Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Christmas Eve Dinner

I hope everyone had a wonderful and happy Christmas with friends and family!!!  From all of the beautiful tables, I'm sure that many Christmas memories were made!!

I am posting our Christmas eve dinner which is when my family gets together.  I wanted to use the actual table so I didn't post last Thursday.  Yes, this is the real Christmas eve!  I love getting to use my Christmas dishes. There is something so wonderful about setting a table with dishes that are for a specific and fleeting time.  I appreciate them BECAUSE of the short length of time I use them.  Fresh flowers have the same effect on me.

 Hope you aren't too "over" Christmas tables yet...

 
It seems that we always start with this view, but I think it's a good introduction!

 
Here is a closer view...we started with cream of spinach soup (I don't have "food" pics)

 
The tea cart is all ready for handling serving dishes that won't fit on our small dining room table
 
This is the "bird's eye" view
 
The evergreens in the arrangement are from our "wreath " trip and the flowers almost didn't make it...I had to wait at my favorite florist for the deliveryman.  Apparently, he was several hours late, but I came at the tail end of the panic at the florist and they were able to sell me the carnations and roses I wanted for my centerpiece
 
In keeping with the "holly and berry" theme, I made these placecards
 
 This is the silver that we bought when we first were married...and more holly and berries
 
I set out desserts on the sideboard...tempting us all through dinner!!
 
This is my Brit in his Christmas crown from his Christmas cracker!  He wears that Christmas tie every year.  He was enjoying dinner...pork roast and roasted potatoes
 
Meanwhile, while we were having dinner....two of our three kitties were guarding the Christmas tree while keeping toasty warm!
 
We no longer exchange gifts...we put names of our favorite charities in a hat, pool our "gifting cash" which makes a tidy sum; then we pull one name and donate all of the money to that charity.  We've been doing this for a few years now.
 
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year!!
 
Now for the dish on the dishes:
  • My Christmas dishes are Gibson. I found them in the Winterthur catalog (when they had a bigger variety of wares)
  • Cream soup bowls are Royal Albert "Val D'Or" from ebay
  • The damask tablecloth...hmmmm...I can't remember
  • The napkins were a sale purchase from LinensNThings...so you know it was a while ago
  • Reed and Barton "Rathmore" silverplate from Marshall Field's in Chicago-now gone  :-( 
  • Waterford "Marquis" crystal stemware-T.J. Maxx (still waiting for a Homegoods here!)
  • The flowers are arranged in a three legged cut glass bowl which was my mother's
  • The mercury glass votive holders are from Michael's...wish I had bought more
  • Christmas ornament placecard holders were purchased on ebay last year
  • The candle globe on the teacart is from T.J. Maxx...I just put "berries" and real boxwood with it set on a red toile plate
  • Red and gold placemats on the teacard are from Big Lots and Walmart-great price for all
  • Dessert service on the buffet is Old Country Roses that we received as wedding gifts from my husband's family
Thank you for stopping by and I love reading your comments...

15 comments:

  1. I LOVE your gift-giving tradition! It's right up my alley as you can see from my recent post: http://myplacetoyours.blogspot.com/2010/12/gift-of-giving.html

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  2. Beautiful traditional table! I forgot to buy crackers this year, but I made up for it by making a Christmas trivia game that was a huge hit! (I think that will be a new tradition!) I love your cats under the tree! Mine does the same thing, I don't really understand why, but they're super adorable!
    : )
    Meg

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  3. Such a pretty table! I have those same dishes and also used them for our family Christmas Eve dinner. Love your husbands cracker crown -- I'm thinking we'll enjoy doing that when the grands get just a bit older.

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  4. I love your dishes!!! Your table is wonderfully inviting and the picture of the Mr in the crown is really great. Happy New Year to you and yours, may the new year bring lots of blessings!

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  5. The holly dishes are so special, and I especially love the napkins. Thank you for sharing your charming design. Happy New Year! Cherry Kay

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  6. Hey, Tess! I like your idea of pooling your gifting money and donating it to a charity. Very cool! My husband and I no longer exchange gifts, either, so that's a tradition to consider! Everything looks wonderful, and the food....mmm, mmm good!!! I hope you and your hubby have a wonderful New Year!

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  7. What a fun event and I love the crown. No, I am still loving Christmas tables, it is like basking in the glow. What fun kitties taking care of the tree! Happy New Year!

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  8. Hey Tess...I'm still into Christmas!!! I love your table for Xmas Eve, the dishes are beautiful, the napkins, the whole thing! I like your lovely blog to, had fun looking through it, such nice stuff! Thank you for sharing.
    Hope you can join and visit my blog too, this way we can go on being friends in the new year. I'm new at this, I'm around since Oct. 2010.
    HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR YOU AND YOURS.
    FABBY

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  9. Loved all your table. So festive. Hope you and yours have a Healthy and Happy New Year.

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  10. Thank you dear Tess for your lovely comment. I'm an American from Queens, NY. I live here 35 yrs., since I got married to an Ecuadorian I love so much and have been so happy here. We have tons of Americans that have retired here, is now the No.1 place for it. I've posted pics of my family on my blog. My home for Christmas and more tablescapes. This way we can become better friends and know each other more. I'm so happy I've met people like you this year, I'll never forget 2010.
    Happy New Year again.
    FABBY

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  11. Such a pretty table. I love all of the holly related decor. The ornament place card holders are so pretty, and your soup bowls are beautiful. The flowers were worth the wait at the florist. they are beautiful. Looks like a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner, and what a lovely gift-giving tradition. laurie

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  12. What a lovely table! Your holly and berries china is so festive and I love your napkins. I had forgotten about "crackers". My kids and I made those one year. They were a big hit. I may have to make them again with the grandkids! I would have a hard time eating with those delicious desserts across the way. What a lovely fireplace, too.

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  13. Hi Tess,
    that is an adorable way to gift somebody. God bless your for that.
    I wish you a very Happy New Year full of Health, Luck and Joy.
    Greetings, Johanna

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  14. What a beautiful table! Christmas crackers are what was missing from our dinner this year. Perhaps I should try to get some on sale after Christmas, so I'm well prepared for next year!

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  15. Beautiful table! I love the china and those name tags are just wonderful! I have never gotten Christmas crackers, but I need to! Thanks for stopping by! Happy New Year!

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