My Holiday Table

The week before Thanksgiving our town library hosted a holiday table event. I honestly don't think of myself as the decorating type. Crafty yes, but I'll never have the house that would fit into "Good Housekeeping" like some of my friends. I have never had a really nice set of china or anything. However, I did sign up for a holiday table to share in my old/new china. 

My Grandma L died a few years ago and as my cousins and I were growing up she'd always say, "When I die you're getting this set of dishes!" and she'd be pointing to one place setting in her china cabinet. So I always thought I was getting ONE place setting. Heck, she had to have had a dozen different china patterns in that cabinet, how on earth could she have full sets for all of us? 

Fast forward to September when the kids and I met my parents and some siblings in Oklahoma for a wedding. My mom told me she was bringing Grandma's china. I fully expected a small box, one place setting remember? NOPE! I have 12 place settings, gravy boat, butter dish and 5 different serving dishes and other stuff that I can't remember right now. Dang....that was a surprise! 

For the table I made burlap placemats and had DR cut some wood for coasters. If you look at the jelly jars they are full of white beans with a tea light on top. 

My table wasn't fancy but definitely the most rustic on display but burlap and denim reflects my personality I think. 

All the other tables were MUCH fancier than mine. 

Pink Depression glass...WOW, I don't even want to imagine how much this table is worth! 

Do you remember the AVON dishes? I remember my mom had a goblet in this pattern when I was growing up and I thought it was just so elegant! 

Isn't this table fabulous? I'd almost be afraid to mess up the symmetry by eating at it. 

My boys especially love our "fancy" dishes. I want to let you all know that just because we have fancy dishes they don't just sit in the cabinet collecting dust. We use them for special occasions; Thanksgiving, a day off school, sometimes on Sundays, Fridays too (if the boys did well on their spelling tests!) In fact the boys have been pretty creative when coming up with a special reason to use our fancy plates, how can I say no?