A Night with the Shepherds Table 2019

Welcome to our home that we have transformed 

for a special night for our Young Single Adults, 

for a night in Bethlehem, A Night With The Shepherds.  

We greeted them in our outfits that we brought 

home from Israel years ago. 

Tables were set low on boxes and covered in 

purple satin tablecloths.  The stone floor was 

covered in various rugs so people could sit on the 

floor if they chose to.  Pillows were strewn around 

the edges.  Of course, the tree was lit, and lighting 

was kept soft and low. 

We have done a couple of dinners like this 

with our children, but this was on a much 

larger scale as we ended up having about 85 

people attend the dinner.  

Something new was to drape the room with 

purple, orange and hot pink fabric, and then 

to add lights to it.  We were trying to create 

a tent like feel. 

We had the stable made out of plywood about 30 years 

ago, and it has survived yearly use for our 

Christmas Eve Nativity.  I added the blue backdrop 

last year, and we tape it to the window and then backlight 

it.  We also had a custom made manger, but someone 

borrowed it and left it and it disappeared, so I 

purchased a kit online to make a new one a couple 

of years ago.  My collection of lambs gather around 

the manger.

Brass chargers were used on the table for food and 

disposable plates.  Electric candles softly lit the tables. 

I added greenery and grapes to the tables. One of the leaders 

walked in and just gasped.  He said he had been to a fancy 

restaurant in New York and the food had been served like 

this, on low tables.  

We had the food brought in from a restaurant in Salt Lake, 

Souvlaki.  They have the softest, most amazing pita, 

wonderful chicken kebabs, savory rice and a fabulous 

Mediterranean salad.  That made my job easier.

I just made the Chocolate Pistachio Baklava, and 

put out dates, nuts, grapes and some chocolate.  

And of course, prepped the house!  It was a huge hit, and the 

Young Single Adults ate and ate, and visited, and stayed into 

the late hours, enjoying our Bishopric Christmas Dinner. 

Tonight I have a home tour dinner party with 
my craft group, and rather than take all of the 
Bethlehem items down, we decided to remove 
the extra rugs, put some of the furniture back, 
but leave the draping, stable and low table.  They 
have all seen my house before, and we thought 
this would be a fun change for them. 

The food will be presented on the single low table 

tonight, and I added some purple pillows around the 

room to tie everything together.  Hope they enjoy it! 

Just one more big party after that, but I think I 

might leave the living room like this - the 

dramatic draping is just too fun!  Hubby is sooooo 

supportive and fun.

(If you are interested in this gorgeous throw,

click here.)

Thanks for coming to visit our Christmas party table.

I will be posting it with 

Tablescapes Thursday

and 

Love Your Creativity

A Night In Bethlehem Dinner

Welcome to a Night in Bethlehem

at

Purple Chocolat Home.

A few years ago we realized that we wanted

to celebrate the birth of Christ on

an extra night - separate from presents

and Santa, and make it be a celebration

of the true meaning of Christmas.

The house is prepared by moving the furniture

out, and placing additional rugs on the

floor as we are going to sit on the rugs

with tables elevated on #10 cans.

The family all receives an invitation and

and when they arrive we greet them in

costume and invite them to put on

a costume if they want.

This year I used burlap tablecloths and copper chargers

with clear plates and goblets (from Dollar Tree).

Electric candles, greenery and pomegranates

decorated the low tables, along with a few

small sheep.

The food is simple fare with a variety of

cheeses, meats, breads and crackers, fruit

and nuts.

My SIL brought me this adorable 

Christmas tree shaped butter.

The creamed honey is from my son's bees,

which he started this past year.

Between every two plates a scroll was placed.

We sat down first and they were invited to

unwrap their scrolls.  On the scrolls were the

words to Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.

We then turned up the music over the loudspeakers

and sang with the Tabernacle Choir - of course,

they carried us.  It was really fun and the first time

we have done that, but I think it will become a new

family tradition.

Then it was time to eat.  The kids are used to us

making charcuterie and cheese boards so they

enjoy it.

Here is a view from the balcony overlooking

everyone.

This was the night we served the Chocolate Board.

We thought it went well with the meat and cheese boards.

Now it was time for the Nativity.

I had purchased a new backdrop this year.

You can find it here.  We taped it to the

window.  The manger can be found here,

and the stable was made by a friend years

ago.  All of the sheep were found on Amazon.

The pictures turned out pretty well, but don't

be fooled by their angelic faces, the pictures

don't show the chaos!

Baby was 10 months old and wasn't sure about

all of this fun!  There were tears because we

have 3 boys and 9 girls and everyone wants

to be Mary, of course!

(Mary #1)

This is more like what was really happening.

(Mary #2)

(Mary #3)

The baby Jesus went through quite a lot!!

But in the end, all who wanted to be Mary

got a chance, and looking at the pictures

afterward, you kind of forget how crazy

it was, how many tears, how many kids kept

changing costumes, and how many times the

baby tried to get out of all of this chaos!!!!

I have to admit that the dinner was the 

highlight.

We are busy preparing for Christmas, but I

think I wrapped my last gift yesterday, if I 

don't go and buy something else!  Phew!!!

I hope the Spirit of Christmas fills your heart

and life at this beautiful time of year.

Thanks for visiting.

I will be posting with 

Tablescapes Thursday

Dishing It and Digging It

For Unto Us A Child Is Born

Luke 2:19

"But Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart."

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, filled with the

joy and love the Savior brought and still brings to the

world!!

This is a moment captured from our family

nativity, that just touched my heart.  

I know Jesus lives, and I love him.

Nativity Makeover and A Winner

I had two Nativity sets that

had been given to me over the years

that just weren't my favorites but 

I would put them out anyway but

never in a place of honor because

I just didn't like the colors.

This one I loved the pieces and I especially 

loved the city backdrop but the

colors were just kind of cheesy.

On a whim, I decided to buy a can 

of champagne gold spray paint and

a can of Glitter Blast in silver

and I did a 

15 minute makeover!

Glitter Blast is my new

favorite!!!  The other nativity

was a gun metal gray and I

just blasted it, no painting.

My daughter saw it and said

she had the same one and wanted

to blast hers.  It comes in lots

of colors but I like the silver one

for this.

Amazing what a little paint and glitter

can do to change something.

Now this fits with my decor.

I did love the colored jewels on the

Wise Men

and on the camel so I taped them off

before painting.

Now the made over 

Nativity

has the place of honor in my living room

and it is amazing how many

comments I have received on it

and everyone wants to know where

I got it!

If you have some Christmas

decor that just doesn't fit or

you just don't love, grab a

can of spray paint and in 

minutes you can transform it!

May Christ be the 

Reason for the Season

and may peace fill the earth.

The winner of 

Me Oh My Couture's

giveaway is

Aly Cook

from Alyssa Cook Photograph.

Go check out her lovely blog.

Thanks everyone for

participating and supporting

my daughter in law in her

new blog and blogstore.

I will be posting on

Seasonal Sunday

The Scoop

Home Sweet Home