simple solutions: easy fall table decor

[photo credited to Chez Fifi http://fabulousfifi.typepad.com/chez_fifi/page/20/
Here's what she said about this and other photos: "I took the photos below at a wonderful press event held this past weekend at Moss Mountain Farm, outside Little Rock, Arkansas, the home of P. Allen Smith (www.pallensmith.com) the fabulous host of the PBS series: P. Allen Smith Gardens."]

if i could choose anywhere to host a fall dinner party or a thanksgiving dinner,

it would be in a setting like THIS one shown above! 

what a delightful way to create a memorable autumn event. 

this is a wall built with straw bales that fronts a party tent. brilliant.

can't you just picture this at dusk, with candles glowing and soft music playing?

ahhhhhh....

oh, sorry... that's not a 'Simple Solution' at ALL, is it?! enough dream sequences...

let's get back to the real world of trying to fit decorating into our already busy schedules!

one thanksgiving arrived and i had been so busy at work that i forgot about the table decor.

that sounds completely AWFUL, doesn't it??? well, life happens sometimes... we've all been there.

after a mad dash through the house ensued,

with me grabbing anything and everything that looked remotely like it would work....

amazingly, it DID work!

 no one ever knew that i threw the decor together in minutes...

here's how it worked:

*used a fabric scarf - very large, almost sari-like -as the tablecloth.

it allowed the golden wood of the table to show, and created a garden lattice effect.

to continue that unexpected 'fall garden' theme, 

*filled some white ironstone bowls and platters with 'natural' elements i had on hand:

a faux acorn vine, creamy white resin and my sweet sweater pumpkins,
bleached leaves, and dried hydrangeas right from the yard.

*white pillar candles placed in tall glass vases added lots of sparkle

AND kept the flame away from little fingers

*place markers are Scrabble tiles arranged on each salad plate 

to spell out the name of the guest who would be sitting there.

the little plate above was for my sweet almost two year old grandson.

no, he didn't eat from it ;0)

after getting rave reviews on the decor, a little light bulb went on:
stop fussing over the table, Deb! keep it simple and make your day a whole lot easier...

the next year, here's what i did on the table for thanksgiving:

*folded a white linen tablecloth and used it as a runner.
*filled some glass italian yogurt jars with water and CHEAP white carnations
*scattered some bleached leaves and votive cups with tealights in them down the runner.
*set placesettings with my white dinnerware, linen napkins, glassware, and silver.

it only took me about FIFTEEN MINUTES to do this whole thing!

the flowers still smelled good, the candles still glowed and flickered warmly...
it still said 'fall' and 'thanksgiving' and 'family'...
it just WHISPERED it instead of shouting.

(and instead of last-minute fretting, fussing and foofing of the table,.
i was sitting in a chair with a glass of wine, visiting with my daughters and grandsons.
now THAT is something to be thankful for!)

#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...

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

painted toile floral pumpkins

i continue to be inspired by the current trend of painting pumpkins
to resemble blue and white Chinoiserie ceramics.
those colors aren't in our home decor palette, however,
so i painted a few more pumpkins
to match the brown toile pattern on some vintage dishes that i have.

my small collection of toile or 'Staffordshire' English china
 includes dishes from Royal Staffordshire, Alfred Meakin, and AJ Wilkinson.
the 'Brown Tonquin' pattern on almost all of them was designed by Clarice Cliff,
including the beautiful floral on the tiny saucer that inspired my artwork.

it's a beautiful look for fall that fits into classic, boho, farmhouse, and even coastal decor.

continue reading for more details...

salvaged wire fan fall wreath

i don't just make things from repurposed materials - 

i re-use the things i MAKE, too!

this wreath includes two of my recent fall decor projects

PLUS an element that i used several years ago (posts linked below)

to create a new look for this November.

perfect for a front door or hanging on a wall in your home,

it's an easy project perfect for these fall days.

continue reading for the easy details...

Vintage Pink & Silver Thanksgiving

 For my final inspiration Thanksgiving tablescape,
I'm really going in a different direction...

a Pink & Silver Thanksgiving Table!

I was inspired by my own PINK Sweet Sweater Pumpkins
and my mom's wedding china from the 1960's...
her china pattern has little pink rosebuds on gray stems with gray leaves.

In order to keep the whole look from going far too 'spring' in theme,
I introduced some deep silver/pewter 'winter' colors...
they serve to pull out the gray leaves in the patterns and highlight the silver plate rim.

The Centerpiece:
 I gathered up the family silver tea set,
three patterns of china, including an antique china pedestal,
along with my wire tomato cage dome and some antique chandelier crystals
to create a sparkling multi-level centerpiece for the table.
Some cuttings of passion vine and rosemary from the garden pair with pink petunias and roses.

Want to make your own wire dome from a two dollar tomato cage?! 
Click here for my tutorial!

 The Linens:
Over a pewter satin tablecloth, I laid a light-weight white crocheted lace tablecloth.
The contrast of the dark color underneath really makes the lace details pop.
Napkins are simple pewter satin.

The Rest:
The china shown here is a classic and feminine mid-century pattern,
with a silver plated rim, gray leaves, and pink rosebuds.
A secondary and complimentary pattern with larger roses and leaves
appears in the espresso cups & saucers,  and several of the serving pieces.

  Floral-motif antique silver flatware and cut crystal glassware brings sparkle to the neutral setting.

The napkin 'rings' are simple strands of vintage chandelier crystals,
wrapped around a rolled satin pewter napkins.
A variation has a small paper doily gathered with a pink vintage ribbon,
and a crystal ornament tied on.

I've placed a mini PINK Sweet Sweater Pumpkin at each place setting as a gift,
in a miniature espresso cup.
  It's an idea easily replicated with a real pumpkin, a chocolate pumpkin, or a candle.
Just a little token of thanks...

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

Back to the Basics...

I sit down to write this post, and my head hangs in shame.
Because as I look at the list of recently-published blog posts here,
I see Christmas content..... and it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

Thanksgiving....
the ONE holiday a year that isn't about buying gifts
and creating 'wish lists' of what we WANT,
but about spending time with family and friends
and being grateful for what we DO have.

And I basically skipped over it completely here at HOMEWARDfound.

I'm sorry. Really, I am.
Honestly, I planned to hold the Christmas posts for a while longer..

but then I got caught up in the subtle, subversive competition going on
all over blogdom and facebook and Hometalk and Blogtalk
of who can get the Christmas posts up first/faster/most/best.,
and who can pin more photos on Pinterest,
and who can be thought of as a creative leader and get published and recognized.

That's not why I blog, or design, or share.
I do it to GIVE. To INSPIRE.  To give you something meaningful. and fun. and do-able.

I need to get back on track here... and I hope you'll stick around
if I'm not racing with 'the celebloggers' for more clicks and more likes.
Because it rips away my passion and my soul when I do that... when I compete.
When I worry about what other people are doing/creating.
When I start focusing on what I could do 'if only' -
instead of focusing on what I CAN do, here and now, with what I have been given.

That's my goal.
For ME, and for you...
and I am going back to that goal that I began this blog with over a year ago.

Now, I want to share just one more thing about Christmas for a week or so:

Writer Ann Voskamp wrote the most beautiful, meaningful, touching post on her blog
about how she's flipping CHRISTmas upside down.

It's brilliant,
and it reflects my heart right now.

I think if you read it, you, too, might see  how distracted and misled we become this time of year
by looking in the wrong direction.

Now, don't misunderstand me...
Decorating our homes isn't wrong.
It's one way we tell the people we love that they are special to us
- worth the effort to make home and Holiday special, too.

It's a way to use our creative gifts to honor the first gifts given on the first Christmas.

It's just all about keeping the right perspective on what we do and WHY we do it...

Read Ann's blog post here   and now, back to Thanksgiving ;)  

  

for more decorating ideas for every season,

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