The Magic of Christmas

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*Hello my friends...I hope you're having a joyous Christmas holiday!
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*Earlier in the week when I posted about my Christmas dining room...I thought that it would be my last post until after Christmas. And then...I remembered that I had taken photos of my dining room buffet at night when it was all lit up...so I thought I would share a few of those photos with you today. I hope you enjoy!
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*In the dark of night...when the Christmas lights are all-a-sparkle...
*I am reminded of the true magic of Christmas!*
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*My Christmas Buffet
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*Before I show you my Christmas buffet all lit up...I thought I would share just a few photos of what it looks like during the daylight hours.

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I won't get into all the specifics here but if you would like to see more of my Christmas buffet and the decorating "how to's" you can just click HERE.
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The Magic of Christmas

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*At Christmas time...I go all out with the decorating...

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it's something that I really enjoy...and after all...*it's a time of great celebration!

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A time to celebrate the true magic of Christmas!
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*It seems like magic...
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That from the beginning of time...God had a plan!
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*A plan...so that we...could spend eternity with HIM!
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*It seems like magic...
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*That a young woman named Mary...who was a virgin...conceived a SON!
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*It seems like magic...
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That Mary's son...JESUS...a baby boy born in a lowly manger...
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would be called The King of Kings, The Lord of Lords, The Savior of all mankind!
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*Yes, it seems like magic...that God had a plan from the beginning of time...
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*for His only begotten son...Jesus...born of the Virgin Mary.
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*That Jesus would give His very life for us...that we might be reconciled to God...
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*so that we could spend eternity with HIM!
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*It seems like magic...
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*That such a gift...
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*of unmeasurable love...
*unfathomable peace...
*and overwhelming joy...*

a gift of eternal salvation...
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*was all wrapped up in that little bundle born on Christmas day!
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Yes...it seems like magic...

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but it is sooo very real!

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God had a plan...through his prophets of old...it was told...

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"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
 and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his
 name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
 The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace..."
 Isaiah 9:6
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Yes...it seems like magic...that all of our hopes were realized that Christmas night...
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*"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call
 his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
 Matthew 1:21
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*It seems like magic...but the gift of Christmas given to you...and to me...is very, very real!!!
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*I give thanks to my Heavenly Father...for Jesus...his Christmas gift to me!!!*

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Well my dear, sweet friends...I'm so glad that you came by today! I am also thankful for my gift of YOU and your sweet friendship! May each of you have a wonderful and blessed Christmas!!! I pray that you experience the greatest gift of all this Christmas...God's gift of Jesus!!!
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*Warmest Christmas Blessings!
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PS...Because it's Christmas there will be no Sunday Favorites this week. We will resume regular Sunday Favorites schedule for January 2nd! Love ya'll!

Christmas Dining Room...A Sparkling White and Shimmering SilverTable Centerpiece

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

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Oooh...it won't be long now...Christmas is nearly here!

 I thought I would get one last post in before the big day...I still

 have lots of baking to do and a few more Christmas gifts to wrap.

 Are you ready for Christmas?*

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Last week I shared some of the Christmas decor in my

 dining room...specifically my Christmas buffet. Today I thought I

 would show you what I did for the table centerpiece.

  I hope you enjoy!

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*"Dreaming of a White Christmas...with a little Silver Bling"

Christmas 2010 Dining Room

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*Christmas in my french country dining room.

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 My dining room is done in dark red, olive green, and gold.

 This color theme works sooo well for Christmas decor!

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This year I decided to do a white and silver Christmas...kind of

 a white "Winter Wonderland" with a little silver bling added!

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I am really enjoying the sparkling white and shimmering silver Christmas!

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*Christmas Table Centerpiece
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*Oooh...see the pretty pine greenery? This beautiful fresh

 pine table centerpiece was a gift from my Mom and Dad and my

 sister and her husband...for Christmas! I just love it...and it smells sooo

 good! It is loaded with pine boughs and white winter berries!

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I must confess...I added a few more pretties to this centerpiece as well...

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white pearl berries
various white and silver ornaments

white mercury glass pinecones
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*a silver soup tureen full of faux snow and jeweled
 mercury glass ornaments!
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*I used three silver candleholders with white tapers, mercury

 glass (goblet shaped) candleholders, and mercury glass finials on

 each side of the pine centerpiece.

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 A white table runner edged in silver sequins gives the table

 centerpiece a foundation. I'm not sure if you can see (in the first

 photos or not) that the table runner has a beautiful design of

 beaded embroidered snowflakes on each end.

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*I love these silver reindeer place card holders!

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*The Christmas Buffet

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*Since I am showing the Christmas table centerpiece...

thought I would share a few photos of the Christmas buffet as well.

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 If you would like to see more about how I put the decor

 together for the buffet...just click HERE.

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I used a three tiered pedestal cake plate set for the centerpiece

 of the buffet. It's filled with all kinds of sparkling white and shimmering

 silver Christmas pretties!

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*Here is a little Christmas vignette that I put together for the bar.

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 This large bar area separates the kitchen from the dining room.

 I wanted to keep the same white and silver color theme going.*A special

 thank you to my dear, sweet friend Gloria from Happy To Be blog

 for the two beautiful glass candleholders...I love them, Sis!

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 I filled the glass holders with various silver glittered ornaments

 and faux snow. Sooo pretty! A large white pedestal bowl is filled with

 more jeweled mercury glass ornaments! I wrapped the small white pillar

 candles in silver mesh ribbon for a little extra pretty!

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*A Few More Photos...

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*I thought these photos turned out really pretty.

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*This photo was taken in the late afternoon.

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 I thought the silver candleholders and mercury glass finial looked

 soooo pretty with the sunlight shining on them!

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*And...there you have it!

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  A Christmas table centerpiece dressed in sparkling white

 and shimmering silver! I hope that you enjoyed!

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*Merry Christmas, sweet friends!

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I hope that you have a wonderfully blessed Christmas
 with family and friends! I am so very thankful for each and
 every one of you...you bless me, inspire me, and gift me
 with your friendship!!!
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Love ya'll!
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*I'm joining these fabulous parties...
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Metamorphosis Monday...hosted by Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch.
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Table Top Tuesday....hosted by Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life.
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The Christmas Party...hosted by Jessa over at A Holiday Haven.
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Thank you Susan, Marty, and Jessa for hosting these fabulous
 parties for all of us to enjoy!
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*Well my friends...thank you so much for coming by! Please
 leave me a note and let me know that you were here.
I'd love to visit with you!

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Warmest Christmas Wishes!
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I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...with a little silver bling!

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

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*As many of you know...I've been busy, busy at my place trying to get everything

 ready for the Christmas holidays. I finally got photos of the Christmas decor in my
 french country dining room so I thought I would share a few with you today.
I hope you enjoy!
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*I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...
with a Little Silver Bling!
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*Welcome to my little french country dining room!

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 It's all decked out and ready for the Christmas holidays!

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My dining room is done in a red, olive green, and white color scheme...sure
 makes it easy to decorate for the Christmas season! Hehe!
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Today I thought I would show you how I decorated the buffet. This buffet
 started its life as a dresser in my step-daughter's bedroom. It was brown and
 big! I decided that it would work much better as a buffet for the dining room so I
 refinished it in a creamy white, using olive green for the drawer insets. The
 wood carvings are highlighted with a yellow ochre paint and I distressed the entire
 piece for that french country feel. I love the tall mirror that matches the buffet. This
 buffet sure has come in handy...it's loaded to the brim with table linens, silver
 ware, etc.

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I'm calling my 2010 Christmas decor in my dining room,
 "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...with a Little Silver Bling"!
 I hope that you enjoy!*

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*Two french crystal buffet lamps flank each side of the buffet. I am using an embroidered

 tapestry table runner for the foundation of the buffet. I just love this table runner's long red,

 olive green, and gold fringe that hangs over the edge of the buffet.
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*and here it is...
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*my 2010 Christmas decor for my dining room buffet...

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"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...with a Little Silver Bling"
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*A Christmas buffet filled with snowy white, shimmery silver,

 and sparkling crystal that looks like ice!
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*The pine garland has tiny lights...

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I'll have to get photos and show you how

 pretty the buffet looks when it's all lit up at night!
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I added floral picks of silver

 colored berries to the pine garland for a little extra shimmer!

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A three-tiered pedestal plate set filled with white and silver Christmas
 ornaments is the "star" of this buffet vignette!
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Tall, silver reindeer and mercury glass finials flank each side of the three-tier
 display of ornaments.
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 Two silver filigree candleholders with white pillar candles
 sit out front...joined by two small silver birds.
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*As you can see...various white and silver ornaments fill the layers.*

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*I love the silver glittered bird ornaments and the white pearl grape looking clusters!

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I added a crystal sherbet glass to the top layer and filled

 it with snow and a beautiful silver, glittered star!
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A candle ring of crystal looking ice is used at the base of the sherbet glass. I
 added silver bells that have a pretty snowflake design on them for a filler.
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*I just love how the shimmery silver looks against

 my red dining room walls!*

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 And...I love how the reflection of this Christmas vignette

 looks in the mirror! Sooo pretty!!!
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*The chunky pillar candleholders...sooo pretty done with a snowflake
 design. Do you see the little silver bird? He's a winter bird! Hehe!
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*Well my friends...there you have it...

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"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...with a Little Silver Bling"
my 2010 Christmas buffet!
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I'm hoping to share a few more photos of my Christmas dining room
 with you next week...so stay tuned!*
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*I'm joining these fabulous parties...
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*Share the Decor Party...hosted by Sherry over at No Minimalist Here.
"Before & After" party...hosted by Kim over at Savvy Southern Style.

Show & Tell Friday...hosted by Cindy over at My Romantic Home.
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I am also joining
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 Kathleen over at Cuisine Kathleen blog for her White Christmas party.
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Many heartfelt thank you's to Sherry, Kim, Cindy, and Kathleen for hosting
 these lovely parties for us to enjoy!
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*Well my friends...I'm so happy that you stopped by for a visit today! Please leave
 me a comment and let me know that you were here...I'd love to visit with you!
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Warmest Christmas Wishes!