Favorite Christmas Children’s Books

I started my Librarian career as a Children’s Librarian and the saying goes, once a Children’s Librarian, always a Children’s Librarian. Even after I moved to other kinds of librarianship, I continued to collect Children’s books and after my children were born, every Christmas, there were books under the tree, some for them, and some for me! Some of them were pricey at the time but they are now being enjoyed by the next generation so I feel like they were worth it. I put a selection out on the coffee table every Christmas and they serve as wonderful decorations but they also receive lots of special attention from family and friends. I decided to share a few and it was very difficult to choose! Some of these Children’s books are not in publication but you can find them on the secondary market.

I have a tradition of buying a new “Night before Christmas” book every year even though my children are grown and gone. When they come home for the holidays with grandchildren, they still love these books, old and new. I love books with full page illustrations and I just love this Santa face!. Amazon gives you a sneak peak at a few pages from this book so you can see what I mean. It was published in 2011.

I have always been a fan of the artist and illustrator Mary Engelbreit and this version of “The Night before Christmas” is so colorful and the illustrations are so detailed that little ones will really enjoy looking closely at each page. The book was published in 2002.

This is a wonderful story about what happened in Bethlehem on the evening of Christmas. The full page illustrations are absolutely wonderful. It was a Christian Book Award finalist in the children’s category and it was published in 2017.

My mother loved poinsettias and I love them too. I have collected a few books about the poinsettia flower and this one is a favorite. It was published in 1994. You may be able to find the hardcover in a used book store.

I have always loved the artist and illustrator Jan Brett and this is one of my favorite versions of all my “Twelve Days of Christmas” books. It was published in 1989.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without Rudolph! This is the original version of the story of Rudolph written in verse in 1939. I adore the full page illustrations. It was published in 2001.

This book is dear to my heart. I loved Peter Spier’s books when I was a Children’s Librarian and after my children were born, I bought this one when it was published in 1983. It is a wordless book and the detailed illustrations on each page tell a wonderful story about a family’s activities while celebrating the Christmas season. My children are adults now but they still love to sit and look at this book.

Well-illustrated children’s books can be expensive but I have always felt that an expensive toy often doesn’t last that long. A special book can be read over and over even continuing on into the next generation, and the memories that creates are priceless.

A Witchy Book of Spells Tablescape for Halloween

This Halloween tablescape was created after I stumbled upon the centerpiece at HomeGoods several years ago. (To see my 30 other different Halloween tablescapes, please click here and scroll down to Halloween.) Hubby and I were at HomeGoods so I could look for something else and I suddenly found this wonderful witch drinking coffee and reading while sitting on a mushroom library. I just adore the Enchanted Forest Library sign and the Book Return slot! Hubby took one look at my face and he knew the die was cast, she was coming home with us. After all, a retired librarian seldom finds such a treasure! Besides, I have had these book shaped plates for years. It was an omen!

The tablecloth for this table setting went through three different variations before I settled on this one. I first used the black and white buffalo check tablecloth I used on another tablescape. It just didn’t seem right to me so I changed it out for a white tablecloth with a black design on the sides. I didn’t like the way that one looked either. Then I went on Amazon a few years ago and searched Halloween tablecloths and I found this one. I couldn’t believe how it fit the theme perfectly! How I love Amazon’s overnight delivery! The tablecloth was made by Amscan and it is called Spooks and Spells.

I moved the place card holders to the center of the top plates because the white space needed to be broken up in some way.

I bought this book shaped plate in three different sizes several years ago online from Webstaurantstore.com. They still have them for sale but unfortunately you have to buy a case of the plates because the web site is a restaurant supply store. I bought them anyway because I felt that a librarian who does tablescaping should have these plates!

The second plate in the stack is a square dinner plate made by Fiesta and the color is Tangerine. I bought them online from Replacements.com several years ago. Most of my plates are round and I bought these square ones to go with the book plates.

I needed a basic square black charger and found these on Amazon a few years ago. They are melamine and they were made by American Atelier. It’s really good to have basic plates in neutral colors that you can use over and over if you are a tablescaper.

The black flatware is Ginkgo International LePrix. I have had this set for years but it is still for sale. Not sure where I bought it.

I bought these black goblets on Ebay and they were one of the first sets that I bought several years ago. They are by Lenox and they are called Midnight Mood black glass water goblets and they were made between 1974 and 1982. They are 7 1/4 inches tall. When I started buying goblets I didn’t pay attention to the height but now I like to buy goblets that are at least about 8 inches tall because my table is large and I think that they show better. I bought the amber goblets at Pier 1 before our store closed. I love how tall they are, they will replace some that I bought several years ago that are much shorter.

I love these small black houses that are place card holders. I bought them on Ebay several years ago. At that time they had them at Target, and Hearth and Hand with Magnolia.

I was looking for a black witch napkin ring a couple of years ago and I saw a witch design that I liked on Etsy (JandyArt14) and asked if they could make metal napkin rings with the same design. I really love the way they turned out and I have bought other designs from them as well. Because they are metal, they will last forever. I found the napkins on Etsy as well. I am really not a fan of gray usually but it works here because the napkin has orange, black, and beige as well that match the plates and tablecloth.

Hubby mumbles from time to time about all my tablescaping stuff but he really gets into looking for things that I need when I ask. He found some glass bottles and labels and put these bottles together for me.

I actually found this old bottle with a couple others at an estate sale. Hubby added the label.

I wanted a couple more accent pieces for this table so I found this piece on Amazon. The witch hat and books are a great match for the theme of the table.

I found this Juvale Black Obsidian Crystal Ball on Amazon. It is amazing that the tablecloth has crystal balls as well, (one partly covered here by the crystal ball stand).

This witch is labeled Heather Goldmine, Blue Sky, https://blueskyclayworks.com/ , copyright 2018 Blue Sky. The witch piece is sitting on a small black pottery upside down cauldron that I bought at Crate and Barrel a few years ago. I felt like she needed more height. I love Blue Sky designs and HomeGoods often has some for sale.

I get such a kick out of seeing the book return slot, it takes me back to my librarian days!

I just love her expression too!

Parts of this tablescape hold special meaning for me because my life’s work has been all about libraries, books, and research.

To see over 270 different tablescapes that I have created (including 30 Halloween Tablescapes) please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas Facebook group for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas or click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553689988183392

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group, click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We had a gathering for tablescapers in January 2025 in the Los Angeles area and hope to have another one.

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!

Spiders on the Halloween Tablescape!

I make good use of some of my black and white dishes especially at Halloween time. If you read my blog on a regular basis, you can see how I sometimes repeat elements from tablescape to tablescape. I bought the white tablecloth on Amazon.

I found the spider salad plates at Pottery Barn several years ago. I finally found the right centerpiece elements to add to the table.

These are a smaller size plate and they can be used as a salad plate or an appetizer plate. I like that versatility. There are four different designs.

I am not a fan of spiders by any means, I would not like to meet these spiders anywhere!

This white salad plate was made by Bordallo Pinheiro in Portugal. I bought them on Ebay a few years ago but I can’t remember the pattern name, it might be Wave. I am still looking for more of these in this size and the dinner plate size. It is a good neutral design that I can use to accent many plate stacks.

I love the raised design on this dinner plate. I love patterns that cover the entire plate and this one almost does. I bought them at Pier 1 several years ago. The scalloped edge works really well in a plate stack. I can’t remember the name of the pattern.

The black glass Starburst charger is called Charge It and was made by Jay. I bought them several years ago on Amazon. They are heavy glass and work well with many different color schemes. This design is a good starter charger plate if you are thinking about starting a tablescaping hobby. The place mats came from Pier 1 online.

The black flatware is Ginkgo International LePrix. I have had this set for years but it is still for sale. Not sure where I bought it.

The spider web napkin rings were made by Midnight Market. I bought them several years ago and I can’t remember where I bought them. I bought the black and white napkins online several years ago but I can’t remember where, it might have been Crate and Barrel. They were made by Waverly. I am surprised at how often I use them, they seem to go well with lots of different table designs. I found the black spider web napkins on Etsy several years ago. I had been looking and looking for the right color and design and finally bought these even though they are cocktail napkin size. I just tucked them into the top of the other napkin.

I bought these black goblets on the right on Ebay and they were one of the first sets that I bought several years ago. They are Lenox Midnight Mood black glass water goblets and they were made between 1974 and 1982. They are 7 1/4 inches tall. When I started buying goblets I didn’t pay attention to the height but now I like to buy goblets that are at least about 8 inches tall because my table is large and I think they show better. The clear fluted goblet with the black stem on the left is called Octime and and the manufacturer was Luminarc Arcoroc. They were made in the 1980’s. I bought them on Ebay also. I like the taller goblets, they add a stronger element to the table setting.

I have had these spider web place card holders for a few years, I bought them at Williams Sonoma.

I bought the spider web overlay several years ago, can’t remember where but you can find them online everywhere this time of year. The three black metal spiders came from Olive and Cocoa online several years ago. As soon as I saw them, I knew my Spiders tablescape was done.

To see over 260 different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my new Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas Facebook group for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas or click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553689988183392

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group, click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We are planning a gathering for tablescapers in January in the Los Angeles area..

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!

Nana's Dressing Table

My Nana, my mother’s mother, died when I was nine. I have no memories of her that I can remember and we lived 300 miles away when she died. My mother inherited some of her belongings, and I received them from my mother, and I cherish them. Nana was born in 1881 and she was married in 1909, an older bride for that time period. Her husband, my Grandfather, was 18 years older than she was and a widower with five children, the oldest only five years younger than my Nana. It was not an easy situation at times but the family was well off until the Depression hit. I gathered a few things to share that might have been on Nana’s dressing table from time to time.

This sterling vanity dresser set with a mirror and shoe horn were probably part of a larger set. The mirror is engraved with my Nana’s initials J. P. L. (Joanna Pruitt Leonard) and it is marked sterling. The mirror is marked with F & B in a flag, the trademark of Foster and Bailey, a company that became Theodore Foster & Bros. Co. in 1898. I suspect the set was made between 1910 and 1920. Although it is the same design, the sterling shoe horn has a different trademark, one from the Webster Company.

I have another sterling dresser set from my mother’s half-sister. She never married so the set is engraved with her maiden name initials, E. M. L. (Edith Marian Leonard). The set also included a frame for a comb that is not in the photo. I have not been able to identify the trademark on these pieces.

This is one of my Nana’s calling cards or visiting cards and her calling card case.

Calling cards were a simple means for servants to introduce someone's arrival, although complex rules developed around their use. After the invention of the telephone, the use of personal calling cards declined and they ultimately disappeared.

This beaded evening bag belonged to my Nana or her mother. I couldn’t find any markings on it at all although the interior bag part is very worn and in pieces. It may have been made between 1900 and 1920.

My mother told me that my Nana had a friend bring this cameo back to her from Italy. The chain is not original to the piece. The gold on the cameo is marked 14k. I have always loved this piece. It is especially dear to me because I have a photo of my Nana wearing it. I have only worn it a few times since I inherited it because it is so fragile.

I wish I knew more about this green glass jar that belonged to Nana. My mother always had face powder in it while I was growing up. It has no markings of any kind. I keep it in one of my china cabinets because I don’t want it anywhere where it could be damaged.

Having something that belonged to an ancestor is so special. It brings them closer to have something and touch something that they touched too.