Shades of green and gold collaborate to create a soft, delicate palette for an elegant yet playful Christmas setting.
The inspiration for the table came from the pitcher belonging to a Fitz and Floyd series called Gregorian Santa. There it is – mid left of the photo below.
The actual use of the pitcher is questionable, but it sure is pretty.
Santa’s bulging sack forms the spout of the fanciful jug, with a bunny and rocking horse emerging from the stocking which decorates the sack.
Santa holds a lantern in his left hand.
The green and gold palette set me off on an exploration to find suitable accoutrement to fill a table. I’ve had the pale green Venetian Glass compote and matching candlesticks for years, purchased during a trip to Venice. The large, egg-shaped bauble came from the gift shop at the Gilded Age mansion, The Breakers, in Rhode Island (also many moons ago). The clear and gold baubles are a recent acquisition—a large container of shatter-proof ornaments, wonderfully cat-proof.
That was a good start, and I expanded the search from there. Green glass obelisks (not cat-friendly, so carefully guarded) were from Etsy, and the Lenox Mercury Glass Pine Trees were end-of-season offerings a couple of years ago and are still available on Amazon. That was enough glitz, I thought. Now, let’s focus on the wildlife.
A Charming Tails Holly Day Dreams cookie jar by Fitz and Floyd popped up on eBay and joined the party. (There is one available on eBay as we speak).
Look at that happy, cheeky little fellow.
The chickadee…
And the racoon. It’s clear that Fitz and Floyd employed a good deal of artistic license on proportions.
Nonetheless, it’s all very heart-warming.
Fitz and Floyd also made the Snowy Woods Deer candlesticks.
Oh – I almost forgot. The salt and pepper shakers are part of the Gregorian Santa series. Replacements show listings for the entire set, which ran from 2002 to 2022; eBay is another good source.
The embroidered napkins, which we’ve had since our youngest daughter Lauren was the age of our grandgirls, continued the woodlands theme. The rabbits are perennial favourites among our young diners.
As is Mr. Fox.
And speaking of linens, the gold tablecloth is from Chintz & Co. in Victoria, British Columbia, from years ago.
Onto the actual tableware. The dinner plates are Forsyth, by Royal Doulton, a modern pattern produced between 1992 and 2001 and still available at Replacements.
The stemware is all antique, from sadly, long-defunct Country Dining Room Antiques, owned by the late Sheila Chefetz, author of Antiques for the Table and Modern Antiques for the Table. Visiting Sheila’s shop in Great Barrington, MA, got me started on the whole tableware collection path many years ago. Sheila and her very talented assistant, Tom Hayes, were endless sources of inspiration and encouragement. as I embarked on planning and setting tablescapes.
Their shop stocked linens and antiques for the table, all displayed in gorgeous settings. Now that I think about it, the embroidered napkins came from Country Dining Room Antiques, as did the small plates on which the gold Moser short-stemmed flutes are resting.
Both the green and gold stemware are by Moser.
Here is the table in its entirety. I had so much fun setting it, but due to its delicacy (those green obelisks are both dainty and very fragile, to say nothing of the Venetian glass compotes, candlesticks and antique stemware).
Not a table that I’d trust with Mr. Dundee for five seconds. Who, me? Resting on the table?
Surely, you misjudge me. Butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth. Hmmm…something clearly did melt in his mouth. And he’s busy cleaning it off his paws.
What? Why are you staring at me? Can’t a boy perform his ablutions in privacy? Oh, Dundee. What am I going to do with you?
Let’s finish up with a last look at the table. Then it’s back to work for this blogger.
Christmas Eve is a week today, and there is still much to do—some last-minute gifts to wrap, my annual baking day with Leanne of Leanne’s Apple Bundt Cake is on the docket, and I’ll be setting the table for our annual Family Christmas Eve dinner soon. Plus, I have several more Christmas tables and recipes to share if I can get down to sorting the pictures and writing up the blogs.
Here is where we started – with Gregorian Santa himself.
I hope everyone’s holiday plans are coming together and that this coming week is a time of happy preparations and joyful sharing with friends and family. Have a good week, all!
Oh, Helen, I am so jealous that you knew Sheila Chefetz! I have both of her books, and love them both.
I also love Moser glass, and your collection is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thanks, Barb.
Sheila was a truly gracious and lovely person. I always enjoyed my visits with her. She had a wonderful sense of humour and a practical acceptance of the ins and outs of owning and using antique tableware. Her assistant, Tom, was equally fun!
Have a lovely holiday, Barb. Thanks for tuning in all year! 🙂
Best,
Helen
Hard to believe that Christmas is here again and that you have outdone yourself with an amazing decorated table ready for the big day. I’m sure it will look even more complete with your gourmet cooked dinner. I know you’ll be busy all week cooking and baking. It all looks so beautiful. Wishing you and all your family a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year with good health in ’24.
Hi Maura,
It is indeed a busy week around here with last minute wrapping and a baking day on the horizon. Down to the crunch time! I hope you and Bill are home safe and sound and looking forward to a lovely Christmas. See you soon!
xo
HK
Lovely. A few years back, I found some pale green thin glass ornaments. You never know when something to match will come along. I have been sick for some time and must have saved a ton of money by not shopping. All these pretties.
Merry Christmas
I hope you are feeling better very soon and get a chance to use your pale green glass ornaments, Annie! I was surprised to find out how versatile they are—gold, white, darker green.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Best,
Helen
Dear Helen, This is a lovely table, with its rich golds and delicate greens (and, oh, those Moser glasses!!). I find most figural F&F a bit cutesy, but that Santa is different….what delicate detail and unusual colours. The napkins are also beautifully rendered, but I’d have to choose Squirrel Nutkin every time. The overhead shot shows a masterful use of visual space. All in all, a table to remember.. Looking forward to seeing the family table this week. I’ve pulled out the Cornell Black Merry to pair with antique lace linens and the Fondeville plates, paired with mid-century Aristocrat gold flatware, and Arte Italica Vetro glasses. White rosrs in the Alps may prove a challenge, but I have white hyacinths and amaryllis just in case…can’t believe it’s been another year.
I adore that squirrel, too, Beatrice. We are lucky to have so many cheeky, chubby red squirrels here in Canada, despite the numbers of the larger grey and black ones.
That April Cornell Black Merry linen is divine. It will pair beautifully with the Fondeville plates. I’ve coveted the Arte Italica Vetro glasses for years. So elegant! I’ve had a heck of a time getting Paperwhites this year. I gave up and bought white orchids with a touch of green, instead. Your white hyacinths and amaryllis will be beautiful, even if the rose supply is suspect.
Thanks again for your lovely comments!
Best,
Helen
What a lovely table! Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thank you, Joy. Always wonderful to hear from you. I hope you have a lovely Christmas season.
Gorgeous tablescape! Love all the details and how you coordinated the colors. Just so beautiful!
Thanks Maureen. It’s always a delight to work with a fresh colour palette and still be Christmassy. It’s like doing a puzzle, but with tableware.
Merry Christmas!