Christmas for the Birds

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! My hats off to you as I don't know how you can do the preps for this significant holiday as well as Christmas in such a short time.  Here in Canada, having celebrated our Thanksgiving in October, we have it easy compared to you! Hope you enjoy the fruits of your labours!

Here is a look at a Christmas tablescape I created that is literally "For The Birds". 

Birdette welcomes you to the home she shares with her brother and sister.

They have decorated their place for the season.

What respectable birdcage would be without a tree and some presents at this time of year?

The "yard" around their home is landscaped beautifully with green shrubs and red berries.

They even have a view of a tall decorated tree in the distance.

Would you care to join Birdette and her siblings for a meal?

 

A Christmas place setting awaits and a friend of the family is ready to greet you.

Christmas dishes have been chosen in your honour...

 

and topped with various patterned red plates. Your choice of a snowflake one,

a gingerbread man/woman one,

a dove one or

a Christmas tree one

To sip your nectar, two glasses have been provided.

More birdie friends have flown in for the occasion.

So glad they could join in the fun!

I hope you can stay the night as it is dark now...

and getting late...

Before you turn in though, Birdette says "Merry Christmas to All....

Thanks for stopping by.   Hope you have as much fun with your Christmas decorating as I did creating this tablescape "for the birds"! 

I'll be linking this post to 
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life 
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.  
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper
Holiday Table Decor at The Lettered Cottage

A Repeat of An Easy Centerpiece Idea/Fall Dinner Party

While browsing through some of my fall tablescape posts from 2010, I came across one that included a simple yet effective centerpiece for a last minute dinner party so thought I'd share it with you again in case you have a similar situation coming up. And it will also allow me to join in with Chari's Sunday Favorites at Happy to Design as well as Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper.

Original Post is from November 10, 2010
This past Sunday, we decided to host an impromptu dinner party for eight.  We were able to round up three other couples on short notice and set to work cooking!  Fortunately, I had already been "designing" a tablescape earlier in the week and it was pretty much ready to go!

This is how the idea for my tablescape started.  I ran across two of these glass/metal votive candleholders on clearance ($4.00 each) at a local Fields Store.   I thought they had possibilities.

 

Using items I already had, I rounded up some fall leaf garland and a swag as well as some very large faux acorns and a few glitter pumpkins.

 I tucked and wove the garland and swag around the metal of the candle holders and laid the pumpkins and acorns in the 'bare" spaces.  Added 10 Partylite votives and  lit them up. Voila! - an easy, inexpensive but striking centerpiece for a fall table.

 My other recent purchase was eight of these leaf shaped bowls from Walmart.

These bowls were set atop gold rimmed white salad plates and orange dinner plates layered on brown wicker-look chargers. 

(all items I've had for a long time)

  Placecard holders are new from a home party by Everyday Style.

The complete place setting with a mini faux pumpkin in leaf bowl.

The finished tablescape just before guests arrived.

We must have been organized to be able to have time to take pictures before the guests arrived! Usually, I'm scrambling to finish the food and get myself cleaned up!

I love these "giant" acorns I got at Pharmasave Drug Store last year.

We really enjoyed the evening, sharing food and lots of laughs with good friends by the glow of candlelight.

For some reason, it feels kind of "extravagant" to burn so many votives at once!

As per usual, I never got time to take any pictures of the food I served but here's the menu.

French Onion Soup served in Pumpkin Tureens(not shown)

Seafood Lasagne, Cesar Salad, Grilled Asparagus and Garlic Toast served on the orange plates

Pumpkin Bread Pudding (recipe from Stone Gable - delicious!) served in the leaf bowls

Thanks for stopping by. 
Be sure to check out Sunday Favorites at Happy to Design and Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper.