Then it happened. I went on a Christmas home tour and there it was, the table I had envisioned. These home tours are bad for the pocket book, ya know? It was gorgeous and I was ruined. The next day I bit the proverbial bullet and purchased a tall tree and two small trees at Pottery Barn. Ouch. Merry Christmas to me.
I still needed one more small tree. I didn't want all the trees to be exactly the same--so much more interesting when they don't all match. I just wanted them all in the mercury-glass style. I eventually found another one in Marshall's, but it was more silver than mercury-glass looking. You'll see it in some of the pics below. I wasn't satisfied with it and eventually I found another mercury-glass tree inexpensively on eBay, also visible in some of the photographs below. It adds a fun twist to this table setting.
The three center trees (including the tall one) are the ones from Pottery Barn. One cool thing about the PB trees: they are designed so you can tuck a string of lights up inside. In this pic below, the lights inside the 3 center trees are turned off.
In this pic, they are turned on. They are really pretty with all the lights in the room turned off and the table is lit by candlelight alone.
Dinnerware is Noritake, Platinum. I really wanted to add a tiny reindeer onto the center of each salad plate, but all the porcelain paint I found said it was non-toxic but not food safe. Does anyone know of a paint that is considered food safe?
Glassware is Lenox, Fair Lady, chosen in 1978 as a bride-to-be. I was just 12. Yup, we marry young in Georgia. Okay, I'm lying. I was really 14. The silver edging of the Fair Lady stemware worked beautifully with the Noritake, Platinum pattern.
All aglow...
Let's turn the lights off...just candlelight now.
Looking forward to all the beautiful table settings linked for Tablescape Thursday.
Resources:
Chargers: Horchow, 3-4 years ago
Dinnerware: Provided by Noritake, Pattern is Platinum
Stemware: Lenox, Fair Lady
Flatware: Towle, King Richard
Napkins: Neiman Marcus (look for their free monogramming and free shipping sales)
Mercury Trees: Pottery Barn, recently
Mercury Votive Holders: Pottery Barn, 2 months ago
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Welcome! Thanks for coming to the party!
Your mercury glass is beautiful!!! It goes so well with your platinum china. I love the fresh centerpiece as well. Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteGreat use of Mercury Glass. Check out my post from this past Sunday. I did my mantle in Mercury Glass. It's so much easier to find these day than when I started collecting.
ReplyDelete- The Tablescaper
My word those trees are so pretty! What a lovely and elegant Christmas setting.
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays Susan! Your mercury glass trees are so elegant and sophisticated. Your tablescape makes me think of the Christmas song "Silver Bells". Fabulous! Thanks for hosting dear girl.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Susan and Bentley
So elegant, swellegant! The pictures are stunning. I need you to post another photo taking tutorial. The photo with the mercury trees at eye level with the fabulous art deco mirror in the back is ohh-la-la fabulous. Thanks for hosting & inspiring. ~CJ
ReplyDeleteSusan this is stunning! I love it! Those Pottery Barn ones are fabulous! I didn't know you could tuck lights into them! That's a bonus and makes them worth all the more! The cedar bows are beautiful and I love the pine cones...perfect choice! Another similarity...I was married in 1978- and at the same age!! LOL...
ReplyDeleteI love the delicate look of the Lenox stemware- you had good taste even then! Well you sure made a shiny, bright and beautiful table! I bet it's beautiful to see in the nighttime with only the table lights on!!
Merry Christmas!!
Oh, my gosh...you are SO funny!!!Twelve years old...hilarious!!! Beautiful table setting, of course, and the trees are the prettiest mercury trees I've ever seen!
ReplyDeleteYour dining room looks like a magazine page. It is so festive and beautiful. I love the mercury glass too. You have just given me my inspiration I need for my Christmas tablescape. Thanks for hosting.
ReplyDelete~Emily
The French Hutch
Susan,
ReplyDeleteThis tablescape is just stunning! Those mercury glass trees from PB are fabulous! Sometimes we just have to bite the bullet, don't we? Thanks for hosting the party!
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteWell you have done it again, created
another beauty. I love the simplicity yet the shiny elegance of it all.
Breathtakingly beautiful.
I am in love with Mercury glass now too, every since I used some for my daughter's reception. The sky blue
is my favorite color mercury glass,
don't have any tho.........
Merry Christmas hon, and thanks for hosting as always.
Blessings, nellie
Hi Susan...I think the trees are gorgeous. Love them. And your Italian mirror is the pizazz....elegant, elegant! Susan
ReplyDeleteLOVE the sparkle! Your Venetian mirror and ice wreath look especially perfect with this tablescape.
ReplyDeleteBTW, when I try to edit/link back tonight, I'm getting an error message. Will be sure to do that as soon as Blogger can get my account working properly... Hope you don't get that problem, too; it's apparently going around.
Your table is so beautiful! I do have an idea for your pen problem. I once saw on another blog, don't remember where, and I tried and it worked. To create a non-permenant image, use a brand new rubber stamp, and gel food colouring as ink. Stamp onto plate, and let it dry. It looks great, and washes off when you wash the plate. This might work for you, good luck!
ReplyDeleteDannyelle @ www.lifeisaparty.ca
Your silvery shimmering tablescape is very beautiful. I like the candles lit how it shines. Your dishes go perfectly. The cedar and pinecones are a nice touch. Pat
ReplyDeleteDannyelle, thanks for the idea...would never have thought of that!
ReplyDeleteVos ronds de serviettes m'ont beaucoup séduite... Une table précieusement arrangée...
ReplyDeleteGros bisous et joyeuses fêtes à vous et à tous ceux que vous aimez.
Lovely, elegant table. I'm so glad you did this silver table in the formal dining room. It really shines
ReplyDeleteOh, Susan, you've done it again. The trees are beautiful. The chandelier with the trees makes for a spectacular setting.
ReplyDeleteBeckie in Brentwood, TN
What an elegant table! Your mercury glass trees are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThey are just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThe mercury glass trees are beautiful, and the setting is so wintry and perfect. Thanks for hosting!!
ReplyDeleteElegant!
ReplyDeleteYour silver decorations bring out the beauty of the mirror which I am in love with. Mercury glass is so "in" at the moment and you are the lady with the winningest (is that a word?)style!
Thanks, MaryEllen! You are a sweetheart! I don't always go for what's "in" but I have fallen for the reproduction mercury glass. The mirror is a reproduction Venetian glass, bought about 15 years ago.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! The mercury glass and silver really suit your dining room with the lovely chandelier and mirror. I can see this easily carrying over to a New Years look.
ReplyDeleteSusan, love the Mercury glass...so beautiful...the silver and white is just stunning...always admire how much passion and effort you put into your posts...it always shows...phyllis
ReplyDeleteSusan, your table looks beautiful. I am wondering which lights you put in your Christmas trees, are they battery operated?
ReplyDeleteI too have a silver tree and hurricanes placed on mirrors down the center of my table, also a christmas parcel which has a battery operated light, hence my question. I would like to put a light in my tree which is a silver mesh.
Your tablescapes are always breathtaking, Susan, but this time you've really outdone yourself! I ADORE those pretty mercury glass trees. As us Southern girls say, "They're simply gaw-geous." Several years ago just before Christmas, Kohl's had imitation mercury glass lidded jars in several sizes marked 75% off. I bought several for my sweet sis-in-law and have regretted not buying myself some ever since.
ReplyDeleteHello Susan,
ReplyDeleteThis tablesetting is exquisite! With the beautiful mirror, fantastic Mercury glass and chandelier - this setting simply sparkles! The candlelight adds a special glow! Perfect. Thanks for hosting - so many inspirational tablescapes!
God Bless,
Kathy
WOW is all I can say! I'm speechless at the beauty of your table decor and of course that gorgeous venetian mirror makes me envious.
ReplyDeletehugs
Sissie
Beautiful! Your trees are exactly what I was wanting to do this year but I did not have enough trees. Maybe next year.
ReplyDeleteSusan, your table is just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI love it all!
By the way, here is a link for a paint for china that is suppose to be food safe. I hear is an excellent product.
http://en.pebeo.com/Creative-leisure/Decorate-surfaces/Porcelaine-150
just breathtaking beautiful
ReplyDeleteI have 3 mercury trees that I love
your dinning room is over the top gorgeous
Merry Christmas
Janice
Susan, I think if I was sitting at your table you would have to kick me out. I could sit there all night just staring at the glow of the trees with all the lights turned out. That was money well spent. It is simply gorgeous!! xo P.S. I stated a collection of vintage glass tree toppers a couple of years ago. That kind that have a point and are mostly silver (kind of like your silver trees). I had every intention of using them as a dining table centerpiece pushed down into styrofoam and surrounded with fresh greens. So far, I only have two toppers. I need to get serious this year and collect more. Seeing your pretty table reminded me of it.
ReplyDeleteMegan, I just used electric lights I had on hand, but Pottery Barn sells some mini lights that they recommend. Mine are probably a little too powerful, but they were fine for just a quick table setting and photos. I ran the electrical cord between the leaves in the table and to an extension cord. Battery operated lights would be great. I'd buy one set for each tree to really make the trees sparkle.
ReplyDeleteIt is beautiful, Susan! Simple, but so elegant!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
Oh how that mercury glass does shine ...so beautiful with your red walls and other silver decor. Very nicely done ...clean, sharp, and magical.
ReplyDeleteHey Susan
ReplyDeleteI've always love mercury glass too...vintage or not it seems! These are really nice and look stunning in your dining room!
Have a very Merry Christmas, and thanks for your wonderful blog!
xo
Kit
Susan ~ So long as you lost
ReplyDeleteno teeth in biting the bullet, it was worth every
cent...the tablescape is
stunning. Did you use battery light strings inside
the trees or do you have an
outlet under the table. I
just love the way you pursue
your dream with tenacity...
Gentility
Sorry Susan ~ Just saw your
ReplyDeletereply to another about the
twinkle lights..Off to
Pottery Barn. Thank you
for sharing.
Gentility
Some serious swooning over your table setting!! It all looks lovely! xo HHL
ReplyDeleteBeeeeeyouuuuuteeeeefuuuullll! That is all...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Susan, thanks for your answer, I remember you doing the same thing for your Christmas Village centerpiece, I love everything you do, you are my blog to *go to* each day.
ReplyDeleteSusan, this is just so elegant. Your mercury glass tree are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteMarianne :)
That is drool-worthy gorgeous. Thanks for hosting :)
ReplyDeleteAs everyone has said, your table is beautiful...as usual.
ReplyDeleteHowever, today, once again, I noticed your silver lamps on the buffet. They are really stunning. Did these start out as lamps, or is this another one of your amazing "finds" made into lamps??? If they were bought as lamps, I'd love to find something similar...just "borrowing" an idea from you.
Sometimes you just have to bit that bullet. It was well worthy it! Stunning arrangement with your stunning mirror and chandelier ! Of coarse you had too ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Suzy, The silverplated lamps on the sideboard did start out as lamps. I found them at a store about 15+ years ago, that's unfortunately, no longer in business now. I keep stealing one from the sideboard for the office chest and then putting it back for table settings in the dining room. Wish I could find another one. If I come across anything similar, I'll be sure to blog about it. In the meantime, I'll keep looking.
ReplyDeleteOooh la la! I bet you just turn on those GORGEOUS trees, light the candles and just sit in there and adore all of the holiday splendour. Oh and I wouldn't fret too much about Pottery Barn - whatever you paid they were worth every penny! :-) Bravo - nicely done. Thank you for hosting and Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty and sparkly! Lovely!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning!
ReplyDeletenow you've done it...I'm going to scour Marshall's and TJMaxx for mercury glass...beautiful!
ReplyDeleteBEAUTIFUL! I love your blog! I just bought a Colonial Home and you have given me so many ideas for our new house. Thank you!!!
ReplyDelete