Peppermint Stripes and Checks, OH MY! Let’s Dish #91

A week from today is Christmas! Doesn’t it seem like we just did Thanksgiving?  The older I get, the faster the time goes, and the longer it takes to get everything done!

Well of course, when I was younger I never had time to go to lunch with friends during the school year, and never during the Cmas season!  But today, I had a little shopping trip and lunch with my loooong time friend, Gail. We had a lovely time catching up, one of the joys of being retired!

You know Gail, the one who gifts me with all those wonderful tablescaping goodies!  We found some bargains at Christmas Tree Shop.  She had a great iphone app, so we got 20% off our whole order!  I think I need an iphone.

I’ll save what I got for another post, on to tonight’s table!

Nothing on this table is new.  I started with a red and white snowflaked check cloth I got for 90% off last year AFTER Cmas.  I think it came to 2.00, and it is cotton.

Next came the lacey charger from Ikea that Alma gave me for my birthday.

A red and white swirled plate, a lacey white plate, and then a little bowed bowl, all from CTS.

The centerpiece is an inverted striped bowl with a red ruffled bowl on top.  I used oasis and filled it with fresh greens, mums, babies breath and candy canes.  I used a snowflake embroidered doily underneath.  My friend’s mom made them many years ago. It reminded me of the edge of the charger.

Napkins are dish towels from CTS, and the red flatware is by Cambridge, via CTS.  The little candy striped butter plates were .25 after Cmas.  Candy striped salt and pepper shakers were 1.00.

I used a floor length cloth underneath the checked.

Red stems are from CTS.  The striped pitcher is by Nautica via Pfaltzgraf.com  I used a polka dot pedestal to stack the striped boxes of cookies as a take home.

A little striped spoon from WS is used for a place marker.

DH is feeling well enough to make the traditional Rugelach.  Thank goodness, as I don’t know how, and I don’ t want to learn or it will become my job!

You can see the Tutorial here. 

CandyS you won the gift card.   I haven’t heard from you yet with your address.

Next Wednesday’s Let’s Dish will be published early, maybe Mon night or Tues morning.  I know everyone will be busy Wednesday!

I am joining Thrifty Things Fri at Diann’s, Gollum for Foodie Friday, Susan for Tablescape Thurs.

Thanks for stopping by!

Please be a follower to link up,PUT YOUR BLOG NAME FIRST, link back to this party, turn off your word id, and leave a comment.

A few bloggers have mentioned that they are visiting but are not getting visits back.

If you link up, please be sure to visit and leave comments on at least 5 entries.  I know some of you do way more than that, and it is much appreciated!

Thanks to those who took the challenge! !  I enjoyed visiting all of you, seeing your table inspiration picture, then your take on it. 

I know some of you don’t like the confines of a challenge, but those of you who tried it said they had fun!  Planning on it again next year, so save those inspiration pictures!

See you Sunday for Alma’s Seasonal Sunday!  I want to show you my 7 ft tree I put up on the porch!  It was an after Christmas bargain for sure!

Reminder, if you pin something , please pin from the original blog so they get the credit.  Thanks!

 

Christmas in the Kitchen

Way behind here, the outside Nativity just got put up!  Yesterday the weather was wicked, but today the snow is all gone!  Yeah!

I love this plaque my hospital roomie gave me.  We have been friends since our sons were born!  We never run out of things to talk about. 
This year I went up to a four foot tree on the island.

It is a work in progress!  As I go through the bins I find little ornaments to add.  The predominate theme is copper mini pots and gingerbread ornaments.


I did something  a little different on the kitchen window sill.
I usually use faux garland, but this year I used oasis and put fresh greens and fresh flowers.

I wove a string of lights through it too.




Something very special arrived in the mail this week  from a sweet blogger!  I don’t know if she wants me to tell, so for now she is my Secret Santa!
I hope all your Christmas preps are going well. 






Time to get shaking and start baking!

The winner of the HG gift card is Candy S.  Candy send me your address via email.  The gift card is good at HG, Marshalls and TJMaxx.  If you don’t have one of those near you, let me know!

I am joining Alma, The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday, albeit late!  Thanks for stopping by!

Next up pics of the porch tree, I put a 7 ft one out there this year, and it is still standing, so far!
Thanks for stopping by!


I am also joining Kathe for You're Gonna Love It Tues.
Yvonne at Stone Gable for The Scoop

 

Marty for Inspire Me Tues.

The Challenge~William Sonoma Style~Let’s Dish # 90

HO HO HO Ladies!    Tonight is the challenge!
Please link only if you took the challenge.
Show us the picture of the TABLE you are copying first, then your version.
If you didn’t do a challenge table, save it for next week, thanks!
There is also a gift card give away tonight , celebrating my 5 years of blogging.  You must be a follower to be entered, leave a comment saying you want in! 
I chose a picture from last year’s WSonoma catalog.  I have been saving it for inspiration.

I didn’t have a plaid rectangular cloth, so I used my round table.

I have had these pine cone candles for years, and finally they came in handy!
I added a little greens and baby’s breath so I could have a fire hazard. :0

I used silver flatware, Calypso by Towle that I got at Cmas Tree Shop for 16.99 less 20 %.  You can find it at Pier One for a lot more.
Next came a black charger, plaid plate from WSonoma, on sale last year in the Outlet. 


Next came the WSonoma salad plate .  They were a hostess gift last year.

Plaid napkin, had them for years, and a cracker.  I didn’t have plaid ones, thought about wrapping these in plaid wrapping paper, but then decided, nah!

I added a pine cone for the name tag instead of around the cracker.

The large and small lion head tureens are Apilco, from WS Outlet.

The WS table doesn’t use a centerpiece, or in this case an “off center piece”, but I didn’t have any little wood sculptures like they used, so I took a white cake pedestal, wove tartan ribbon through it and placed a tartan Santa on top.  I surrounded him with fresh greens, mums and baby’s breath.

Glass stems in clearance at CTS, .99, and tiny brush trees are on each plate.

I used 2 simple candle sticks, they used 3, but my table was smaller.



It was interesting as I did the table, I wanted to change things!  But the idea of the challenge was to duplicate the picture.

After I was done, I added the lions head soup bowls.  In the WS pic there is a soup spoon and tureen, but they don’t show a bowl.  I decided we needed a bowl, so sue me!





That’s my take, you be the judge!
I will definitely do this again next year, I thought it was fun.  Yes, a challenge to stay true to the inspiration, but it makes you think!  I usually put the center piece in the center, lol, but I resisted and left it off to the side.
How did you do?  Did you find it enjoyable?
Please be sure to mention you are doing the challenge in the body of your post, and link back to this party so your readers can see the other entries.
Turn off your word id,BLOG NAME FIRST, and visit as many as you can.  As I said, only link this week if you took the challenge.  THANKS!
The winner of the give away will be announced in my Seasonal Sunday post.

Thanks so much for visiting, and an extra big time thanks for all those who took the challenge!
Some peppermint bark  for you!


I am joining Susan for Tablescape Thursday, Diann for Thrifty Things Friday.

Easing into Christmas with Holidays by Lenox

Good evening, Ladies!  Hope everyone is well.

My first table for December is featuring the Holiday Pattern by Lenox.  I get mine at the Lenox Outlet, and with a coupon it is quite reasonable for china.

The tablecloth and napkins are also from the Lenox Outlet.

I used a silver charger from Noritake, the Lenox dinner and salad with a green glass bowl.  The flatware is silver and gold.

The centerpiece is a tree in a bucket and I added fresh mums and baby’s breath.

You can see it here, unadorned.  I also added a string of battery operated lights.

You can see the lights in this picture.  I swirled a tartan ribbon at the base to mimic the ribbon in the cloth.

The napkin ring is from Kohl’s, greens, bells and pinecone.

The green glassware is by Gorham from the Lenox Outlet.  Salt and pepper trees are from Wsonoma, as well as the star mirrored coasters.

Candlesticks are by Mikassa.

Here’s how I used it last year in a more casual setting.

In my last post I went back and gathered pictures every Christmas table I had done since 2008 when I started.  If you didn’t see it, take a scroll through if you have time.

For this weeks Seasonal Sundays I am going to do the same with the holiday recipes. 

Next week is the CHALLENGE.  To take part, you must show us your inspiration picture from a magazine or internet, and then show us how you copied it. 

As it is my  5th blogaversary, there will be a gift card giveaway .  Hope you will join in, or at least come take a look.  I can’t wait to see what people picked!

Have you started your Christmas Baking yet?

I haven’t!  I think I will start with some cookies this weekend, time is flying!

If you are linking up tonight, please remember to turn off your word id. You must  link back to this party and put your blog name first.  I hope if you link you will leave a comment too!

ONE TABLE related post , no crafts or just recipes please.  Be sure you have time to visit at least 5 entrants if you link. 

Thanks for stopping by during this busy season!  Be sure to take time to enjoy it, it only comes once a year! :0