If you're looking for dishes, think about using pink rather than the traditional red~I use pink for Christmas, too. You can usually find pink dishes at one of the dollar stores, or after Christmas sales. Big Lots usually has lots of stuff, too!! I do a pink/crystal table, and got the crystal candle 'lamps' there~$15 each.

Have fun shopping! ;o)

Julie, there's a few photos in our forum's Valentine inspiration album. I need to get more collected, but maybe this will help a bit.

hugs, Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Valentine Inspiration

Uh oh, I haven't yet dismantled my tree:)) I invited some friends for cocktails this evening and the living room looks so warm and inviting with the lighted tree, candles, etc. Can you tell that I am just fishing for reasons not to take down my tree?

I might just go with the red dishes I have for Christmas, add the red/heart dishes I have for Valentines, and I will be all set. If only I could find enough Valentine-themed ornaments, to trim my tree...

Off to check on my hor d'oeuvres.

Way to go, W-in-P!! Glad I'm not the only one still enjoying the season! I'm sure your friends will enjoy the ambiance of your Christmas decor. You could always make paper hearts to hang on your tree.....lol!

DD

Well, I'm still in Christmas mode. My decorations can't come down before the 19th (club meeting here the 18th). So I do NOT want to think Valentines or Easter. Tho actually I don't mind Val so much, since that is still reds. I'm definitely dismissing Easter for months tho. I have a problem decorating with pastels, LOL. So I will be thinking the nice green of St Paddy, and maybe I'll even come up with something for Groundhog Day this time on my stacked plates. LOL.
But I don't want Christmas colors going away just yet!
Tho our weather for the next 7 days or so is supposed to be in the low 70s. Hard to "think Winter" around here.

hugs, Karen

Karen, try below zero, and you will think winter. That is the prediction for our highs for this coming week!

My arthritis just kills me in the cold, even if I don't go outside!

I saw some really pretty St. Pat's placemats at Kohl's today and some cute hand towels. I suspect 20$ tree will have some Valentines & St. Pats things out soon too!

I'm looking at flights to Florida for June, only way to survive this is to think about Florida!!!

I have an idea for V-Day with some things I bought last summer at yard sales, we'll have to see how it comes out.

As for St. Pat's, mine will be same as last year, I have no room to store anything new!

We're getting out of Dodge for a week and will be gone during Valentine's Day, so I guess that means we will be having a romantic dinner at a restaurant this year instead of dining at home.

In the past I've used red&white transferware plates on top of my white French Countryside by Mikasa for Valentine's Day. I also have ruby flash goblets that work well with those colors.

I love all the ideas for table settings, but does anyone do other holiday decorating? Just looking for some new ideas. I guess(maybe because of the weather) I am feeling in a rut....that I do the same thing, year after year. Just was looking for some new ideas that I could make and/or incorporate into my decorating to jazz it up a notch!!!!
Thanks though for all the ideas so far....I rarely use tablescapes, but do have centerpieces that I use.
Julie

Don't laugh.
I didn't have any "Christmas" dishes at Christmas, so I used a set I had bought is August and tried to make it do for Christmas with the accessories. Everyone liked it. I still felt it wasn't "there" yet. So, I still have the table set and continue to tweak it. I've had a Santa centerpiece, sleigh centerpiece, and this morning a small tree with cardinals as a centerpiece.
Still don't think it is pic worthy. Guess I will move on.
I don't have any St Patrick's Day stuff, so I may just do a Valentine Day table.
Betty

I've not seen any cute new things to make for Valentine's decorations. I do have a few painting patterns that I might get around to cutting out and painting.

Last year I made my wooden heart cutouts and did some with painted roses and clear glitter and the year before I did some that I "frosted" to make them look like cookies. Things like that would be cute on a tree spray painted white I think--but I don't have a tree or any in my yard to cut a branch from either! I'm sure Michael's and Joanne's will have the usual cupids and such out soon.

Iowajewel, what kinds of things do you like to make? You could always do an arrangement of flowers for a centerpiece or vignette? Or find a box to cover with scrapbooking papers and cutouts? Or if you sew, make a new table runner or placemats. Nothing new, but any of the above would be pretty.

I bought some plates with a red swirl design on the rim last year at Target--I'd love to find some cute little heart shaped plates to go with them. I've not looked for any yet though.

Luvs

Could someone show me pictures of their year round trees? I still have my trees all up all 11 of them. I really would love to have a year round one, but don't know what kind of tree to use. I just bought 2 new six food trees in an urn (for $9.99 each) and thought about using one of them or maybe my five foot one in the urn. I also have some pine trees, but none of them are very big. The biggest is 4 foot.

Please give me some inspiration pics

I do not have decorations for all the holidays just Christmas... but I can't wait to see what you all do. I might doo some spring changes. Just remember to post your pictures!!

I'm packing my Christmas things up now . . . actually yesterday, today, tomorrow and probably Monday, too! I am starting to think a bit about Valentine's Day, as my b'day is the 4th and DH's is the 8th. I dress the table in that mode for 10 days straight, varying it a bit. I don't decorate for St.P's Day since DD's b'day is the next day (March 18th). I just decorate to suit her current whim then. Easter is too pastel-ish for me to even think about right now.

If I can ever get my house back in order and my table dug out from under all the decs, I'll stick with gold, silver or copper with crystal or wood for the rest of Winter (except for my Valentine's decs). Maybe with some pops of red, white or black, but not at the same time . . . I HATE red & black together! It reminds me of casinos and gambling, which I'm not opposed to, but don't participate myself. I don't even know of anyone with a gambling addiction, but for some reason I've always really disliked that look. Obviously, the Ratpack Look doesn't do a thing for me! ;^P
Lynn

I didn't do alot last year but here are a couple of pictures - I plan to do more this year including adding more hearts to the tree - This is also my year round tree

Lynne

Sandi has a really neat white branched tree (not Christmas tree type) that she decorates for the holidays. Haven't seen her on here since before Christmas, but you might look at last year's Valentine's posts to find pics of it.

In fact several of us posted our Valentines decor and some tables last year if you want to check the archives for them.

Luvs

Iowa-Julie, did you browse all the holiday sections in our Inspiration albums? I keep trying to add as many as possible so we all stay "inspired" and maybe get some new ideas. I put the stacked plates in an album by themselves also since they are pretty special (at least to me, LOL).

hugs, Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Holidays Inspiration Albums

Lynne, I love that little lady that you have!! She looks so sweet! I think I remember her.

Iowajewel, have you considered something for Chinese New Year, January 26th? Red is a lucky color, so use red stuff from your Christmas or Valentine's Day stash. Oranges and/or tangerines are traditional, easy and colorful. Fresh flowers are also tradional. It would be an easy and fun pick-me-up in the middle of winter.

When I did my big purge of 40 years worth of decor I didn't touch my Valentine or Easter boxes. I was thinking of doing my Valentine decor this week since we only have till the 14th really (of Feb)

If you check out pages 3 and 4 of the Craft Forum gallery you can see some of my decor for Valentines day and Easter

Here is a link that might be useful: Crafts and Decorations Forum - GardenWeb