Easy Christmas Centerpiece Ideas and Tips, Plus, 2 Stylish Gift Ideas

Welcome to the 430th Tablescape Thursday!

Amazing the healing effects of sleep, I feel so much better this evening as I type this after sleeping about 12 hours last night. I think I’m on the winning side of my cold virus now. Thanks for all your tips and advice in yesterday’s post. I’m eyeing THIS after reading some of the comments. It sounds like it would be helpful for dealing with allergies and colds.

Before we get into this week’s Tablescape Thursday, I just recently made two purchases that I’m super excited about. I decided to share them with you today while they are still available and/or on sale.

When I awoke late this morning, I was feeling so much better I decided to drive over to the J. Crew a few miles from my home and check out something I had seen online. After seeing and trying on this shirt-jacket, there was no doubt that it was coming home with me! Oh my gosh, I love, love, love it!  They call it a “shirt-jacket” because it’s a bit heavier than your typical shirt. I love how it zips up the front and love the little loop detailing toward the bottom of the zipper.

It is beyond comfortable and sooo warm. I’m guessing that’s because it’s 42% wool and 50% cotton. I’m always looking for clothes that aren’t overly bulky but super warm, and this top is perfect!

I also love that it’s not at all scratchy. I usually have trouble wearing wool sweaters, even over a shirt. After wearing it all afternoon and evening over a long sleeve t-shirt, I wasn’t itching at all, not even around the collar.

 

After I had made my purchase and was about to leave, one of the sales associates shared a bit more info about this piece. She said they used to sell something very similar for men, but women liked it so much, they were shopping in the men’s section to get it, too. So J. Crew started making it for women, as well. She added that it sold out quickly last year.

She went on to say that she wears the one she purchased last year so much, she keeps it in her car with her at all times. I’ve been wearing mine all day/evening and am even tempted to buy another one for when this one eventually wears out. I can tell now this is going to be a favorite that I’m going to want to live in all throughout winter. I love how the back comes down nice and long, it’s super flattering. I also so love how the pattern is matched up properly all the way around. I’m a stickler about that. This really feels like a quality piece that I’ll enjoy for many years.

Anyway, I just wanted to share it with you now because it’s currently on sale, 40% off. I’m sure it won’t last long based on what the sales associate said about last year’s version. I hope they keep making it in different colors each year, would love that! You’ll find it available here: Buffalo Check Shirt-Jacket

 

The other item I wanted to share are these adorable Red Plaid Duck Boots. I just purchased these after seeing them on my friend, Lynne’s Instagram. They are leather so I was surprised that they are only $39.99. I just ordered them a few days ago, so they haven’t come, yet. So looking forward to getting them, though!  You’ll find these here: Plaid Duck Boots

 

As I come across things I love that could possibly work as Christmas gifts, or are just plain awesome like the shirt-jacket, I’ll add them into the posts I publish between now and Christmas. That way if you’re interested, you’ll still have time to get them before they are gone or no longer on sale. Hope you find it helpful as you complete your last minute Christmas shopping.

Tablescape Thursday

For this week’s Tablescape Thursday, I’m sharing links to some previous posts that are buried in the archives, but could prove helpful for this time of year.

Christmas Tree Napkin Fold for Your Christmas Table

Looking for a cute napkin fold for your Christmas table? This one is my favorites for this time of year. You’ll find a detailed tutorial here: Christmas Tree Napkin Fold

 

Easy Centerpiece for Your Entry or Christmas Dinner Table

I love this centerpiece because it takes no more than 10-15 minutes to make, yet makes a beautiful statement in an entry or as a centerpiece on a table. I also like that it’s made with simple, every-day elements. See how I made it in this previous post: 15 Minute Holiday Centerpiece

 

Looking for a something a bit more dramatic for your Christmas table centerpiece? This Colonial Williamsburg-style centerpiece is definitely a showstopper. When I throw a Christmas party, I love to create this centerpiece for my dining room table or sideboard. You’ll find a detailed tutorial for making this centerpiece here: Beautiful Colonial Willamsburg Centerpiece

For more information about the exact measurements of the base on which I create this centerpiece, check out this post: Colonial Williamsburg Apple Tree Form: Make Your Own

 

I love creating lighted/lit centerpieces for Christmas tables.

 

If you’ve ever wondered how I deal with the lighting, you’ll find that information in this post: Create a Lit Centerpiece for a Table Setting

 

Check out this page for links to more of my Christmas tables and tips: Christmas Dining and Entertaining

Looking forward to the beautiful table settings shared for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!

Tablescape Thursday

If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address.To get your permalink, click on your post name, then copy and paste the address showing in the address bar, into the “url” box when you link up. You’ll need to include a link in your post back to the party to link up and participate.

That’s so visitors to your blog will be able to find the party and the other Tablescape Thursday participants. Requiring a link back also prevents businesses and scammers from linking up to sell their products. (Yep, that really happens, unfortunately.)

*If a post is sponsored or a product was provided at no charge, it will be stated in post. Some links may be affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. *



 Never miss a Between Naps on the Porch post! 

*Subscribe to have updates delivered to your Inbox. 



Comments

  1. Super cute shirt jacket Susan! I’d be afraid I’d have hot flashes in it and not be able to strip out it off quickly enough. 🙂 Thanks again for the adorable tree napkin tutorial, I’ve got to try it! Glad you’re feeling better, there’s nothing worse than feeling crummy around the holidays. I’m using cart wipes whenever possible and keeping it in my hand for the stylus and the buttons at UScan.

  2. You always give the most fabulous gift/purchase ideas! Love the shirt-jacket (and also the plaid duck boots). The lit centerpiece table setting is amazing! I have a large village collection and this would be a great idea on using it in a different way. Feel better soon!

  3. Just ordered the boots & no shipping! How can you lose!?

    • I know, I can’t believe they’re leather! Can’t wait until they get here…don’t tell anyone but I bought a pair for my daughter-in-law, too. 🙂

  4. Great centerpieces, and I like the tree fold with plaid in it! I hope you feel better very soon. What a drag it would be to get sick right now. Back in high school we called shirts like those CPO jackets (as in chief petty officer). We wore them with our plaid uniform skirts (yes, mixed plaids even then, lol). I remember one nun telling a friend her shirt was longer than her skirt (it was!). I must say, they’ve gotten much better looking with the half opening. 😉

    • That is too funny about the nun. Thanks, Rita…much better today! I’m on the downhill side of this cold now. Yeah, I love the style of this one with the zipper. It feels so highend, like it should be made by Pendleton! It’s so soft too, I can’t believe it’s not itching me but it’s not.

  5. Susan, I am glad that you are feeling better. Love those plaid duck boots, so cute. Thanks for all the centerpiece ideas, all of them are beautiful! Thanks for hosting and wishing you a joy-filled Thursday!

  6. Susan, thank you for all the beautiful ideas for centerpieces. They are gorgeous! Thanks for hosting~ heading over to J.Crew!
    love and blessings for a wonderful Christmas season~
    Lynda @ Gates of Crystal

  7. I am with you on the sleep. Yesterday, I felt so run down so I went to bed early and it made a world of difference! Glad it helped you too! I am a huge fan of JCrew as well! I shop in both the retail store and the outlet…so much to choose from! Thanks for hosting and enjoy the rest of your week!
    Shelley

    • It is amazing what sleep can do. I guess the body can put all its resources toward feeling better when we rest. I wish the outlet was closer to me, I’m glad I have the regular store so close by. I’ve been so impressed with all the people who work there. Whenever I go in, they are sooo nice!
      Stay well!

  8. Glad you’re feeling better! Thanks for the short tip. This sounds like something both my daughter and I would love to wear. Merry Christmas!

  9. Love the Buffalo Plaid! Cute shirt/jacket. Darling over a white shirt. We can’t have too many white shirts! Or black skirts!
    I have a neti “bottle”. I ordered 100 saline packets. I can take photos if you wish. The one you’re looking at seems pricey for limited use.
    I’m gargling with warm salt water. I eyedropped colodiol silver in my painful ear. Glad you are feeling better Susan.

    • It really does look sharp over a white. I have a crisp one somewhere I should get out and try on with it.
      Yeah, that one is a bit pricey. It’s not exactly a neti pot/bottle, it’s different somehow. Nettie pots scare me a little because when I tried one once, it gave me an extreme headache, like I was having a stroke or something. It lasted a couple of minutes, very painful. I think I had a sinus infection at the time.
      I hope you are feeling better, Dawne…ear aches are the pits! I’m feeling a lot better today, cold viruses just have to work there way through, I guess.

  10. Loved seeing these Christmas tables from the past. You always create beauty on the table. Cute boots and shirt/jacket. Thank you for sharing the links.

  11. Glad you feel better Susan. Winter colds stinks. I have put in unobtrusive humidifiers in all the rooms we use. The new ones are QUIET and emit an invisible fog the does not destroy rugs and furniture. It doesn’t even get wet around where the fog shoots out. Highly recommend.
    Now to the serious stuff…..Bought the duck boots in black watch rather than red. What a steal deal! While on that site I spied two adorable birdhouse feeders all decorated for Christmas. One a gingerbread house, the other a cottage. More than cute. Selling out fast, so type over there in a hurry if you are into bird feeders.
    My napkin folding books are at the ready and I will definitely use your Christmas tree design. Call me a Susan copycat. I’d like that.

  12. Reading your blog costs me MORE MONEY!!! LOL! Had to order those plaid duck boots…..shirt jacket was out of stock in my size or I would have ordered it as well! Lovely post! Thank you for sharing {I think! 😉 }!!!

  13. bobbi duncan says

    So glad you’re feeling better. You beat me to the punch–called my son and the Navage is the one he uses. Hope it works for you, too. I haven’t had a cold in 9 0r 10 years (keeping my fingers crossed as I write this!), but Michael gets 1 or 2 yearly so I’m ordering the kit for him today. Love, love, love the buffalo print jacket-shirt! Ordered two–they should look great with jeans. Thanks for the tip. I haven’t been happy with J. Crew the last few years– bought two of their high-end sweaters which started pilling after a few wearings, even though I had them dry cleaned. Hopefully, this recent purchase will fair better as it’s so darn cute. I make the Williamsburg style table centerpieces from time to time–so easy to do, and something you can put together close to the day guests arrive so the arrangements look fresh. We just went to historic Old New Castle, DE for their Holiday Home Tour, where they have the Williamsburg fruit and greenery décor as well. It’s a great place, on a peninsula jutting out into the Delaware River, with buildings and cemetery dating back to 1707 but, unlike Williamsburg, it is a real town where people actually live. Unfortunately, the area outside of the town is very built up and not very attractive–I always tell Michael I wish it was located in our neck of the woods so that I could get my Williamsburg fix EVERY day. I’m really late getting my Xmas décor up this year, with some final touches yet to do. Our son and DIL are coming in for a few days at Xmas so I want everything to look extra special for them, so best get to that silver polishing. Hugs!

    • I was wondering if that was it, thanks for confirming that Bobbi. You are going to love that shirt! I’m wearing mine again today, I cannot get over how warm it is…and not bulky like a heavy sweater can be. This one hasn’t pilled at all, so far. That tour sounds wonderful! I love those Williamburg fan-like fruit designs that you see over front doors. I bet you saw some of those. I’ve only ever seen one here in Georgia and it was gorgeous! That’s wonderful that you son and dil are coming for Christmas! 🙂

  14. Glad you are feeling better, Susan. I am surrounded by sick people it seems. Cute boots and shirt/jacket.

  15. That shirt jacket is so cute! I am happy to know that the collar doesn’t itch you because I have suddenly become sensitive to wool and I never was before. I always find just cute things at J Crew, but I have to pull the trigger fast because they sell out so quickly. Glad you are feeling better. Thanks for another great party and all of the wonderful parties you have hosted over the years!

    Big Texas Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

  16. Hello from Arkansas, Susan! I have a red dining room, too (Valspar’s Holly Berry) and a very similar table and sideboard, so I love to see what you’re doing with yours…things I might have never thought I could do! A little “enabling” help here- Wal-Mart has plaid ramekins this year for about $3 apiece. So, of course we have some now. But we have Scottish heritage and have a plaid den, so we do plaid all year long! I also saw that LeCreuset has a large red pot with a plaid band this year for only $380.oo at Williams-Sonoma! So, we’ll pass on that. Besides, I have all their other red cookware. So my goal for the next week is to research all the foods that can be cooked in ramekins. Nothing like planning your menu around your new tableware! LOL! Merry Christmas to you and yours. Looking forward to a 2017 full of beautiful tables!

    • Oh, I would love to do plaid in a room all year long, I love it that much! Rhonda, have you ever visit Scot Mecham Wood’s blog? If not, you MUST check it out! http://tartanscot.blogspot.com/
      He has an online design site, too: http://www.smwdesign.com/#scot-meacham-wood-design
      You’ll love it since you like plaid.
      Yeah, I saw that at WS, too. I love it but it’s definitely too much for my plaid budget. lol I would be tempted if it would go sale for like half price!
      I know what you mean. I had a New Year’s Day dinner dinner party a few years back and I was determined to use some new soup tureens I had purchased, so we had Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. 🙂
      Thanks, Rhonda!

  17. Hi,
    I found a great ceramic bucket with the red truck painted on it at Home Goods! I accidentally saw it while walking up to the cash register- only $9.99. I don’t know if I can attach a picture.

  18. Holly Rigby says

    Hi Susan,
    After my 10:30 AM doctor appointment, my husband suggested we go to outlets for new slacks for him. Having read your blog this AM, I raced to the outlets J. Crew and found the buffalo check shirt in two colors…navy/cream …and navy/red orange…got a coupon and bought both for $55 TOTAL. Showed salesperson the blog photo and she took me right to them…don’t know if they are exactly the same, but they look it… So so adorable!! perfect for our Boston trip! Thanks…your are a fashion star!!!
    Holly In Houston

    • That’s awesome, Holly! Great deal for those! I think the only difference between the ones in the outlet and the ones in the J.Crew store are the ones in the store are part wool. Check the label on the ones you purchased to see if they are 42% wool. If they are part wool, you got a screaming deal! I think the ones in the store are probably more expensive because of the wool.

  19. Hi Susan,

    I’m sorry to hear you’ve been sick and glad to know you’re feeling better. I love the beautiful centerpieces you’ve shared today. I remember seeing these in previous years on your table. I especially love anything related to Williamsburg, so I’ll be reading that tutorial for sure. 🙂

    Thank you for hosting every week, and have a good weekend!

    Hugs,

    Denise

  20. The plaid duck boots are way too cute. I’d say you could wear them Christmas day and brighten things up.

  21. Grrrr…..Only now found out the bird feeders are really bird houses. One would think t.j.maxx would know the difference. Sorry if I’ve contributed to more Christmas confusion than necessary.

  22. Thank you for hosting, especially when you have been and are still ill. I appreciate all the wonderful posts you do. They are so informative.

  23. Hope you continue to feel better so you can enjoy those precious grandsons.
    I have seen buffalo check shirts quite a bit this Fall, mostly black/white or black/red. The black/red boots are cute, but I love black-watch so I would have to buy those if I were an outdoorsy person. I used to drive by a school on my way to work where the little girls wore black-watch pleated jumpers. They were just darling and brightened my morning as they played before first bell. Thanks for the lovely centerpiece ideas/photos. I have so much Christmas stuff, centerpieces are never a problem. Take care & continue to send all the great ideas & suggestions. I just might have to treat myself to the Highgrove & Cotswold books. I did not particularly enjoy the Sissinghurst book, although some of it was informative. Maybe just a tad too scientific for an artsy person like myself.

  24. Susan and other plaid people,
    Forgot to mention I found a red plaid doggie ornament at Walgreen’ s for $1.99. He/she is about 4 inches high with a bell around the neck. I bought it to adorn a gift for my young cousin who loves dogs. Maybe I need to go back and buy the rest of the litter!!!

  25. Susan, love the plaid shirt and boots. Are you sure you aren’t allergic to evergreens too? Glad you are feeling better.

  26. Holly Rigby says

    Hi Susan,
    Yuppers, you are right! My shirts are all cotton. Duh! But good news, here in Houston , it’s the perfect weight for me. And they are adorable…and I still can’t beat the price…a good lesson in the difference between the outlet and the real store. Next time I use your link! Hope you are feeling better! And thanks again for the fashionable advice!
    Holly

  27. That’s good you are feeling better. My son picked up something and after two weeks of not getting over it he had to go to the doctor. I hate how some of these linger and just don’t seem to let go!
    Don’t forget to change out your furnace filter and use the best allergen type filters for it!
    Those boots are the cutest! The shirt/jacket is cute too. I’d order a 2nd one just to be sure to have it in your pile of favorites for a long time. I’ve often had an item I liked a lot and wished I had bought a 2nd one.
    One of my all time favorite tablescapes of yours is with the village down the center!

  28. Susan so happy to learn you are feeling better; however a word of caution from someone who has an inner ear disorder (called Meniere’s) about using off-the-shelf nasal irrigations as you can risk damage to the ears and even your throat by doing so. That said rather than go into a lot of detail; basically it is best to ask you Doctor for a ‘nasal spray prescription’. As for the plaid shirt-jacket; recall when I was around seventeen it was all that I asked for, for my birthday (which is tomorrow BTW) as my father had a black and red one which I loved. Long story short; he purchased one in the smallest size he could find and I altered it so it would fit me and wore it for several years during the Autumn months, regardless it was a garment only fashionable for men … . FYI we called them Jack-Shirts so it is nice to see that they are back in style and women are actually wearing them. Last but not least; thank you so much for the napkin Xmas tree tutorial and for those who wish to print it off, it will take four pages (front & back) in legal size format beginning with page four to ten. -Brenda-
    P.S.: Will also add; with reference to one of your earlier postings that included the red Station Wagon Xmas plates, one can search Amazon.com for a car kit that resembles same if they wanted to make one to use as a centerpiece. *Note: Tree is not included. (Description: Revell 49 Mercury Woody Wagon Plastic Model Kit @$24.99 US $$$. ) APOLOGIZE FOR BEING SO LONG WINDED!

  29. Thank you for hosting, Susan! I hope you are feeling better! Love those plaids and all the neat info! It’s been a while since I did a tablescape, but had to show off my Woody!

    Merry Christmas!

    Katherine

I'd love to hear from you! Please leave a comment!

*