tiki style tablescape

our Hawaiian holiday style continues onto the dining table...

using what we had on hand already, along with a few simple and inexpensive additions,
i was able to create a table that reflected the island style of our 'Happy HULAdays' Christmas decor theme!

as always, i try to keep the decor simple and easily removed, so we can play games or craft here.
'continue reading' to see the details...

rustic holiday tablescape

designed to coordinate with the contemporary rustic style of our 'tree' theme,
as seen in the faux wood junk trees in the background,
this tablescape is a study in simplicity...

wood tones & textures, clear glass, and mixed hues stand out amongst minimal foliage/greenery.

the bonus? this style is REALLY easy and fast to create!

'continue reading' to see the details up close...

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!

  

fall picnic: a movable feast

Fall is the perfect time of year for a picnic...
enjoying an alfresco meal that is elegant and fancy, plain and simple, or somewhere in the middle.
Keeping basic elements needed for a picnic ready to go in a basket or tote
makes it easy to enjoy a last-minute trip
to enjoy sunset on the beach or a temperate day at the local park...
Don't let the fact that summer is over keep you inside!

...continue reading to see just how easy it can be to create a Movable Feast!

easy 5 minute fall tablescape

ever get one of those calls: "hi! we're in your area and thought we'd stop by..." ???
panic ensues, right? a whirlwind of activity starts the minute you hang up the phone:

throw the messes into the dishwasher and dryer and garage.

peer into the freezer to see if there's something you can whip up to feed guests.

clear the table of papers and projects and.... the TABLE! oh dear.

it's easy to pull something together quickly for a pretty tablescape...

continue reading to see what i pulled off in five short minutes a few days ago!

summer's not over yet!

it's the last month of summer - no, it aint' over yet!!!

while it's still warm and sunny, why not invite friends, family, and neighbors over
to enjoy good food and hospitality... and easy summertime style.

simply combine vintage and new dishes & glassware,

along with some vacation souvenirs, found objects, and stuff you have around the house.
in no time at all, you'll be back on the beach! 

continue reading to see my easy tips for creating a stunning summer tablescape...

summer kickoff: red, white & blue

 over the years i've shared so many 'fast, cheap & easy'TM tips for decorating...

and my faves are always the party themes!

the 'official' start of summer is on the horizon! 

don't you agree that summer parties should be EASY to pull together? 

uncomplicated? fun? whimsical? and inexpensive? i thought you would! 

so let's use stuff we already have - nothing precious or expensive, just simple.

continue reading for one of my easiest centerpieces EVER - plus a few helpful tips...

Mother, May I?

ok, friends, Mother's Day is this coming Sunday!
here are some easy and creative last-minute ideas for your celebrations...

continue reading to see all of my Mother's Day posts!

Tutorial: 'Bunny Ears' Napkins!

here's a quick project to add sweet smiles to your Easter tablescape: 

make plain old napkins new: fold them into bunny ear shapes!

so easy the kids can do it - and they're sure to giggle the whole time!

continue reading for my simple tutorial... c'mon, hop to it!

Create a White Spring Tablescape

Easter and springtime are filled with symbolism of growth and life and celebration...

and there are so many ways to express the beauty of the season in a tablescape.

this simple farmhouse-style table decor focuses on white - 
in the linens, the dishware, the flowers, and the surrounding details
in a garden greenhouse setting.

continue reading for my one-step trick for making those mini glass domes!

Create a Vintage Spring Tablescape

 yes, that IS brown on my table - in springtime!!!
everywhere you look, pastels reign supreme for spring + Easter decor, 
but this year i just felt like breaking the mold.

i love neutrals, and it's SO easy to create a neutral setting then add in a pop of color.
i've decorated this way for years and years, and it's never boring or limiting.
using a basic three-color palette (varied hues of brown, yellow, and white)
i've taken my own spring farmhouse style in a new direction with this tablescape...

continue reading to see how!

Tutorial: Easy Napkin Rosettes

while creating a few simple spring tablescapes for some upcoming blog posts,
i was playing around with my yellow napkins - and came up with this.
it's a simple project, and adds loads of style to your table!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

Salvaged Tabletop Herb Garden

you've all heard that phrase 'best laid plans', riiiiight? sigh.

last Thursday morning, as i was loading up my truck to restock the homewardFOUND shop, 
i cut a very deep gash in my finger...
and it was immediately apparent that no bandaid would suffice.
it required a visit to the ER and five stitches, then being immobilized for several days.
as a result, i've been working on things behind the scenes here on the blog
(with one hand. do you know how hard it is to type with one hand?!!!)

much as i don't like accidents, there was that time a happy accident 
became a spur-of-the-moment project: a tabletop herb garden...

continue reading to find out how this happened!

Simple Winter Table

winter, for me, is all about sparkle and texture.

rough with smooth, crystal with wood, tarnished silver with crisp white.

mixing it up wherever i can brings a warmth and comfort to the 'bareness' of rooms

after the holiday overload is gone...

my winter color / texture palette this year is
white, crystal, rough wood, and glowing copper.

the simple tablesetting here shows yet ANOTHER way that i use an everyday item:

my standard white ceramic dishes.
you've seen them oh, about a million times here on the blog - 

i do that purposefully, to show you how

a very BASIC item can be re-imagined and presented in fresh ways each season.

continue reading for more details!

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!

A Christmas Tablescape

Okay, I'll be honest... we really don't use this dining table much.
Even after I gave it a snazzy makeover! 
It serves as a big crafting surface a lot of the time, 
but is currently set & ready for Christmas Day dinner with some very special guests.

Everything here is coordinated with our daily decor palette
and the deeper tones that we brought in for the holidays...
And it has a few ideas that are simple to replicate:

Continue Reading for more...