Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Christmas Home or Home at Christmas Tablescape


 
Welcome to my Christmas Home Table.  If you were coming to my HOME on Christmas Eve this year, this is the table that would await you.  The table is set with Christmas Home dinner plates, salad plates, and soup bowls by Royal Stafford. 
 
Here is a close-up of the soup bowl.
 
 
 
Doesn't everyone love to be HOME at Christmas??  Last year we almost didn't make it HOME.
 
 
 
We had spent Christmas Eve Day with our oldest son, wife, and grand baby, and my in-laws and sister-in-law.  After the dinner, our son and family went to stay with his in-laws and we decided to drive to Salt Lake City to see the Christmas lights on Temple Square. 
 
Napkin Ring Close-Up
 
 
 
 Bad sign --  on the way there, I could feel our gears sliding.    Then in Salt Lake I parked on a hill and I think I gave the gears a bad work-out.
 
 Simple Greenery Centerpiece
 
 
 
The lights on Temple Square were exquisite.
 
 
  
After the beautiful visit on Temple Square, we had a two-hour drive home, with about an hour in a very steep canyon.
 
Close-up of Centerpiece
 
 
As we drove HOME,  it became very obvious that we were having problems with our clutch.  I tried to ignore it, and tried to ignore my husband telling me I should go back to his parent's home.  You see, I wanted to be HOME for Christmas.  I mean, Santa was coming, and there were all of our gifts there.  The cats and the chickens needed to be fed.....yada, yada, yada....
 
I threw in this one because you can see my hand in the right red ball -- honestly, my fingers aren't that fat.
 
 
 
As I was driving, I noticed that there wasn't a lot of traffic in the canyon.  The truckers were HOME for Christmas, and everyone else that seemed to travel in the canyon seemed to be HOME for Christmas.  I thought, well we had some Martinellis, some oranges, and some chocolate to eat if we did get stranded.  My husband kept on telling me to turn back...
 
The King's Crown that graced my Aunt Ionia's Adult table every year on Christmas Eve.
 
 
 
Then I began to think about the lack of cellphone coverage in the canyon as I eeked up the first small hill, barely making it. Since there was no cellphone service, and there was little traffic, the reality of becoming stranded on Christmas Eve loomed larger in my mind.  Then I thought about the second hill, which is at an elevation of 8,000 feet. In my denying state of mind I still thought " Maybe I can make it...."
 
Ohhhh, don't you just love the RED?
 
 
My practical husband kept on telling me to turn back....and finally, I listened and turned back. I wasn't happy about it, because thoughts of HOME still were in my mind.   It was late, probably about 10:30 pm by then,  and we slowly drove back to my in-laws.  Slowly because that is all the car would do at that point. 
 
Of course we will use our silver, Damask Rose pattern, that my parents gave us for a wedding gift. 
 
 
Don't get me wrong, I love my in-laws, but how was Santa going to find me if I wasn't HOME?  Although I had some setbacks and some transgressions,, I had tried to be a really good girl last year, and I knew Santa would want to find me.  I mean, did he really want to keep on lugging around all those heavy gifts in his big black bag, just because I didn't make it HOME?
 
Santa came early to my home for Christmas this year, SHE (Jacqueline at Purple Chocolat Home) brought me 16 soup bowls in the Christmas Home pattern and three servings bowls in her big black bag.  Thank you Mrs. Santie Claus.
 

 
Mrs. Santa Claus also brought me this serving platter.
 
 
We found cellphone service as we eeked our way to their home.  Thankfully my in-laws were still up.   I was so happy because they graciously offered to  let us drive home their car and we left our car with the broken clutch at their HOME.   So we unpacked our car and put all our luggage and Christmas paraphernalia in their trunk, and made it HOME by about 3:00 am Christmas morning!    Guess what?  The big guy had not arrived yet, so I was safe!  Santa could still deliver all those heavy presents he had to my HOME. 
 
 
The sunlight filtering the table.
 
 
Wherever you call HOME, I hope you can make it there this Christmas.
 
 
Thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes!
 
Posted with the following:  Let's Dish, Tablescape Thursday
 

26 comments:

Barbara F. said...

Wow. This is some tale to tell the grands one day. I was shaking every time you said "canyon", not a good place for car trouble (there really is no good place for that, ever!). Love the dishes and your Aunt's glasses. xo

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

Whew Joni, what a story! I'm NOT good AT ALL in driving through mountains or canyons, even as a passenger. I LOVE the dishes. I found two salad plates at Homegoods at bought those. They're so pretty. I need to look for more. Your King's Crown is a treasure.

Lynn said...

That's a beautiful setting Joni! I love the plates and the plaid tablecloth! Quite the story too, so glad it all worked out ok:@)

A Cottage in the Clouds said...

I got a knot in my stomach reading about you making a hazardous drive with a bad clutch. I'm so glad you turned back before anything bad could happen!

Hubby recently bought me those same dishes at Marshall's, so it was fun to see how you used yours.
Very pretty table!

Marigene said...

Those very steep mountainous roads in the southwest can be so treacherous even without having car problems...glad you turned around to go back to your in-laws. It was so nice of them to offer you their vehicle so you could be home for Christmas!
Beautiful table...and such a generous sister to gift you 16 soup bowls of that pattern.

Elaine said...

I have never seen those dishes before and I am IN LOVE with them!!! Your table is beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Quite a tale you spin, but I am glad you found HOME. Lucky you to have the wonderful dishes and you're right about the King's Crown glasses being just right for the holidays.

Jacqueline said...

Oh, the stacks were just not complete without those bowls. Mrs. Claus really is good to you! I love the serving platter too. You set such a beautiful table with it. Hopefully Christmas Eve will be much easier for you this year! It certainly will be beautiful with this table.

Pondside said...

What a great Christmas story/memory. I understand, so well, the need to be home!

Sarah said...

Joni, I, too, like to be HOME for Christmas. So glad your story had a happy ending and you were in your home for Christmas.
Your dishes are beautiful. That Mrs. Claus really knows what to give you. LOL
Wish I had a couple of those chocolate peppermint balls for a midnight snack........Sarah

Sue said...

I am in love with this tablescape of yours! The dishes are so beautiful. I always imagine myself transported into that kind of scene on a plate:)
Your Christmas eve drive home sounded so scary! I am a chicken and would have turned right around.
The lights are so beautiful and peaceful on Temple Square.

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

Joni, I enjoyed the way this post was written! The dishes are lovely, and are at the top of my list for favorite Christmas tableware.
Wow, the lights are so beautiful at Temple Square. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas at HOME this year.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful table! I have salad plates in this pattern and used them on the back porch this week.
Great minds!:-)

Unknown said...

Scary story! But I love your dish pattern! ;)

Tammy @ A Walk in the Countryside said...

Gorgeous dishes!!!! and King's Crown. I recently found some at GW but mine are in the cranberry color. I'm a new follower and am off to browse your great blog!

Bonnie said...

Your table is beautiful. I wouldn't want to be on Soldier Summit with looming problems! So glad you are all safe and sound this year. Hopefully, this Christmas Eve will be a little less "eventful".

Marlis said...

I've seen Temple Square, but never at Christmas. I can only imagine the splendor for those who get to see it. You are so lucky. I am still trying to complete that set of dishes cause I love them so much. Home. What a great name.. Your story reminded me of us a few years ago trying to make it to Dallas. It took us 2 hours to make it from our house to the outskirts of Lubbock. It was icy. But I just didn't want our son to wake up Christmas morning and us not be there. After another 30 minutes and about 3 or 4 miles, we headed back. Our son called and we told him we would not be there. It was okay. I'm so glad you got home. Tell me about the gorgeous tablecloth!! I'm delighted to see the King's Crown on your table.. It's all so pretty. xo marlis

Chubby Chieque said...

Hmmm... a great story specially to a non-US. Great job.

I am drooling to your steamwares. The centerpiece is simple but it's adorable.

Thank you for sharing.

Greetings from a very snowy Stockholm,
/CC

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

What a scary scary Christmas eve you had!!! THank goodness you showed me those pretty pictures of your dishes in between!!! So happy you made it home before Santa... and thanks for letting me swoon over your Christmas Home dinnerware!

Kathleen said...

Wow, on the dishes, so pretty!
Wow on the drive home, and super nice of your in laws to give up their wheels for you!
Please stay home this Cmas Eve!

Unknown said...

Love the 'scape! Really pretty. The story is great!! Here in Athens, Ga, we dream of a white Christmas, but we surely wouldn't know how to drive in it if we got one!!! Glad your story had a happy ending!

Debbie said...

I had to read this twice. Once to enjoy the beautiful table which I LOVE and then to read the story. I am so glad you made it HOME.

And I can only imagine how beautiful those lights were. Worth it, I'll bet!

Beth said...

Joni, I love your Christmas dishes and the King's Crown goblets! What a scary trip last year. Glad you made it home safely!

Danielle's Heartfelt Home said...

Hi Joni, I love your story. There really is NO place like home for the holidays!

I'm in love with your dinnerware! I would love to have that on my Christmas table : )

Danielle xo

Red Couch Recipes said...

Beautiful tablescape!:) The red on this table really add to the christmas spirit. Your dishes are beautiful- I love the glass goblets.
Keep it up;)
Your daughter,
Talley

Jenn said...

That is gorgeous dinnerware!

Engageya