It’s so much fun to look through old etiquette books or cookbooks and seeing all of the beautiful ways to set a table. Everything has it’s place which creates a practical setting when you sit down to dine. While tradition and formality are fun, I have noticed a popular trend in bending the rules. The basic settings are the same, but now it’s “in” to mix up your glassware, silverware, and even china when setting a table. I have seen some beautiful settings throughout the world of blogging. Eddie Ross has some great ones posted on his blog.
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| image: Eddie Ross |
While I am no Eddie Ross, using the image of a properly placed table setting, I set out to break a few of my own rules this year by mixing it up for our annual Christmas Eve dinner with friends.
I went with the more informal look, but added a few formal touches such as a “place card” & a bread plate. I love the look of the whimsical reindeer with my formal china. The best part of all is it was so simple to do!
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| Reindeer plates & cups from Pottery barn |
I decorated the dining room to match the colors I normally have in there: black, white, silver, & blue. To make sure my napkins matched, I dyed some that I found at HomeGoods earlier in the season.
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| Ornament place cards |
Hershey’s kisses on the table for sparkle in the candlelight and a great after-dinner treat!
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| Vintage miniature salt & pepper shakers that belonged to my grandmother |
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| Simple centerpiece using fresh greenery and |
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| The dining room tree with extended family gifts surrounding it. Paper is from Hobby Lobby. |
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| our table |
The only thing this table is waiting on is our Christmas Eve dinner guests!
Merry Christmas to you!
Fiddle Dee Dee by Jennifer Jones 
This is just the beginning; where is the awesome dinner?
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