With the heat index soaring to new levels here in south Louisiana, I set out to design a Christmas in July tablescape without a trip into that furnace of a place called the attic.............. So here goes... Click on the pics to enlarge them for more detail.....
I started out with two nutcrackers from my collection and the little black lantern I purchased at Old Time Pottery when I was down in Foley, Alabama. To that I added two hurricane globes and candlesticks from my mantle and some gold faux grapes that I use on my Christmas tree every year.
Since I've been fawning over Christmas dishes for years but haven't taken the plunge, I used my cheapo white china and the pretty green plum plates with napkin rings from World Market and some vintage napkins I purchased at an antique shop. To add a touch of red, I used more faux grapes that also decorate my tree every year. Below you can see a pretty silverplate server that was a gift from my great aunt Daisy, the original lover of fine things in my family.
The napkins have a damask look about them and I lucked up into finding a pristine set of 6 for $2.00 each...... The black glass chargers were a real find at Hobby Lobby last week for $1.50 each. The original price was $15.00 so I snapped up $90.00 worth of chargers for $9.00! Doesn't that equate to a 90% off sale?
Here's a better look at the glass chargers. They are black with swirls of white in them. I can envision them on a Thanksgiving table with autumn colors as accents...... The pretty champagne flutes were a gift from my mother one Christmas. Being the resourceful woman she is, she made friends with the ladies who work at Tuesday Morning and always called ahead when she saw a great deal on something pretty. They'd oblige by putting several of whatever she had her eye on aside for her. So each Christmas us girls would receive some little "pretty" to unwrap along with a generous gift of cash. It's really sad that my mom's health has declined to the point that she rarely asks to visit Tuesday Morning any longer.....
Below you can see my Christmas gift from my best friend Kim. We found the red toile Twelve Days of Christmas china drastically reduced at Dillard's last year........ I bought her the chip and dip set and she bought me this large serving bowl. Unfortunately, the place settings were all gone but Kim persevered and called Dillard's stores all over the area until she was able to locate service for eight. She drove quite a few miles to collect those dishes and I'm kicking myself for not doing the same.....
Here's another glimpse of the silverplated server with my "new to me" serving piece from that antique shop I mentioned earlier. It was tarnished and tired when I picked it up but a little elbow grease combined with a lemon juice and salt scrub produced a beauty worthy of any table.
I hope you enjoyed my Christmas in July tablescape. Happy Holidays! ;-)
The university that I felt was cold and impersonal when I started there way back in 1973 had this sign displayed on the outside of the dorm. My, how things seem to have changed.... Sorry, the pictures got loaded in reverse order. This shot was taken after MUCH furniture shuffling and seems to be the best use of the available space with lots of room underneath the bed for storage... The view out of the window is so serene and peaceful; it overlooks the lake and there were squirrels climbing in the trees. 
Here's the "before" shot.......
Good luck, my sweet daughter! Don't forget lil old mom back at home...... I love you! ;-)
