An Elegant Christmas Dinner

After publishing my December 1 blog post, which featured a London house that was decorated for Christmas, I received a number of emails from readers requesting that I publish more photos of traditional holiday décor. I've looked through some old December issues of various design magazines, and I've found a number of photos that will hopefully get you in the holiday spirit and give you a few ideas for your own home.

First up, this 1993 Christmas dinner in the home of Marjorie Reed Gordon and her husband, Ellery.  Gordon is an expert on entertaining, having written a few books on the subject, including Marjorie Reed's Party Book: Entertaining with More Style Than Money, which was published in 1981.  (I must get my hands on a copy of this book, because you know how I love those Eighties-era books on entertaining.)

Here, the Gordons set a table fit for the season, laden with silver, crystal, pomanders, and white Amaryllis, all resting upon a red silk cloth.  The menu consisted of Mignonettes of Lobster with Asparagus and Artichokes, Seared Venison Chops, Swiss Chard Timbales, and a Brandied Tangerine Tart.  (I bet this menu did not appear in her More Style Than Money book, but then again, this was Christmas, a time when most of us blow it out.)  And then there was that side table, decked in pots of evergreens and paper whites.  It's so festive-looking, the perfect perch for that tangerine tart.