The V Spot

Rants, observations, and home decorating... from a woman with no time for a blog.


2010’s Thanksgiving Decor… a recap so I can figure out what to do for this year.

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I am getting busy with my Thanksgiving preparations.  So busy, in fact, that am going to re-post what I did last year.

I love entertaining. I feel like a grown up now that we host Thanksgiving each year. I love any excuse to make new centerpieces or to try a new recipe. (I also appreciate the motivation to really clean the house…)

This year, I have been loving sticks and branches. First of all, they’re free. Second, you can do just about anything to them; and third, when you’re done with them they make great fireplace kindling.

I just got done spray painting hundreds of them black for a Halloween party. For Thanksgiving I went au natural.

I began by gluing moss to some vertical bases that Handsome Hubby made me several years ago for some centerpieces I did for a wedding. (HH is brilliant and made sure he designed these bases to let me use them over and over again, in several different ways.)

After I glued the moss to the base, I took my (FREE!) sticks and branches and wired them onto the base as well. With the natural wood of the sticks, I wanted to add some bling as a nice contrast, so I raided HH’s tackle box for some fishing line and strung a few crystal beads from the branches.

I wired on votive cups also.

I wasn’t going to go nuts. I was going to keep it simple. However, the bare sticks with the clear crystal and clear glass really needed something. Turned out the something was, um, leaves.

Grant and I spent about 20 minutes in front of a neighbor’s house and picked up the gorgeous red leaves that had fallen from their tree…. And then I spent a solid 2 hours hot gluing the leaves onto the branches.

I think the effect was worth it.

Then I thought I needed something to mask a flower bed that is full of dirt, rather than flowers. I got big branches, glued more leaves, and was fortunate enough to have beads already strung on fishing line from a Mother’s Day Brunch I did 3 years ago.

It looks kind of sparse in the photo, but it looked fine for the dinner.

Of course, what good are floral arrangements if there is no one to make them for? I love my family! They are so fun.

How cute is my dad?!

I hate my camera. I’ve been putting it off, but I think it’s time I finally read the instructions about the different settings.

Weather was crisp but pretty…

By the way, I am definitely one of those people who likes to use real glasses, real plates and real utensils (as opposed to plastic) so it just cracks me up that my Uncle actually brought his own red plastic cup to my house.
He brought a plastic cup.
Brought his own.
I’m still laughing.

Handsome Hubby takes his turkey carving duty seriously.

My sis and her husband, my parents, HH and Grant. Why do little kids at this age smile just by baring their teeth?

You know…. my dad will just put up with so many posed photos, then he is just done. Done, I tell you.

Having family around, relaxing after a great meal, is so wonderful. I guess if we did it more often it wouldn’t seem as special.

By the way, my sticks looked great by candlelight….

(Stupid camera. Stupid flash. Stupid photographer who refused to read the camera’s manual.)

It’s been a long day and I better get to bed. I have to get up in the morning and transform these arrangements into kindling.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Comments

  1. The pictures don’t have to be glamorous to show how wonderful it was. One day I’m going to fly out for one of your fantabulous parties. I need to come up with some ideas for Thanksgiving even though it’s just gonna be the 4 of us and my mom. Can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve for this year (just as soon as you figure it out!).

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  2. What a beautiful table!! I love that it looks just as wonderful at night all lit up!! I can’t wait to see your theme this year!! 🙂

    And yea…your Dad is a cutie!! I like the last pic where he’s just done!!! lol!!! Your whole family is gorgeous!! 🙂

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  4. Gorgeous decor Vivienne. I’m so glad you reposted since I never saw this one. What a wonderful Thanksgiving get together you had {plastic cup and all}!

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  5. Beautiful! You are the queen of sticks, girl. And I’m your biggest admirer! LOVE them. And with the leaves–now, that was a stroke of brilliance.

    Have you heard the song “Red Solo Cup” by Toby Keith? My Preston (college freshman, fraternity boy) is very much into country music; he introduced us to this. It’s what I thought of the minute I saw your uncle!

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  6. I remember this post and I’m still in awe of it!

    Is it bad that I dread hosting big family events here? It’s so much darn work and the same 3 people help with the clean up each year while the rest of the ungratefuls sit their butts down and watch. I tried getting out of it last year to no avail, I think I’ll try a little harder this year!

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  7. I love the branches as centerpieces. So beautiful. I usually do Thanksgiving, but I asked someone else to do it this year so that we can finish our flooring. I am a bit sad not to be making preparations though. I keep coming up with ideas, and then I remember no one is coming.

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  13. I love this it was awesome!
    I’m still laughing about ur uncle and the red plastic cups.. he is official and more than welcome to party with me anytime lol!
    Also love how u, ur mom, and ur sister look like alike
    great post

    Gigi

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  18. That was fun and I love your forest centerpieces. It really turned out well. So do you suppose that your uncle will return with his red cup? And when your dad is “just done” with the picture taking, someone must coax him along…a line or two like “try to pretend that you love your family” or whatever it’ll require. Hope that this helped you figure out what to do this year!

    Reply

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