November Notes and Happy Thanksgiving

Hi, Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you are well.

I haven't hosted in about 4 years, so I take it as an opportunity to get a jump start on some holiday decorating. 

The hutch got restyled with green glass. I'm using a lot of green and white in my Christmas decorating. 

I've not had this scheme in this piece so this was fun to do.

The ironstone is a staple in this piece. 

I went on a furniture moving spree. 

The dish dresser (a holiday icon) has been moved out of the garden room.

We had this media console upstairs and I thought it would look good against the brick. It modernizes the space a little but not too much. It still fits in with my style. I like it. 

I was very sentimental about the dish dresser until one day, I was over it. The pieces are in the garage. The top is being used as storage and the bottom as a makeshift workbench. I'm sure it will eventually make it's way out to East Texas. It would be good in a green house provided it is dry and has a foundation. 

Bill picked a fun dresser at an estate sale for $65.00. It is where the media cabinet used to be.

I've added new knobs but it still needs wheels. 

That's it for now. 

Bill and I are going on a very exciting trip. I can't wait to tell you all about it. 

Here is a hint. 

Have a blessed start to the holiday season. 

Hopefully, I'll be able to give you a sneak peak on Instagram. 

Katie 

Gathering Together For The Holiday Season

Welcome to the We Gather Together Thanksgiving Blog Hop. 

I am so glad that you are here. I'm thrilled to be participating in this fun hop hosted by the amazing Amber from Follow The Yellow Brick Home. Her house is just so cute. This time you will be seeing her adorable dining room. Amber does such a great job with these hops. 

If you are coming from Botanic Bleu, welcome. Don't you love Judith's natural country French display? Her florals and tables are always gorgeous. 

I've been cozying up our space for the holidays since the cooler weather has arrived. 

We went straight from summer to winter. It's been unbelievable but I love the colder weather, so I'm not complaining at all. 

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What a wonderful time of year. 

The dining room is an iconic place for the family to congregate during the holidays. 

I'm so excited about using our dining room for Thanksgiving this year. 

It's had some changes with the arrival of a few special pieces from my step mother's house. 

The corner cupboard is one of those prized pieces. 

 I literally cried when we put it into place. It seemed destined for this spot. 

My dad and mom bought it at a fire sale.

I was very young so I have no memories of what they did to restore the finish but I remember exactly where it was placed in our home. There was a corner in the hall toward the kitchen. Behind it was the closed up dumpwaiter. We didn't want him to close it up but he did anyway. With six children a dumbwaiter to the basement was an accident waiting to happen. Trust me on this.

When my dad married my step mother, we moved to a Colonial revival home in Bedford Village, N,Y. This beautiful cupboard was in a place of honor in the living room. 

My dad loved it and when he died, my step mother moved it to Texas. She (and it) eventually ended up in Oklahoma. My step mom told everyone that when she died, the cupboard was supposed to come to me. 

My siblings honored that request.
I didn't decorate the inside exactly like she did. She filled it with blue and white. I filled it with the china painted by Bill's grandmother.

This thing holds a ton.
One of the shelves below holds all of my Autumn by Lenox china. 

The other shelf holds other random knick knacks.
I do need to take some time to organize the bottom shelf a little better. I'm annoyed with myself for already packing it like a rat.

The room looks so much bigger. 

There are spots in front of the china for bits of seasonal decor. 

A lighting system from IKEA illuminates everything inside. 

The light shows off the china in such a beautiful way. 

I couldn't wait until Christmas to see how a wreath would look on the glass door so I made one for Thanksgiving. 

The wall next to it needed some pictures. 

I've loved the rich earthy colors with the print and the antique oil paintings. 

Four Eastlake frames from my parents got some butterfly nature prints. I may change these out for Christmas and winter, 

My mom's wedding tea set was supposed to go to my daughter but she left it with me.
She knew it meant more to me than it did to her. It's really not her taste but we can always revisit that at a later date. My step mom had it lacquered so that it won't tarnish. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

"Heidi" is the other final addition in this room. It's just a print but this picture is in my earliest memories. None of us knew if that was what this print was called. It is what we always called it.

As a sentimental person, I realize that these "things" don't bring my loved ones back. They don't replace them either. The room won't magically fill with people who cannot make it home for the holidays but a glance at these heirlooms brings them back to my memory, if even for a moment.
Adjusting the silver service, turning on the light in the corner cupboard, hanging a tassel, placing a wreath at the door, dusting the pictures, all these small actions bring comfort, peace, and the hope that there will be a day when all of us will be gathered together again.
It brings me hope. I honestly don't know how anyone takes another breath without the hope that we will see our loved ones again.
Gathering with those still here on this earth is a chord that ties the past and the present together.
Those that have departed are with us for a moment, if only in our stories and memories.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to visit CoCo at The Crowned Goat . She has such an inspiring blog and adorable decorating style. You will see all the other amazing links below.
Have a blessed holiday season, my friends.
Katie
Follow The Yellow Brick Home

A Stroll Thru Life

Common Ground

Our Southern Home

Decor To Adore

County Road 407

Botanic Bleu

Let's Add Sprinkles

The Crowned Goat

Rosemary and Thyme

Virginia Sweet Pea

My Thrift Store Addiction

First Day of Home

Celebrate and Decorate

Calypso In The Country

Petite Haus

Thistle Key Lane

White Arrows Home

My Wee Abode

Lora Bloomquist

Bluesky at Home

Panoply

Belle Bleu Interiors

Katherine's Corner

Debbee's Buzz

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Turkey Inspiration

Hello to November! 

We have gone from summer to winter in North Texas. 

Our first frost appeared the morning of Halloween. 

A little early but not too early. 

Usually the first frost came a few days before my mom arrived for Thanksgiving. I was always scrambling to fill my flower pots and get ready for Turkey Day all at the same time. 

My flower pots on the front porch survived because I covered them with blankets. 

I am itching for pansies though. 

As soon as the tricker treaters are history, the orange has to go. 

All that means is that the scarecrows, crows and ceramic pumpkins are all packed away until next year. 

I'm off on Fridays, so I've had a grand ole time pulling out my vintage and new turkey collection. 

I picked up my first set of turkeys at the thrift store for only $2.99. 

The cream, black and brown pair came from an antique store. I paid more for those. 

Here are ways that I've styled them in the past. 

I'll let the pictures do all the talking. 

The turkey saucer came from a thrift store for $1.99. 

The velvet fruit is so beautiful. 

Vintage Napco cornucopia. I adore this thing. 

Usually, I decorate for Christmas around the 18th of the month. This year we are hosting Thanksgiving so I'm thinking of doing a lodgy look that will transition right into Christmas. 

A red and black buffalo check valance that we've had for ages is now hanging in the laundry room. 

It is adorable! I'll try to get a picture later once the sun moves to the west. 

Do you decorate for Thanksgiving? When do you decorate for Christmas? 

Have a great day and a great weekend. 

Katie 

The Fall Tree/Yay Or Nay?

The YouTubers I watch are all about the fall tree. What do you think? Do you decorate a fall tree? 

Maybe it's the new floors, the fact that we were thinking about moving or my recent loss but I was in the mood for a fall tree.
It's been ages since we had one up and I was on the fence about it.
Our fall tree decor was somewhat lacking and I lacked inspiration but we did have a small tote filled with woodland animals from our woodland Christmas tree. 
It had been so hot this fall. When it is miserably hot, a trip to the Christmas store instantly makes everything seem cooler. They must have the thermostat really low.
They had an excellent selection of fall sprays that were deeply discounted. I was able to find beautiful, unique full sprays for $2.49 or $2.99 each.

I went from on the fence to "all in."

Our slim pine tree from Hobby Lobby is perfect for a fall tree.
I set it up, fluffed it and strung it with two types of lights. Fluffing is key!
The lights with a bigger bulb are fun. They look vintage.
This tree got a coat of white spray paint and some spray can flocking but it won't make it look less fall.

This is a refresher and a quick reminder for next month. Ribbon placement makes or breaks a tree in my opinion.
I always start at the top right hand corner.

Pinch the end of a branch around the ribbon to secure it while you manipulate the ribbon.

Twist the ribbon a little to form a perfect ringlets. I always wanted ringlets when I was little.
My mom would put my hair in pin curls over night. My hair gets bigger and bigger during the day so I never thought my ringlets were perfect.

Drape the ringleted ribbon to the left and pinch on a branch.

Wind it around the back and up a little to form another tier of ribbon.
She the picture above. See how the ribbon gets pinched in but billows out at times.
It looks a little weird but will look great once picks and ornaments are in the tree.

We had two leaf garlands from Dollar Tree. I spaced them out and then wound them in the same direction as the ribbon.
I also added some orange berry garlands. These only slightly cascade left.
These look a little like grapevine.

Next the floral sprays were added. There are two or three of each type.

I bent the end of the stem to create a hook to loop around the trunk or a tree branch. 

Next it was time for ornaments.

Acorns, pinecones, squirrels, birds, nests and a butterfly or two.

I raided the Christmas box.

 I love the russet, gold and brown tones. The buffalo check ribbon and tree skirt are darling.

Thanks for stopping by.
Fall tree? Yay or Nay?
Katie