“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.” Maya Angelou
Yesterday was a very special day in The United States of America…a holiday aptly named “Thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving is celebrated every year in America on the fourth Thursday in November. It’s the day we set aside to thank the Lord for all He has blessed us with and brought us through in the past year…a grand day celebrated with feasting, family, and friends!
Today, I’m going to show you how I decorated our Thanksgiving table and give you some tips that will help you style your own table beautifully for any occasion.
Our kitchen nook glowed invitingly, with winter weather just a windowpane away…
Setting a cozy winter tablescape and decorating a mantle that brims with rustic charm and elegance is easy using a cozy plaid, a fir swag, and a variety of different sized candlesticks, silver pieces, and crystal.
While we were living in Germany, we had the unforgettable experience of visiting the medieval city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the area of Bavaria in Germany. It was almost Christmas and while Richard and I were walking down the cobbled streets, fluffy snowflakes began to fall. It was enchanting!
Today was another beautiful November day and the perfect day for assembling a centerpiece for our outside table. The centerpiece splays across the table and is made up of “twig-ery and poke-ery” and other autumn finery, and candlelight twinkles over the tabletop. An outside dining area easily becomes an extension of your living area and an enchanting way to beckon company outside.
“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.” Song of Solomon 2:11-12
Brilliant blue skies, birds in construction mode flying back and forth with building materials in their beaks, Mourning Doves cooing, Barn Swallows swooping, Mockingbird’s singing, beautiful wisteria, azaleas, and roses blooming in all shades of pretty…it’s Spring!
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
A white lace table runner against the rugged-y table was striking on the potting table that usually held potting soil, terra cotta planters, and trowels…and Buttered Almond Cookies tucked inside an antique sugar bowl and Gingerbread Thins looked especially festive in a cut glass, pedestaled bowl for our Christmas Tea.
I hope you had a wonderful season of Christmas! Some years ago, Richard and I decided we were going to celebrate the whole month of December and truly relish each part of the season: the beautiful decorations, the holiday music, the tastes and seasonal treats, the divine Christmas-y smells of evergreens, cinnamon, sugar cookies, orange pomanders, and gingerbread…and most important, amidst and amongst it all, we would reflect and ponder each day on God’s gift to us…Jesus.
In the laundry room’s transformation from ugly duckling to beautiful swan, Richard covered the walls with tongue and groove, beaded board that he painted a deep sage green to match the walls in the hallway.
Today I am excited to show you our renovation of the smallest room here at Cottage Green on the Lake, the cottage laundry room! Richard transformed this work horse room into such a cute little place, I inwardly sigh with contentment when I open the door.
Look at the latest sparkle I’ve added in the Cottage Greenhouse! I found this quaint and quirky vanity tray mirror covered in a layer of dust at a local Thrift Store for only $1.00! When I found it, I had no idea where I was going to put it, but I couldn’t bear to leave it there forgotten and forlorn.
Now, look how perfectly charming it looks in The Cottage Greenhouse!
Instead of the usual cosmetics and perfumes that sit on a vanity tray, I loaded my Greenhouse vanity tray with a few of my antique metal floral frogs and a tiny silver platter with ruffled edges I topped with a chunky cloche. A crystal watering can fits in perfectly with this garden vignette.
Pretty DIY place cards are propped up on the prongs of antique floral frogs. They look fetching in this greenhouse setting, but they’re especially sweet when I use them in a Nature themed tablescape!
To make this flower place card I cut an image from an old garden book that I was lucky to find at a library sale for only $1.00! I cut the flower image into a smaller rectangle and rounded the corners of the card to soften the edges, then inked the edges. Complete instructions for all Nature place cards below.
To make this little card under the cloche, I photo-copied a favorite vintage green and white crocheted table runner onto cream card stock, then cut the paper copy into small cards. I punched out a round tab from an old book page and distressed it by inking along the edges. Then I stamped the tab with a letter “T” and stapled it onto a bit of lace.
I love the look of this unique and layered place card and made it by first laying a lace handkerchief on the copy machine. Then I placed a cloth napkin on top of the lace handkerchief, closed the lid on my copy machine, and copied the layered cloths onto cream colored card stock. Look at the beautiful texture on the card below and how the photo copied lace looks like actual lace overlapping the card.
Instructions for DIY Nature Place Cards
Instead of using decorative papers or colored card stock for this project, I used an assortment of materials … a page from a garden book, a vintage green and white table runner, a lace handkerchief, and a floral napkin. I love the look and visual texture of materials photo-copied onto cream colored card stock. So use your imagination when making your place cards and have fun looking for the textiles or other images you want to photo copy for your place card backgrounds.
After making your photo copies, cut the paper copy into the shapes you desire for your project. I cut my photo-copied paper into petite rectangles to fit in my antique floral frogs.
For variety, I left some of the corners of my cards square, other’s I rounded using a corner punch I have. If you don’t have a corner punch, you can round the edges of your place cards with scissors.
No inking is necessary, but if you want to add an antique or aged look to your place cards, ink the edges of your cards using a blending tool and stamp pad. I used Tim Holtz’s mini ink blending tool and Tim Holtz’s Distress Ink Pad, Color: Vintage Photo
To add stamped images to your cards, you will need cling or acrylic stamps or wood block stamps. I used an acrylic bird image stamp, an acrylic bumble bee stamp, and a set of wood block miniature alphabet letters I bought at CVS for only $1.00. (Seems I’ve found a lot of good deals for only a $1.00!) I used the alphabet set to stamp the letters at the top of my card to spell PRETTY.
Punch or cut out round tabs using old book pages and staple them to the card on top of a bit of lace … or use buttons and glue the lace to the button and attach both to the card.
A little embellishment for a lot of charm!
Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
In other news … my dear Richard cleaned out and organized his sprinkler pipes, fertilizers, and tools that were in the Cottage Greenhouse and he built two more sets of shelves for my bedding plants and greenhouse accouterments. ❤ Now I have twice as much room for planting and playing in the Cottage Greenhouse! Coming soon … pictures of my new addition, plus a Greenhouse tablescape using my Nature place cards!
WELCOME SEPTEMBER!
From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda
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