Thanksgiving Joy

Did you have a wonderful Thanksgiving?

From start to finish, our holiday was absolute perfection!

It started off with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

while I was getting started in the kitchen.

Delicious pies, cranberry orange relish, roasted stuffed turkey,

freshly steamed green beans and brocolli,

roasted vegetables, homemade dinner rolls,

turkey gravy, and so much more!

The trick was keeping my 5-yr. old occupied while waiting for dinner.

In his turkey chairbacker, he found a handmadeThanksgiving activity book along with a new box of crayons.  He didn't waste any time getting right to work on the various coloring pages and activities inside.

Using various scrapbooking supplies that I had on hand,

I whipped together this homemade activity book.

It was so simple!

I went online and printed off an assortment of coloring pages

and activities for him to make and do.

Voila!

We made teepees the night before out of paper plates and sticks.

And in his activity book were Pilgrim and Indian finger puppets to color and cut out.

And we used the Pottery Barn Kids Mayflower treat holder for the Pilgrim finger puppets.



Coloring and making things was a great way to keep him occupied.

It was a tradition in my house that every Thanksgiving

my brothers and I received an early Christmas present.

So in keeping with tradition,

Andrew received a little gift bag at dinner,

containing two diecast cars

and a Jingle All the Way book and dog from Hallmark.

Because he knows how much his mama loves to make things cute,

just as dinner was about to be served,

Andrew ran to get the crafts he'd made at school...

I just loved his placemat!

And his rustic napkin ring was perfect!

At dinner, as we talked about what we're thankful for,

Andrew said this was the best Thanksgiving ever.

I couldn't agree more :)

Hope it was yours, too!

Thanksgiving {Natural Elegance} Tablescape and Birch

As I spend this weekend baking and relaxing,

I thought you might enjoy seeing our tablescape this year.

Let me preface this by saying that I marvel at you tablescape mavens that pull a look together so effortlessly!  I don't seem to possess the gift, although I ultra love seeing a beautiful seasonal table!

This time of year, we all long for peace and reflection.  With the year winding down and nature going into slumber, Thanksgiving seems the perfect time to repose and relax.  I wanted to bring that natural elegance to our tablescape this year.  Warm, rich chocolate brown, heavenly creamy whites, rustic wood and burlap, oak leaves, pinecones and acorns ~  texture, warmth and natural elements abound.

I love the rough, texture of the burlap and woven fabric of the placemats.  With my wheat bundles flanking the table, and hurricanes filled with real, preserved oak leaves, pinecones and acorns, the table pulls in so many of the woodland elements that one would find on a November nature hike.

I can't tell you how much I love my table runner! 

I bought this from a talented etsy seller,

and I just adore the screenprinted Thanksgiving message.

We've been enjoying this on our table throughout November.

Everything has to have a touch of whimsy in our house with a 5-year old.  So rather than set a seperate kid's table for just one child, I adorn his placesetting with whimsical (but also coordinating) decor.



This little treat bag from Pottery Barn Kids will hold healthy pre-dinner snacks.

The turkey chairbacker will hold homemade goodies

and Thanksgiving books.

Having a special place to sit,

makes an intimidating adult table seem more welcoming to a little one.

But other decor

like these Byers' Choice Thanksgiving figures

on the table also makes for an unexpected surprise and fun conversation piece

even for adults.

Who says kids get all the fun stuff?!  ;)

Pie, anyone?

More turkey?

I am in love with my ruffle bowl. 

This makes such a dramatic statement on a table!

A little touch of feminity offsets the rough textures of burlap, wood and tweed,

and turns up the sophistication!



Natural elegance.

Rustic sophistication.

Thanksgiving perfection :)



And speaking of rustic elegance,

A great big thank you to my darling husband for taking a pile of old birch branches

and turning them into these

chic, charming

Birch Bark Candleholders

for little ole me :)

In my hurry to display them,

I couldn't find my white tealights,

but I did happen upon some pumpkin spice ones that fit

just perfectly!

Yay!!

Pure bliss.

Happy Turkey Day tablescaping!

This post is linked to Tutorial Tuesdays with Hope Studios.

Pilgrims on display

We're spending this weekend relaxing before the holiday.

The turkey has been bought.

Table linens are ready to go.

We're just about ready.

Little guy and me are doing some pre-Thanksgiving baking...

just for the fun of it :)

I don't do much by way of decorating for Thanksgiving.

My fall decor is still up (for now), but Christmas stuff beckons!

I do have a few Thanksgiving pieces,
like this Byers' Choice Pilgrim and his turkey in our foyer.

He's a fun little conversation piece to welcome holiday guests.

I love my wreath {below}!
It's a little different than the traditional orange and yellow autumn wreaths.

With a welcoming candle to lightly fragrance the entryway,
this little display just makes people smile.

Off to work on a couple of fun projects ;)

Hope you're taking a break this weekend before the big day!

Remembering, Lest We Forget

In this month of Thanksgiving,

let us not forget to take a moment

on 11/11/11

to give special thanks

to the brave men and women,

our fellow citizens and our loyal allies,

that have sacrified all

for our freedoms.

Veteran's Day and Remembrance Day



Taken at the War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario Canada



If you have kids like me and want to impress upon them the importance of marking Veteran's/Rememberance Day (so that they realize there's more to it than just having a day off of school!), there are wonderful books that you can read together. 

Two of our favorites that are simple enough for a young child to understand without graphic detail:

We visited the Canadian War Museum this past summer in Ottawa.  All of us were very quiet as we toured the exhibits, taking time to explain to our son the devastation of war and the heroism of those that stand up to evil. 

It was a very sombre experience. 

My husband Tom reading through one of the exhibits

I encourage all of you to talk to your children so that they appreciate the bravery and sacrifice of not only our own heroic veterans, but those of our allies that have fought loyally by our countrymen's side during wartime. 


Model of the War Memorial in Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Take in a Veteran's Day/Rememberance Day parade or ceremony if they have one in your area.  If you have loved ones that have served in the military, take a moment to talk to them. 

The War Memorial

And please remember to give your heartfelt appreciation to the men and women that have served. 

Home of the Free

Because of the Brave.

We will never forget.

October Eves

“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!”

~ Humbert Wolfe

It's been a typically fallish weekend in Pennsylvania, blustery, overcast and brisk.  Football and festivals are in full swing.  Neighborhood yards are decorated with haybales, cornstalks, and plump, orange pumpkins.  Halloween will be here before you know it!

For a little afterschool treat, I've made old-fashioned, buttery popcorn balls {with itty bitty Reese's Pieces candies in them in autumnal shades of orange, yellow and brown}.  Each homemade treat has been wrapped carefully in a cellophane bag and tied with coordinating fall ribbons.  I love this recipe because they stay nice and chewy (unlike the dry, crunchy ones in the store).

 The kitchen beckons this time of year, and the smells of something yummy being cooked fill the entire house with warmth and delicious smells.

I hope you're enjoying this bewitching time of year! 

want a bite?

Garden Harvest Fresh

It's so hard to grasp that summer's end is already here.  The familiar sound of school buses have been heard in our neighborhood, and with that means that harvest season is here! 

My Gooseberry Patch wall calendar (above) features one of my many summer loves - Farmers Markets!  I live in the country (well the 'burbs, technically) but work in the city...so no matter where I go, there are wonderful farmers markets to be found!  We look forward to them each week, not only for farm fresh produce (which is locally grown - so much better for you to know where your food is coming from - and also to support your local farmers), but also for beautiful plants, herbs, honey, freshly baked pies and cakes, and beautiful flowers! 

One of my adorable farm farm tea towels - perfect for this time of year!

Farm fresh dinnerware is perfect!

More garden fresh tea towels ~ I love these with the recipes on them.

With the abundance of garden produce available on store shelves, from backyard gardens and farmers markets, there's virtually no excuse for not eating healthy this time of year!   Our vegetable garden is brimming with yummy veggies and herbs, just ripe for the picking.

Plump garden pumpkins are growing in anticipation of fall!

Each evening the air has been just a tad cooler, with that certain unexplainable nip in the air that whispers the season is about to change.  A few scattered leaves pepper the lawns...some of which have already begun to change their color.

And with the calendar page about to turn to September, I've been gradually pulling out my favorite fall books to dream and plan :)

Curled up in the backyard with seasonal ideas swirling around in my head, I'm just overjoyed that my favorite season of all is nearly here - AUTUMN! 

With fall brings so many things that I love: cheery pumpkins, cozy soft throws, colorful leaves crunching underfoot, savory comfort foods to warm the soul,  fun holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving, chilly evenings spent around a bonfire, seasonal scents of apple and pumpkin pie,  blustery autumn winds, and warm, toasty sweaters. 

Sigh....pure bliss!  :)



Don't you love our little backyard campfire sign?



As I sit by the giant sunflowers swaying in my garden and let my mind wander, poring over fall magazines filled with inspiration, I realize just how special this time of year is!  There's something so thrilling about the fall and a start of a brand new school year ahead... so many possibilities...so many new adventures await!

I hope you're taking time to savor this exciting time of year and all the beauty of the season.

What are you looking forward to this fall?