Give Thanks

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is coming up this week? Wow, the holiday season is upon us.



Since it is the time of year for giving thanks. I wanted to give thanks for all the wonderful things in my life. Right now, tops on that list is my family and my home.


Next, I am thankful that we have a holiday that revolves around food! So in celebration of Thanksgiving, I decided to decorate my house, even though we won't be hosting Thanksgiving this year.

I just couldn't skip over one of my most favorite holidays, just to get a jump start on Christmas. Thanksgiving needed to be represented.


I did venture up into my attic & brought down just a few things.

Still love these Dollar Tree birdy candle holders from last year. Or was it the year before?

I printed out some sheet music called "Tis harvest Time" that went along with the season from The Graphics Fairy. Wrapped it around my battery operated candlse & tied some twine around them.

The wooden chargers came from Wal Mart last year. The beaded garland was from Michael's last year as well.

The large wooden acorn was actually a Christmas ornament from years ago.



I cut out a leaf from the same sheet music.

The vine pumpkin came from Target Dollar Spot last year. The leaf garland came from Dollar Tree.

The orange fabric pumpkin came from ABC Distributing a few years back. It came in a set of three.

The gold mercury glass candle holders came from Kirkland's a few years back. The only new thing is the gold pinecone that I got a few weeks back from TJ Maxx with my free gift card.

The turkey platter I've had for years. I mean years!!!! I still love it.


I decided that my mantel needed a banner. But since I am lazy, I didn't want to think up something all on my own.

Why should I? So many of you out in blogland are much more talented than I and you provide us with free printables.

I found this "Give Thanks" banner At Second Street.

I didn't have any cream paper to print it out on. And I didn't want it white. So I used PhotoFunia lab to give it a vintage look.

I cut out each letter around the border and then strung mine from twine instead of ribbon. And I added some fabric leaves that came from Dollar Tree in between each letter. I also cut out a few more leaves from the sheet music to put at each end of the banner.


I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

I want to give thanks to all of you who provide us with your free printables.

And I would like to give thanks to all of you. For taking the time to view my blog & especially to those of you who take the time to comment. I really appreciate it.

Well I hope that you have enjoyed my Thanksgiving mantel. Come back tomorrow & I'll share my Thanksgiving hutch.




Linking to:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Fall has finally arrived at my house

I have been so lazy this year when it comes to decorating my house. I usually decorate for fall in September. Then take it all down to put up Halloween. Then take Halloween down & put back up the fall decor for Thanksgiving. And then take that all down & put up Christmas.

Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it.

This year I decided to simplify. Which in lazy man's terms (or lazy girl in my instance), translates to "not decorating for fall in September". Instead I opted to decorate early for Halloween.

My original plan was to not decorate for fall at all. Hey, that rimes.

Normally we have Thanksgiving at my house each year. But this year, my sister in law wants to host Thanksgiving. So I did the happy dance as I would not be required to clean my house or decorate for Thanksgiving.

I might even be able to get an early start on my Christmas decorating.

But I was feeling like fall and Thanksgiving had been forgotten. So instead of bringing down the boxes, and boxes, and boxes of Christmas decor. I decided that my house needed to be "fall-a-fied" instead.

So finally, Fall has arrived at my house.

I didn't want to drag down my boxes of Fall/Thanksgiving stuff (again the lazy person won out). I decided to get down just a few things & to use stuff I already had around my house.

I didn't have to change up much on this shelf. I took off the "spooky" labels from the bottles. And added a fall wreath to one of the bottles. Instant FALL. The wreath is actually a portion of some fall garland I bought at Michael's a few years back. I like it hanging from the bottle.

Took the black spider web lace off the pumpkin. Placed a Thanksgiving image in a small frame. Actually the Thanksgiving print sits in this frame all year round. It usually sits behind a vintage rose print. But I just switch the prints around when Thanksgiving rolls around each year.


Easy, simple changes.

Next we will move onto the little cabinet that sits at the end of my kitchen cabinets.

I changed out the empty white frame for this cream one that has been on the mantel. I just placed it the other direction. I also used the book page wreath I made. I've hung it from some brown damask ribbon from Walmart.

I haven't changed out the letter balls from the apothecary jar in awhile. But they seem to work for every holiday. I will be changing them out for Christmas though. I found some Christmas balls with Christmas words I will be using instead.

The ironstone pitcher came from the thrift store awhile back. I placed a vintage wooden tape measure inside that I got from the thrift store last week for 50 cents. It is missing a few sections, but I don't care. Except that there isn't enough sections to make a Christmas star. But I do have another one that will work. And I added another fall/Thanksgiving print.

On the left side I just added a couple of grape vine balls that I've had. I needed something to go under the cloche & these 2 balls fit perfectly. I added a fall wreath around the base.

Here is a close up of the fall print I printed out from my image collection. The frame came from Walmart years ago. They came in a set of 2 frames for 99 cents. They are small, but the perfect size for adding a small print wherever I need one.

This wreath has been one of my most favorite projects this year. I haven't grown tired of it yet.

Now we will move on to the top of my TV armoire. I didn't have to change out much from my Halloween decor.

I did change out the Halloween subway art for this Thanksgiving/fall one. It was a free printable from Betty Crocker Wannabe. I just adore you gals who make up this stuff & then give it to us for free. You are my idols.

To my birdcage I added some more of my grape vine balls & then added a white pumpkin on top. I replaced a Halloween print with a big copper pumpkin. Both the pumpkins came from Target last year.

Nothing changed on this side from what I had going on for Halloween.

I had planned on hanging paper leaves from the sticks every day with something I am thankful for. But the lazy person in me said, Nah! Besides, now it is the 15th & I would have to do too much thinking to come up with 15 things I am grateful for in one day.

Not that I don't have at least 15 things I am thankful for. It would just tax my little old brain too much to do it all at once. At least that is what the lazy person inside me keeps saying.

Oh well, maybe next year.

I did get my mantel & china hutch decorated for fall as well. Well, almost. I have a few more things I want to tweak. It just depends if I can get my lazy butt off the couch to do it. But then, Dancing with the Stars is on tonight.



Linking to:
Table Top Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Last Years Christmas Mantel

Beth over at The Stories of A to Z is having an impromptu linky party. She wants all of us to link up our last years Christmas mantel in order to compile the best of the best of last year's holiday mantels. This is to give us some inspiration to get us ready for Layla's Christmas mantel party on 11/30 .

Layla's party is the first of four fabulous Holiday Home linky parties for Christmas that I know you all want to participate in.

So to help out Beth, I thought I would join in on her impromptu linky party.

This is my fireplace mantel from last Christmas. This is the first year I have placed my nativity set here.

The "Merry Christmas" sign came from Kirkland's about 4 years ago.

I picked up this snowflake candle holder at Costco last year. It came in a set of 2.

The topiaries were a thrifty antique store find last year. I paid $5.00 a piece. The wood snowflakes came from Kohl's last Christmas. They were 55% off, plus I got an additional 15% off. I'm thinking about sparkling them up with some glitter or Epsom salt for this year.

My nativity is very dear to my heart. My mom painted this set for my Grandma back in the 70's. When my Grandma died, they went back to my mom. Since my mom already had a set, she gave me this set. I just adore it. I didn't use every piece on my mantel as it took up so much room as is. I placed snowflake lights around the mantel & covered all the bare spots with moss that I picked up from Dollar Tree.

I hope that you have enjoyed taking a look back at my last years Christmas mantel. I haven't even given a thought to what I 'll be doing this year.

But if Layla's mantel party is in less than 3 weeks, I better get to planning. Now jump back over to Beth's to get some more inspiration.

Halloween is Over? Tell me it isn't so.

Another Halloween has come & gone. Time to move onto Thanksgiving. But before we start dreaming of turkey, I want to take one final look back at Halloween.

In my true procrastination style, I didn't decorate outdoors for Halloween until 2pm on Halloween. Lucky for me, my niece came over to help decorate and to help pass out candy to the trick or treaters.

Here is a looksy at my Halloween front porch & yard.

I just brought out a bunch of candles. Nothing is spookier than candles.

I used my dry erase pen to draw spider webs on a couple of lanterns.

Hung my bird cage.

As well as my candelabra.

I did manage to scrounge up a couple of pumpkins. Just never had time to carve them. So now they will become part of my Thanksgiving decor.

Even my fountain was gross & grungy. Perfect for Halloween.

Here we have the tomb of the unknown spook.

Brought out a couple of chairs to sit & wait for the little spooks to appear.

The pathway is lit awaiting their arrival.

Warned the public to turn back.

Now where are those little goblins? Time to get this party started.

I guess we need a queen aka my niece, to summon the trick or treaters.

The magical time has finally arrived.

If you offer candy, they will come.

The prospect of receiving treats lures them to our web.

Like a moth to the flame.

The hypnotic sights and sounds of the night have them in our power.

Trick or Treat? Lucky for you. We only give treats.

Happy Halloween!



P.S.

Here are a couple of videos from our Halloween night. The first is a video tour of my yard & porch. The second video is of a DVD that we show in our front window using a DVD from Hallowindow and a projector. It is always the hit of the neighborhood.