Christmas Élégance...Three Christmas Place Settings

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Hello my friends...I hope that you're having a fabulous day!
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Ohhh my...the Christmas countdown begins!  We only have 24 days until Christmas!  I have
 been busy, busy at my place preparing for Christmas.  My Christmas decor is nearly completed.
  I just need to get a few photos now.  Hopefully I can share my 2011 Christmas decor with
 you very soon.
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In the meantime, I thought I would revisit one of my favorite Christmas posts from
 December 16, 2009.  I hope that you enjoy!
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"Christmas Élégance...Three Christmas Place Settings"
December 2009
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I have had so much fun decorating for Christmas! I finally finished "decking out" my
 French Country dining room and posted about it just a few days ago. Today is a bit of a
 continuation from that post...I decided to have fun with the Christmas centerpiece that I
 created for the dining room table by trying a few Christmas place settings...each one a
 bit different!
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Silver Élégance & a Christmas Table Centerpiece
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* To me...Christmas is about many things! First and foremost...it's the time when
 I celebrate the birth of my Savior Jesus Christ and it's also a time when I celebrate
 my family and friends!

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and...

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When it comes to decorating... Christmas is the time when I can be a bit
 extravagant! So to celebrate this wonderful season, I brought out the silver and
 created a Christmas table centerpiece!
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I have been collecting silver candlesticks for some time now....but I have a new treasure find!
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~Silver Soup Tureen~
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 A couple of weeks ago, I found this beautiful silver soup tureen at the Goodwill for
 just $19! It's in great condition and even has the soup ladle! Ohhh boy...you should have
 seen me doin' my "happy dance"! Hehe! It is the perfect addition to my Christmas
 centerpiece!!!

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I just love the look of silver and red together...ohhh sooo elegant!

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Now...the fun begins...

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Christmas Élégance...
Three Christmas Place Settings

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Christmas Place Setting #1...Red Transferware!
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I just love red transferware dishes...and they look so Christmasy...don't you think?
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This place setting consists of a red transferware dinner plate...a larger solid
 red dinner plate, and a red transferware charger plate. All sitting atop a silver
 tray! I have added a red satin dinner napkin and a few pieces of
 flatware (more silver...yay!)
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Both of the red transferware pieces are different patterns, but one
 of the great things about red transferware is that you can mix and match
 them for a great look!
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I also had some fun putting together this little pretty!!!

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I used one of my silver pedestal plates and the glass cloche that my friend
 Sally (from Salmagundi Blog) gave me when we met! I just couldn't believe my
 good fortune...this glass cloche fits perfectly upon the pedestal plate! Thank you
 again, Sally! I then added a silver beaded garland with tassels and a silver
 filigree ornament to the mix! Just look at that silver sparkle...I love it!!!
 Ohhh...so pretty!!!
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Place Setting #2...Solid Red Dinnerware
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For this second place setting, I used a dinner plate and a salad/dessert plate
 from my solid red dinnerware set. I also kept the red transferware plate for a
 little added interest! Ohhh yes...and I added a new silver plate...a gift from
 Leann over at The Old Parsonage! I just got it in the mail yesterday.
 Thank you, Leann....I love it!
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A close-up of the red transferware plate.
 Ohhh...so pretty and frenchy looking!!!
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Just a pretty photo of place setting #2 and my red dining room.
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Place Setting #3...Classic Christmas Red and Green
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Is these anything more classic than red & green for Christmas?
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 I decided to change out the red transferware for my olive green
 transferware! As you can see, the solid red dinner plate is large enough
 to be used as a charger plate...I love that about this dinnerware! I found
 this fabulous set of olive green transferware dishes on ebay last Spring.
 There is a 5 piece place setting for six and I got it all for a mere...are you
 ready? For just $10! Yeehawww!!!
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 This beautiful olive green transferware/ironstone is manufactured by
 Kensington Staffordshire of England.
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I think this might just be my favorite of the three different place settings!
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 Which one do you like best?
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A close-up of the olive green transferware plate. I just love
 how it looks with the red!!!
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Just having fun! The red poinsettia looks beautiful with this
 place setting...don't you think?
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Just a couple of "artsy" photos. I used a "frosted glass" effect
 to frame these photos.
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Ahhhh...silver elegance!!!
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And...there you have it! Three different Christmas place settings!
 I hope you enjoyed them...I sure had fun playing!!!
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I am joining these fabulous parties...
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Feathered Nest Friday...hosted by Courtney over at French Country Cottage.
Home Sweet Home party...hosted by Sherry over at The Charm of Home.
Open House Party...hosted by Sherry over at No Minimalist Here.
Potpourri Friday...hosted by Honey over at "2805".
Tablescape Thursday...hosted by Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch.
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Thank you, dear ladies...for hosting these lovely parties for us!
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Well dear friends...I'm so glad that you stopped by today! 
 I hope that you enjoyed my "Christmas from the Past" post.
  Next week I will share with you my 2011 Christmas decor...so stay tuned!

  Please leave me a note and let me know that you were here. 
I would love to visit with you!
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Warmest Christmas Wishes!
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"Christmas in the Woodlands" Fireplace Mantel Revisit

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 Hello my friends...I hope you're having a fabulous day!
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hI hope that you had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving.  My step-children were
 here from Iowa to help us celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.  We had a great time
 visiting with the kids!  We had our traditional Thanksgiving meal on Saturday.  I'm
 still trying to clean up the holiday "aftermath".
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Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to start thinking about Christmas.  Whew...
I think I'm tired already!  Hehe!  Today I am revisiting my 2010 Christmas fireplace
 mantel called "Christmas in the Woodlands".   I hope that you enjoy!
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~Christmas in the Woodlands~
2010 Christmas Mantel
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Here we are in my living room...all dressed
 up and ready for Christmas.
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 Last year honey and I built this faux fireplace...just in time for
 Christmas 2009.  I have had sooo much fun having a mantel to decorate!
 The mantel itself came from JC Penneys...I got a great deal on it. Honey built
 the tile surround and I did a faux paint treatment on it...he also built the hearth
 that the mantel is sitting on. I really wanted the fireplace to look as real as
 possible...I am very pleased with the results! As you can see, my living room
 is done in an olive green, burgandy, and gold color scheme...which
 makes Christmas decorating a cinch! Hehe!
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Last year I used creamy white and gold for an elegant Christmas
 mantel.  It turned out really pretty but I wanted to do something a
 little different this Christmas. Sooo...I decided on a Christmas
 Woodlands theme.
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Dark woodland greens, burgandy, and a touch of gold for a little
 Christmas magic...make up the color scheme for this Christmas in
 the Woodlands mantel!
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A view from the opposite direction.
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~ Christmas Woodlands Garland~
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My Woodlands Santa was the inspiration for this year's Christmas mantel. A little
 more about Santa later...but I wanted to show you what I did with the mantel garland.
 I found this beautiful woodsy looking garland last year at GW. In fact, I found two of
 these beautiful garlands in a bag for just $2.00...yeeehawww! I love the long needle
 pine greenery...and the winter berries and pinecones! I used the second garland to drape
 over the art above the mantel. A large gold mesh ribbon is woven in and out of
 the garland for a bit of whimsy...with large bows on either end.
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~Woodlands Santa~
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I started collecting these "Old World" Santas several years ago...this one is my favorite!
 I love Santa's fur trimmed, burgandy colored cordoroy robe and hat. He has a woodlands
 staff in one hand...just look at that sweet little red cardinal that is resting in the tree boughs!
 Santa is carrying a large burgandy velvet bag full of sugared fruit, nuts, and pine
 over his shoulder...another bag full of Christmas goodies is sitting at his feet.
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~French Wire Cloche~
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I decided to use my frenchy wire cloche on this Christmas mantel. I love the
 old, distressed gray finish...it looks like of "woodsy" to me! Hehe! This wire cloche
 stands a stately 30 ins. in height and it looks kind of like a Christmas tree...it has the
 same shape of a tree. I filled it...very carefully...with various colors of gold
 ornaments. Ahhh...Christmas magic!!!
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 I love how detailed Santa's face is...he has
 such kind eyes!
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And of course...Santa has to have his reindeer!
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 I found this pair of reindeer last year at Hobby Lobby. I love the
 burnished gold finish and that beautiful cut-work design on the sides
 of the deer...ohhh sooo pretty!
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 A Christmas Woodlands Hearth
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 Last year I found these beautiful Christmas hat boxes at Hobby Lobby
 during their 90% off sale...they were nearly "free"! I love Hobby Lobby! I
 took the lid off of the top box and filled it with pinecones and more
 gold ornaments.
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New Christmas Urns with Lit Branches...
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Okay...more great Hobby Lobby treasure finds. I found two of these masonary
 urns (50% off) and decided to make Christmas arrangements for either side of
 the hearth. The tall branches with lights were found at TJ Maxx for just $12 ea.
 With a bit of pine greenery, red and green winter berries, and pinecones...and the
 tall lit branches...I created an arrangement that goes along nicely with the
 Christmas Woodlands theme.
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Christmas Magic...Sparkly Lights
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 And Voila...here are the Christmas urns...all lit up!
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More Christmas magic...
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 A "Christmas in the Woodlands" fireplace mantel...
Christmas 2010!
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I am joining these fabulous parties...
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Metamorphosis Monday...hosted by Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch.
*Table Top Tuesday...hosted by Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life.
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Thank you Susan and Marty...for hosting these fun filled parties for us!
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Well my friends, thank you so much for coming by and taking a peek at my
 2010 Christmas fireplace mantel!  I hope to have my 2011 Christmas mantel photos
 to share with you very soon!  Sooo...stay tuned!

 Please leave me a note and let me know that you were here.  I would love
 to visit with you!
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Warmest Christmas Wishes...

My 2011 Autumn Home Tour

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Hello my friends...I hope you're having a fabulous day!

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This is a very busy week for many of us...with Thanksgiving day just a couple
 of days away.  I would like to wish you and your family a very blessed and happy
 Thanksgiving.  We have so much to be thankful for this year! 

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This will be my last post of the week.  I thought I would take you on a photo tour
 of my 2011 autumn home.  It's a photo laden post so I promise to keep the chat
 to a minimum.  I hope that you enjoy!

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My 2011 Autumn Home Tour

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Autumn 2011 in my living room.

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~Harvest Mantel~

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If you would like to see more of my ~Harvest Mantel~...just click HERE.

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A corner of my 2011 autumn kitchen.

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Wire cloches dressed for autumn are the stars in this kitchen vignette.

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If you would like to see more of this autumn vignette...just click HERE.

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Autumn 2011 in my French country dining room.

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An autumn vignette atop the dining room hutch.

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"To Autumn"

an Autumn Buffet

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The buffet in my french country dining room gets a

 "rustic luxe" style autumn makeover!

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If you would like to see more of "To Autumn" a rustic luxe

 buffet...just click HERE.

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"Pumpkins in Still Life"

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Autumn 2011 presented a few photo opportunities for a

 couple of "Still Life" scenes.

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If you would like to see more of "Pumpkins in Still Life"...

just click HERE.

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"Autumn Pears in Still Life"

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If you would like to see more of "Autumn Pears in Still Life"

...just click HERE.*

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2011 Autumn Tablescapes...

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~Goldenrod Autumn~

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My first autumn tablescape of the season. 

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 Goldenrod...so named for the new goldenrod colored dinner

 plates that I used in this tablescape.

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If you would like to see more of this ~Goldenrod Autumn"

 tablescape...just click HERE.

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"Pheasants by the Fireside"

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A warm and cozy table for two...set in the living room beside the fireplace.

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If you would would like to see more of "Pheasants by the Fireside"

...just click HERE.

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~~Thanksgiving 2011~~

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~Bountiful Blessings"

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Our 2011 Thanksgiving table.

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I thought I would close with my ~Bountiful Blessings~...Thanksgiving table. 

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 My step-children will be here to help us celebrate Thanksgiving this year.  A

 bountiful table set for four...for the traditional turkey with all the fixin's...for

 our Thanksgiving dinner!

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If you would like to see more of...

 ~Bountiful Blessings~

 our 2011 Thanksgiving table...just click HERE.

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Happy Thanksgiving to all my dear friends!

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May you and your families be blessed

with a warm and happy Thanksgiving!

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I have many blessings that I can count this Thanksgiving...and you

 are one of those precious blessings!

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Warmest Thanksgiving Wishes!

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I am joining these fabulous parties...
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Feathered Nest Friday...hosted by Courtney over at French Country Cottage.
Home Sweet Home party...hosted by Sherry over at The Charm of Home.
Open House Thursday...hosted by Sherry over at No Minimalist Here.
Potpourri Friday...hosted by Honey over at "2805".
Tablescape Thursday...hosted by Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch.
Table Top Tuesday...hosted by Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life.
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Thank you dear ladies, for hosting these lovely parties for us!
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PS...Don't forget...the Sunday Favorites party for Nov. 27th has been cancelled due to our family from out of town visiting for Thanksgiving.  We'll be back to our regular Sunday Favorites party schedule next week...Dec. 3rd!  Thanks for being patient with me, dear friends!

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