Monday, November 16, 2015

Thanksgiving home tour

Thanksgiving.... a time to be with family and friends and reflect on the year and look back at how far you've come and what you've accomplished.  At least this is how Thanksgiving is at my house. 

I DO NOT shop on Thanksgiving, nope never will, heck I don't even go out on 'black Friday'.  I take the time to hug my kiddo's and family that may have come from far away to be with us.  I love on my nieces and thank God we are all happy and healthy. 

My husbands family also reflects on their heritage.  His family practically came over on the Mayflower they can trace their roots right back to a Captain serving under General George Washington.  They even have a homestead still working today in Connecticut.  My family is English, Scottish, Irish and German.  We didn't come to America until the late 1800's and early 1900's but I still take time to honor them at Thanksgiving because were it not for their tenacity and bravery I wouldn't be who I am today or where I am today. 

So take the time next week to be Thankful for those who came before you, those who serve to protect us and our way of life and those around you. 

Today I'm sharing my home decorated for this time of the year.  NO I don't decorate for Christmas until AFTER Thanksgiving.  I do things in real-time here.  Not a Christmas tree up yet at my house... though I do admit to playing Christmas music on the radio this week and I have done a Christmas craft. 

So I've taken down ALL of Halloween and put up different things for Thanksgiving inside and out.  There are a lot of pictures so grab a cup of tea or whatever your beverage preference is and lets get started! 

Lets start outside.
 I hung a large basket on the door and filled it with faux flowers. 

 I also added a couple of wreathes to the house.  I use these in September as well, I just hang them in different places in November. 
 I shopped my back porch and took this blue stand and brought it around the front.  It is just about the same color as the shutters and give the house a pop.  I put a metal box with flowers on it and wrapped a faux garland around it. Then I placed a real pumpkin in front.  I just wrapped the pumpkin in a ribbon and draped it with another ribbon. 
 Still shopping my back porch, I brought out my garden finial (though I've NEVER put it in my garden) and wrapped it with another faux garland.  I love the look of this. 
 Up on my front porch I gathered a couple of faux pumpkins a cornucopia filled with flowers and a large blue vase and filled that with flowers and a couple of twigs that light up at night. 
 I added another wreath from September but this time I put it on the side of the entryway. 
 Here is a close up of the basket hanging on my front door stuffed with faux stems.

Once you come inside I even decorate the back of my front door.  My Mom sent me this a few years back along with all the Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Valentines and even St. Patrick's Day ones she had.  This is one of those melted plastic things from the 70's.  LOVE!

 
Once inside you can see my fireplace and mantle.  





Let me show you how I created this. 

At Halloween I had brought in 2 long tree branches.  I kept them for Thanksgiving and decided to drape a few faux garlands off them. 



 

 This is the first on and it was here that I decided to drape them so they would hang off one end of the mantle. 

So I added 3 more.




Next I added some lanterns and a finial as well as an orb for the mantle itself.  Then I found this cloth banner at Kirkland's on sale for $5.00 and snatched it up quickly!  I hung it off center and DONE! 
 

I love the look of it this year.  I got the 'Give Thanks' sign at Sam's Club 2 years ago but you could easily make it.  It is reversible and the other side reads 'Welcome'.  You can hang it horizontally or vertically so it is really versatile. 

Now on to the buffet.  I've left it in the 'living room' area (my living/dining is one large L shaped space) for now.  At Christmas the tree will go there so it will move into the 'dining room area' then.

 Here is another angle of the buffet.  It has 3 garland on it.  One strand lights up, one is leaves and the other is a berry garland. 
 
Don't forget to decorate high surfaces too.  They can be challenging but just think of it as any other flat surface.  I just used a brick to angle the basket. 
 
This year I put a basket up there and filled it with pinecones then faux pumpkins and gourds and fall picks I've had for a few year. 

I added a tall lamp, some art, a finial, a fox and a Fleur de Lis.  It looks great with the lamp on. 

If you were here last week you saw my table and I showed you step by step how to get the look yourself. 
Now don't contain your Thanksgiving to any one or two rooms!  Don't forget the kitchen.
Or the family room.
I even add a small bit of Thanksgiving to my bathrooms, not only with festive hand towels but with a couple small reminders of the season.
That is it! 

Right now in Colorado it is snowing and we are under blizzard conditions.  The wind is blowing the snow so hard I can't even see the houses across the street so I had to remove all my outdoor décor and couldn't show it all lit up with the lanterns and such... maybe next week.  I bet my house looks like a beacon in the wintery weather it is so warm and cozy against the blowing wind that is howling against the windows making them rattle every now and then.  My hubby has built a fire in the fireplace and I'm toasty warm and enjoying my Thanksgiving décor. 

I will be back next week to share my first Christmas craft in the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and please take the time to hug and love on your family and friends.

Victoria

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3 comments:

  1. The snow has an interesting consequence...like everything is white and the wind is not decoration friendly...lol...gotta love living in Colorado! Love the look ...love the blog...I am not doing Thanksgiving Decorations this year...but rather breaking tradition and doing full speed ahead CHRISTMAS!!!! May put the tree up today??? I have done a major "deep" clean of the family room and my L shaped living / dining room. I think you have inspired me to do my own blog...maybe...I realize I love doing things different all the time and looking back at past decorations helps me remember how many treasures I have. I'm trying to rotate things so I can hone in on what I truly love and ....gasp... downsize my stash. I hope to bless some other young woman who is just starting her gathering process with things I have loved ...I need to help my sons and their wives not have so much to deal with in the future...and the reality that at some point ...my husband and I will not be able to maintain a large home...until then!!! whoot whoot...I'm in go mode! lights ...sparkle...Merry Christmas here I come!

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    Replies
    1. Carin, thanks so much for you nice compliments. We cleaned our downstairs carpeting the other day - what a chore! I think you should do a blog, you'd be fantastic and have a lot of knowledge and tips to share with others. Have fun putting up Christmas! We hope to get our outdoor decorated this weekend it is supposed to be nice and the snow will probably be long gone! I'll keep you posted on my progress. Victoria

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  2. Such a lovely reminder to savor each holiday! I love your Thanksgiving decorations; I can tell that you put a lot of thought into each and every one! Thanks so much for stopping by to share at the Talented Tuesday Link Party!

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