Nothing says Welcome than a beautifully set table kitchen table with candle light when you walk through the kitchen ready for guests, That definitely includes family!

My mom always had seasonal tablescapes that were the first thing you would see whne you walked through our backdoor were all family and family friends came in!
I am followijng in her footsteps. Welcome to my home is significant for anyone who comes to our home, even the kids who still live here. Home is safe and comfort, warm and says you are loved!
She was home finally after a very long hard semester.

Amy loved how the table and big coordinating wreath looked when she first came through the door after a long semester. It said “Welcome home, welcome to our home. Welcome back!”
We all sure did miss each other. Lots of hugging went on when she walked through the door!

This farmhouse tablescape came together so easily after I found the black plaid round tablecloth. Knowing it was going to look great with the wreath from last year too was an added plus.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas now that the four of us, the ‘Core 4 ‘ are home. Our cute nickname was given to us by our adult kids. In my heart, there is lots of joy and Christmas spirit coming too!

This year I had a round black plaid tablecloth with a pristine white cake stand for the beginnings of a centerpiece. The addition of the black lantern and bottle trees of different colors of green and sizes made a welcoming sight for Amy and anyone who comes in the house through our kitchen back door. Find those bottle trees here.
The centerpiece is easy moved when we eat. I like to see all of our faces when we have a meal together.
christmas woodland theme
I wanted a Christmas woodland theme for our farmhouse kitchen and middle room this year. Plaid and tartan are favorites. It works beautifully for our old farmhouse home. It is over two hundred years old. No worries; we have renovated and updated.

Coffee Set Backstory
This coffee set has a backstory. We arrived in China where we would live for more than 13 years. It was August. Though I had packed a few Christmas treasures with us, I had no thought of Christmas trees or dishes. My homemaking efforts included the search in open markets for dishes, towels, pots and pans.The basics.
Late autumn at a local open air market, I saw this coffee set. There were no other options. You might think Christmas decor would be plentiful but it wasn’t! We bought our tree at Isetan, a large Japanese department store and paid an obscene amount of money for it.

I cried as we drove away in the taxi with homesickness triggered by the high cost of the garland feeling we shouldnt buy it. We were on a tight budget. My husband was wonderful! When I told him the reason for my tears, he had the driver turn around in the congested traffic of taxis and bikes in wet rainy weather to go back to buy those garlands!

We hung garland on the 2 concrete beams. I ripped the blue plain cotton material from the local street market into rag strips for farmhouse style large bows to add to the garlands for finishing Christms spirit touches. Our apartment was decked with greenery and cheer!

This year I had a round black plaid tablecloth with a pristine white cake stand for the beginnings of a centerpiece. The addition of the black lantern and bottle trees of different colors of green and sizes made a welcoming sight for Amy and anyone who comes in the house through our kitchen back door. You can find a similar black plaid round tablecloth here.
I added the polka dot small plates. Those cute plates come out not only on other holidays but through out the year.
The napkins were ones I bought because of the versatility of the colors knowing I would use them often. The frayed twine tied the silverware together added an extra touch to the farmhouse woodland theme.
Using the bottle trees was a no brainer. See those trees in the snow scene decorating the coffee set! The black plaid brings out the black trim in a cheerful way; the blue seems bluer too.



That first year that was so hard. Each time I bring this set out I am reminded how God met us during that year in many ways, including expensive garland with rag bows!
Welcome to the Christmas season on this first Sunday of Advent!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are affilate links in this post. If you make a purchase through them I may recieve a small commision at no extra cost to you. The items may not be exactly the same but are similar. Additionally there maybe other items that would be great options!
Love this so much, Linda! Your tablescape is beautiful and I love the wreath too. But most of all I love how you welcome your friends and family members back into your home with open arms and a joy-filled heart. I also love your coffee set. It’s a wonderful reminder of what Christmas is all about. Big hugs, CoCo
Looking forward to the holidays coming up! Thanks for the kind words.
I love how you decorated your kitchen so pretty and what a blessing your story was, thanks for sharing.
Linda,
What a great tablescape and a charming story!! I am stopping by to Thank You for your visit and imagine my surprise in seeing that you live in Lancaster, Pa. I am just about 2 hours from you in Wilkes Barre, Pa. My nephew lived in York for many years but now has built a new home in Maryland….. I am your newest follower!! I am so glad that you stopped by!!
Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
Hugs,
Debbie
Thanks for joining! Small world.
What a wonderful story … and such an interesting life you’ve led. I love the coffee set and your black and white table cloth. Wishing the Core Four a very Merry Christmas! xo
Your table is so charming. I love the black & white checks. Wow, I didn’t realize you had lived in China 13 years! You must have so many tales from that time.
What a great story. I just love that coffee set.
What a poignant story, Linda. I didn’t realize that you lived in China for 13 years. Your farmhouse tablesetting is so lovely and says welcome. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas season!
This is a beautiful story. I can’t imagine living in China for 13 years. Many of my family have traveled and also lived over seas.