Christmas Night w/Family

Tanner, Katie, Delaney, Jessica, Emma, Alyssa and Greg

Kyle

Funny note about this picture. All the kids were trying to get in the "back row". Only to be concealed by someone just as tall in front of them. Conditioning from being tall. Finally they just all lined up.

On Christmas night we always gather with the Gore side of the family.

We take a picture of the kids. Jacob is missing in this photo, he is on duty in the Coast Guard. We have a new edition, Greg, married to my daughter.

Gore kids 1998

BR: Jessica, Emma and Delaney

Tanner, Jacob, Alyssa and Katie

Kyle

Katie, Alyssa, Delaney, Emma and Jessica

Traditional picture of girls in front of fireplace.

Jack, Lance, Cindy, Stacy and the Handsome Husband

Keeping it real, I forgot to get pictures of Sam and Sharon, the Grandparents and myself. I get worse every year.

The Grandparents introduced us to their new dog Andy (the black dog). Here he is playing with Skylar (Jack and Stacy's dog). They liked each other alot.

Keeping it real:

I just thought I would show you what I go through to get pictures.

You don't know how many pictures I have with a foot, hand or a weird face that takes center stage.

Beautiful

Christmas Morning

Katie's Stocking

Santa always fills the stockings and can't seem to hang them back up. The stockings were all hand made when the girls were little.

Delaney's Stocking

Alyssa's Stocking

Greg's Stocking

Ok, I'm just keeping it real. Last year, Greg had a store bought red and white stocking. I couldn't find it this year so the Bloomingdales bag would have to do. I have purchased a kit to make Greg his own stocking that will match the girls. Hopefully, it will be done by next Christmas.

We wake up really early to open presents. Something Greg is adjusting too. Here is a highlight of some favorite presents. Greg in his All Blacks rugby team shirt.

Alyssa with her Burberry purse and Hunter rain boots.

Delaney with her new watch and camera

and her Griffindor scarf that Alyssa and Greg brought home from Florida for her.

Katie and her new cowboy boots

and favorite shirt (that received a small gasp when opened).

The aftermath.

The table is all set for breakfast. Egg and ham frittata with sourcream and salsa, ham and biscuits with juice.

I used my houndstooth placemats I received for my birthday with my nutcracker dishes I got last Christmas.

The Downside

The downside of fine china, silver and crystal; washing by hand. Ugh.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6

Marlene's Aqua and Lime Green Christmas tree

OOO, I knew this was going to be a fantastic tree when Marlene came home from shopping one day and called me over to see all the new ornaments she bought from Big Lots and the dollar store. She showed me a fantastic array of Aqua and Lime Green ornaments with a tiny bit of red thrown in. Then to top it all off, she came home with a FLOCKED tree!! EEEEEE, Love it!

Fantastic topper using peacock feathers (she took from some vases around her living room), blue and green poinsettias and peacocks. See those sparkly little fellas? They're napkin rings - GENIUS! She used silver sparkly cascades and she added some red balls with lime green and aqua as an accent on the tree.

It turned out so wonderful. She also used strings of just white lights and just green lights. She draped green ribbon, bought at Joann's for 60% off, all around the tree.

Her fancy designer tree, all new ornaments found at a discount, ribbon at a discount, combined with things she already had cost her under $100 (not including the tree).

The Tree is Decorated!

Tablescape Thursday - Christmas

Believe it or not, after all the tablescapes I have done, I have never owned "REAL" china. The Handsome Husband and I finally found a pattern we agreed on and have been looking at it for two years. We went out shopping during Thanksgiving weekend and ended up taking advantage of Bloomingdales AMAZING sale (got 55% of one set and 65% off the other). The Handsome Husband bought the china for my Christmas present. It arrived after one week and I have to tell you, the box was really BEAT UP. I HAD to open it to make sure all the china was not broken. I couldn't help myself and began to set the table IMMEDIATELY! I then called my friends to come look at it. HH arrived home and was upset that I had not only opened my gift, but I had it displayed all over the table. He told me to put it away until Christmas. I told him that I just COULDN'T. What better way for me to enjoy it for Christmas than to look at it every day!

We both loved this pattern called Westchester by Lennox. We liked it for different reasons. He liked the gold banded dinner plate, I liked the accent plate, but we both felt it might be a little over the top.

Our sales assistant at Bloomingdales suggested this pattern. Tuxedo by Lennox. Rather boring on its own, but MIXED with Westchester, we got the desired combination we were looking for.

Here the accent plate from Westchester is combined with the dinner plate from Tuxedo on a gold charger.
Here the Westchester dinner plate is combined with the Tuxedo accent plate on the gold charger. I can't forget to show you my new sparkly placemats. I LOVE them. They really sparkle in the light. The napkin rings are a beautiful combination of gold, silver and clear beads and accent the setting perfectly.
The Champagne and Water glasses are from Anthropologie. Light and delicately etched balance out the heaviness of the place settings. Oh, silly me, I forgot the silverware. Too late now, so excited over the setting that I forgot it! Well, you know I have Towle.
I accented the centerpiece with clear baubles, sparkly glass pinecones and these cute gold tipped poinsettia candles.

The centerpiece is gold trees, silver candle trees, and some reindeer all from Home Goods over the years.

I would like to our wonderful hostess, Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch, for hosting Tablescape Thursday every week. Even though I don't always participate, I definitely always peek at the wonderful creations of those that do.

China Pattern #1 - Westchester from Lennox -purchased at an outrageous discount at Bloomingdales

China Pattern #2- Tuxedo from Lennox-same at Bloomingdales

Placemats-Bloomingdales

Napkin Rings - Purchased at a design studio called Bliss, but also seen at Neiman Marcus

Napkins - Pier 1

Glasses and Stemware - Anthropologie

Centerpieces - Home Goods

Well, I've got one tree up!

Finally, I've got at least one tree up. It's a tree in our bedroom. I'm so bad at getting the decorations up this year that even the Handsome Husband is questioning me! This is the third year I've put a tree in our room. The first year it was all hearts. Last year I had some pics on it with touches of turquoise. This year I've added the red leopard ribbon (which I absolutely LOVE) and I've gathered all our ornaments that we have bought in London over the years and added them to the tree. It's kind of sentimental because we were married and lived in London for a year and we always seem to make it back about ever two years. So this tree is my stab at being romantic. Because I'm not a very romantic person, I took the opportunity to point out the romantic-ness of the tree to my husband.

The admiral is new this year, purchased at Leeds Castle.

The admiral matches several soldier ornaments that I have. The HorseGuard being my favorite.

This big waterford heart is from last year and the little post box (I'm obsessed with English post boxes) is a new purchase from St. Pauls Cathedral.

I bought a box of several little gold hearts this year from Fortnum and Mason.

I love the way these beaded hearts catch and reflect the light. Purchased two years ago at Roger's Gardens.

Hope you enjoyed our little Christmas tree of Love.