A Return Visit from St. Nicholas

A Return Visit from St. Nicholas from last year~

Wishing you the Merriest of Christmases!

 

My pattern, St. Nicholas, by Fitz & Floyd,

Retired many years, breaking I hope to avoid~

The plates show St. Nick decorating the tree~

His fondness for musical sounds, you can see.

Drums, horns, as well as bells too,

 Are placed on the tree all in plain view~

 

Beaded garland is swagged & placed just so,

Candles lit on the tree cast a warm glow~

A candy cane here, a star placed there,

A Reindeer helper is doing his share.

 

The mice are not stirring, they’re sleeping instead~

The shaker set holder, a shoe for their bed~

 

The crackers are placed along side each plate~

When pulling apart, a snap they create~

 

 Crab apples, cranberries & nuts fill my vases~

 Once again on my table, keeping their places.

 

Several weeks they will last, a bit of nature they add~

A glimpse of last week’s table here can be had.

 

Coffee is brewed & ready to pour,

 Help yourself to a cup, there is plenty more~

A stocking is hung on the sideboard with care,

 My hope that St. Nick will look for it there~

 

 

The placemats are beaded, they sparkle & shine~

I saw them at Home Goods & said to myself, “Mine!”

 

 They leapt from the aisle, right into my cart~

For the economy, I am doing my part :-)

Reindeer hold candles, which ones I don’t know,

Maybe Dasher? or Dancer?  providing a glow~

Prancer?  or Vixen? I don’t know their names,

I’m ashamed to admit, they all look the same~

 

The stump of Nick’s pipe is lit you can see,

By evidence of smoke rising next to the tree~

 

A sweet Chocolate is placed at each setting too,

 Images many & dear, look here to view~

 

The glass how it twinkles, reflections how merry,

Venetian Goblets, a shade between roses & cherry~

 

Only for moments I turned from the table,

Hearing prancing & pawing, I came as quickly as able~

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But my own treasured book, complete with reindeer~

Plucked from my shelf, placed directly in view,

Comet? or Cupid? wish me to share pages with you~

 

The Night Before Christmas

by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Christian Birmingham

In 1822, a New York clergyman named Clement Clarke Moore spun together Christmas memories for his children. The poem he wrote featured a red-suited Santa in a reindeer-drawn sleigh, a never-empty sack of toys, and stockings hung expectantly above the fireplace. He called it “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” and it was then published anonymously in a newspaper in Troy, New York. It captured the public’s imagination. The poem’s opening line—“ ‘Twas the night before Christmas” soon replaced the original title.

 

A joy to read aloud, Moore’s poem has endured. Beginning in hushed suspense, the poem builds to a dramatic crescendo as the rollicking verses usher in the mysterious midnight visitor.

 

A tale of anticipation and wonder, “The Night Before Christmas” has become a holiday tradition in itself for many families.

 

Up to my sideboard, the coursers they flew~

St. Nick’s Milk & Cookies, help yourself to some too :-)

 

 

If I don’t see you again before Christmas Day,

May your wishes & dreams be delivered by sleigh!

Thank you for your visit & thanks to my hostesses:

•   Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday~

•   Food for Thought, a delicious blog for readers with an appetite for the written word~

•  The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday~

• The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays~

• A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday~

 

Enjoy the reading of this classic holiday tale

 by Dick Van Dyke~

A Visit from St. Nicholas

 

 

My pattern, St. Nicholas, by Fitz & Floyd,

Retired many years, breaking I hope to avoid~

 

 

The plates show St. Nick decorating the tree~

His fondness for musical sounds, you can see.

 

 

Drums, horns, as well as bells too,

 Are placed on the tree all in plain view~

 

 

Beaded garland is swagged & placed just so,

Candles lit on the tree cast a warm glow~

A candy cane here, a star placed there,

A Reindeer helper is doing his share.

 

 

The mice are not stirring, they’re sleeping instead~

The shaker set holder, a shoe for their bed~ 

 

 

 

The crackers are placed along side each plate~

When pulling apart, a snap they create~

 

 

 Crab apples, cranberries & nuts fill my vases~

 Once again on my table, keeping their places.

 

 

Several weeks they will last, a bit of nature they add~

A glimpse of last week’s table here can be had.

 

 

Coffee is brewed & ready to pour,

 Help yourself to a cup, there is plenty more~

 

 

 

A stocking is hung on the sideboard with care,

 My hope that St. Nick will look for it there~

 

 

 

 

The placemats are beaded, they sparkle & shine~

I saw them at Home Goods & said to myself, “Mine!”

 

 

 They leapt from the aisle, right into my cart~

For the economy, I am doing my part :-)

 

 

Reindeer hold candles, which ones I don’t know,

Maybe Dasher? or Dancer?  providing a glow~

Prancer?  or Vixen? I don’t know their names,

I’m ashamed to admit, they all look the same~

 

 

The stump of Nick’s pipe is lit you can see,

By evidence of smoke rising next to the tree~

 

 

A sweet Chocolate is placed at each setting too,

 Images many & dear, look here to view~

 

 

 

 

 

The glass how it twinkles, reflections how merry,

Venetian Goblets, a shade between roses & cherry~

 

 

 

Only for moments I turned from the table,

Hearing prancing & pawing, I came as quickly as able~

 

 

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But my own treasured book, complete with reindeer~

Plucked from my shelf, placed directly in view,

Comet? or Cupid? wish me to share pages with you~

 

 

The Night Before Christmas

by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Christian Birmingham

 

 

In 1822, a New York clergyman named Clement Clarke Moore spun together Christmas memories for his children. The poem he wrote featured a red-suited Santa in a reindeer-drawn sleigh, a never-empty sack of toys, and stockings hung expectantly above the fireplace. He called it “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” and it was then published anonymously in a newspaper in Troy, New York. It captured the public’s imagination. The poem’s opening line—“ ‘Twas the night before Christmas” soon replaced the original title.

 

 

A joy to read aloud, Moore’s poem has endured. Beginning in hushed suspense, the poem builds to a dramatic crescendo as the rollicking verses usher in the mysterious midnight visitor.

 

 

A tale of anticipation and wonder, “The Night Before Christmas” has become a holiday tradition in itself for many families.

 

 

Up to my sideboard, the coursers they flew~

St. Nick’s Milk & Cookies, help yourself to some too :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I don’t see you again before Christmas Day,

May your wishes & dreams be delivered by sleigh!

 

 

Thank you for your visit & thanks to my hostesses:

 

•  Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for providing disaholics everywhere a place to play ~

•  Jain at Food for Thought, a delicious blog for readers with an appetite for the written word~

• The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays~

• A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday~

 

 

Enjoy the reading of this classic holiday tale

 by Dick Van Dyke~

Bunny Christmas

 

 

Bunny Christmas *****

 by Rick Walton- Author  &  Paige Miglio- Illustrator

 

 

I’m joining Jain with my Edible Book Review at Food for Thought, a delicious blog for readers with an appetite~ for the written word and food.

I’m also joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday as part of this Edible Review.

 

 

I ran across this book at the library standing in line for early-voting in November, as the line wound around upstairs through the children’s section. If I have to stand in line to vote, there’s no better place than the library for me :-)  

 Prominently on display, I picked it up to thumb through, and was enamored with the illustrations and sweet story. To share this book, I pulled out my Fitz & Floyd Christmas Bunnies, that still after twenty years, make me as cheery as reading this book did~

 

 

Young readers~ pre-school through kindergarten age~ will cotton to this story, as a happy bunny family prepares for a Merry Christmas with all the trimmings. Mom & Dad, brother & sister, along with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents come together for a joyful celebration. All family members share in the holiday preparations that make for a delightful tail ;-) that young readers will enjoy (& 50-year-old ones too!)

 

 

 My Fitz & Floyd bunnies accompany Paige Miglio’s beautifully detailed illustrations. Paired with Rick Walton’s rhyming text, the two paint a heartwarming holiday portrait of family togetherness.

 

 

 

 

Bunnies are busy decking the halls. . .decorating a tree with strings of popcorn & candy canes, hanging lights and wreaths. . .  

 

 

 

   Wreath design hardboard and cork placemats frame my leaf embossed bowls.

 

 

I filled my pedestal Santa & Bunny bowl with greenery~ cedar, magnolia, juniper, along with some apples, nandina berries, pinecones and a few camellias that were blooming. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bunnies satisfy their sweet tooth with carrot cake. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visiting with Santa. . .

 

 

. . .and helping roll out dough to make sugar cookies~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Like a sugar cookie or slice of carrot cake, this book is a sweet treat to share with a young reader this Christmas~ 

Hop over to your library or bookstore and jumpstart your holidays~ this tail is guaranteed to make your spirits bright :-)

 

 

Thank you for your visit & to my hostesses:

 

 Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for providing disaholics everywhere a place to play ~

Jain at Food for Thought for providing a delightful way to read by cooking your book ~

This Little Piggy Went To Market

 

 

 

I’m joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. 

 

Thank you Susan, for hosting such a fun event & providing dishaholics everywhere with a weekly fix!

 

 

 

 My Fitz & Floyd French Market Pigs went to the Farmer’s Market and were the inspiration for this week’s tablescape.

 

 

 

 I have a couple of quilts I rotate on beds at the lake, and this one was happy to be rotated to the porch, for a tablecloth this week.

 

 

 

 This covered veggie dish and teapot were excited to go to market and have a change of scenery :-) They normally reside in my kitchen in town and the vegetable dish serves as decorative storage for my stash of coffee pods.

 

 

 

They were happy to meet these guys. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

French Market Pigs/ Fitz & Floyd,  several years ago

Plates/ Pier 1, several years ago

Napkin Rings/ World Market, recently

Napkins/ SteinMart, recently

Hobnail Glasses/ Home Goods, a while ago

 

 

 

Thank you Susan for allowing us to share our arranging arsenal :-)

 To see many inspiring tablescapes, be sure to visit the Porch~

Fitz & Floyd for Easter

 I’m joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

 This Easter table is set with Fitz & Floyd Classique d’Or and Tulipe d’Or salad plates and mugs. Bunnies and candy add a touch of whimsy.

 Read the history of Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit here.

 Chicks & Flowers grace chocolate from House of Dorchester, that I found at Home Goods.

Chocolate Bunnies and Easter basket~shred fill vases, instead of flowers and candles at this table.

 

 No sugar cubes, chocolate eggs instead. . .

Vintage Easter Greetings in a Vase. . .

 

No one will be sitting at my Easter table, all seventeen of us will be at my mother-in-law’s, where we’ll hopefully be eating on her porch, with the forecast for 80 degree temperatures. . .

Wishing you an egg~cellent Easter Holiday. . .

I fell in love with the graphics on this chocolate and the sentiment!

Head over to the Porch for more Inspiring Tablescapes. . .