Dogwood Christmas

Christmas china can be beautiful, but I have come to prefer Christmas tables set with non-Christmas china.  I'm inspired by all the unique tablescapes posted on  blogs and at Christmas teas I've attended. So many designs inspired and augmented by stuff and things we already own from dishes to ornaments.  My Christmas Challenge is to create a Christmas table using each of my sets of dishes. Table #1 features Dogwood Dishes, Homer Laughlin "Eggshell Georgian" circa 1951.   I posted April Flowers using this pattern, and haven't used them since, so they were eager to come out and play.

Homer Laughlin Marking
Georgian refers to the type of . From 1941-1969, the next numbers refer to the plant.  So these were made in March, 1951 at Newell, West Virginia, across the Ohio River from their beginning in the 1870's at Liverpool, Ohio.


Used a table cloth I made for a table last Christmas,  Christmas Celebration.

My sister gave me four bird napkin rings found on sale at Z Gallerie.  Love them.

 Knives add a winter, rustic look to the table.  Can you see the little bee in the knife shaft?  New flatware from World Market purchased on sale.

Centerpiece made of dogwood leaves and reindeer that are part of my Christmas decorations.

 When I was putting together another table with another dogwood pattern (Do you think I like dogwoods?), I realized that I have magnolia trees on my campus, so I am able to prune a few branches as needed!  Dogwood flowers look like magnolia flowers so much that I originally called these trees Dogwoods until one of you Southern women corrected me (y'all know your magnolias!)

Love the large platters with hand painted on each "handle."

 Great bowl for mashed potatoes.

 Started with a rattan placemat that I found at a thrift store in Santa Barbara for $1.50 each.

 Layered with a charger I found at World Market last year on sale for $1.

Tablecloth made from a remnant I found at an upholstery store. 

Centerpiece made with Dogwood branches, cast iron reindeer, and votive lights for sparkle.

You may have heard of the legend of the dogwood, sometimes called the Easter Dogwood Legend.  It is appropriate for Christmas as well, a celebration of the birth of Jesus.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
`Isaiah 9:6
`

The Legend of the Dogwood

I happen to like the story as it origins are deep rooted in mountain culture, it is a story of a natural event.

The story goes that when Jesus was awaiting crucifixion and when the crosses were being made the trees begged God to spare them, but the Dogwood begged not for it's life but for the life of Jesus. 

The Roman soldiers picked the Dogwood.

The Dogwood pleaded with God to use another wood but God did not intervene.  The Dogwood would now carry the body of Christ to his death and the Dogwood knew that for all eternity Dogwoods would be known for this horror.

God in his wisdom spoke to the Dogwood and understood the tree; in that time Dogwoods were tall straight trees that provided sturdy timber for homes and vessels, safety for the animals. bowls for food, utensils to cook with; and God spoke.

God told the Dogwood that the burden that was carried would be carried only one time, and from that time on Dogwoods would be knarly small trees with poor timber size so not Dogwood could be used in this manner again, God told the Dogwood that the Dogwoods would now be responsible for eternity to help people remember.

The Dogwood would only bloom for a very short time before and after the date of the crucifixion, the flower would have just 4 petals representing the hands and feet of Christ, they would be marked with a hole and the blood of Christ and the center of the flower would be circular raised and represent the head of Christ wearing the crown of thorns.

And so it is today, the Dogwood is a small twisted tree, it blooms at Easter and the flower....well look for yourself.

 

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