10 Tips for Setting a Beautiful Holiday Table

 

 

By Roxanne Hughes Packham,

Co-Author of the Hospitality Book: Inspired Design

 

In today’s rough economic climate, keep in mind that although I hope to inspire you to set a beautiful Thanksgiving or Christmas table the real beauty comes from the thought and love you show your friends and family. Beautiful tables comprise equal parts from the “Inspired” & the “Design” categories. See examples: www.InspiredDesignPublications.blogspot.com.

 

Inspired

 

~Place cards

I love to use the ceramic place cards that can be written on with a wipe-off marker. You can quickly write people’s names, a favorite quote or sentiment. Friends love that you thought about them before the dinner and even something as simple as writing their names on the place cards really makes them feel remembered.

 

~Welcome Sign

It is so welcoming, to have a sign somewhere near the front door to greet your family and friends. From a very personal “Welcome Smith Family” or a seasonal “Merry Christmas” to “We are so glad you are here” on a casual chalkboard or an elegant mirror or glass framed, and write with a wipe-off marker, that welcome sets the tone for the rest of the event.  I used an antique French cupboard door and painted it with chalkboard paint on the raised panel part.

 

~Quote or Scripture

The most inspirational part of the Holiday table is the beautiful quotes and scriptures. It depends on the occasion, but a quote that is either inspiring or focused on gratitude is the favorite. There is nothing like feasting your eyes, and then your thoughts, on what we can be thankful for, especially as an example for our children. Scattering them around the home (powder room, end tables, above door jam’s) is a great way to elevate your family and friends thoughts.

 

Design

~Fresh Greenery

Sometimes we mistakenly think a tabletop has to have flowers as a centerpiece to be really elegant and festive. Greenery is a wonderful, fresh and festive way to make a beautiful Christmas table. Simply cut a few small twigs of trees/bushes like pine or ivy, or my favorite boxwood branches, bay tree and magnolia leaves and put them in three smaller glass or crystal vases. 

 

~Candles

No table is complete, in my opinion, with 5 to 7 little glass votives with white candles in them. The light sparkles and makes everything else on the table more beautiful and sets a soft, relaxing, often more romantic tone.

 

~Seasonal Piece

By seasonal I suggest a “Santa” figurine or such, a gingerbread house, or a standing cross to have in the center of the table. A clear jar of candy canes, M&M’s or such would do just fine, as well. Think: Something available only at this time of year. I usually have plenty of items in the Holiday Decor that I switch out to put on the table for each dinner.

 

~Napkin Rings

These can be such a pretty way to pull a linen napkin through to set on a place and make a really beautiful table setting. You can use french ribbons, or plain silver rings and they help to really make a bigger impact for an inspiring table.

 

~Sparkling Glasses

Whether crystal or glass, tall freshly washed glass sparkle so much with the votive candles that it is hard to wrong with this combo. A tall glass and short glass of whatever kind you like is very dramatic and beautiful, set together. Whether colored or clear the sparkle is crucial for the holiday table.

 

~White Plates

Although I love to use seasonal chargers and salad plates a crisp white plate is the most beautiful element to my favorite tables. They can be dressed up or down, and makes each setting look fresh and not heavy and overdone. 

 

~Seasonal Linens

Of course, linen napkins add the most wonderful touch of elegance to any table, and Christmas plaid or red and green are no exception. My grandfather, who was a “Silversmith to the Stars”, loved a bare table with only plates (or placemats) but wasn’t a fan of covering a beautiful wood table. I have followed suit. Try leaving the wood table bare! The natural elements together is beautiful and simple.

 

“I tell you, the more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh

A Marriage Conference Where the Whole Family Is Invited (Even the Kids)

ASHEVILLE, NC, Oct. 17, 2011 To attend the average Christian marriage conference, Mom and Dad have to hire a babysitter.

By contrast, at the Gospel-Centered Marriages for a Glorious Church conference coming up October 27-29, Mom and Dad are encouraged to bring their children with them to learn about marriage together as a family.

Despite its unique vision, 2,200 have already registered to attend this near-capacity event located at the LifeWay Christian Conference Center in Asheville, North Carolina and organized by the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches (NCFIC). Remarkably, 65% of the attendees are 25 years old or younger.

Committed to proclaiming the sufficiency of Scripture for church and family life, the NCFIC believes that marriage is the one neglected area that, at least sometimes, should be inclusive of the whole family.

"This gathering is designed to bring parents and their children together to consider the biblical doctrine of marriage in order to prepare the rising generation for gospel-centered marriages," said Scott Brown, the director of NCFIC. "One of the reasons that marriages are in trouble today is that parents did not instruct their children, from their years as toddlers, about marriage." Amazingly, one of the messages is entitled, "How to Prepare Your Two-Year-Old for Marriage."

And, now, thanks to modern technology, Christians from across the country can virtually attend this life-changing marriage conference. Registrants can watch live-streaming video of the 10 keynote addresses and receive downloadable audio for all 27 messages.

Brown's vision for this conference is that it is a place where the attendees stand together to instruct the rising generation about marriage and teach them the way in which they should go (Proverbs 22:6).

He said, "I pray that everyone there will use their time wisely and teach their children personally, by discussing, reviewing, repenting, and memorizing together the things that God has in mind for marriage."

Twenty-seven messages will be delivered including:

· What the Gospel Has to Do With Your Marriage?

· Friendship in Marriage

· Courtship Catastrophe Mitigation

· How Fathers Qualify Suitors

· Do We Have Our Cart Before Our Horse When It Comes to Love?

· Sexual Intimacy in Marriage

· What Is the Role of Romance and Emotions?

· Church Life that Prepares Young People for Marriage

Paul Washer of HeartCry Missionary Society, Doug Phillips of Vision Forum Ministries, Scott Brown, Kevin Swanson of Generations with Vision, and Dr. Joel Beeke, President and Professor of Systematic Theology of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary will be the keynote speakers.

One of the critical messages of this conference is that the gospel is meant to be the center of marriage.

Another is that when you have weak marriages you also have weak churches. This is important to the organization since NCFIC is dedicated to the building of gospel-centered, biblically-ordered, .

A third message is that families should not be intentionally age-segregated from one another during the instruction of the Word of God. Brown stated, "When Jesus taught, whole families were there. We should do the same."

What's the bottom line at this unusual family-integrated marriage conference?

"It's one thing to believe in the message of the gospel. It's quite another thing to live the gospel in your preparation for marriage and after you are married. Marriage is one of the ways God has designed for the gospel to be displayed. Therefore, every marriage problem and every perversion of marriage is an expression of problems in applying the gospel in our lives," said Brown.

"I hope that each married person leaves this conference with wounds healed and hearts changed. I also hope that each single person departs with a greater vision for the glory of the gospel in marriage. It's time for singles to throw off the bondage of the worldly and bankrupt vision that has so saturated our culture and our thinking. And it's time for a new generation dedicated to gospel-centered marriages."