Catherine’s Comments–Have a Holly Jolly Christmas Table Setting from Catherine Castle

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A Groom for Mama, author Catherine Castle, Catherine's Comments, Christmas table settings, crafts, dishes, essay

Today’s table setting will be short and sweet, since I don’t yet have any Christmas decorations up, except for my front door wreath and silk holly and poinsettia in the pot on the porch. And yes, I have no shame over filling my porch pots with silk flowers, no matter the season. But I digress.

The items you’ll need for this cheery table setting are a red tablecloth (I used a vinyl tablecloth) preferably printed with hollies; four contrasting placements (I used green since 2 of my plates are red and I wanted them to pop against the red tablecloth), red and green napkins; a square, or round, printed Christmas gift box; four silk holly flowers; four battery operated tea candles; a white taper candle and a low, secure candle holder for the taper; and of course your mismatched red and white dishes, glasses, and eating utensils.

As always, these choices can be changed to fit what you might have in your cupboard. If you’re  using white plates against a red tablecloth, there is no need to use a contrasting placemat to make the dishes pop. If you don’t have a red tablecloth, forego that item and use placemats. Like the dishes, mix and match the other items to create what works for your table. The main feature in this setting is the simple centerpiece using an unexpected item–the Christmas gift box.

This is one of the fastest table settings to put up. Just find your Christmas box, put your taper and candleholder in the center of the box and fit the silk holly sprigs around the candle. If you plan to light the taper be sure to use a bobeche to catch the wax drippings or put the candle in the freezer ahead to help prevent drips. Because the centerpiece didn’t show well against my red tablecloth I added one of the gold poinsettia placemats from last week’s table setting to give the centerpiece the extra pizazz I needed.  Place your tea candles around the centerpiece, one candle at the head of each place setting, set the table, and wait for the compliments.

I hope you’ve found some inspiration in the Christmas table settings I made this month. I won’t be blogging about table settings on Christmas, but I’m planning one more winter table setting. Come back January 8, 2021 for my Winter Wonderland table setting. I can hardly wait to show you this one! In the meantime, take a peek at my romantic comedy with a touch of drama, and have a safe, blessed and Happy Christmas!

Catherine

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

Buy link Amazon  Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

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Catherine’s Comments—An Elegant Poinsettia Themed Table Setting from Catherine Castle

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candles, Catherine’s Comments, Centerpieces, Christmas Table Décor, dishes, Holiday table settings, Mismatched Dinnerware, Poinsettias

Image from Pixabay

The table decorating elves have been busy at my house with a new place setting for your holiday meals.  Unlike the playful setting of last week, the elves and I decided to go for an elegant, poinsettia theme this Friday. Since red is the classic poinsettia color and gold makes for an elegant contrast to red, the elves and I chose the colors red, gold, and white.

Layering has been the part of Christmas theme so I started with a white table cloth. Searching through my placemats I added red and gold plastic poinsettia placemats topped with either a red or white contrasting plate. Don’t be afraid to use plastic items if they look elegant. A poinsettia napkin, placed so the flower shows, carries the flower theme onto the plain plates.

I dug through my candleholders and found a pair of heavy, square gold glass candle holders and then I paired them with tall red candles. I didn’t like the effect of the gold against the white table cloth, so to make the gold pop, I opened up a paper poinsettia coaster and placed the candles on top. If you don’t have a paper poinsettia coaster you could use a red napkin or, if you’re crafty, cut a poinsettia from construction paper.

If you don’t have gold candle holders search through your Christmas decorations for any gold items you might have. A strand of gold, or gold and red, beads artfully laid or looped around the base of glass candleholders would carry the gold theme onto the centerpiece. Or place your candle and holder in a white bowl or saucer and surround the candle with red and gold ornaments. To keep wax from dripping on the ornaments you might want to place a wax catcher, known as a bobeche, at the base of the candle.  

Clear glasses to mimic the effect of crystal completes the setting.

Well, that’s the table setting for this week. Be sure to come back next week for a new setting.

Happy Holidays!

After you’re done searching for your table setting items, take a break and check out Catherine’ multi-award-winning Inspirational Romantic Suspense book The Nun and the Narc. Available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

The Nun and the Narc

By Catherine Castle

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Catherine’s Comments–Fantastic Seasonal Tables Using 20 Mismatched Dishes by Catherine Castle

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award-winning romance, Catherine's Comments, decorations, dishes, essay, home decor, table settings, The Nun and the Narc

I’m channeling Martha Stewart today with a home décor post, so bear with me this Friday morning.

As we head into a most unusual holiday entertaining season chances are there will be fewer people around your tables. Fewer guests don’t mean you should back down on the fancy table arrangments.  Instead, why not get creative and try something different?

I don’t know about you, but when I have company, I like to set a fancy table. It’s one of the reasons I have ten different sets of dishes and several different sets of glassware. I can set a Disney table, complete with themed flatware and napkin rings; go native American with my Indian patterned dishes; have an indoor garden party with my garden dishes; set two different themed Christmas tables; or celebrate the Fourth of July Americana style. I also have two sets of patterned Corelle®, a plain white Corelle set, and plain colored stoneware that will span several seasons.

I know, I know. That’s way too many plates, cups and bowls for one person to own. But, much to my hubby’s chagrin, it’s a quirky fetish of mine. I collect dishes like most women collect shoes. I can’t bypass a single display of dishes without lusting after them. I realize most women don’t have access to such a wide variety of dishes, aside from Martha Stewart perhaps. But even if you don’t have a bazillion complete sets of dishes, you can still set a pretty table

Having said that, I decided to challenge myself and my overabundant dish fetish. Instead of using a complete set of one of the ten dish settings I have, could I create four seasonal table settings using only four white dinner plates, 8 solid primary color luncheon plates, and 8 assorted bowls and 4 clear glasses?

With no patterns in the dishes to help set the seasonal mood, I decided to use patterned placemats. Placemats take up less storage room than dishes and cost less to replace if they get stained or you just want a change. Seasonal paper napkins and decorative elements gathered from around the house for centerpieces rounds out the table. Since white contrasts best with colored or patterned placemats I used the white dinner plates as the base for the place settings.

Thanksgiving is coming up soon, so I’ll start with that holiday.

When the temperatures drop and autumn rolls around, bring out the warmer colors of yellow and red to contrast with the warm wood tones of your table. A circle of leaves around a tall candle works as a centerpiece and draws in all the colors of the plates into the palette. If you have fall placemats they can be used under the dishes. I only had two matching autumn placemats, so I chose to forego them on this table setting. Instead of white bowls I used some red and green ramekins to pull in more fall color.

Christmas brings out the traditional, cheery colors of red and green. I interspersed green ramekins with the white bowls for a touch more green in this palette and to make the bowls pop on the red plates. Using green napkins in the glasses looks like you have tiny evergreen tree on your table.

Spring bursts onto the table in shades of yellow, white, and turquoise. A vase of airy pink flowers adorns the center of the table, and a cocktail napkin containing all four colors ties the place setting together. If you’re having an Easter dinner, a pretty Easter basket filled with battery operated candles would be the perfect centerpiece, or unwrap that giant chocolate bunny you bought, set him on a plate with your homemade Easter eggs and fill in the empty spots with Easter grass. This is one centerpiece you won’t have to store.

Celebrate summer’s freedom holiday with a red, white and blue theme. A candle in a star shaped dish sets center stage. If you have them, a few sparklers set in small balls of clay around the candle would be an interesting touch. (I didn’t, so I just went with the single candle.) Placing blue and red napkins in the glasses gave the hint of fireworks to the table settings.

I was sorely tempted to break out the garden dishes to create a summer garden party theme, but since I figured most people don’t have an assortment of flower and veggie shaped dishes, that would be cheating on the challenge.

With 20 dishes, not counting the clear glasses, I’ve created four attractive seasonal place settings. Now, the trick will be to not let the hubby see what I can do with only 20 dishes. Because if he finds out, I’ll have no more excuses to buy tableware.

Which one of these table settings do you like best? I can’t decide. I may just have to see how many more I can create using a few unusual pieces. Oh! New antiquing idea—searching for unique seasonal serving pieces to set off my five-color scheme place settings. Then I think I’ll have some dinner guests over—once COVID is gone.

What about you? How do you create inviting dinner tables?

Now that you’ve got some great table settings lined up, relax with Catherine’s multi-award-winning inspirational romantic suspense novel The Nun and the Narc.

The Nun and the Narc

By Catherine Castle

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

You can find her award-winning book The Nun and the Narc on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.