Have I ever mentioned that where we live, the nearest mall is an hour away?  An hour away.  When I want to go shopping, it's like taking the covered wagon and going into town for supplies.  You have to clear your schedule, fill the car with gas, notify your family you're going to be gone all day and take off at dawn.

So when my husband told me early last week that the dentist said he might need a root canal and made him an appointment in Grand Rapids, I was thrilled!  I promptly texted my daughter and told her that dad had a dentist appointment and I was going to Grand Rapids on Thursday!  She, of course, was horrified at my attitude!  So I back-tracked.  Yes, it's awful that dad might need a root canal.  But did you hear that his appointment is in Grand Rapids?!

Haha!  I drove him down, slowed down in the dentist's parking lot enough for him to jump out, and yelled out the window, "Text me when you're done!" as I drove off to HomeGoods.

You know I'm kidding.  (sort of)  It's just that when I hear that you "stopped in"  Hobby Lobby and picked up this or that clever thing, I'm really envious!  That doesn't happen in my life!

Okay.  Moving on.

Our daughter's family will be visiting the 'other grandparents' for Christmas so our crowd will be smaller on Christmas day and there will be no little ones.  With that in mind, I'm planning to make a prime rib and seafood dressing for Christmas day.  I also thought we'd enjoy a more formal table setting.

I've had these Christmas dishes for many years.  My kids were small when I got them and I remember how pretty they thought they were and how careful they were when we used them.
I used a sleigh filled with evergreen, pine cones, poinsettias and tiny silver and gold packages in the center of the table surrounded by gold deer, which match our plates.
I found these dish towels made my Better Homes and Gardens and laid them in a row down the center of the table to create a table runner.  The gold and silver trees and stars are perfect.
I also found these gold damask paper napkins at HomeGoods on one of my trips into town and put them festively into our wine glasses.



I always fill our counter top in the dining area with egg nog or punch and hor d'oeuvres and desserts. I'll be back later this week to share that and our kitchen.

love and blessings~
"Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child."  Luke 2

I'm joining these linky parties:
dwellings
thededicatedhouse.com/
.karensuponthehill
.stonegableblog
.astrollthrulife.
savvysouthernstyle

Have I ever mentioned that where we live, the nearest mall is an hour away?  An hour away.  When I want to go shopping, it's like taking the covered wagon and going into town for supplies.  You have to clear your schedule, fill the car with gas, notify your family you're going to be gone all day and take off at dawn.

So when my husband told me early last week that the dentist said he might need a root canal and made him an appointment in Grand Rapids, I was thrilled!  I promptly texted my daughter and told her that dad had a dentist appointment and I was going to Grand Rapids on Thursday!  She, of course, was horrified at my attitude!  So I back-tracked.  Yes, it's awful that dad might need a root canal.  But did you hear that his appointment is in Grand Rapids?!

Haha!  I drove him down, slowed down in the dentist's parking lot enough for him to jump out, and yelled out the window, "Text me when you're done!" as I drove off to HomeGoods.

You know I'm kidding.  (sort of)  It's just that when I hear that you "stopped in"  Hobby Lobby and picked up this or that clever thing, I'm really envious!  That doesn't happen in my life!

Okay.  Moving on.

Our daughter's family will be visiting the 'other grandparents' for Christmas so our crowd will be smaller on Christmas day and there will be no little ones.  With that in mind, I'm planning to make a prime rib and seafood dressing for Christmas day.  I also thought we'd enjoy a more formal table setting.

I've had these Christmas dishes for many years.  My kids were small when I got them and I remember how pretty they thought they were and how careful they were when we used them.
I used a sleigh filled with evergreen, pine cones, poinsettias and tiny silver and gold packages in the center of the table surrounded by gold deer, which match our plates.
I found these dish towels made my Better Homes and Gardens and laid them in a row down the center of the table to create a table runner.  The gold and silver trees and stars are perfect.
I also found these gold damask paper napkins at HomeGoods on one of my trips into town and put them festively into our wine glasses.



I always fill our counter top in the dining area with egg nog or punch and hor d'oeuvres and desserts. I'll be back later this week to share that and our kitchen.

love and blessings~
"Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child."  Luke 2

I'm joining these linky parties:
dwellings
thededicatedhouse.com/
.karensuponthehill
.stonegableblog
.astrollthrulife.
savvysouthernstyle