Thursday evening I had the pleasure of hosting our Night Time Birthday group. We were celebrating Christmas and also a birthday. Typically I would have used my Christmas dishes, but for some reason I just wasn't feeling the whole Red and Green Christmas table vibe. I couldn't even get excited about red or white flowers?? With the day of the party approaching, I had a decision to make. Feeling a bit like I was cheating on Fitz and Floyd St. Nick (my china pattern), I decided to stick with the blue and white dishes (Willow Blue and Blue Onion) and incorporate some subtle Christmas touches.
After I decided on the dishes, I made my way to the grocery store to see what flowers were available. I was pleasantly surprised to see they had my favorite shade of Blue Hydrangea, yeah, an affirmation of my color scheme!! While at the store, I gathered some beautiful pomegranates, oranges, and lemons. If I didn't use them on the table, I knew I could decorate with them elsewhere. We have plenty of holly and cedar growing on our property, so I knew I could easily add those natural elements in the flower arrangements. I dug through my ribbon stash and found a remnant of the red plaid, a new roll of the blue and white (Hobby Lobby), and some navy velvet (JoAnn's) ribbon that I knew I could tie around the napkins.
I decided to use an artificial cedar garland as a base and began to build from there. Once the flower arrangements (3) were evenly placed in the center of the table, I added the ribbon and the twinkle lights. I then tucked in the fruit and some natural elements from our yard. I really like mixing artificial and real greenery together. If you ever find yourself with some gaps in your centerpieces or garlands, don't hesitate to go outside and gather from nature.
Another layer I decided to add were the "China Blue Vase" table accents by Hester & Cook.
Because I needed to put the party favor to the right of the place setting, I put all of the sterling (Grand Baroque) on the left. These vases also make wonderful place cards. If you have not ever used any of the Hester & Cook products, I encourage you to check them out. They have neat products. I paid $12.95 for a package of 12 vases and I'm able to reuse them.
I shared this cheap and cheerful party favor on my blog day before yesterday in case you missed it. It was the icing on the cake for the table. Not sure if you noticed the cloves in the oranges and lemons in the previous pictures?? Next week I will be sharing this simple craft and all the ways you can incorporate the clove "studded" fruit into your Christmas decor.
With every table setting, decoration, recipe made, I am convinced that Christmas is a magical time of year for gatherings and special fellowship with those we love. I hope you are enjoying this season and experiencing a touch of magic!!