Simple Evergreen Christmas Tablescape

 

Happy Tuesday AND December, My Lovelies!  Today I'm joining Sweet Rita from the Panoply Blog and a few other stylist to share Christmas tablescapes.

Thank-you, Rita, for hosting our tablescape blog hop parties.  

Mine is very simple.  It's a miracle I was able to pull anything off, y'all.  I am grieving for my friend Jenna's passing.  My best friend is fighting cancer, and after a stint in the hospital last week, they moved her to the same facility, the same hallway, only two doors down from where Jenna was living.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  Plus our dog Finlay had to have eye surgery a few weeks ago, and he can't be left alone.  It has been a struggle to schedule someone at home with him at all times since the beginning of October.  Plus my mom is declining rapidly, and to top it all off: we are going through a major renovation of four rooms in our home.  

This is not an excuse for why my table is so simple this year....it's an explanation.  I'm just trying to keep it real.  But I am pleased with the table because even though it's simple, I think it's pretty.  Also, I think it's important to find your joy in the midst of sadness and upheaval.  

Because I've had very little free time, I am using mostly things I've had.  The tablecloth, however, is brand new.  I bought it to go with the napkins I purchased last year.  Each corner has evergreen trees on it:

I also like the ruffled edge on the tablecloth.

Mustang Sally photo bomb

Finlay photo bomb

The evergreen theme is continued on the Welsh dresser with the Anthropologie tea set.

The plate stacks are simple:  Williams-Sonoma evergreen salad plates on MacKenzie-Childs flat dinner plates.

The napkins match the tablecloth.

I'm a little disappointed that my roses didn't open up a little more because usually this variety opens up nicely.

I also like the color of the polka dots on the tablecloth and napkins.

Resources:

Tree-shaped plate (new), dinner plates, candlesticks, and vase:  MacKenzie-Childs

Table linens and green lowball tumblers:  Green Row

Salad plates:  Williams-Sonoma

Water glasses:  Horchow

Candle bobeches and napkin rings:  Leaf 'n Petal

Tea set:  Anthropologie

Please use the links below and visit the other blog hop party participants.  

Panoply - O Christmas Tree Tablescape

Home is Where the Boat Is - Cardinal Christmas with Plaid and Checks

Hyacinths for the Soul - Cozy, Comfy Christmas

Everyday Living - A Victorian Christmas Tablescape

Life and Linda - All Aboard the Polar Express

The Cats Whiskerz - A Christmas Tablescape in Gold, White and Mint

Belle Bleu Interiors - Christmas Traditions

Pandora's Box - A Holiday Breakfast for Two Special Boys

My Thrift Store Addiction - Secret Garden Whimsical Christmas Tablescape

Olla-Podrida - All Aboard the Christmas Express: A Nostalgic Holiday Tablescape

Red Cottage Chronicles - Ralph Lauren Inspired Tablescape

Me and My Captain - Christmas 2025 The Reason for the Season

The Little Yellow Corner Store - A Pretty Poinsettia Tablescape

Dinner at Eight - A Playful Tablesetting for Christmas

Corner of Plaid and Paisley - Oh, Come All Ye Plaid Lovers

Mantel and Table - A Cozy Christmas Tablescape: Simple Ideas for a Beautiful Holiday

Thrifting Wonderland - Vintage Christmas Tablescapes with Thrifted Finds

The Bookish Dilettante - Simple Evergreen Christmas Tablescape

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Simple Evergreen Christmas Tablescape

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Tales of the Traveling Tote: In Memoriam

 

Hello, My Lovelies!  It is with deep sadness that I write today's Tales of the Traveling Tote post.  

Our beloved Jenna Meon from The Painted Apron blog has passed away.  She was a very sweet friend to me and a fellow artist.  I was fortunate to know her not only virtually, but in real life.  I enjoyed getting to know her, and I am missing her so much.  

Jenna, Emily from The French Hutch Blog, and I enjoyed getting together and do the "ladies who lunch" thing.

The top photo is at the carousel at the Galleria.  

The Christmas tree at the  Grand Bohemian has our totes nestled underneath

The last photo is a picture of Jenna and Emily in Jenna's backyard.

This is a photo of my mug at Jenna's house.  I took it for the "Where in the world is...." post that we Traveling Totes ladies shared in 2019.  Emily and I traveled to Jenna's house!

These are a few of Jenna's colored pencils and alcohol markers that I took at her house.

Here are three things that I want you to know about Jenna:

1.   She was kind, and she was an encourager.  Jenna was very thoughtful, and she liked to share.  She cared and listened to me during trying times.  I also loved how she encouraged me in my pursuit of art.

2.   She was a gifted artist.  Not only did Jenna and I have collecting MacKenzie-Childs in common, we also had art in common.  I will miss her Fearless Friday art posts, and it's fitting that her last post on October 17 was a Fearless Friday post.... and it was about wine!

3.   She had a wicked sense of humor.  She made me laugh, and this year especially as I've faced challenges with caring for my mother.  She always wanted the "tea" when I visited her, and her commentary was always laugh-out-loud funny.

The last time I saw Jenna was in September, and I was telling her all about my art teacher's opening reception for her show at the Canary Gallery in downtown Birmingham.  This was probably our last conversation, actually.  Jenna would probably want me to share it with y'all because she was always all about sharing art.

My sweet and beautiful art teacher Dori

The opening reception was a huge success, and there were lots of people in attendance.  The gallery also sold several of Dori's paintings.  Dori also taught a creativity workshop at the gallery in October in conjunction with her exhibition.  I attended it with a friend of mine, and we had so much fun!

I know that Jenna would roll her eyes at this post (except for the part about Dori's opening reception).  She would tell me to stop it and go make some art.

And I will do that today in honor of Jenna.

Please make sure you visit the other blogs in today's hop and enter our giveaway.

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths 

Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda

Patti with Miss Kenzie @ Pandora's Box  

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply 

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Jackie and Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home

Ricki Jill and Countess De Monet @ The Bookish Dilettante  

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Tales of the Traveling Tote: In Memoriam

Monday, December 1, 2025

What I'm Reading Wednesday: Bringing Heaven Here

 

Happy Wednesday, My Lovelies!  Are you excited about Thanksgiving tomorrow?  I know I am!  I'm looking forward to delicious food and spending time with my husband and daughter.  We might even watch a little football, too!

Today I am sharing in my What I'm Reading Wednesday post Bringing Heaven Here: How the Lord's Prayer Can Change Your Life and Our World by Brad Gray and Brad Nelson.  

About Bringing Heaven Here: How the Lord’s Prayer Can Change Your Life and Our World

• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 25, 2025)

• Hardcover: 237 pages

From the creators of the global television series The Sacred Thread comes a transformative exploration of how the Lord’s Prayer unlocks the power of God to guide, heal, and renew our lives and the world around us.

The Lord’s Prayer is the most iconic and widely spoken prayer in human history. It’s not only a sacred prayer, but the very essence of the Bible’s message—showing us who God is, why Jesus came, and how we fit into the unfolding story of God’s redemption. Yet, familiarity often dulls the power of this profound prayer, leaving its deep meaning untapped and unlived.

Every single phrase of the Lord’s Prayer is loaded with revolutionary significance for Jesus’ original audience—and for us. In this book, Brad Gray and Brad Nelson draw on decades of research to unpack these words in their original historical and cultural context, revealing the bold truths that can still shake our lives today.

You’ll discover how to:

• partner with Jesus in bringing heaven here by aligning your daily actions and influence with His kingdom and will.
• gain wisdom to mend broken relationships and stand against the forces of evil.
• understand what Jesus’ words meant to his original audience.
• gain confidence and peace from bearing God’s name, goodness, and glory to the world.
• experience each moment as holy—as an opportunity for the life of heaven to be a part of your life now.

We are called to actively participate in Jesus’ mission to restore all things, bringing the abundance of heaven to earth. Bringing Heaven Here will unveil the hidden truths and untapped power of the world’s most famous prayer—and show how it applies to your life today. Discover how to stay rooted in Him, embrace the purpose He has for you, and let the Lord’s Prayer guide you into a life of true transformation.

My Impressions So Far

I can read fairly quickly, y'all.  And although I've read a big chunk of this book, the rereads are slowing me down.  There is so much information about this prayer (especially the historical/contextual tidbits) that I find myself rereading entire chapters!  One thing I never knew is that Jesus may have shaped the Lord's Prayer from the Kaddish, which is the mourner's prayer.  After reading the Kaddish, I can certainly see how Jesus might have used the framework of the prayer and transformed it into a prayer about how "God's kingdom works intself out and into the lives of others through us" (p. 35).

First of all, I didn't think I would like reading this book because it is coauthored by two friends.  My perception was that each author would present his own interpretation and application to his life.  I was so wrong!  What the two Brads have done is take certain aspects of the prayer, line for line, and expound on them.  Let me give you an example.  For "in the heavens" (who art in heaven), Brad Gray discusses "The One Who Sits Above It All."  In the next chapter, Brad Nelson shares "The One Who Is Always Near."  

So far the chapter on forgiveness "Make Us People of Release" is my very favorite.  Forgiveness is so hard, but it is obviously a very large part of God's kingdom because Jesus taught us to pray about it, to not only ask for forgiveness from Our Father, but to forgive others who have wronged us and those we love.  I have read this chapter several times, and I probably need to read it often because it is so instructive.

If you want to learn more about The Lord's Prayer and enjoy reading about biblical history, I think you will love this book.  The history is presented in a straightforward way, and it is not a "dry read" at all.  The anecdotes both authors share from their own lives are interesting and engaging. It's a nice mix.

I also thought you might be interested in reading the authors' version of the Lord's Prayer below.

Our Father in the heavens,

holy be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom and the power

and the glory forever.  Amen.

Disclosure:  I received a hardback copy of Bringing Heaven Here: How the Lord's Prayer Can Change Your Life and Our World from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.

TLC review tour:

Monday, November 24th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Wednesday, November 26th: The Bookish Dilettante

Monday, December 1st: @dana.loves.books

Wednesday, December 3rd: @deannaturnsthepage

Thursday, December 4th: @gigithebibliophile

Friday, December 5th: @oilycaffeinatedmama

Monday, December 8th: @teaandbookstoo and Reading, Writing, and Pondering

Wednesday, December 10th: @the.joy.within.every.page

Friday, December 12th: @suzylew_bookreview 

Monday, December 15th: @beckys_bookshelves

Friday, December 19th: @lovemybooks2020

Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill 

What I'm Reading Wednesday: Bringing Heaven Here

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Book Review: Why Not You? by Ed Newton

 

Happy Monday, My Lovelies!  How are you?  It's been a minute since I last blogged, but when TLC Book Tours asked if I'd be interested in reading and reviewing Ed Newton's Why Not You?: Believing What God Believes About You, I was happy to oblige.  This is one of the best Christian nonfiction works I've read in recent years because I felt so encouraged after reading it.

About Why Not You?: Believing What God Believes About You

• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 11, 2025)

• Paperback: 202 pages

God is going to use someone to walk in purpose, meaning, destiny and anointing. So why not you? You can operate in your God-given abilities when you operate out of your God-given identity.

There is a very human tendency to believe the best for others and the worst for ourselves. To believe that someone else can operate in their full potential, while we settle to exist in our scraps of talent and personal limitations. But what if we could identify these lies for what they are and learn to take hold of the life God has actually called us to?

When Ed Newton was ten years old, a woman at McDonald’s prophesied over him that God was going to use him in a great way. Ed, who was eating lunch with his deaf parents, didn’t even have a relationship with the Lord at the time. He had no idea that the story that God was writing would one day be something he’d feel compelled to share with others.

Ed has walked the road of biblical identity and is now inviting others to do the same. Why Not You? is filled with his stories of growing up as a child of deaf parents (CODA) as well as other life experiences. Ed shows how the truth of God’s Word can cut through the web of self-doubt so many followers of Christ struggle with and show them who God created them to be. This book will help readers:

• battle through negative self-talk, doubts, and insecurities;
• retrain their minds to view themselves from God’s perspective;
• see their setbacks as setups for success;
• stop questioning their gifts and talents and start living in them.

Backed with Scripture and a raw look at his journey from childhood until a miraculous, spiritual encounter with the Lord in early 2024, Ed shows readers that it’s not only possible for God to use them, but that God wants to use them. Each chapter challenges readers to confidently walk in the calling and identity God has placed on their lives.

About the author

Born in North Carolina, but raised primarily in Florida, Dr. Ed Newton graduated from Clearwater Christian College and holds multiple graduate degrees in religious education, as well as a Doctorate in pulpit education and expository preaching from Memphis Mid- America Baptist Theological Seminary. Ed has been the lead pastor of Community Bible Church since 2016. He has authored several books, the most recent being an evangelism resource titled My 8: Embrace and Engage in the Wonder of Evangelism that dives into practical methods of sharing the Good News of Jesus with others.

Ed lives in San Antonio with his wife, Stephanie, and their four children: London, Lola, Liv, and Lawson. He enjoys skateboarding, basketball and running, as well as exploring the culture of his beloved San Antonio in his spare time.

My Review

The book synopsis does an excellent job describing the purpose of the book, so I don't want to rehash it.  Instead, I will share what I like most about this book.  

This is not a self-help book.  It is about finding your identity in Christ Jesus, and it also gives the reader practical advice on how to fulfill God's plan for his or her life.  Newton shares how both Moses and King David were called by God, and how he equipped each to serve God's purpose.  Moses had plenty of reason why he didn't think he was qualified to lead his people out of bondage in Egypt, but God would not accept any of his objections.  God used Moses's upbringing to prepare him for his mission, and God did not allow Moses's mistakes to disqualify him.  Moses tried very hard not to answer God's call, but God would not have it!

One of my favorite characters from the Bible is King David.  He was a man after God's own heart, and he did not fit any of the expected criteria for a king.  When Samuel was searching for King Saul's replacement, it was other people who overlooked David because of his age, lack of experience, and lack of stature.  The youngest of eight brothers, he wasn't even present when God sent Samuel to choose the new king from Jesse's sons.  David was overlooked because of the labels placed on him by his father, but God looks to the heart of a person, not outward appearances.  

After a couple of other biblical examples, Newton then applies God's Word to our own lives.  Perhaps the most important chapter is "Break Your Patterns."  In it we are taught how to reject the lies from the enemy, develop healthy habits rather than relying on default coping mechanisms, and maintaining an attitude that all things are possible with God.  There is even a short prayer in this chapter that Christians should pray everyday in my opinion!  

Lovelies, God wants us to live a full life now.  We know how our stories end because Christ Jesus fulfilled his ministry for us.  So if we know that Christ won, and we know that our future is secure, then why on earth can we not live in victory TODAY and stop living in defeat?  That's the crux of this book.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

~John 10:10

Another thing I like about this book that it is not a book about the "prosperity gospel."  It is about accepting what God thinks about us and having the courage to live with faith and purpose.  If you are inspired by Christian nonfiction, then I highly recommend Why Not You?.  I almost used an entire packet of flags while reading it!

Disclosure:  I was given a paperback copy of Why Not You? from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.

TLC review tour schedule:

Monday, November 10th: @teaandbookstoo and Reading, Writing, and Pondering

Saturday, November 15th: @spaceonthebookcase

Monday, November 17th:  @suzylew_bookreview

Wednesday, November 19th: @thecalicobooks 

Thursday, November 20th: @deannaturnsthepage

Monday, November 24th: The Bookish Dilettante

Tuesday, November 25th: @carlasbookcrush and Carla’s Book Crush

Monday, December 1st: @niks.bookshelf 

Tuesday, December 2nd: @gigithebibliophile

Thursday, December 4th: @pickagoodbook 

Monday, December 8th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Wednesday, December 10th: @nissa_the.bookworm

Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill

Book Review: Why Not You? by Ed Newton

Monday, November 24, 2025