We bought a new (and our first) complete dining room set this year, and I had also collected a bunch of new things for the table. After Christmas 2004, I bought a beautiful holiday tablecloth from the April Cornell store. The black background is accented with holly berries and brilliant red poinsettias.

For the centerpiece, I decided on a red and white scheme, starting with a vintage white table runner over the black cloth. At the heart of the table is an antique silver candelabra filled with four red tapers and a white taper in the middle. This is flanked by pewter candlesticks with white tapers. On the ends are black square wrought-iron candleholders with low red pillars in each. Near the window-end of the table is a curly metal candleholder with four small red ball-shaped candles.

The garland over the picture window is the same as in previous years. Behind it is a heraldic valance I made in the past few years.