Winter Dinner 'Scape

Thank you for visiting, and best wishes to you in the new year.  Emily, at Chatting at the Sky, has one of my favorite blogs  She had a lovely post about a new year and the gift that it offers us all.  Here's the link to her post...I hope it will bring a new perspective to you. 

Our New Year's Eve was a quiet affair at our house--by design--but that didn't keep us from enjoying a nice dinner with my mother's company.  At midnight we headed out to our sons' restaurant, to welcome the new year with them, so we DID stay up!



I'm calling the post a Winter Dinner 'Scape because I think this table (except for the Santa hat on
the rosemary bush on the baby's highchair in the corner :)  ) would work through the cold winter months.

The crystal trees were a gift from my mother years ago.  Still love them, still put them out every year.
You don't see these very often anymore--have you seen them at stores in the last few years?
I found some GORGEOUS ones at a local boutique--handblown, seeded crystal, about $200 each.  Ouch.
But I'd love to bring them home too!
Tablesetting:
Lenox Eternal dishes
Silverplate chargers I've had for many years
Napking rings were a gift from my youngest son--he bought them at Bombay!  That's a well-trained
son who knows to shop at Bombay for Mom! :)
The silverware is Oneida King James silverplate
Water goblets are Shannon crystal, Sutton Place
Wine goblets are Pristine, by Reizart, discontinued long ago.  I've had a love affair with
this crystal for many years...It's paper thin and has a beautiful, clear quality
Tablecloth and napkins are vintage damask with a lovely feel to them.  I'm pretty sure
that was a Mom gift too.
Placemats are embroidered organza.

And the holly sprig?  It's real...from our yard.

Waterford Lismore pitcher

I used a mix of candle holders--sterling, cut crystal, Depression/pressed glass, and pewter.
I bought the beaded garland several years ago at Pier 1--I haven't seen them around for a while,
but they lend beautiful texture, as do the silvery pinecones.
The tree sits on a "slice" of our Christmas tree trunk, as I described
in this POST.

One final view.

May you have any happy, warm family dinners this year.
From my nest to yours~  Zuni

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them!  They encourage me and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Thank you!

I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!

 House in Roses Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/

 Amaze Me Monday at http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/

 Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

 Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple   

 Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

 Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ 

 Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/ 

 Mrs. Hines’ Wednesday Show & Tell at  http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=120723&type=thumbnail

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

 Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

 Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

 Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

 Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

 Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

 Five Minutes Just for Me at http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com

 In and Out of My Nest’s Saturday weekend party at http://inandoutmynest.blogspot.com/2011/12/r-r-weekend-party_29.html?showComment=1325569309720#c8749613812899918207 

 Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/              

 Homemaker on a Dime, Sunday at http://www.homemakeronadime.com/p/link-parties.html

Bejeweled Thanksgiving

This past summer I was on Cloud Nine when I found a set of 8 beautiful Limoges plates at Powell Antiques close to home.  And now...[drumroll please]....here they are!  Their debut to Blogland!



Eight plates, two of each of four patterns.
Through my research I can't find a pattern name...
I'll name them EXQUISITE--aren't they?


My first thought was the expected thought--"I can't wait till Easter/spring to use them!" Then other fall and Thanksgiving posts using non-fall china challenged me to use them NOW!

The inspiration finally came--from the most unexpected place and item:  Kroger Marketplace & bargain placemats in a BEAUTIFUL, RICH, SHIMMERY purple!

OK...I'm making this a smmmmaaaalll picture, because, REALLY?! $.79 placemats for LIMOGES?!!

But I love them!  I love that they're shimmery and a beautiful shade of purple, or...
let's call them AUBERGINE--that makes them FANCY!

I already have aubergine napkins that I blogged about and how they came into my life HERE.  Though they're not the exact shade, I now have the placemats to work with too!

Here's the table:

I decided to create a second runner with the placemats by layering them on top of the gold linen runner,
 and not use them at all four place settings.
The centerpiece is the last HURRAH for the roses I dried from our son's wedding HERE.  I got
a month's worth of enjoyment and lots of pictures/memories from those beautiful roses.

Instead of traditional placecard holders I used our Lenox Eternal cream soup bowls with a dried rose at each place.
Amazingly, the colors of the dried roses were perfect for the setting!

The layers:
Lenox Eternal charger
Limoges dinner plate
Heritage (by Federal) Depression glass salad plate
Lenox Eternal cream soup bowl and and stand/plate










Dried Wedding Roses and Crystal
(Berwick juice/cocktail cups)



Color is so amazing, isn't it? Same dishes, yet the setting looks so different
with different backgrounds.
The Heritage salad plate not only adds texture, but it also plays with the
colors of the Limoges plates.



And finally...the LIMOGES plates.  Ta-dah!






Coffee service at the china cabinet/buffet~

Lenox Eternal cups and coffeepot
1847 Rogers Brothers Columbia silver spoons--a {WONDERFUL} hostess gift from my SIL
Crystal server bowl...pattern not known.  (Can anyone help me on that?)
Vintage napkins from my linen collection.








Other pieces:
Water goblets ~ Pottery Barn
Wine goblets ~ Pristine, by Reizart/Gorham
Gold linen table runner with velvet trim ~ Pottery Barn
Gold linen tablecloth ~ Don't remember
Gold flatware ~ gift from my dear grandmother, years ago
Oval s/p tray ~ GW find
Brass candlestick ~ Baldwin Brass
Crystal candlesticks ~ Various/unknown

So...was I able to convert my spring Limoges to fall?

Would you like to be invited to this Thanksgiving table? (I'd love to have you visit!)

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them!  They encourage me and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Thank you!

I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

 Homemaker on a Dime, Sunday at http://www.homemakeronadime.com/p/link-parties.html

 Carrie’s Amaze Me Monday at http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/

 Home Savvy A to Z Monday party at http://www.homesavvyatoz.com/savvy-homemade-monday-13/

 Susan’s Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

 Motivated Monday at http://becolorful.typepad.com/  

 Debbie’s Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

 Marty's Table Top Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ 

 Kim's Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/ 

 Susan's Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

 Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

 Courtney’s, Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

 Honey's Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

 Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com