Wednesday, December 22, 2010

It's Christmas!

Hello Everyone,

It's difficult to believe that Christmas is almost here! After all the planning, preparation, and (of course) shopping, it's time to begin cooking, baking, and (naturally!) setting what most of us hope will be our most beautiful tables of the year!

Snow flurries are predicted on Christmas Day in West Tennessee. I hope there's no accumulation on highways to impact travelers, but I do love to see snow falling at Christmastime. It just seems to bring back the holiday magic we felt as children. Just a few days ago, I awoke to find a dusting of snow on the front lawn.

Here's a picture taken from the porch:


Last week, I showed you the faux evergreens I made with real Christmas tree trimmings (free) from Lowe's. I just inserted a few branches into the urns where the Kimberly ferns had finally expired from the cold. I think the snow really enhanced the effect.



Wait, before we go in let me show you how I decorated the mailbox today using more of the evergreen trimmings. Pretend you don't see the sprig of holly that's falling over to the side! Looking across the street is a wonderful house inspired by a grand old home in Natchez, Mississippi. The original is called Edgewood. This house is at least a hundred years younger, but it captures the feel of an historic home. It also has a large fenced back yard (about an acre) and a tree house, an in-ground pool, and hot tub. The owners have purchased a larger house and this one will be on the market soon.
As Mr. Rogers used to say, "Won't you be my neighbor?" It's a special home, and it needs a family that will treasure and nurture it.

OK, come on in, and I'll show you the dining room ...

I set the table earlier this morning. Since this is partially a fantasy setting, I've already poured the faux (colored water) wine and have the coffee pot and cups on the table. The coffee would be served after dinner, with dessert, and that's when I'd bring in the cups.

You can see the colorful painting, with white daisies on a blue table in the background ...

The salad plates are Lenox Holiday (introduced in 1974). These were half-price last week at Belk. I paired them with vintage Lenox plates, cups, and saucers. The stemware is Fostoria Holly (1942-80), one of my favorite patterns. It's an obvious choice for the holidays, but I use it throughout the year. It's such a stylized design that I see it as a crisp, simplified laurel pattern.

I rolled the napkins and tied white wired ribbon around silverplated rings. To make them look more festive, I clipped button covers onto the ribbons. The clips were new in the package at a local estate sale and very inexpensive.

I decided a tablecloth was in order today, but selected an easy-care one. I like the neutral color, and I particularly like the fact that I didn't have to iron it!

See anything different? Yes, the artwork has changed ...

It seems to me that an angel might be a good choice to watch over us during Christmas dinner.

The coffee pot, serving pieces, and bread plates are all various Haviland patterns. The wonderful thing about using gold-trimmed, cream-colored dishes is that they all play well together.

I placed a runner across the table. Why across, rather than down the length of the table? I'm not sure. I tried it the other way and liked this better. They're our tables; we can set them as we like, right? ;)

I've recycled some dried roses many of you have seen before. I gave them a light spray of metallic gold paint, letting some of the brown show through. I also gave a dusting of gold paint to the zebra grass plumes. Some of the greenery is from Lowe's. I also added boxwood I trimmed from hedges near the back door (new growth that had sprouted since the last time they were clipped). I inserted everything in dry floral foam (the kind you use for silk/dried arrangements) and used a vintage milk glass compute as a container.

I placed my favorite Mikasa salt and pepper shakers in a thrifted sleigh ...

The silverplated flatware is a 1955 pattern, South Seas by Oneida.

Some of you might have read last week's post. I showed you a "new" set of Heinrich/H&C china (from Goodwill) and said I'd be using it for Christmas dinner. In case you were wondering where it is today, it's on a second table I set in the sunroom.

Almost everything on this table could have been used to serve guests in the 1950s/early 60s.

The laminated chargers are new-ish (another Belk purchase), but the china, crystal, and flatware are all vintage.

More evergreens with hydrangeas from the garden (summer before last).

I sprayed the dried hydrangeas gold, along with a few pieces of "money plant" and some "faux naturals" from older arrangements. The ones that look like berries are beads on wired stems that can be bent in various directions. This centerpiece is also arranged in vintage milk glass.

The flatware just missed the 50s; It's Leilani by 1847 Rogers Brothers, introduced in 1961.

I like the way the tips of the handles curve inward toward the plate.

The stemware is Linda by Tiffin (1960-73). I guess I should quit calling this a 50s table!

I think the stems are elegant, but the overall lines are clean and crisp -- a nice balance.

The china pattern is Golden Harvest, but I'm not sure when it was introduced. I now know the pattern was available in Germany during the Korean War (so, by or prior to the early 1950s).

I hadn't known when the dishes were in production until Sharlotte of Ms. Sharlotte's Southern Reflections wrote and told me about her mother's china. Sharlotte posted her mother's Thanksgiving table HERE. In the post, she tells us her father purchased the Bavarian china for her mother when he was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. She says it's among her mother's most prized possessions, used for many special family dinners. And it still looks great!

Here's a closer view of the dinner plate. All the pieces have gold decoration; some include grey plants. The dinner plates and larger serving pieces feature wheat in their design. Wheat motifs were extremely popular in the 40s and 50s; it seems that all the dinnerware manufacturers produced a version of it -- from Lenox, sold in nicer shops, to the companies that made inexpensive dishes for gas stations and grocery stores to use as gifts with purchase.

Selected areas feature hand-applied gold decoration. Perhaps you can see the raised decoration in the image below:

Guests at this table will be dining near the Christmas tree.

Let there be light!









I thought a mid-century carafe ($2 on day two of a local estate sale!) would be appropriate. The rolls are faux, so we won't have to worry about them getting cold. ;)

Time to light candles in the dining room. I made a quick decoration by placing a string of 100 clear lights (white cord of course) in a Cambridge Caprice bowl. I covered the lights with Dollar Tree ornaments and voila!

I'm not sure the angel approves. She seems lost in thought, doesn't she? This was an inexpensive poster, dry-mounted on foamcore board. Then acrylic medium was brushed on to protect the surface (and to create the illusion that it's a painting).

There's a wide linen liner, and the custom frame is actually two mouldings "stacked" -- the inner one nestled in the outer. It would have been frightfully expensive to have done, but I was able to purchase it for a reasonable price when a frame shop changed displays.

More angels ... I used thrifted cream and gold Holiday figurines and objects, along with antique estate sale pieces. This is my favorite sort of table setting, with antique, vintage, and new items intermingled to create a look that I think is fresh and interesting.

Such tables evoke the timeless feeling of items collected (and perhaps inherited) over time.



Fostoria Holly is one of the few patterns that feature both a grey etching (the pointed leaves) and a polished, wheel-cut design (the "berries"). Imagine the artistry of the designers and the labor-intensive processes of skilled artisans, who molded stems; blew bowls; and etched, cut, and fire-polished this elegant glassware!


Most of the glassware on today's table came from the living estate sale of Ms. Lucille, a West Tennessee widow in her early 90s. She's gone to an assisted living facility now, and had no further need of the things she selected as a bride. I met her nieces at the sale, and they helped me wrap the fragile glassware. I wish someone in the family had wanted these glasses but, since they didn't, I'll think of Lucy whenever I use them. I saw a recent picture of her in a wheelchair holding a little dog. I believe I'll offer a toast to her on Christmas, imagining her as young and laughing, using this still-sparkling crystal for the very first time.







I'd never tried painting plumes of ornamental grasses before, but I like the effect. It's subtle --the word, gossamer, comes to mind ...



A view that includes the sitting room mantel ...

The lighted ficus tree in the corner ... I made no attempt to hide the wires (afraid of causing damage). It lost a few leaves, but I think they were the ones it was ready to discard anyway.

When my father first saw this picture, he thought I had painted a portrait of my mother as she looked in her twenties.

When I was a child, she told me about when he came to pick her up for their first date. She had long, black, wavy hair. She wore a white peasant blouse and a black skirt, with a colorful border trimmed in rick rack (which she'd added at the hem. It had shrunk when she washed it ... and she wasn't inclined to throw things away!).

She was sitting on the porch waiting for him to arrive. As he came up the steps, he looked at her, smiled, and said, "You look like an Indian princess."


Why does telling you that story bring tears to my eyes? I suppose our parents never lose their power over our hearts and emotions, particularly during the Holiday season.

The wine is chilling (I almost forgot it was water with food coloring!) .

I didn't intend to write so much, since I know it's a very busy week for everyone! I need to get busy and finish wrapping gifts! Here are a few more views of the table:



Don't ever assume it's expensive to add touches of vintage elegance to your holiday parties and meals. The silverplated bowl and tray below only cost $3 at a local estate sale (reduced from $6 on the second day of the sale). Estate sales, thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, and estate auctions can all be great sources of silverplated items. Remember that tarnish can protect the finish, but look and feel pieces carefully for rough spots that might indicate worn plating and rust. If you like the "shabby chic" look (does anyone say that anymore?), even imperfect items can be interesting.

Wishing you all the light, joy, and warmth of this magical season ...

Please join Susan of Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday!


Merry Christmas!

72 comments:

  1. As always, your tablescapes are magnificent!

    Merry Holidays


    Mr. Goodwill Hunting

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  2. Bill, your home is exquisite. It has such good looks and wonderful bones as it is, and then you add this layer of elegance and beauty with all your wonderful furniture and tableware and pretty things. Just stunning! Are you hosting many parties this year? Wish I lived closer!

    I love the two tables but esp. the dining room. The angel poster is just lovely, ethereal and all the Haviland gold pieces bring everything together. Your centerpieces always astound me - so creative. I am going to start keeping more dried flowers so I can spray them gold. Who knew?

    I am on the verge of starting to look for Haviland Concorde pieces. Have been scouring Replacements and ebay for patterns I like but the Concorde is a beauty. I am not sure if it was on your table but I did like the cups and saucers that were similar. I must go back and google your blog and see what pattern they are with the broader gold rim.

    I am so jealous that there is boxwood out your back door. I love it and it will not grow here. :(

    Merry Christmas and I hope it is filled with love! xo Terri

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  3. Beautiful, Bill, and your tree looks so pretty in the background! My very best wishes for a blessed Christmas, and say NO to snow!

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  4. Bill, these tables and your home are so totally amazing.I love the gold plumes! Clever, clever. I love that you used a non-ironable (is that even world) tablecloth. Your mailbox is so over the top!! even with the listing holly... It's beautiful. The harvest china is really wonderful, it's stylized very typical German, simple and not overdone. I love the mix of the gold bands on the dining room table. Elegant but not fussy. Your runner is the icing on the cake. Merry Christmas and thank you for bringing us so much joy in the form of delightful eye-candy! May your holidays be blessed!

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  5. Bill, you have posted a lovely post today. I love the angel watching over the table and the 1847 flatware with the turned handles.What a neat idea, it sure would help placing the silver on the correct side of the plates and a good training for young children also. And spraying your dried roses gold, well just this morning I spied my last roses given to me by my son and thought I needed to throw them away, but now I am going to spray them gold. Thanks for the great idea. I hope Ms. Lucille has a pleasant and memory filled holiday. Enjoy your holiday and may you continue to inspire so many of us again next year.
    Stella B.

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  6. Hi Bill,
    The table looks so beautiful. Your mother must have been so beautiful. Yes, thinking about my own parents and how fast they are aging fills me up with emotions too.
    Gotta love those estate sales, how fun that you are able to find such great deals. I don't think I've ever been to one. All there is out here are yard sales! no way will I find beautiful pieces like that.

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  7. Bill,

    Once again your table(s) are magnificent & beautiful. Loved to see you repurposing old blossoms into a gorgeous centerpiece.

    Hmmm...I am detecting another person with a passion for china loves the Haviland Concorde also. Thanks again for introducing to me to the pattern. My little set is coming right along, and the possibilites of marrying this with other ivory/gold patterns is endless.

    You inspire me
    Carol from
    Good 'Ol Texas

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  8. Beautiful as always -- your tables are always amazing! I love the "real" things -- the silver and china and crystal and always a pretty and practical centerpiece (practical meaning that you can talk over it -- not around it!)

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  9. I enjoy drooling over your posts so much. Everythnig is just magnificant. Thank you for sharing your home with us.

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  10. Lovely Bill -- It's always like unwrapping a beautiful gift to visit your pretty tables. I'm sure Ms. Lucille's eyes would just sparkle like your pretty white lights to know that her lovely glassware had found it's way to your table and will be so appreciated (actually not only by your fortunate guests....but also all across blogland!) I wish you a hearth of warmth, and a home filled with happiness for Christmas and the New Year. Merry Christmas Bill!

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  11. Hi Bill ~~~You did it once again, Your Tablescapes are so Beautiful!!! Your guest much love coming over to your lovely Home for the s Holidays ~~~I hope you and your Family have a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year~~

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  12. Two more beautiful creations! Love the centerpieces. I use to have a silver tray and bowl set like that years ago. Got rid of it, when I went on a binge to get most of the silver out of the house (did not like the polishing).
    Got up to that dusting of snow Sat. morning. If we don't get any more than that, I will be happy.
    Your neighbors bought a bigger house ?!?! :D
    Hope you are enjoying the holiday season!
    Glenda

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  13. It just gets better and better every time you post something new. I so enjoy seeing your beautiful things and you have a real gift for tablescaping. Just lovely.

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  14. A favorite memory of living in Tennessee, during the early 1960's, is the absolutely gorgeous homes. When I think of TN, that is what I see; beautiful homes, like yours and your neighbor's.

    Your tables are exquisite, as always, Bill.

    Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season and all the best in 2011.

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  15. I am still wishing that you were my uncle and I was your favorite neice so that I could take part in your celebrations! As always, your settings are masterpieces that require that I make a cup of cappuccino, sit and take in all the beauty that is not to be rushed through.
    THANK YOU, for all the thought and time that you put into your tablescapes and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you, Bill.

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  16. Hello Bill,
    as usual all is wonderful. Love the golden sprayed dried flowers. China, Flatware, Stemware, everything is just gorgeous.
    Wish you a blessed and wonderful Christmas time.
    Greetings, Johanna

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  17. Would you want to adopt me??? PLease???? I love your HOME and the wonderful, thoughtful tables you present to us!!!! I truly appreciate all the time and effort you put into each and every table! I would not be able to decide which table to sit at except that I would LOVE to be sitting near the Christmas tree! Thank you for every table you have done this year, they have all been exquisite!!!!! Wishing you a Merry, blessed Christmas, Bill! XO, Pinky

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  18. Bonjour Bill,
    Your home is beautiful, and your table...are your aceepting reservations. Each detail adds to the elegance.
    Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!
    Mimi

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  19. Merry Christmas Bill! Your tables are a feast for the eyes...I just love to look at each and every piece you have so carefully displayed. I always enjoy reading about your treasures, you are so very inspirational! {Thanks too for the mention.} Have a wonderful holiday season!
    Sharlotte

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  20. Hi, Bill, and Merry Christmas! I LOVE the outside of your home. I think that's the first time I've seen it. Very pretty! Reminds me of the homes here on Ward Parkway. The table inside is - as always - gorgeous, too. Everything is so well put together, and I just love those votive holders! You do such a tremendous job of finding wonderful bargains, something I have not mastered. I think my level of patience is somewhere around a zero. :-( But you find fabulous stuff!!! I liked the back story about your Mom & Dad's first meeting. How sweet! I hope you have a marvelous Christmas!

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  21. Bill, Beautiful tablescapes! Very classy and elegant. Love to join you for Christmas dinner-don't worry I'm a bit too far north to make the trip! Merry Christmas and all the best to you and your family.

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  22. Christmas Blessings to you and your family, From my mountain to yours Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

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  23. Merry Christmas, Bill! Everything looks beautiful and I LOVE the story of your Mother and Father. I hope you and your family and friends have a wonderful holiday and a happy and healthy new year. Sláinte!
    Best,
    Gloria

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  24. Bill, everything is done to perfection as usual. Your china and all of your accessories are stunning, and the centerpiece is exquisite. Love the paper roses, so beautiful. Your home always looks so warm and inviting and especially at this time of year. I wish you and all your family a very Blessed Christmas. God Bless. Hugs, Marty

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  25. Hey Bill. Think I recognized a few pieces I might have sold you! The white and gold trim is perfect with the holly plates. I thought about you this past weekend while we were at a dinner party. A couple without kids invited us parents with a total of 7 kids over. My child was a co-conspirator in breaking a china plate and knocking over a red (burning) candle onto a gold table cloth. I feel obligated to replace it all, though my kiddo wasn't really completely to blame (who puts out their BEST when there are toddlers around?!) The replacement plate I bought retails for $37 plus pricey shipping. After lots of ironing with paper bags and hand-washing cycles, I got the red wax out, though you can see a stain if you hold it behind a light just right. I hope she has forgiven us when I deliver it all this weekend.

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  26. I enjoyed seeing the outside of your house and neighborhood! Your tablescape is breathtaking! I love the dried roses with the touch of gold! The angel painting is so pretty, your mother must have been beautiful! I love the first date story as well!

    Have a wonderful Christmas celebration! May God Bless You!

    Katherine

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  27. Beautiful as usual Bill! And yes-I agree-it's my table and I can set it any way I like. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season with those you love! Thanks for sharing.

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  28. Wow! You are truly gifted. I absolutely am in love with your tablescape! It's ritzy looking, yet friendly and inviting! Thanks for sharing!

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  29. Bill,
    I am crazy about that angel poster/painting. It is wonderful! I had a dream with an angel in it. What a wonderful story about your Mom and Dad's first date. Such beautiful tables. Have a very Merry Christmas!
    Sherry

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  30. A beautiful post...the photos, the table and the descriptions and history!!! Applause my friend!!!

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  31. Lovely as always! All of the items mixed together make such a wonderful table. And thank you to Miss Lucille. I love estate sales.

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  32. Bill, Thank you so much for sharing both of these beautiful examples of classic, elegant design. I was also very touched by the story of your parents. Very special indeed. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and all the very best in the New Year.

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  33. Beautiful! You always have the most gorgeous tables and vignettes. I loved the story about your mom and dad. Have a Merry Christmas and happy New Year

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  34. There is always enough time to enjoy one of your posts Bill. The baking and wrapping can just wait until we are done here.
    I have often seen those simple little candle holders in the thrift stores but they never look appealing. Your table makes them look special.
    Merry Christmas my bloggy friend.

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  35. Bill,
    FYI...My mother just read this post and LOVED it! {She felt so special!}. She mentioned when she received this set, it was shipped in wooden crates packed with wood shavings! Times are sure different, aren't they? She also mentioned that she has matching crystal stemware. It was manufactured by Rosenthal Crystal...the name of the pattern is "Wheat" and it matches this set perfectly. Here's the link to Replacements.com:
    http://replacements.com/webquote/RC_WHE.htm
    You might be on the lookout for this to add to your collection!
    Sharlotte

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  36. As always, you are an inspirations to us all. Your tablesettings are lovely. I do love how you incorporate mis-matched items, use pieces which were once unloved, and bits of nature in your designs.

    Christmas in my home is very casual. We have a simple brunch with our sons and their ladies (and dogs). Then we gather with the extended family for our annual reunion (this year, that will be on Sunday). With upwards of 50 people, we have gone the disposable route...even the serving dishes. It's much more fun to visit, than to wash dishes all afternoon. But I do miss my well-dressed table...

    Have a blessed Christmas...
    Jane (artfully graced)

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  37. Incredibly elegant as always! I love your tables and always expect something to take me by surprise. This time, it is the beautiful flatware. That pattern is just gorgeous! I have never seen it before, and I'm sure I'll be looking for it at replacements and ebay. The painting is breathtaking too. This time of year is especially sentimental for me as I remember my grandmothers who were so influential and such big parts of my life. I hope you have the merriest of Christmases!! Thank you so much for sharing your elegant style with us this year! Anita

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  38. Merry Christmas Bill. Your table as usual, takes my breath away! Magazine worthy! I love to see how you mix it all up. The classic Lenox Holiday pattern looks so elegant in your home, on the table. And your home looks so wonderful with a dusting of snow. How Christmasy! ~Delores

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  39. Absolutely exquisite, as always!
    Have a wonderful Christmas.
    Shel

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  40. MAGNIFICENT!!! Two for the price of one!
    Your entire home looks wonderful, inside & out. Sure wish I could buy that house across the street...oh, the parties we could co-host!!

    I just love the sparkle & shine you've captured with these tables, Bill...like icicles in the frosty air.
    We have the same Eternal Christmas china! You said a mouthful when stating "The wonderful thing about using gold-trimmed, cream-colored dishes is that they all play well together" My sentiments exactly! LOL

    Talk about *gilding the lily*...I mean the *zebra grass plumes*!!! Too fun & it looks frosty. like your breath on a cold winters day.

    Putting the S&P shakers in the sleigh was a cute idea, too.

    I'm so glad that you bought & will cherish Ms. Lucille's glassware! I hope someday, when I'm dead & gone, that someone like you, Bill, will come along & set a pretty table & think of me, too. I shed a tear, thinking about your Mom & how she looked on that first date.

    Wishing you a very Blessed & Merry Christmas to you & yours, my friend & a HEALTHY New Year, too!!

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  41. Bill,
    I haven't visited here in so long...your home is simply stunning for the holidays! I love both designs for your table and could not choose a favorite, but would like to invite myself to sit down at either!
    Merry Christmas!!!

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  42. Hi Bill

    I love the story of the picture and our mother. I remember you telling us about the glasses and the old lady, a lovely story and I am sure she would know they had gone to a good home if she knew you bought them. I love your Leilan cutlery / flatware, the holly plates and the lovely glass tealight holder used on the tablescape in the sunroom.Well I love everything and your wonderful tablescapes. Have a very happy Christmas, love Jackie in Surrey, UK.x

    PS Why does your attic window have a solid covering in the middle and not glass, is it something to do with the window tax like we had here in 18th & 19th centuries?

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  43. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year dear Bill!
    Kisses, Zondra Art

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  44. You are a gifted storyteller, as much so as a tablescaper. I always learn something from your posts, as well as find new ideas -- like spraying the dried roses. I always have some in various states of drying in the attic, so this is definitely something I am going to try.

    I really wish some nice publisher would offer to collate all these beautiful posts into a coffee table book -- I would be the first to purchase!

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  45. Bill,
    Another absolutely gorgeous post! I have been on the hunt for Caprice and have picked a few more pieces. I can't seem to find the "deals" you do but I am very pleased with my purchases. I hope you will have a chance to stop by and see my Christmas Memories post.




    Have a wonderful Holiday Season.

    Carol

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  46. What a beautiful table you have made. I loved all your pieces especially the centerpiece. Have a Merry Christmas.

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  47. Everything looks so festive and beautiful. And I just adore that little lawn jockey. I've had my eye on one for about a year. However, we are about to relocate so I will wait until I'm settled. Until then I'll just admire yours. I wish you a fabulous Christmas. May Santa bring you accessories for future tablescapes to come.

    Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,
    Gigi

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  48. Two magnificent tables! Love the combination of current and vintage wares. The lighted bowl is beautiful.

    And by the way, that house across the street looks lovely, but with yours all decked out, yours steals the show.

    Have a blessed Christmas.

    - The Tablescaper

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  49. I always love your posts. You are such an inspiration and your home is exquisite! I love your angel poster and the lovely story of your parents.

    Christmas Blessings!
    Dee Dee from Texas Rose Cottage

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  50. Beautiful home, beautiful taste for everything even God made it beautiful for you...
    Bill is there any blog template in which your visitor can comment on each picture separately??? at least I want to do like this... your detailed description is worth to comment on... each and everything is so beautiful and really you spoon who turned a bit to the plate is gorgeous... I never saw like this before...
    May your holiday season be blessed with peace, love and joy.
    Sending you my heart full wishes,
    With joy which never ends
    A very Merry Christmas
    And
    Happy New Year
    http://craftaworld.blogspot.com/
    Love
    Farah

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  51. Beautiful tables, always exquisite and elegant. I've been a bit weepy this Christmas, too, thinking of my parents. Joy and peace to you this holiday and for the new year!

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  52. How lovely and delightful, Bill! Just magnificent!

    I hope your Christmas was very, very merry, and that your new year will be bright!

    Much love to you from Mr. Magpie and me...

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  53. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  54. I found your blog through Mr. Goodwill Hunting and must say that your home is so classic and beautiful. Kudos!

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  55. Morning, Dear Bill and a belated Merry Christmas to you! Oh, your home is so beautiful and the little dusting of snow is gorgeous! You must live in a beautiful neighborhood - the house across the street is so lovely!!
    Now your table is exquisite! Your dishes, crystal, silverware and pieces are so lovely. Now one day you're going to have to show and tell us where you keep all your dishes! :) hint hint. Your centerpiece is gorgeous. Is that pampas grass in it? Oh, what a treat it would be to sit at one of your most gorgeous tables.
    It's been so nice getting to know you in Blogland and I wish you the most wonderful and prosperous New Year!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia :)

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  56. A beautiful and elegant table as always. I love how you learn and appreciate where your treasures come from. I agree with Sheila above, we will need a tour of your dish storage someday!
    Your home is lovely inside and out and the snow adds just the Christmassy touch doesn't it?
    Blessings to you in 2011.
    Sue

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  57. May your New Year be filled with many Blessings and abundances of Joy for 2011. From my mountain to yours, Until next year
    Hugs and Smiles Gl♥ria

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  58. Bill, you always add so many special touches - even extending to the art on the wall! I am always so inspired when I see one of your tablescapes. In addition to the visual inspiration, you always teach me something. I am amazed at your knowledge of stemware patterns, etc. I have no idea who manufactured the stemware in my cabinets, not to mention a pattern name. I love the way you sprayed just the right amount of gold on some of centerpiece elements. The s/p in the pretty silver sled is such a great idea. And the lit bowl of ornaments - so much creativity. And oh - your china -- your glorious china, crystal, and flatware patterns. Both tables are exquisite. Wishing you a wonderful 2011. laurie

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  59. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Bill!!!

    Blessings
    Charo

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  60. Hello Bill. Merry (very belated) Christmas! And Happy New Year! Your table and your home are, as always, just beautiful. Besides the beauty of it all....it's so welcoming! I just had the thought that I'd love to visit...as in a B&B! I'd stay in my room, writing all day, and then maybe I would be treated to your wonderful hospitality and dinner at 8:00! (hey, a girl can dream, can't she?!)

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  61. EVERYthing just takes my breath away. Your tables...your entire home, is just beautiful. Your talents show in every single thing you do and say. I love it all, Bill.

    Thanks very much for the sweet birthday wishes..
    I hope your new year is so full of blessings of every kind.
    xo bj

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  62. Hey Bill! A-MAZ-ING!!!!! Let me pick my JAW up off the floor! Everything you do is truly EXQUISITE (Hope i spelled the right) GORGEOUS!!! I can spend SHAMEFUL amounts of time ON YOUR BLOG! Hope you had a BLESSED holiday and a great new year! Come see me sometime....

    xoxokara

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  63. Just had to visit and say Hi! I am just getting settled in our new home.
    Your table is so beautiful!I love all the special touches. Your home is so inviting and beautiful. I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
    Blessings,

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  64. Bill, what absolutely stunning photos in this post! Wow, just gorgeous! Hope your Christmas was a wonderful one as well. Thank you always for your very kind words, it is appreciated so much. Have a wonderful and happy New Year!

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  65. Ethereal is the word that keeps coming to mind. The centerpiece looks like it was touched gently by an angel. I love so many of the details. A perfect mix of china, and I'll keep an eye open for the Fostoria 'Holly.'....magnificent! Thank you for sharing your elegant design. If I were in Tennessee, I'd be looking at the neighbor's house. Happy New Year! Cherry Kay

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  66. Once again, you outdid yourself. Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve in the new year!
    stan

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  67. Bill, I'm not sure how I missed seeing this last week, but viewing it tonight was like opening a wonderful package. Each photo full of stunning details.
    Thanks, and I trust you had a jolly holiday!
    All the best for the new year! ~ Sarah

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  68. Bill!

    The holidays are over and I've finally had time to savor your beautiful Christmas post. Hope you had a wonderful holiday season. First - clever idea with spray painting those dried roses. Love the South Seas Oneida pattern - so simple and elegant. Of course I love the Christmas Lenox - my pattern - such a classic. I always love your white and gold tablescapes. As you mentioned - very crisp. The china on your second table is stunning with the elegant gold band. The tea/coffee cup in one of your photo's shows how translucent the pocelain is.
    Thanks for the smiles.

    Many Blessings to you in the New Year!
    Mrs. S.

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  69. Just beautiful, Bill! I love your style! Happy New Year to you and yours.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  70. I just came across your wonderful post. what an enjoyable read. You certainly have a way with words! I loved your story about your mom and dad and the vintage poster you hung. I hope you have the greatest of years to come!

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  71. Bill, I don't know where to begin with my compliments! I know I'm a ways off from the original posting, but it's just fabulous and I had to comment on it. Your ability to mix things together so well is a real talent! I love the Haviland...especially knowing it's made in America!The lights in the bowl were terrific idea...I had a grouping or ornaments in a bowl, wished I'd put lights in with them now! Your picture is a nice touch and the story about your parents is so sweet! Lucille's crystal is so nice and even if her family didn't see it's value, at least it's in good hands now!

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