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.

An unexpected Thanksgiving

I hadn't planned on contracting the flu just two days before Thanksgiving.  I had been looking forward to having time off of work, to rock my domestic diva side - to cook and bake and decorate!  Instead, I was in bed with a 103 fever and a severe case of the chills the night before...and not a single thing ready!

Just when I gave up and assumed that either Thanksgiving would have to wait - or else my dear husband would be in charge of cooking this year, I got well enough Thanksgiving morning to drag myself from bed and get right to work.  

It wasn't the Thanksgiving that I planned - I had to scale back some of my more lavish plans...but the dinner turned out to be my best yet.  

I know some folks enjoy trying new things over the holidays - but I'm an old-fashioned girl at heart :)  It's all about tradition for me and my little family.   Tradition is what brings us comfort - knowing what to expect, having familiarity...it gracefully links us to the past :)  But that doesn't mean that tradition has to be boring or blah! 

Our Turkey Day Dining Room

Since it was just the three of us for our little celebration, I took my time and made everything just the way me and my guys like it!  We leisurely watched the Macy's Parade while I got things going in the kitchen.

As I do with every holiday, I re-used my son's seasonal artwork as the cornerstone of our holiday decor.  Some may find it tacky, but the little artistic treasures he brings home from daycare and school make my mama heart happy!  I save them from year to year to add to our growing gallery (the turkeys are my favorites!  The body is made up from tracings of his feet, the feathers from his hands!  Fun to see how they "grow" from year to year!)

I have them hung everywhere - and they never cease to bring a smile to mine and his daddy's faces :)

The centerpiece was very similar to the one I did last year...an assortment of gourds and my cornucopia that I fill with a mixture of roses and seasonal flowers.

The dining room awaits us!

I bought this turkey platter several years ago ~ I loved it for its heart-warming verse (I'm a sucker for quotes and the written word). 

Simple turkey transferware dishes - and a little turkey placecard holder complete the place settings. 

I bought these delicious mini baby pears at a farmer's market when I bought the gourds for my centerpiece.  There were a lovely and light snack for us as the dinner was cooking. 

Since it was just a small, informal family affair - I didn't have to do a kid's table.  But I STILL wanted to make the dinner kid-friendly!  So I put this cute little fellow atop a square pedestal at my son's placesetting.

Tweed Turkey Tee :)

Thanksgiving is NOT a time to diet!

Time to say Grace and eat!

We hope this Thanksgiving was a joyful and blessed day 

for you and your loved ones, as well!

Happy Thanksgiving!