My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Our Romantic Roses Dinner

We were alone this Christmas and it was actually very nice and relaxing. Our daughter came for Thanksgiving and we had the traditional turkey so for Christmas we had ham, which is one of our favorite meals. I've been known to do "outside-of-the-box" dinners and luncheons for friends and senior ladies from our church and love doing it. But today I decided on the non-traditional dinner for Christmas - a romantic roses dinner.

As I said, today was a very relaxing and easy day for us. I puttered around in my office; Love Bunny was out in his train room doing something with the electrical on his never-ending layout for his model trains.

I had decided to set the table early - right after breakfast. I put on a beautiful lace and roses embroidered cloth that was way too big for our table which is 42" x 42" without any of its 2 leaves in it. But so what? So the tablecloth almost touched the floor on 2 ends. I loved it!

Then I selected some old dishes I have that aren't china but probably Homer McLaughlin creamy white with silver roses embellishing the edges. Well, just come along with me as I describe each thing.

Hubs knew something was up when he came in from his train room and I was on a ladder with my camera in hand photographing the dining table. Men are sometimes clueless when this happens so I put my beautiful little hands on his cheeks and said, "Photoshoot, photoshoot"!! He knew immediately what that meant. BLOG!! See, they get it after a little show of tender affection. *Wink*

This was the picture from the ladder. I only set it for two as it was just the two of us. I have a vast collection of china dinner plates and salad and dessert plates so I mixed it up for a more informal romantic feel.

I then took some rose candle holders from our living room coffee table and put them down the center ends. A few paper roses for all four corners with some tiny paper roses scattered about and some faux candies in the middle just set the mood. (He'll be verrrrry happy tonight, chicks! *Wink*)

Pretty little salt and pepper shakers in the form of cottages was set at his place. Note the lovely dish in the upper right corner for bread.

Closer view

Spattering of roses and the candle holder roses. I had no candles and besides it was about 4 o'clock when we ate. Hardly dark but I would still have lit them if I had had some.

My place setting with my little salt and pepper shakers. I have a couple of sets of these and when I have a large group for dinner I set several sets of shakers on the table so no one has to say "please pass the salt and pepper." It's a thoughtful thing to do when you are having a dinner party.

My bread plate is just a tad different from hubs' plate.

Ahhhh, yes, I was going to have sparking white grape juice but hubs informed me earlier that we were out. This led to a "discussion." I shan't repeat the "discussion"!

This is our good silver that hubs bought us about 40 years ago when he was overseas. I love the pattern, but don't remember the name. It is very pretty in person though.

Just after I placed 2 of the vintage crystal glasses on the table, I reached across and one of them tipped over and broke. My "chest" did it! Hubs was sitting right there and didn't say a word. He was as heartbroken as I was but he knew it was an accident and I grieved for several seconds and went on. I have several but if my "chest" keeps getting in the way I won't have them for long. They are truly gorgeous. I have several stemware pieces because I love drinking out of them: water, juice, soda, anything. I popped a strawberry in there for flamboyance!! Hah.

All in all, it was a lovely day with Love Bunny and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I lamented about hubs maybe spilling something on the tablecloth. I want you to just guess who was the first to spill! Hmmmm, anybody wanna guess? Wasn't Love Bunny, but he didn't say a word. That man loves me a lot, chicks!!! A LOT!