

our winter "tablescape" with hot chocolate

and snowballs!

http://atoiletale.blogspot.com/2011/01/epic-winter-storm-breakfast.html

Silver New Year's Eve 2010

As I began to gather things for our New Year's Eve table for 2011, I realized that I wanted to re-create the table that I did last year.  Sooooo.......I'm reposting that blog rather than photographing everything again.  Our meal will be different this year, but I'm pretty sure that things will look the same.  Wishing you a wonderful 2012!!!!!!!!!

After doing most of the prep work for dinner, I decided to try photographing the dining room table in the strong late afternoon light.  I really didn't think I would like the shots, but some of them were very pretty.  This one gives you a view of the table and I particularly like the reflection of the nadina berries in the salad plate.  I put the place settings all at one end of the table, as there were only three of us and I wanted it to be intimate.  We are stay-at-homers on New Year's Eve.  All we need is a nice, quiet dinner and then we watch the neighbor's fireworks and call it a night!

I've used this cloth the last two years as my New Year's Eve choice.  It is an organza overlay with a white hotel linen cloth under it.  It's almost ethereal in it's silver and white lightness.

Here's a close-up of the detail that became the theme for the table.

Here's how I used Dollar Store glittered snowflakes to echo the detail.

I used the two different sizes for the Waterford water goblet and white wine.  I also found silver snowflake place card holders at Kohl's last year.  This place was for our honored guest, "The Queen", aka, my sweet mother.  She is spending a couple of months with us to escape the cold up north.  (Funny, on the day she arrived, we had snow!!!)  She is responsible for my obsession with love of dishes and I'll have a partner in crime for a couple of months!

Here is my choice of dishes for the evening.

The silver leaf charger is from Pier One, many years ago.  The dinner plate is made by Gibson.  I bought the 20-pc. set for about $30 or $40 several years ago.  It isn't fine china by a long shot, but it gives a good look for the price.  I never worry about breakage, because you never break the icky stuff, just the precious, irreplaceable items.  The silver salad plate came from Kroger this year.  Who knew?  Kroger!!!  The flatware is my favorite collection of mis-matched silverplate.  I just buy pieces I love and only try to have a common shape to the handles.  In this case, I look for a keystone shape and it is very easy to find.

Last year, I found these dessert plates at Target and they looked great again.

If you've ever been at Homegoods and seen this Palm Restaurant line of linens, BUY it!  It launders great!  Here, I tied it with wired silver organdy ribbon and slipped a silver noise maker into the band.

Each placesetting had a silver bud vase filled with a Casa Blanca lilly and red nandina berries.  The berries were the only color on the table and I loved it like that.  The faux mercury glass votives came from Michael's last year and I put one of these at each place as well.

I was ready to put the rest of my Christmas decor away last week, but I hadn't tired of this vignette yet.  It's a mixture of vintage and new items on a heavy silver tray.  (Since the tray is sort of tarnished, I'll pretend I was going with the Shabby Chic look.)  It made a great centerpiece, even though I turned it sideways to cozy up the end of the table.  This was the side we saw as we were seated.....

And this was the "back" side of it.

This guy was on my breakfast table, all in white, for the "Ski and Snowshoe" table I did last week.  You can see it here. It's just some greens and berries added to a white serving tray with mica snow.

Here's the rest of the bunch of lillies on a chest in the dining room.  I usually dislike strongly scented flowers in the dining room, or on the table during dinner, but I make an exception for lillies or peonies!

Then, as darkness fell......

We sat down and brought in the new year.

Here's a peek at our salad course.  It is a roasted pear salad with cranberries, almonds and Saga bleu cheese.  After this course, I forgot all about pictures, as we were enjoying ourselves so much.  Trust me, my mom and I outdid ourselves and the dinner was great!  The menu is at the end of the post.

My wish for all of you is to experience the good fortune I felt that night.  I was in a beautiful home with two of the most important people in my whole life, enjoying a good meal and their unending love.  May you share these blessings as well.  Happy New Year!

Menu:

Dr. Pete's Praline sauce

over block of Cream Cheese

Assorted Crackers

Roasted Pear Salad with

Saga Bleu Cheese

Jalepeno Cheese Grits

Grouper with Crab Stuffing

Dill Sauce

Pecan Pie

Note:  As I read this menu, it sure sounds heavy on the CHEESE!!!!  Didn't notice it at the time!

I am posting this at Between Naps on the Porch on Tablescape Thursday and the recipe for the salad on Gollum's Foodie Friday.  Both of these special blogs are a wealth of inspiration.

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

See Jenny Matlock's Alpha-Thursday

for New Year's Greetings
http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/search/label/Alphabe-Thursday