A Black Toile Christmas

Welcome to The Tablescaper. Life has been a bit crazy here. I have three children. Between yesterday and today, one was sent home from school with a  head cold and the other two were diagnosed with bronchitis. So, between the multiple trips to the doctor’s office and pharmacy and having all three home, there was no time for tablescaping. Thankfully none of it is catastrophic, but it certainly sets life on a curve.
I don’t think I’ve ever missed Tablescape Thursday since I started blogging, so rather than missing I’m posting a table that I did for a benefit house tour a couple of years ago. Black certainly isn’t a color I think of for Christmas, but I think it turned out beautifully.
Pardon the quality of the photos. These were long before my current camera.


My most favorite room of the house was the kitchen!

The interplay of black and white toile with bursts of red enhance the coziness of the kitchen.

The black and white toile charger is the perfect frame to the red plate that encircles a snowy homestead.


Warm yourself by the hearth, with the modern conveniences built in right next store!

Ahh, the wonders of a gas fireplace. With just the flick of a switch you have the perfect combination of innovation and ambience.

Even the Santas don black and white toile.

A magical perch within the hearth.

A bear from Harrods must enjoy his porridge, even if it is in a New York kitchen.

What’s that coming out of the oven?



And now it’s time to bake!


It’s been such a lovely time.

I’ve been tweaking this picture, but it sure doesn’t do the room justice. Somehow getting the warmth of the room with the wreaths hanging about proved to be a photography challenge so you’ll have to deal with my amateur attempts to enlighten my darken photographs. I wanted you to feel the full warmth of the room

Join me Sunday to share how you’re getting ready for this season of merriment, at Seasonal Sundays.

Please visit the following parties I’m joining:

• Susan at Between the Naps for Tablescape Thursday
  
• Sherry of No Minimalist Here for Open House Thursday
  
• Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
  
• Sheri at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home
  
• Courtney of French Country Cottage for Feather Your Nest Friday
  
• Alison of Stuff and Nonsense for Fridays Unfold
  
• Mary of Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
  
• Cielo of The House in the Roses for Show off your Cottage Monday
  

- The Tablescaper

Seasonal Sundays #76 - Post Thanksgiving

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays.

I hope that you all had a blessed Thanksgiving with your friends and family. We put this little guy together to entertain the twin 5 year olds that were attending Thanksgiving dinner with us.

My post Thanksgiving days haven’t been very exciting. A good portion of Friday was spent on the computer trying to scoop up Black Friday specials. And now the daunting task of packing away all things Harvest.

I try to be organized when I’m putting things away, but my real inclination is just to stash it…

…and move on to the next holiday.

I have a full third floor in my home so no attic. Being a huge pack rat, I had an attic built in the peak of my garage for all of our seasonal décor. We’ve been very fortunate to have moderate temperatures here in the Northeast. It sure made all of the putting away and bringing out a whole lot more pleasant.

So, we’re still in the early stages, but it won’t be long until Santa is amongst us.

What have you been up to? Shopping? Decorating? Or like me, somewhere in-between?

- The Tablescaper

A Burgundy Thanksgiving

Welcome to The Tablescaper.

I truly hope that you and your family are enjoying a blessed Thanksgiving this year.

Regardless of the many fictitious and romanticized stories surrounding the origins of Thanksgiving,…

…it is a wonderful thing that once a year our entire nation pauses to give thanks.

And to enjoy the bounty that surrounds us.

The inspiration for this table started with this Ralph Lauren tablecloth.

I was thrilled that these turkey towels cum napkins (a purchase last year from Christmas Tree) blended so well.

They provided the opportunity to use my Pottery Barn chargers. I purchased them quite a number of years ago at the Pottery Barn outlet. The Portuguese taupe dinner plates are a recent purchase from HomeGoods. I’m such a color person that I’m not usually drawn to neutral shades, but sometimes that’s just what you need to pull it all together. On a shopping trip this Summer with my good buddy, Kathleen of Cuisine Kathleen, I scored these salad plates on clearance at Pier 1. I love how they match the Pottery Barn chargers.

The stack is topped off with transferware plates from my trip to Brimfield!

The little glass turkeys were a Christmas Tree this year. The goblets were from HomeGoods several years ago.

This fine fellow I just purchased yesterday! He’s a tureen by Spode (and was only $40.00 on a Pre-Black Friday sale). I’m plenty thankful for my purchase!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Join me Sunday to share how you are warming up your home, this season of thanks, at Seasonal Sundays.

Please visit the following parties I’m joining:

• Susan at Between the Naps for Tablescape Thursday

• Sherry of No Minimalist Here for Open House Thursday

• Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

• Sheri at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

• Courtney of French Country Cottage for Feather Your Nest Friday

• Alison of Stuff and Nonsense for Fridays Unfold

• Mary of Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday

• Cielo of The House in the Roses for Show off your Cottage Monday

- The Tablescaper

Seasonal Sundays # 75–Thanksgiving Mantel

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays #76.

I hope that you are all readying your homes in anticipation of Thanksgiving.


It’s a wonderful time of year for us to gather with friends and family…

…to give thanks for all that has been bestowed upon us.

I wanted to do something different for my Thanksgiving mantel.

I was pretty done with rusts, golds, and oranges.

I came across this amazing deep burgundy feather wreath in AC Moore and it was the beginning!





Coincidentally the next day, in my local consignment shop, I came across this wonderful green turkey transferware plate. The rest just flowed together!
Have a very blessed Thanksgiving.

- The Tablescaper