Simple Christmas in the Dining Room

There's something so appealing about simple.

Not too fussy.

Not overdone.

Our dining room table is all about simple this year.

Simple.

The first thing I started with was the new table runner that I got last year after Christmas

at Kohl's for 90% off.

That & my quilted poinsettias place mats.

Those were purchased with Christmas money from my mom & dad a couple years ago

{Walmart}.

I decided not to use all the garland that I usually put on our stairway, so I added a piece of it to the table.

As for my ironstone plates, 6 I found at Goodwill a year or so ago ... 

and 2 are from another set that was given to me by a sweet friend.

At this point, I began trying different things on the table until I finally had a light bulb moment ...

to use my collection of pitchers straight off the shelves in my china cabinet!

Several of them are ironstone & several of them are not.

I've picked them up at flea markets, antique stores, Home Goods, Old Time Pottery, & yard sales.

Each are unique in their own way.

The discolored & cracked ones are my favorites.

I am nuts about pine cones & use them throughout the house from fall til spring.

They were the perfect pairing with the pitchers.

I raided my candle box & tucked various ones here and there along the edge of the garland.

The tapers with the "P", along with the burlap-trimmed base were a gift from a sweet friend.

I used several of my ironstone saucers to sit candles on ... or underneath the small pitchers.

The clear glass votive candle cups were clearanced to a quarter each at Hobby Lobby this summer.

When it all came together, it quickly became one of my favorite tablescapes ever.

What's especially nice, none of this decor has to be moved to use the table ...

and do we ever use this table!

Not only do we eat dinner here nightly, we school here during the day.

Oh ... the little spiral standing book on the left is from Focus on the Family.

Different times during the year, I'll add it to the table.

It's a conversation starter ... questions for thoughts & discussions, meant to get the family talking.

Some are serious, some are fun.

We enjoy doing a few of these each night.

The china cabinet is hard to photograph, but here it is from across the table.

And yes, I took the pic before I remember to get my plates in the plate hangers.

They are just simple ironstone plates.

After taking most of my pitchers to use on the table, I had to reposition & add in a few things.

The snowman on the lower shelf is especially cute cause his orange carrot nose lights up.

All in all, it's a simple display of the things I love so much.

Hope you've enjoyed the tour.

“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things 

 - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.” 

Bob Hope

 

Merry Christmas

from

Call Her Blessed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who doesn't love a party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday         Make It Yourself Monday        The Better Mom       C.R.A.F.T     
Tuesday    A Bowl Full of Lemons    Titus Tuesday      A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style         Adorned From Above
                   Women Living Well    The Thrifty Home     A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Making Home Base      Serving Joyfully     Lamberts Lately
Friday     French Country Cottage   The Thrifty Groove      Farm Blog Hop
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things    Suburbsmama    Sew Many Ways