New placemats and napkins with rosy red cardinals and berried grapevine wreaths make a beautiful holiday table setting on our French country table in the kitchen sunspace. The berries on the linens inspired Christmas greenery on a wire mesh birdcage to go with the new table setting.
Holly sprigs with red berries, feisty red cardinals, twiggy brown branches, and grapevine wreaths with red berries and greenery make cheerful holiday placemats and napkins.
C A R D I N A L
C H R I S T M A S T A B L E S E T T I N G
with a French country connection
A simple pink cyclamen plant in a white ruffled-edge stoneware flower pot is all that's needed for a centerpiece. The simple centerpiece goes with the rosy colors in the new linens, but does not compete with the beautiful design on the placemats and napkins.
One advantage for using a flowering plant instead of cut flowers for a centerpiece is the plant lasts much longer than cut flowers. Look carefully at the plant, and you will spot new flower buds ready to unfurl new blooms.
A tiny bird's nest made from a grapevine wreath, a small white bird feather, and an artificial greenery branch holdS a speckled green egg.
More small grapevine wreaths are napkin rings.
While the red berries on a grapevine wreath on the placemat were the first things that drew me to them, French script is what makes the linens perfect for my French-inspired home.
French country white scroll flatware became my new favorite flatware this summer, and is completely at home this Christmas on the new placemats.
An artificial greenery swag hangs from the lamp each Christmas, and this year the swag was spruced up with a hand-carved wooden cardinal to go with the new table linens.
Layering multiple small items on the swag is easy. A special ornament hanger has a large metal loop on which to hang items. New things like the cardinal can be added and then removed for a different look next year.
The rosy red berries in the linens inspired decorating a wire mesh bird cage with frosted red berries and plaid ribbon for more Christmas decor in the sunspace near the table.
After finishing the bird cage decor last week, I found a red metal noel message sign in my Christmas decorations. I bought the red noel last Christmas from the Magnolia Market in Waco, TX. The color goes well with the berries and ribbon and also adds more French script to go with the new linens.
Everything came together on the cardinal Christmas table setting just in time for me to host my monthly book club this week. We have been meeting monthly to discuss books for 10 years as of November.
The book? Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. The story, begun in World War I, is told in a series of letters between a sister, brother, their best friend, and others connected to the three of them. The three main characters look forward to Christmas in Paris.
Couldn't be a better book for this month's discussion.
Christmas and Paris
French Country and Christmas are the two touchstones of Botanic Bleu. French Country is a way of life, not just decorating, and Christmas is a way of life all year, not just during the traditional holiday season.
Joyeux Noël
such a wonderful time of the year
with so many beautiful things to enjoy
decorations, Christmas trees, special treats, carols,
movies, family gatherings, traditions, friends ...
So much to share there may be two posts some days!
S O U R C E S for more ideas ...
