Tags
Bombay Company, Channukka, Cheap Jack's, Christmas, Christmas Tree Topper, Crate & Barrel, Fortunoff, Glitter, Gold, K-Mart, Martha Stewart, Mikasa, New Year's Eve, Organza, Silver, Villery & Boch, Vintage
A silver and gold palette works for so many festive occasions. Anniversary’s, mile-marker birthdays and of course, holiday time and New Year’s Eve.
This small dinner for six was less about Chanukkah and Christmas; and more generally about celebrating the season in the weeks leading up. It was also good practice for the BIG event.
Deceptive in its simplicity, this table setting incorporated items on-hand or purchased inexpensively. You could say this was a “high glamour” holiday done on the cheap…and doesn’t everyone love a bargain?
The silver organza cloth was purchased years ago at a Crate & Barrel after-Christmas sale and was layered over a cream, satin damask cloth in a 1940’s pattern. Mikasa’s Gray Travertine dinner plates were smart looking, giving a bit of sparkle with their gilded edges. Flatware from Fortunoff’s (remember them?) was also tipped in gold. Heavy, lacy, square paper doilies in gold, turned on the diamond revved up the Renaissance feeling and acted as a terrific crummer and catch-all during the pasta course, served in shallow, pressed glass bowls. Octagonal stemware from Villeroy and Boch (purchased at Bloomingdale’s in my salad days) added crisp edges to all the shimmer.
Decorating the table were gold, glass Christmas tree balls from Martha Stewart’s collection for K-Mart and a few dollar store finds in a darker, yellower shade raised up on silver and glass candlesticks or on low, plain glass votive holders (a few were rolled around on the table too). The different heights and mixed silver, gold and glass elements gave the impression of (golden) bubbles floating on and around the table. Certainly more of a New Year’s Eve moment!
Keeping to the theme, silver tapers were placed into “antique” incised, brass candle holders from Bombay Company and glittery, silver “minarets” were inserted into cut glass holders with a lattice-work pattern. The “minarets” were purchased for 99 cents each at Cheap Jacks. When I went to the counter to pay for them, the young woman behind the counter asked if I knew what they were? “Of course I do” I said, “they’re tree toppers.” Still suspicious, the clerk asked if I had four Christmas trees!? As if it were the most natural thing in the world, I told her “I’m putting them into candlesticks on my table instead of candles!” I’m sure she thought I was nuts!!
Lighting was kept low for this table making use of simple, clear-glass catering votives.
Ivory napkins gave the table its “winter” moment.
Elegant, inexpensive and, I think, GORGEOUS.
Happy days BEFORE Christmas!