friendsgiving fun

i just found these photos from a fall event that i attended several years ago, 

where i spotted some pretty & easy ideas for a simple and rustic dessert table - 

perfect for a gathering of friends on Thanksgiving!

the setup was simple: wood crates provide levels,
and food is presented in bushel baskets and arranged on wood slabs.
a few large branches with fall leaves add scale in the background (without requiring any work at all),
and a handful of small pumpkins scattered along the table add color.

<<< click 'continue reading' to see more tasty details!

thanksgiving tablescape round-up

well, here we are again, my friends... running at full speed toward the holiday season!

things can be pretty crazy this time of year, so to help prepare you for Thanksgiving, 

here's a round-up of my past posts sharing some tips, tricks, and ideas

for creating lovely table settings without a lot of prep & work...  

 click on each title to read the entire post, 

where you'll find all the details and resources to help you out!

.

#1: Vintage White & Tan Table

#2: Vintage Black White & Tan Table

#3: Spicy Table

#4: Spicy Table part deux

#5: Green Table

#6: Urban Style Table

#7: Urban Bar Buffet Table

#8: Vintage Pink Table

#9: Vintage White Table

#10: Vintage Silver Table

#11: Vintage Brown Table

#12: Fabulous Fall Tables

#13: Autumn Picnic Table

#14: Thanksgiving Tea Table

#15: Modern Table

#16: Kids' Table 

#17: Thanksgiving Buffet Table

#18: A Tasty Table

#19: Last Minute Table

#20: Simple Table

i don't know about you, but sometimes 

it seems that Thanksgiving gets lost in the rush of the holidays, 

receiving little attention and not much preparation

(yes, i DO 'fess up to totally forgetting the table decor one year!)

for me, setting a welcoming table to enhance the delicious food

is a simple way that we can encourage our guests to 

slow down and focus on the people who are most important to us...

may your Thanksgiving be a day of gratitude, generosity, and connection this year, 

surrounded by family, friends, or family AND friends...

and thank you so much for dropping in here for a visit!

  

pumpkins on point - needlepoint!

yes, my friends, it's THAT time of year again - pumpkin season is here!
and i am so excited to share with you some of the most unique and beautiful handcrafted pumpkins
that i have ever had the pleasure to see...

the Original Heirloom Needlepoint Pumpkins (TM) 
by smWollman Designs
handmade from carefully curated vintage needlepoint panels,

these charming creations express the richness of fall in a stunning new way.
each pumpkin is a one-of-a-kind creation, rare and never to be replicated.

the needlepoints used are handcrafted by 1000s of unknown hands 
over a span of many years, from across the country. and every needlepoint has a story to tell...

continue reading for more about these perfectly imperfect 'on point' pumpkins...

Happy Thanksgiving!

wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving, a wonderful holiday weekend,

and a meaningful gathering of hearts and memories.

.

I am so grateful for each one of you who visit my blog and social media pages,

and for your encouraging and supportive comments & likes.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my love of 'do-able decorating' with you!

if you're looking for some last-minute table decorating inspiration, click here!

if you'd like some ideas for which wine to serve with your turkey, click here!

if you'd like some sage words for a toast at the table, try these:

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, 

and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” – William Arthur Ward

.
“Remember God’s bounty in the year. String the pearls of His favor. 

Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light! 

Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude!” – Henry Ward Beecher 

.
“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” – Aesop

. 
“Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes 

as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.” – Edward Sandford Martin

. 
“Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.” – William Shakespeare

.

“For each new morning with its light. For rest and shelter of the night. 

For health and food, for love and friends. For everything Thy goodness sends.” 

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

#21daysofinspiringthanksgivingtables

For the past 3 weeks, I've been sharing archived posts from this blog on other social media,

as a series I titled #21daysofinspiringthanksgivingtables .

.

I hope that somewhere in there, you've found some tips, tricks, and ideas

that will inspire you to create a lovely table setting for your Thanksgiving gathering!

Just in case you've missed any, here's the recap - 

click on the title to see the post
.
#1: Vintage White & Tan Table
#2: Vintage Black White & Tan Table
#3: Spicy Table
#4: Spicy Table part deux
#5: Green Table
#6: Urban Style Table

#7: Urban Bar Buffet Table

#8: Vintage Pink Table
#9: Vintage White Table

#10: Vintage Silver Table

#11: Vintage Brown Table
#12: Fabulous Fall Tables

#13: Autumn Picnic Table

#14: Thanksgiving Tea Table
#15: Modern Table
#16: Kids' Table 

#17: Thanksgiving Buffet Table

#18: A Tasty Table

#19: Last Minute Table
#20: Simple Table

Wishing you and yours a Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, love, and gratitude...

a tasty Thanksgiving tablescape...

I've been sharing all of my archived Thanksgiving tablescape posts on fb and IG

in my #21daysofinspiringthanksgivingtables series...
and as I came to the last few days of the series, I realized that I was short a post! 

 so today, as I enjoyed the cooler fall weather that's finally arrived,

I pulled out my steadfast white china and mixed it up with a few other things on hand 

to create a new look for you!

(you've seen that white china a lot, for years now, 

because it works for EVERY season and I can change it up in a million ways)

inspired by this centerpiece that I created last month on our dining room table, 

there are lots of soft natural hues and textures along with the warmth of a persimmon color for fall:

the centerpiece sits on a length of raw linen fabric that I've held onto for TWO decades.

I found the vintage linen napkin that matches it's tone PERFECTLY... three days ago!
they blend beautifully with the wood tones of my beloved farm table.

(remember when I whitewashed it?)

i love the finish on it now!

the punch of color comes from the ceramic dishes in a soft persimmon color,

paired with my white china to set them off.

there are three patterns, so the effect is one of layered textures.

my Mom's glassware is a peachy-orange color that coordinates well,

and the gold flatware is a warm touch perfect for autumn.

I hope this series is giving you some ideas for your own holiday table!

hello, November...

it's finally starting to cool off here in California...

the sky seems bluer with puffy white clouds floating by (no rain yet)

and tawny gold grasses & leaves are as close to 'Autumn Splendor' as we get -

but it's beautiful!

with Thanksgiving just THREE WEEKS away,

it seems everyone is nesting and preparing for holiday gatherings with friends and family.

you'll find lots of inspiring ideas here at homewardFOUND,

for budget-friendly, creative Thanksgiving table and home decor

that will help you make your home a cozy nest to share this fall... 

just click on the 'Autumn' tab in the sidebar

or search 'Thanksgiving' (top left)

don't miss my 15 Thanksgiving Tablescapes post (also in sidebar)

 as well as on my 'Thankful Inspiration' board on Pinterest

and of course, don't forget that you can SHOP homewardFOUND

in my very real brick & mortar shop in Southern California!

which wine???

Years ago, I had the pleasure of working in the wine industry in the Pacific Northwest, 

where I learned more than I ever thought possible about the fruit of the vine....

Still, when I am stymied on a food and wine pairing,
I call on one of my friends to help me out with advice I can trust:

Scott Carlson is an experienced, knowledgeable wine & beer specialist for BevMo Stores, 

and he's been sharing some great information about wine pairings for years.

  I've rounded up some of Scott's best points on the subject
of pairing wines with Thanksgiving Dinner,
and added in a few of my own comments and recommendations
to help you select several wines for your upcoming holiday meal... enjoy!

<< click on 'continue reading' for Scott's recommendations!

Farm Table Makeover

I've had the same dining room table for 30 years.

Yep, you read that right!

30 years ago, in the fall of 1986 after my youngest daughter was born,

my husband undertook the largest furniture project he had done at that point

and built me a pine 'Shaker style' 7 foot by 4 foot dining table... and two long benches.

It was my Christmas present that year, and I loved it. 

I have loved it ever since, and I always will....

continue reading to see the 'before and after' transformation!

100 Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas

My Vintage White Thanksgiving tablescape is included in this seasonal collection of 

'100 Inspiring Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas' on TinyPrints.com, 

and I'm honored to have been included!

View my original post with tons of pretty & easy tabletop ideas

View the entire Tiny Prints blog post 

________________________________

PS: a requested correction to the caption on my image on the Tiny Prints post has not been made,
so I'll include more information about it here for those visiting for the first time:

My tablescape shown in their post includes a pumpkin as a centerpiece,
but it is not 'wrapped in lace', as TP identified it.
It is one of my own Original creations, a soft-sculpture pumpkin known as
Sweet Sweater Pumpkins, made from sweaters.
The one in the photo has been embellished with a fascinator hat  with a lace veil.

If you'd like to make your own versions of my design,
you can find my Sweet Sweater Pumpkin tutorial here.

4 NEW Thanksgiving Tablescapes

My friends, the Holiday season is HERE!

Let's get inspired to try new things, shall we?!

A year ago, I purchased a beautiful vintage tea set with a fall floral motif,

and had planned to create a new tablescape post with it. Well, that didn't happen!

THIS year, I hauled it out and got to work creating that long-overdue table setting,

and along the way, I came up with three MORE ideas to share with you.
Every last one of these ideas is SIMPLIFIED, because we're ALL busy enough right now!

I just used stuff I already had here at the house - 

I seriously didn't even buy flowers or real pumpkins or anything -

and let it play out in true 'homewardFOUNDdecor' style
'cause that's how I roll...

Click through for four inspiring new themes...

Fall Into the Holidays...

Thanksgiving before Christmas, right?

well...... for some people, that only applies to the calendar!
There are some pretty strong opinions about whether or not to decorate for Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving... 

almost as strong as opinions about the upcoming election!

As for me, I don't 'do' my house for Christmas until after Thanksgiving.
[ I also don't shop on Black Friday. I decorate! ]
I know, it's so subversive.... 

continue reading to see how I incorporate BOTH holidays in my decor!

15 Inspiring Thanksgiving Tablescapes

Affordable and Inspiring Ideas for your Thanksgiving table decor 
can be found in my roundup of

15 Thanksgiving Tablescapes
from the homewardFOUNDdecor archives...

( Click on the captions to access individual posts!)

 a vintage table in brown

 a vintage table in silver

a vintage table in white

 [which appeared in Creating Vintage Charm Magazine]

a spicy table

a spicy table revision!

 a vintage / contemporary table

a vintage white table

 an unusual color scheme!

  A Green Thanksgiving

 a contemporary urban table

an urban cocktail party

[which appeared on the Broadway+Thresher Magazine blog]

 Fabulous Fall Fete
(ps: I didn't create this one, I just think it's FABULOUS!)

 Autumn Picnic

a last-minute table

a simple table

and in 2016, I added four NEW tablescapes!

visit my 'Pinterest Board of the Month' for even MORE ideas:  
November: Thankful Inspiration

shared online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d} 2015

Yesterday on Tuesday | Project Inspire{d} 2016

Pretty Potluck Presentation

'Tis the Season for parties - and potlucks!
It seems most gatherings now include everyone pitching in and bringing a dish to share -
so deliver your goodies with style using a few simple elements from your kitchen!
( I know Tupperware and Pyrex work well, but they aren't exactly pretty!)

Whether you are contributing a salad, a dessert, or a hot casserole,
this simple wrap & carry method will secure the food
AND look great when it comes time to serve!

All you have to do is cover the bowl with a plate or platter,
then tie it on securely using a plain muslin dishcloth or sturdy twill ribbon:

* Lay a dishtowel on the counter, and sit the bowl of food on top.
* To insulate the bowl, add a second dishtowel as a wrap around the bowl itself.
* Place the plate/platter (depending on the size of the bowl) on top. 

 *  Lift the two opposite corners and tie them on top of the bowl.
* Repeat with the other two opposite corners.
* Finally, pop the serving utensil into the bow, and tie it one more time to secure.

You can also fold the dishtowel into a long strip,
and wrap it once around the bowl & plate to secure.
Add the serving utensil and tie again.

Ramekins and casserole dishes work, too - just find a plate or platter that fits the top,
and use heavy twill ribbon to secure.

Use brand new, thrifted, or vintage ceramics and linens - it's up to you!
( PS: The dishtowel comes in handy for drying off the dishes after the party, too!!! )