Casually Festive Holiday Table

Hello and welcome! I've set a holiday table for you that is casual, but that doesn't mean there won't be festive touches! 

  

I found inexpensive placemats to serve as the base. I like their light background, sprinkled with red and green Christmas designs. They're a great foil for plaid dinner plates, topped by salad plates with golden scrolls. 

Matching napkins are simply held by pretty ribbons and adorned with holly and berry picks. I frequently choose to use ribbons instead of napkin rings. Ribbons come in such a fantastic array of colors, textures, patterns and widths that you're sure to find one — or several! — that will coordinate with  your linens, dishware, or theme.

Reindeer are frolicking in the center of the table. They made their first appearance on Dinner at Eight in A Partridge in a Pear Tree. I always look forward to using them each year!

  

I decided against an elaborate centerpiece, wanting the focus to be on the reindeer — and the conversation around the table.

But of course I had to add two sets of adorable salt and pepper shakers!

  

One of the festive touches will be holiday drinkware — low tumblers for water that depict scenes from  'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and

 

glasses with splashes of green and red that will serve up chocolate martinis. (If you haven't tried one, you should!)

 

Adding to the festive mood is a new Christmas tree, the fourth in our home. 

  

This tree is decorated with Christmas village scenes. Greg painted all the buildings, adding two to the village this year.

  

This is the first time we've decorated with the village this way. You can see the village's more conventional layout in the second part of our Christmas Villages tour.

The last of the leaves fell with the thunderstorms last week and covered the patio seen through the French doors. The weather will probably be warm enough to head to the patio afterwards for hours of catching up. 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Table details

Reindeer, salt/pepper shakers | Fitz and Floyd

Plaid plates, tumblers | Williams-Sonoma 'Classic Tartan'

Flatware | Mikasa 'Italian Countryside'