Modern Thanksgiving Tablescape

If you are anything like me, you suffer from a bit of procrastination. and... if you're anything like me, you work best under the pressure that results from procrastination. We are a few days out from Thanksgiving and I'm trying to get my home ready for my family and friends. Today I want to share how I put together my last minute tablescape. 

First things first you have to determine if you will be doing a tablecloth or a runner. I opted for a tablecloth and actually used fabric I received as a birthday gift. You will need to decide this upfront since much of your design will revolve around your choice.

Next, your guest will need something to eat off of and drink from. I picked up some silver square chargers and small dessert plates from At Home. I created a layered look by adding white plates I had on hand to the mix. I love mixing up shapes.

Next I visited Goodwill to pick up some glasses. Thrift stores are great for unique glasses....and because I tend to lean away form matching sets, it works perfect for me. I found two short glasses and two tall ones for $.99 a piece. I added these glasses to my gold ones from my Fall Bar Station.

I also added some candles that I had from my mother's birthday party. They are plain white candles from dollar tree, but if you want to get jazzy you can add liquid gold leaf to them.

Remember my Fall floral arrangement I put together? Well, I updated it with greenery from my local Kroger. Now-a-days I skip the flowers all together, they die too fast for me. I like to add plants by adding greenery. (Next month I'll change my mind and I'll be back on flowers) I found some baby breaths and branches on clearance and put them all together.

Lastly, I set my arrangement on a gold baking sheet that I found at the thrift store for $1.00. 

IN SHORT, HERE ARE MY TIPS:

1. Use alternatives to tableclothes such as scarves or fabric
2. Go for the mix and match look with unique glasses
3. Skip the flowers and add natural looking greenery
4. Use unconventional items as part of your tablescape
5. Lastly, add candles

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I teamed up with my friends to share inspirations. Check out the other host below:

Whitney J Decor: Simple Last Minute Tablescape Ideas

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made: Easy Last Minute Thanksgiving Tablescape

Also, Check out some other great tablescapes below!

An InLinkz Link-up

DIY: Light Up Holiday Sign

Last year I shared with you my Christmas Mantel. It was really simple to put together and I think it'll make another appearance this year! I've gotten a couple question on how I made my light up sign so today I'm going to share the deets. It's super simple!



Supplies:
Pencil
Gold Marker
String of Lights
Canvas
Screwdriver
Tape

This is great to do if you have a extra string of lights laying around or if you just want to add some Christmas jazz to your house!

How To:

Start with your lights and get them untangled.

On your canvas sketch out the wording that you want. It faint here but I wrote "Be Merry." Use your gold marker to trace over your quote.

On the back of your board. Make small dots. These dots will be where your lights will show on the front. Don't make them too close together or too far apart. I did dots in the top left and bottom right corners.

Once you finish, use a screwdrive to create holes where your dots are, and lastly push the light bulbs through.

You may want to have some tape laying how to help secure the lights. Lastly, use your gold marker to trace over your lettering in the front.

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Outdoor Holiday Decor Tour

Tis the season for Christmas decor! Too soon? Nope, not all at. We've been counting down the days to getting our home Christmas ready. This year we started in the front yard. My daughter was super excited. I have to be honest, I have not always been the Christmas person...actually my family calls me 'The Grinch' (lol, more on that later in the post.) 

This year I wanted to go with a classy chic theme. When I think of classy chic I think of whites and metallic. I like to use clear lights when doing this theme because it gives everything a great polished look. 

I first tackled my front door area. I love this beautiful wreath. Flocked trees are all the rage right now, so I was pleasantly surprised to find this beautiful teardrop wreath. In going with my theme I added a shimmering snowflake doormat. I layered it onto of the mat I already have. 

To the left of my front door you will find my vertical garden, chairs, rug and table. I updated my vertical garden with tree clippings.

I dug through my storage closet and founds some pillows and a throw placed over my chair and added a fluffy rug.



Next I added a pair of light up deer. It came in a two piece set of the baby and momma. They easily fit into my classy chic theme. I added them right beside my chair and they look great on the porch. My daughter was so helpful in putting these together. It was super easy!

On my table I put together a small vignette. The main thing to keep in mind when creating this is to mix and match complementing items and decor. I like to make these displays in odd numbers and I search for a short item, tall item and wide item. In addition, I like to mix textures and colors. Here I have a metal, wood and a pop of red color. This silver place mat was a great foundation for my display. 

Outside of our home we have 4 pillars. We wrapped them in pre-lit garland and added a bow to the three front pillars. I thought this was the perfect touch as it really frames the patio.

We also added another brown pre-lit deer to the far corner of the patio and used ribbon lights in front of the patio.

Get a look at the space at night. We truly love the lights!

Now if you have any question in your mind if I am still The Grinch or not, I think from this post you know that the answer is NO! Having my little one truly gave me an appreciation for the holiday. There's nothing like watching my daughter's eyes light up when she talks about Christmas. I had no choice but to get involved, and gladly so at this point. 

So will you be decorating outside for the holidays? If so, let me know your plans.

Easy Weekend Bathroom Refresh

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #QuiltedHoliday #CollectiveBias

I can hardly believe how fast the holidays are approaching. This year we will be hosting Thanksgiving. We will be hosting our family here and also family from out of town. We've been getting the house ready for our guests and this weekend I worked on giving the guest bathroom a little refresh.

The bathroom and kitchen, in my opinion, are two of the most important places in the home. I wanted to have my bathroom perfect for my guests so I did a easy mini makeover to brighten up the space for the holidays. Below is the space before:

I knew I wanted to brighten up the space so the first thing to do was to pick new paint colors. I currently have cherry cabinets and I thought the two colors below looked great with the cabinets.

My plan was to break this refresh up into two days.

Day 1: Clean & Paint Walls
Day 2: Paint Accent Furniture and Decorate

Paint is a great small update that leaves a mega impact! On the first day, we painted the walls. I had my little helper with me and she did a great job. Bathrooms have to be my least favorite room to paint. It's so many turns and nooks and cranies. It's rough!

By the end of Day 1, we had the bathroom fully painted. The space was instantly brightened! I was in love with it already.

On day 2, I tackled painting my accent furniture. I used my paint sprayer to update my etagere. I love etageres, they are perfect for adding additional space in a bathroom. Most space over the toilet goes unused, so these little things are perfect!

The first step was to remove the hardware. Next I did several light coats of paint until it was finished. Patience is key when painting!

 Lastly, after my piece was fully dried I decorated and stocked the bathroom.

The first thing on my list was toilet tissue. You can never have too much tissue. It's one of those things you don't want to run out of when you have guests. I stopped by Target to pick up a couple of packs of Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong® Mega Rolls. The holiday season is pretty busy so having 4 rolls in 1 means less time of having to change the roll. With a full house, I need rolls of tissue that is just as full.

I also added some accessories I had around the house such as a small bowl to catch little items and a candle. The little birdie floats around the house and I think it has found it's new home. Lastly, I added a basket on top to hold extra toilet paper.

Over the tub I added some artwork, candles and a plant.

And that folks, was my weekend project, just in time for the holidays! I absolutely love how it turned out!

To pick up a pack of Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong Mega Rolls, visit your local Target. I found this pack in the tissue aisle. Also recieve 5% off this item from the Target Cartwheel.

Last but not least, enter the sweepstakes below for a chance of wining a $1,000 Target Gift Card! Imagine all the shopping you can do with $1,000!!

#QuiltedHoliday Sweepstakes

All opinions express are that of my own.

8 Ways to Make a Child's Photo Shoot a Success

Looking for some tips on taking pictures of your little one? Check these out below!

1. Plan Ahead - As with any photo shoot, it cannot be last minute..however, with kids.. give yourself even more planning time. Plan the location, outfit, and how the day will go in general. Also don't forget to check the weather, being too hot or too cold is never a good thing!

2. Prep Your Child - Tell your child in advance about the plan. You don't want to just spring this onto your child. Tell them what they can expect to happen. This will put their nerves at ease and put them in the mindset of what to expect.

3. Make Sure Your Child is Well Rested - A good night's rest is VERY important when taking pictures. You want to make sure your child is bright eyed and bushy tailed, as they say. lol

4. Bring An Assistant - Having an assistant to help with straightening out clothes and general logistics between takes will make the day much easier. Bring with the child's parent or a trusted friend to help.

5. Bring Props - A prop is a good fall back when a child is feeling uncomfortable or unsure how to pose. Bring items such as balloons, confetti, or toys they may like.

6. Allow Personality to Show - This is a big one here, We always want to have the big smiles that we sometimes force the child to do. The best thing to do in my opinion is to capture all sides of a child, whether they are happy and smiling or somber in deep thought. Capture every angle of their personality!

7. Take Breaks  - Don't forget to take breaks in between takes. Remember a child's attention span is not as long as an adult's, so give breaks when you see they are becoming anxious

8. Make It Fun - Kids are most at ease when they are having fun. Treat this day as an exciting adventure. Tell them jokes or play music in the background that they like. Let them be silly!

Photos were taken by Brandon of Studio Eighty6. If you are in Atlanta and are interested in getting your photos taken shoot me an email at behindthebiggreendoor@gmail.com for rates and information.