Turkey Day Tablescape Trends!

Last week while having my hair done, my Irish hair dresser asked me about Thanksgiving and wanted to know exactly what is the reason behind the celebration. I instantly flashed back to grade school where we crafted Pilgrim hats and Indian headdresses out of construction paper, and traced our hands onto paper to fashion turkeys out of their outline. 

I finally managed to fumble through my lame recollection of Pilgrims, Indians, and Plymouth Rock, and ya da ya da ya da...we now celebrate Thanksgiving.

I just can't help myself I love her, always have!

History lesson aside I am happy to report that just because we are living in Ireland this year we will not let the Thanksgiving tradition go by the wayside. I have been given the opportunity to share this wonderful American tradition with some lovely Irish people at a friend's home in Dublin. In preparation I began channeling my inner marthastewartness.

I love planning and preparing all the goodies that go on the table and that is when I came to the sad realization that because the dinner is not taking place in my own home I will not be able to set that table. I am not just talking about laying down a plate, fork, and knife.  I love layering a table with tablecloths, napkins, flowers, candles, etc.  It's a special day and I think the table deserves a little special attention too!

So because I will not have my own table to set this year I thought I would share with you some inspirational tablescapes trends instead.  

Maybe you fancy a more traditional table decked out in warm oranges and browns, leaves, pumpkins, acorns, pine cones, and turkeys.

Get creative with your flower vase!

Little details like these at each person's seat tie together the rustic fall theme.

Varying heights add interest to this traditional decor.

If you are lucky enough to have beautiful changing leaves falling around you take advantage! So simple, but such a lovely statement!

Think outside the box! Love how this plaid stadium blanket was used as a table runner! 

In love with these golden gobblers!

If traditional table decor is not your style consider giving white pumpkins a try. They can lend your table a more simple or even contemporary feel.

Can't find large white pumpkins like these? Spray paint will do the trick!

Simple and sweet

Contemporary cool

These may all be white but repetition and size variations engage the eye.

Maybe color is what you are after, no one said the Thanksgiving table must include monochromatic rusty reds, oranges and browns. Other colors can lend a welcome and surprising change to traditional fall decor. Your table should complement you and your home's style!

Love this peacock inspired theme! It's rustic but oh so modern!

Orange and blue are perfect compliments!

Pops of yellow and an intricate table runner frame up simple white china.

Another orange and blue complimentary scheme updates a traditional blue and white china pattern.

This is my favorite! I am a little biased because this is my parents' house! They live in southern Florida, so a bright and tropical themed table is just perfect for their Turkey Day feast!

 Finally, don't forget the little people! If you have to have a "kids table" make it special for them too!

This is even cute for the big kids table!

Supplying the kids table with crayons and a table they can color on helps keep the little ones busy so you can enjoy your meal!

Stuff that paper bag turkey leg with toys or treats!

They are rocking the hats just like I remember from my childhood. Thanksgiving right of passage I guess!

So if you are charged with the task of hosting a Turkey Day feast in your home, I hope you will channel your own marthastewartness. Dressing up your table will not only make you feel good, but it will make your guests feel special too! And as Martha would say "That's a good thing!"

Gobble Gobble!

collections

I have mentioned it before, and for those of you who know me then you certainly know that the love of my life is an adorable, furry boy named Parker. No, my husband did not change his name from Adam to Parker. So I guess really what I should be saying is that I have two great loves! One just happens to walk upright and the other on all fours. The adjectives adorable and furry still hold true for both!

Here are both my loves together when Parker was just a baby.
See both are adorable, and furry!

Anyway, husband aside, I miss my dog. He did not come to Ireland with us, in favor of retiring to sunny Florida to live with my parents. So when packing up to move here I made sure to include my collection of boxer memorabilia so I would have a few little reminders of my beloved. 

I found this guy at Target of all places!

I painted this the first year we had Parker.

This belonged to my Great Aunt Elenor who also had a boxer. 

My mother found this heavy little brass figure at an antique mall.
Not exactly sure if it's a boxer, but close enough

This was a thank you gift from a friend who actually found it in an antique shop in Ireland
several years ago, long before we ever knew we would be moving there.

I picked this little guy up in a pet boutique in South Carolina
while visiting the in-laws.

This is another one my mother found in an antique store,
 and wrapped up for me for Christmas a few years back.

I am sharing this with you because I recently received a gift to add to my collection and I'm just so thrilled about it that I wanted to share it with you! I want to say a big thank you to Julie who surprised me with this fabulous, albeit quirky addition to my collection. I spied these boxers in the window of the Irish Cancer Society store (think Goodwill) and when I went back for them they were gone!  I was absolutely flabbergasted (yes, flabbergasted!) that something as oddball as this clock would sell so quickly! Little did I know Julie was behind it, and now this boxer memento has even more meaning!

That's the best part of having a collection of any kind.  Each item contains a memory. The memory may be of where you were when you found the item, who gave it to you, or perhaps it commemorates the day you received it like a holiday or anniversary.  So now I have this crazy clock that not only reminds me of my sweet sweet Parker, but also reminds me of my sweet friend Julie. Even though our time together was short (Julie has moved back to the USA) it won't be forgotten especially now that I have this little memento.

How about you? Anyone else have any special or silly collections?

White to Bright, and Rainbow Inspiration Without the Rain!

Sadly my apartment designing is dwindling. As usual funds are short and so is our time here, so there does not seem to be  much point to fixing up the place. However, as I come across inexpensive finds and inspirational art I do my best to put it to use.  I found a white mirror not too long ago at TK Maxx for about 24 euro. I had been keeping my eye out for just such a mirror; round, slightly ornate, inexpensive and best of all light weight! 

Only problem was the color, or lack of it.  Nothing wrong with a white mirror, or even white on white (walls) but I was after more contrast. Had painting the walls been an option I may have chosen to leave the mirror white and go dark on the walls.  Something more like this:

or this 

or this

As a renter, with 15 foot ceilings no less, painting the walls was not an option. So as you may have guessed I prepped the mirror for painting instead. This is the only picture I snapped of it before taking it from white to bright!

A light sanding and two coats of a deep peacock-y turquoise and it was ready for hanging above the somewhat useless shelf that was already in place when we moved in.  I say useless because it's only about 6 inches wide.  Just perfect to collect junk mail, loose change and keys, or this beauty that was here when we moved in 

We quickly hid it away along with several other odds and ends we were not so keen on.  You can read more on stashing the "trash" in this post.

Happy with the mirror, but still put off by the somewhat empty shelf and the desire to keep it free of junk I picked up a small rectangular canvas and a lot of inspiration from one of my favorite blogs http://madebygirl.blogspot.com/.  I am slightly ashamed to admit I imitated her style, but imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, right?!

Jen Ramos of Made By Girl runs a shop called Coco and Hearts where she sells her original artwork.  Recently she's been selling out of these 8x10 inch paintings.  

Hooray for her!  But at $95 a pop it makes me crazy that I didn't think of it.  Hopefully she never reads this, but if she did, she might just agree that almost anyone could do what she does. Not to say that she is not a talented artist, but she happens to have an amazing blog following and a knack for marketing herself; which is something I need to work on when it comes to my own art, but that's a post for another day!

At any rate, I used her fun bright paintings as inspiration for one of my own just perfect for my little entry way shelf!  I think it turned out cute. A little bright, but that's OK.  It makes up for the seemingly constant grey Irish weather outside my window.  

A happy rainbow without the rain!

Pinterested?

I can't remember the context of our conversation but my husband recently informed me there are no original ideas.  I am not sure if I fully believe that, but what I do believe is that most ideas stem from inspiration, and that inspiration typically comes from somewhere else or someone else. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Gleaning inspiration from what is around us is so important, looking outside of ourselves helps us flourish, and now a days with the internet, inspiration is only a click away!

So in the spirit of inspiration I am taking a cue from fellow bloggers by writing my own post about the latest internet sensation, and my favorite new pass time  time sucker, Pinterest. Pinterest is a virtual pin board where you can organize all of your ideas and inspirations such as: home decor, DIY projects, fashion ideas, favorite recipes, and more! Best of all you can browse the pin boards of others.  It's like picking a thousand different creative brains! Find something you want to know more about and there is usually a link to the original source of the pin.

In fact just the other day a friend of mine sent me a link to one of her Pinterest boards dedicated solely to painted dressers. She is trying to get inspiration for an upcoming furniture painting endeavor of her own. With just a few clicks of the mouse she had at minimum 30 different images of hand painted dressers sparkling with inspiration!

Another friend of mine is a fashion designer and has all kinds of pinboards that inspire her work, photo styling, studio space, and more. 

As for myself in addition to party plans, interior inspirations, and menu ideas, I keep a board where I pin only things with chevron stripes.  Silly I know, but I have an mild obsession with all things chevron striped, and now I have somewhere to tuck all that chevron love away!  

It's like a giant file folder full of dreams, and who wouldn't want that?! If you have any interest in following my Pinterest boards or starting a board of your own, you can click on the new follow me on Pinterest button I just added to the left. I am however warning you in advance, it can be a bit addictive, so proceed with caution, and HAPPY PINNING!

Minor Makeover Cures Sleeplessness

When we arrived in our apartment I wasn't thrilled with these lamps.  I'm still not a huge fan, but when I put one on either side of our bed I couldn't stand the fact that they were not both the same color!  Funny because I am not always a stickler for symmetry.  Don't get me wrong it has it's place, but there is something to be said for it's wacky cousin A-symmetry!  In this case, however, I wanted needed the lamps to be the same color or I was going to start losing sleep over it.

So I took matters into my own hands, and without consulting the landlord  I sanded the metal base of the silver lamp and painted it black. I know I'm such a rebel! My rebellious streak continued when  I decided I should dress up the shades a little too. I brought home a length of grosgrain ribbon, but when I realized that the angle of the shade made it nearly impossible to get it glued on straight I gave up. If you're working with a drum shade the ribbon method is great.  However if you have shades like these then you may have to take an alternative route...which is what I did!

Paint is so versatile!  I didn't even buy fancy fabric paint, I just used what I had on hand which was black acrylic craft paint and a little masking tape!

Sorry it's not exactly an earth shattering before and after, but rather a subtle difference that at least makes me feel better. Satisfactory enough to allow me to sleep at night and I have a feeling the landlord is not going to kick me out for this minor makeover!  Now for some artwork over the bed.