Mad for Plaid.................

Plaid is one of my very favorite ways to decorate for the season. I am publishing one of my old tablescapes this week. Hopefully, by this time next week my house will be a clean, beautiful, Christmas wonderland!
My Christmas break has been full and BUSY!!  We managed to have five different Christmas celebrations by the time we were through. 

 

Our oldest son Fielding, and his new wife Kelly,

both had to work on Christmas (firefighter and nurse).

So we held an impromptu Christmas Eve brunch

inviting both sides of the family

so Fielding and Kelly could have a Christmas celebration

with the family.

 Because there were so many people, we served the brunch buffet style.  And since we decided at the last minute to have the brunch, I decorated very casually. (Excuse the pink ornaments on the end of the table. Those were a Christmas present that got opened that morning and were set there momentarily!)

 I threw together my collection of plaid tins.  Some are vintage, some are Target, some are Wally.  I added a couple of plaid ornaments I had (from Kohl's). I piled everything on a plaid piece of fabric that I folded under and used as a runner.

 I have four different plaid sets (of four each) placemats. I mixed and matched the placemats throughout the different tables.

 

 I got the green holly dishes at Nell Hill's about 6 or 7 years ago.  Then I found very similar ones at Target the next year.  I invested in those as well. I like to mix and match them together. They look like they were meant to be together. The biggest difference in the sets would be....$$$!
I also used my red (100 piece set!!) of dishes my husband got me for Christmas several years ago.

 I have written several times about my love for all things cardinals.  They make me think of my grandparents.  My daughter Taylor got me this tea set as well as a few cardinal plates for Christmas this year. She insisted I open them early (and I was glad to!!). She got the dishes at Cracker Barrel. 
They blended in perfectly with the different holly and reds!

 The red dishes are from my 100 piece set from JC Penney's. The first holly dish is from Target. The second holly dish is from Nell Hill's.  The charger is from Dollar General.  What a price variation these dishes are...Yet, they blended together beautifully!

 I filled three plaid mini gift bags with greenery and put them in the wire basket.  I added pinecones every chance I got as well.

 I had holly mugs for coffee, hot tea and hot chocolate, and I had red and crystal stemware for the brunch punch.

 By mixing and matching my  (cheap) holly, (expensive) holly, cardinal and red dishes, I had plenty of china for my large crowd.  I had a variety of cloth napkins in velvet, holly and different plaids as well, that all seemed to blend into my plaid and woodsy theme.

 I found these plaid letters that spelled out MERRY CHRISTMAS at Target for $3. I had already taken them down when I remembered to take the picture!

 A close up of some of my plaid placemats. I got them all at a garage sale this summer for $4. Total. Sixteen large, very nice, starched placemats for $4. I waited half the year to use them!

 

 I added red candles throughout the dining room as well.

Between a variety of plaids, holly, red birds and pinecones, I was able to pull off a Christmas brunch that looked like I had planned it for hours.  The food was good and the morning was great.  Isn't that what Christmas is all about?
I'm linking to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Go by and see the amazing tables.Also check out Centsational Girl and Holiday Tablescapes.