Here We Go Again!

It's hard to believe, but 2013's Holiday Season is about to end.  Tomorrow night at midnight we'll be toasting in a New Year and the chaos of Christmas shopping, decorating and entertaining will be a fading memory.  What won't be so easily forgotten are the good times that were shared during this holiday and the joy that spending time with family and friends can bring.  As a New Year begins, it also becomes a time when we look at the empty slate of the next year, and relish in the thought of new beginnings.  In our family, there will be a new granddaughter in April, a new "niece-in-law" in June, a planned trip to Europe, an exciting political race in a local election for my husband and all the ups and downs in a family's life when there are four daughters, four sons-in-law, five granddaughters and two grandsons!  There will be the ever-present resolutions (more exercise, less calories, more home organization, less "sweating the small stuff"!).  There is something that is comforting about the constancy of this time of year; even in the face of so many unknowns yet to come.  So, this table celebrates our final holiday of 2013.  Out come the silver and crystal to say, "HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!"

Here's the finished product:

Here's How It Was Created:

I started with a silver placemat found at Ross on the clearance table!

I added one of my daughter's new plates she got at Home Goods. It is labeled Gibson Home.

This was topped with salad plates I gave her for Christmas (also from Home Goods) and labeled Grace's Teaware.

To remind us this celebration is about TIME, I borrowed an idea from the website, "Creatively Sam's", posted on 12/17/13.  I copied a clock face from Google and placed it atop the salad dish.  I opted to leave off the hands because I wanted everyone to pick their own special hour about which to reminisce.

I finished the stack with crystal sherbet dishes that were given to us at our wedding.

This is the place setting, accented with my Mikasa flatware and Waterford champagne flutes that my husband has bought me over the years as Christmas gifts.  I wanted some height to the table, so I placed inside the flutes, the white linen napkins that are embroidered in silver and wrapped in a silver napkin sheath (from Pier One).

The centerpiece was inspired by my recent viewing of Walt Disney's "Frozen".  What a GREAT MOVIE; highly recommended for the grandkids, although the Snow Monster was kind of scary for little ones.  But the storyline, music and ending message were terrific.  Anyway, I wanted a look of snow, ice crystals and sparkle.  I started with a silver table runner, Christmas gifted from one of my daughters.  Then added a silver garland of leaves picked up at the clearance table at Ross.  I draped the garland in tulle for an ethereal, cold mist effect.  The trio of crystal candleholders is a long ago gift from a dear friend, and I placed silver-embossed votive candle holders also found on that great Ross clearance table!  I raided my Christmas tree for the snowflakes!

The crystal accents (the tree and nutcracker) were past Christmas gifts from special friends who know how much I appreciate holiday decorations!



Here's the table again with a few additional photos:

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year full of good health and the making of happy memories!

I'll be linking up to Kathleen at Let's Dish at  www.cuisinekathleen.com and
    Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net


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