<p>A shoot off thread of the living room/dining room thread… :)</p>
<p>I am one who could fully do without my dining room - give me a large/larger kitchen with a decent eat in area and I’m pleased as punch. </p>
<p>But the dining room is there - it is a walk through to get just about anywhere in the house - and dining room tables, I believe, are “dumping grounds” for all kinds of things.</p>
<p>So whether you keep yours pristine and decorated or you’re like me and use it as a deposit place for “need to do” or "not sure where to put stuff…</p>
<p>Share what is currently on top of your dining room table (dust excluded). :)</p>
<p>Mine:
–A large pretty blue bowl that sits in the middle of the table - decorative
–Supplies from a new steam mop that I bought a couple of weeks ago and still haven’t figured out where to store these extra mop heads, etc.
–The dog’s tennis ball
–A “Life Is Good” dog water bowl that I bought at TJ Maxx and haven’t put away yet, still wrapped in protective wrapping.
–A few papers that my H keeps depositing on the table for some reason…</p>
<p>I have a runner and 3 candle holder things. It’s the first room you see when you come in the front door and the only one I know is “clean” at all times :D.</p>
<p>Not too bad today! A lazy susan (stenciled with a leaf pattern, decorative and useful), salt/pepper, sugar. Then a small pile of mail and supermarket ads, two books, my checkbook, a game boy game no one plays, a notebook and pen.</p>
<p>table cloth
two matching cloth napkins in silver rings engraved with user’s initials
three glass footed stands, of graduated height, stacked one on the other, holding clementines, which I’ve been using for a winter centerpiece while it is seemingly impossible to get any decent inexpensive flowers.</p>
<p>We were at the Waterford factory in Ireland on our 10th anniversary. We bought a vase as our gift to each other. It sits in the middle of the dining room table.</p>
<p>A gigantic champagne class (50th birthday present) filled with red, green and gold Christmas balls (yeah, still).
Notebooks, stacks of papers, pens, scribbled notes (this is where my DH sets up his laptop to work at home on weekends).
Two coffee coasters.
My sewing basket.
Five CDs. Only one with a case.
A purse that one of my DDs switched her stuff out of when she was home three weeks ago.
An Apple charger.
A Starbucks gift card.
A travel alarm clock.
A stack of magazines.
The winter hat my DH received for Christmas.
A wrapped birthday gift for my DDs, who are coming home this weekend.</p>
<p>The laptop I am typing on… piles of paperwork and files related to financial aid applications… my colonoscopy prep instructions … and a “save the date” postcard for an old friend’s wedding in the Southwest in the fall :D</p>
<p>See? It appears that not only are we busy, productive people but we often have busy, productive dining room tables!!! Just not always (or ever) for eating!!!</p>
<p>A table cloth, my sons laptop waiting to be repaired, two pairs of jeans - folded, a red and white teapot and a glass basket - not placed decoratively - just sitting there, a tray, my moms ipad paraphernalia - waiting for me to learn how to use it so I can teach her and…shamefully a VERY large mostly dead poinsettia and all of the leaves/petals that have rained down on top of above items.</p>
<p>What more or less belongs on it:
A bunch of trivets, rocks from Jordan, a candle, two placemats, two napkins, two napkin rings, salad dressing.
And then what doesn’t belong on it:
Some receipts from my purse that need to be filed with business expenses, a brochure for a continuing education course, the latest copy of Cooks Illustrated, a quarter, a luggage tag.</p>
<p>A tablecloth and a vase with dried eucalyptus. However, only this morning I took off a dish in which I had floated some fresh pink camellia blossoms. We ate at the table two times last week, with guests :-)</p>
<p>My kitchen table is another story. Currently there’s one sick teen (home from school) seated there with his computer, a box of tissues, a calc book, cell phone, a paper napkin holder, placemats, cloth napkins (some in their rings), today’s paper, salt and pepper shakers, and probably more.</p>
<p>My husband’s laptop; his wallet; checkbook; assorted bills (some opened, some not); magazines; newspapers; coffee mug; glass of water; gum; and this time of year, end of the year tax papers. Plus at least 3-4 pairs of eye glasses (but never the ones he’s looking for); car keys; pens, pencils sticky notes. It’s basically his very messy desk.</p>
<p>We just rearranged our living room/ dining room, so this is the BEST (but hardly the most representative time) to answer. </p>
<p>On my dining room table is…nothing.</p>
<p>On my to do list is to get a pretty runner and some sort of centerpiece. We’ll see if/when that happens. I am told that Pinterest will be a great source of good ideas but I am not really the Pinterest type.</p>
<p>I definitely feel better organized/in control if my dining room table is cleared. Annoys me to walk by it and see clutter. Sometimes it gets cleared totally, but often “temporary” things are “dropped” there.</p>
… and a “save the date” postcard for an old friend’s wedding in the Southwest in the fall :D</p>