Thanksgiving Decor On the Cheap

I have a confession...I haven't really decorated for anything very much over the last couple of years.  It is mostly because I was just really busy and maybe a little lazy unmotivated.  This year though I had fun decking my house out for the fall which I think is my favorite season to get ready for.  Hands down, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I know most people don't feel this way but I love the low key atmosphere and the opportunity you have to get together with people whose company you enjoy good food.  My mouth is watering just thinking about the food.

With how long it's been, when I went down to pull out all of my fall decorations they almost seemed new to me.  I did make a couple of little changes just to lighten things up a bit but everything else was something that I already owned or got for free.  I love it when that happens which, I admit, is almost never for me.

I wanted to incorporate a little of the plaid that has been EVERYWHERE this year.  I've always loved plaid and I'm glad that the current design has finally caught up with my forward thinking.  Bwahahaha!  Joking.  But seriously, I do love it because I've always had a love for that preppy look.  Soooo, I sewed a few new pillow covers.  They really warmed up my space I think.

I had the cute cream flower pillow that I think I bought at Target a couple of years ago. I die over their pillow isle. The dark plaid was something I already had buried in my fabric stash...I have a fabric addiction, I admit it.  The material on these pillows is also really soft and makes you want to snuggle in with a good book.

I also did a few arrangements on some of the tables I have in my great room area.

 All of the gourds came from my moms garden.  She grows them every year and gave me a full grocery sack full.  Since they were free, they are a main piece in my table arrangements.  The ivy came inside from my patio table before it froze for the winter.  The pinecones are the cinnamon scented ones that I can't resist...they smell so good!  The dish they are all sitting in used to be an obnoxious yellow.  I spray painted it a cream color which is much more neutral.  I think the silver tray came from Tai Pan a couple of years ago too.

This tray is sitting on my kitchen table.  Again, there are quite a few gourds in this one and I added another ivy and some pine cones.  There are also a couple of pumpkins I covered in book pages forever ago...they are old but usable.  I love how everything is just spilling out of the wood container.  It kind of speaks to the bounty of the season I think.  Please ignore the 90's style table...working on that.

Finally, I did something very simple on the console in my entry way and it is probably my favorite just because it looks so clean.

There you go, simple and sweet.

The Always Be Thankful sign - I can't quite remember where I got it from.  The frame it is in used to be black and gold.  A little cream spray paint, and I like this look so much better! 

I love the reminder that this is the time of the year to be thankful for all of the blessings we have.  Although I see many wrongs in today's world, I find it best to focus rather on how richly blessed I truly am.  What have you done in your home this year to bring to mind all we have to be thankful for? 


Happy Tuesday!

Heather



Linking to:

Home Stories A to Z
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
The Turquoise Home

Piano Bench Recover

I had a problem.  An ugly piano bench cover.  I mean, really ugly...why did I ever think this looked ok?  I recovered this mossy green monster about 5 years ago when we got our new/old piano.  The piano has worked out well for us but the cover didn't quite jive with what I wanted in my music room/command station room as I like to call it.  I know that's a weird combination but I needed a place where I could keep all of our paperwork under control and we also needed a good place for our piano as our new home doesn't really have a good wall in the general area to place a piano.

All right, here is my cringe worthy reveal:

 

Pretty bad, huh?  Well I came up with a solution.  I went down to my fabric stash and was amazed at what I found.

Isn't this fun swirly pattern on a dark gray background so much fun?  Well I thought it was...and you have to admit is a huge improvement on the ugly green stuff.

 

 

All I did was pry out the old staples on the back of the padded board with a flat head screw driver.  Then I took this stapler and stretched my new fabric around the seat and stapled in place.  Gotta love the easiness of this project.

 

 

So much better!  I'm loving it again.  This piano was bought used.  I'm not sure how old it is but it came in great condition.  I know a big trend right now is to paint pianos.  I'm all for painting furniture, but this is something that will always stay its original color.  I love it just how it is even with all of its nicks and bangs.  Wow that sounds like a great life lesson...totally unintended.

 

Now the bench goes a bit better with the command station that I'm still working on to get it how I want.  It think I've gotten a pretty good start though.

 

 

It's so much easier to organize all of the paperwork that comes with a family of 6.  It is super convenient and right off of my kitchen so I can hear if chaos starts.  Believe me...that's important around here!

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

Heather

 

 

 

Linking to:

 

A2Z

Sand and Sisal

DIY Showoff