Simple Christmas in the Dining Room

Thinking back to when my 3 boys were just little guys
{the twins are turning 18 in a few weeks & Riley is 15},
I was one busy momma, let me tell ya!
Keeping up with daily chores was a formidable task, not to mention factoring in extras ...
like decorating for the holidays.
But you know what?
I put up 5 Christmas trees every.single.year!
One in the living room, one in the family room, & one in each bedroom.
I look back now & wonder how in thee world did I do it!!
Guess I was younger & had more energy ... ?
I don't know, but I can tell you one thing, I don't do that now!
I still love Christmas ... in fact, you'd have to look hard to find someone who gets
excited over all of it more than me.
Seems though as I am getting older, living simple is my main theme ...
& it carries through right into my holiday decorating.
Now, some of you may look at my blog, my decor, etc, & you may think that this isn't simple living.
If you knew me before though, you know I've simplified my life a million times over.

Over the next few weeks, I'll show you our home, all decorated for Christmas.
I'll show you where I've simplified & how I've not spent a penny, only using decor that I already had.

Let's start with the dining room.
I had no set decor plan or vision, other than using the same tray & lantern
that I used for my fall tablescape.
I simply opened the china cabinet, & from my existing stash, I started pulling it together.
I've used these creamy white place mats for 3 seasons now.
I wanted quilted mats forever & found these at Walmart.
They have poinsettias embroidered in the pattern.

On top, I used my creamy white Homer Laughlin plates that I purchased at Goodwill in the spring.
Paid a whole .49 each for them.
Next, I decided to use my silky crimson red napkins without rings, placing a pine cone on top.
Simple.
Just what I was going for.

On my tray, the lantern is the star of the show.
The star is tied on with twine, just as I had it for fall.
I added a spring of pine greenery, complete with pine cones.
The inside is filled with pine cones & Christmas potpourri.
I arranged three wooden candlesticks, along with a pine cone or two to complete the tray.
{I'll tell you about the brown Christmas balls in a minute.}

Here it's pictured with my little Glade candle =)
We light this candle each night at supper time.

After I had the settings & centerpiece arranged, I felt like it still needed a little something.
So, back to the china cabinet I went.
I decided on a brownish fabric {it's actually a curtain panel} that I picked up at Goodwill in the spring.
I paid .99 for it & have never used it as a curtain {& probably never will}.
With it, I used a garland of brown Christmas balls, making a table runner, of sorts.
It was the perfect finishing touch.

I tied one of these same red napkins to each end of the garland/fabric combo.
I have to say ... I think I have a new favorite color scheme!
Brown, red, & cream looks stunning together!

The natural tones from the pine branches & cones paired with the quilted mats is beautiful simplicity.

All in all, this look sums up my style.
A little rustic, a little fancy, a little unexpected.
It's a blending of styles to create a balanced look, not going overboard in one direction or the other.

I chose not to decorate our stair railing this year, so I had plenty of pine garland to use in new places.
Here, it spruces up our lighting!

And for the blue cord you see at the top left, Grrr!
It's the ethernet cord running from our office to the loft {we have some online gamers here}.
It's a constant here, so I look right past it, but wish I hadn't cause it kinda messes up my pics! lol
Ah well ... here's to keeping it real.

I only used 6 place settings, just to be different.
I like the look.

I love our dining room.
We eat supper & have family worship here every night ...
& we school here everyday ... well no school on weekends, of course.

This is looking to the kitchen, which I'll show you next.
Our kitchen Christmas tree is the favorite of all the guys in this house.
I'm super excited about what we put the tree inside of!

Hope you've enjoyed my simple Christmas in the dining room.
Come back & visit again soon.

Blessings~

place mats {Walmart}, plates & panel {Goodwill}, napkins {Old Time Pottery}

tray, candlesticks {flea market}, pine cones {Meijer}, ball garland {Marshall's}

pine garland {Hob Lob}, antique wire napkin basket {flea market}