winter nesting table

Setting a pretty table is one of my favorite things to do– so this week I set the table for our family as we continue to nest during this SIP winter.  We have a family celebration and I wanted the table to share some specialness as we gather together.  And viola our winter nesting table was born.  

Our son turns nineteen on Sunday and this is the first year we will NOT celebrate it with him.  He’s a freshman at college, which is an 8 hour drive away, so we will be celebrating and wishing him a happy, happy last year in his teens from afar.

This table was inspired by these Christmas tree picks I saw at Hobby Lobby.  I love the rusty jingle bell with the frosted pine cones with the black&white poms.  They just spoke to me with the mix of old grunge and an organic element with a small touch of whimsy.

I had seen these picks the previous season and I really liked them, but I passed them up.  I didn’t need them for my tree but I kept thinking about them and they stayed in my head nonetheless.

The next time I went to Hobby Lobby {for something else}, I went down the pick aisle to just take a peek and guess what?  They were all gone.  Sold out.  So, of course, now I wanted them even more.  As I was walking away all dejected and kicking myself for not getting them last time, I spied one in another bin.  I scooped it up.  I inspected it.  It looked fine.  It came home with me.  So for that year, I just had the one lonely pick in a mini vintage crock in my kitchen cabinet as a decoration.  

This past season as I was shopping for something else all together {fairy lights & candles I believe} when I perused the Christmas aisles.  Low and behold these Christmas picks were back!  I scooped them up right away.  All the Christmas decor wasn’t even merchandised yet, but Holiday stuff was already on sale.  AND I didn’t even want to buy anything new for Christmas this past year.  Right!  Anyway, I wanted them not for my tree, but for a tablescape…and…here we are.

I used our copper chargers to tie in with the rust in the picks.  Our everyday dinner and accent plates along with the linens have black accents which play nice with the buffalo plaid.

For the center piece I used white tulips, baby’s breath and silver dollar eucalyptus leaves in silver pitchers lined down the table.  

These tulips are amazing!!!  You can see how the tulips looked the first day I bought them home here {heart wreath} and in two days they have opened up to this beautifulness.

These tulips have me in the mood for spring but I know it’s only January and we have a bit to go yet.  

That’s one of the reasons I love bulbs since they bridge the gap between the holiday sparkle and spring blooms.

I hope to plant some tulip bulbs in the front garden area so I can eventually enjoy cutting our own tulips.  I am working on some garden plans and will share soon.

“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.”

~Alice Waters~