WOW Sal, Everything looks great!!! You've got some very neat vintage decorations!!! I just love those little ice skates. What a great snowman collection you have. Love how you have them under your tree. That fox candle holder is really neat. Never seen anything like it before. That red ice skate is really neat too!!! I love the table your TV is on. Shoot, I just love everything!!! That was sweet of your brother to give you the Holly!!! Cheri

Up until 12 years ago I worked in the food service industry, so I have lots of silver plate flatware. Once I was in the upper closet of a Sheraton where I worked and found boxes of Oneida Silver Plated Hotel Flatware, asked the GM about it, and he said take it,it was enough for 100 place settings! I have other boxes of sets of 12 or 24 settings that were given to me by GM's when cleaning out closets. I like the hotel silverplate, it's heavy and the knife handles are solid. The spoons get a tad yellow and I just wipe with Wrights Silver Polish. That's is my everyday stuff. As for cleaning in the dishwasher, thinking back I would have to say it takes about 30 years or so to toss the silverplated flatware washed in a dishwasher. Have to admit I am anal about the baskets in the dishwasher, being trained to put the knife blades down so not to poke yourself getting out, separate the spoons, forks and serving and utility in separate baskets. The Sterling set, I hand wash, it's sentimental. When I was a very young girl our family had a contract for vending machine sandwiches. On the bread bags there was a coupon on the side to cut out and redeem for sterling flatware. They would save all the bags for when my Grammie came to visit in the summer and she and I would sit and cut out the coupons. I still remeber bead crumbs and plastic sticking to me, lol. I would have to look but I think we cut enough coupons for a set for 24. Sterling doesn't tarnish as fast as plated, I keep mine is a chest with silver cloth, takes no time at all to shine up. Linda, I think the set you have is the same as what my Mom had, sure looks like it from the pic. I wish my cutlery was as wide as yours.

FWIW, I know how your wife feels about that fixture! I fell in love with the Kevin Reilly chandelier---the rectangular one with the fake candles--and have seen it at an aquaintenance's house and in a kitchen magazine. After much research a year ago, I found it for $13,000 at one of the Holly Hunt showrooms. But just now (after 15 more minutes looking...) I found an old eBay listing it for $5,800. Ugh. So Restoration Hardware is another budget way to go for a similar look. It is perfection isn't it?! Here is a link that might be useful: candle fixtures at Restoration Hardware

"Christmas, for me, is a season, not just a day."~ Luckygal I hear you! Someone said "Merry Christmas!" to me on the 27th, then became very apologetic & jittery, "Oh, I shouldn't say that, I mean, Happy New Year!" I said, "Actually, you were right the first time. It's Christmas until Epiphany which is January 6. Twelve days of Christmas, you know." She looked at me perplexed, as if I'd just tried to fill her head with utter nonsense. "No," I could see her thinking. "Christmas is over!" As for "over-the-top" Christmas decor (or any other OTT decor) I don't even enjoy seeing it around or in magazines. My approach is relatively spare, but then this is the first year I've even had a Christmas tree in a decade!