Christmas table

Dear friends, thank you for comments on my last post and for following throughout the year.

2016 went by in what seemed like the blink of an eye. I do hope 2017 slows down for all of us so we get the chance to enjoy the small things in life which give so much pleasure.

Christmas was a joyful time for our family. It takes careful planning to get two adult daughters together when they each have their own lives and partners and even more so when they live on the other side of the world. Tears of joy flowed as we spoke of what our hearts were full of, the love of family and spending happy times together. Next Christmas might be entirely different, but at least we have the memories of this wonderful time spent together.

I was totally unprepared for Christmas this year.  I had no plans, no vision at all, except for our visit to William Morris’s holiday home at Kelmscott Manor in the summer (which I’ll blog about next year) so I created my own version of a William Morris inspired table. A kind of vintage, Christmas in the country table, with a little contemporary thrown in for good measure.

I wanted green to be the main colour with pops of gold and a hint of red in the candles and the crackers, which is more in keeping with the traditional colours of Christmas. I didn't want to use white on white, so I bought the Copeland Spode ‘Byron’ dinner plates, side plates and gravy boat from Ebay. I loved the leaves and the green trim on the plates. Gold chargers ground the plates and give them more substance. I used my Burano lace tablecloth hubby bought me on our trip to Venice and used a deep green taffeta as an underlay.  Two contemporary green glass candlesticks from the Hambledon in Winchester added more green and I unpacked my crystal candlelabra that’s been boxed up for a few years. I wanted to mix various elements together and not use too many vintage or antique items, but keep it light and bright with more modern glassware. The square footed cocktail dishes are vintage. I used gold cutlery mixed with vintage for an informal feel. I kept the centre decoration quite plain, with just the addition of a few baubles as I didn't want to hide the beautiful tablecloth.

Last year's table was a favourite, that is until I created this one, which is entirely different, simple and more refined than Last year and if you'd like to see 2014 here it is and here, and remember 2013 when I pared it right down and created a more neutral look and then my pink table 2012

It's New Year's Eve, time to wind down and relax, reflect on the last 12 months of the year, the changes which have influenced our world, both pleasant and terrifying and look forward with anticipation to new stories and adventures with hope and faith.

I wish you and your families a blessed, loving and kind 2017 with good health and plenty of laughter.

Sharon

xxx