I'm a little bit jealous because everyone has been showing such beautiful, lavish and, yes, waaaaaaay over the top tablescapes of late. Unfortunately for my tablescape dreams, we have a wonderful kittycat named Boo who pretty much goes wherever he wants, which of course drives my sister nuts when she visits and sees Boo jumping on and off the kitchen counters. My feeling is that, hey, he's a CAT for pete's sake and anyway, just how does she know that HER cats aren't having orgies all over HER counters when she's at work, huh?????? All that was to say that I wouldn't dare get all fancy schmancy with a tablescape because Boo would immdiately jump in the middle of it, take a nap, and then he's make it all fly off the table when the dogs started their insane shrieking barking at "The Thing That Is Not There But Needs To Be Barked At" and scared the living s**t out of him.
So here's MY tablescape, which is (to me) the most beautiful in the land. This was Mom's tablecloth, and sometime awhile ago (maybe the 70's?) she made the heavily decorated styrofoam Christmas tree by sticking pins into ALL those little sequiny thingies. Mom suffered from excruciating arthritis for many years and I'll bet her fingers were singing the blues after making this. I forgot I even had this stuff--I ventured up into our "attic" today trying to see if I'd stashed away any more Christmas cards since I ran out before I completed my list. The tablecloth was in a box full of her old linens, and the tree was sitting sort of forlornly in one of those popcorn tins. Now they both have a place of honor in our kitchen!
At least it won't break when Boo knocks it off the table.
I'd take that over all the fancy-schmancy tablescapes in the world!
ReplyDeleteI love simplicity. We don't live in magazines!!
ReplyDeleteI love the table cloth and that tree is priceless! I'm with Pixie...this means more then anything out there in blogland. Oh and being a cat mom, I know what you mean. Charlie isn't much into jumping on counters but I know he snoops on the table sometimes. So yes, cats go where they want to when you aren't looking, cause gosh darn it, their cats! hugs to you.
ReplyDeleteLinda
I bought the same tablecloth for my Mom a few years back on Ebay. I just thought that she would love it. It sort of clashes with her Fiestaware but it's very festive at Christmas time.
ReplyDeleteOkay, now I'm afraid that I have to side with your sister on the cat issue. I know, it's your Blog and I should agree with you but... I have two cats and I actually consider myself a "cat person". However, I go toally nuts when I see one of them jump up on the countertops. Actually, the one is 14 and no longer jumps but that kitten and I have had some, um, "words".
Your Friend, m.
Back to the basics and totally efficient! Way to go Chris!
ReplyDeleteJim
Oh gee, reminds me how my Mom hand stitched up about 80 LARGE rag/cloth dolls in her golden years!
ReplyDeleteOK, 1950's Atomic Ranch lady dragged the old sewing machine out as often as she could, to stitch up the main body parts for her (Mom had a Parkenson's like disease and she couldn't do "fine" work, like run a sewing machine), but she would have me thread her needles and make the most jickity stitches, and sewed her dolls and loved each one of them!
Thanks for reminding me, all the tinsel tress and vintage ornaments in the world mean nothing to me, but the Christmas doll and huge Santa she made mean everything to me. I must get them out before Christmas!
(((Hugs))) for remembering your Mom and her darling little tree!
P.S. Do you think I could actually PUT those vintage ornaments on that tinsel tree? Hell no, Chris the cat wound have the whole thing down in 3 minutes flat late one night lol
OK, maybe it was more like 30-50 dolls. They are so big, it looks like a lot lol....
ReplyDeleteHey, where are the running shoes? I don't have to worry about a cat, just a husband ruining mine.
ReplyDeleteIt's all in the sentiment and it's beautiful, Chris. I used one of my mother's old tablecloths at bunco and they all loved it!!! I don't have a tablescape, myself...just an old nativity on my dinning room table. Easier that way, I've already run out of steam.
ReplyDeleteHugs, loved the card!
Liz
I agree with the other ladies ,your table decorating is more beautiful because of the love associated with it.I'd prefer to have one of my Granma's slightly shabby tablecloths than a new one from the shop.
ReplyDeleteMy cat lies wherever he wants -kitchen bench,in the middle of the table etc but it's not him i have to worry about destroying any festive decorating it's the kids that do that lol:)
Had to laugh at your sister's cats possibly having orgies all over her kitchen :D
Just perfect!
ReplyDeleteLove the cat orgie humor! I have to say that I'm relieved that my daughter moved out recently and took her cat with her. Sweetest cat, but she ruined so many things in my house!
ReplyDeleteEven without the cat, though - you won't be seeing any fancy tablescapes in my blog either. Yours is just right! - especially because of the warm memories behind it...
Merry Christmas!
Love the tablecloth and the tree. I think those kind of homemade things are the most beautiful. I think of my Grandma when I get out my little celluloid Santa candy holder. The Santa and Frosty the Snowman lightup plastic figures mean so much to me, especially when I see them in pictures of holidays at her house over the years. Merry Christmas, Zootsuitmama
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of a table scape before! I think if I made one, it would consist mostly of cat hair too. I cannot keep the cats off the kitchen table, when I put down a fresh table cloth they say "Oh look, you made the bed for us!"
ReplyDeleteMy mother and grandmother made some Christmas ornaments like that tree. Needless to say, I don't know that they make it out of the box anymore!
ReplyDelete