Merry Christmas

Years ago I took my Christmas planning seriously (think Martha Stewart). However, over the years I've become more laid back about the whole thing. Maybe too laid back. When I woke up today, I realized the extended family will be at the house tomorrow for dinner. I've made the menu and done the shopping, but hadn't thought at all about what the dining room should look like. It needed attention to make it company-ready.

One of my goals today was to stay out of any kind of store, so I had to decorate with what I had around the house. There's a box of Christmas linens I've acquired over the years, but many of them aren't big enough for the dining room table when it's stretched to its maximum length. After a bit of searching, I found a length of green material in my fabric stash that could pass as a tablecloth. A quick spin in the dryer removed the wrinkles.

The table centerpiece was pretty simple. A friend gave me a lovely hurricane candle last month. It had a removable top, and she filled the bottom with a beautiful fall garland. I replaced it with a piece of evergreen and silver garland. I found a pair of napkins in the linen box that I'd bought on clearance a few years ago. I refolded them and arranged them on either side of the candle.

The table is set creatively but tastefully. I used the plainest set of china, which is actually two different patterns, but both have silver rims so they coordinate well. The silverware is a mashup of styles. Most of the pieces came from my parents' set, but over the years I've supplemented with other pieces. If you look closely (and I hope you don't), there are also several types of white napkins.

I'm almost ready for the big event, but the table will need a few last-minute details tomorrow. I'll have to light the candle and remove the small stacks of dessert plates I've stacked all over the empty spaces so the cats don't decide to take a nap on the table tonight!