National Pumpkin Day & Thankfulness

Happy national pumpkin day! I had no idea this was an actual day until someone told me last week. How appropriate that I was planning on sharing my pumpkin centerpiece on the blog today and it’s pumpkin day!

I feel like I am all over the place with my blog posts lately! One week I’m writing about fall, the next week I’m sharing Christmas decorations, and the next week I’m sharing a Thanksgiving table idea! I guess my blog really reflects what I’ve got going on in my mind, a whole bunch of craziness! This can be such an awkward time of year for me. It’s fall so I want to enjoy all things fall, all while avoiding Halloween (because I dislike this holiday), but also planning ahead to the biggest décor holiday of the year, Christmas. Any how, I’ve got Thanksgiving on my mind this week so let’s talk about that!

A couple of weeks ago, a few Instagram friends and I put a pumpkin event together. The idea of this event was to share photos and write a post using pumpkin, in any way you wanted (think pumpkin bread, pumpkin carving, etc.). For this event, I decided to create a pumpkin centerpiece. That was all I had envisioned. Carving out a real pumpkin and filling with fresh flowers. But, as I started to put my vision together and add pieces here and there to the table, it really gave me the feeling of Thanksgiving. And, as I was putting the finishing touches on my pumpkin tablescape, I really started to think about the past couple of years and all that I have to be thankful for. This is something I do throughout the year but especially each Thanksgiving. I take a few minutes Thanksgiving morning when I have a moment to myself, and think about all that I have to be thankful for. These past couple of years have made me so grateful with all that has transpired in the world. Here are a few of the blessing I think of often. Our family was not impacted by COVID; no one we knew was taken by the disease, and our jobs were not impacted. My father in law suffered a massive heart attack and was not expected to survive, but he did and with no lasting effects. We have not felt the pain of hunger and we are fortunate to have food on our table everyday (William will tell you that at almost every meal I tell him how fortunate he is to have the food on his plate and to not take it for granted, he loves when I do that!). Nadalee graduated high school and made the dean’s list her entire first year of college. William somehow managed to pass 8th grade (remote learning was a challenge for us!) and move on to high school. My family is warm, safe, and secure each night we go to bed, so many in this world do not have that security. I have the ability to express my creativity on a daily basis, have found platforms that allow me to do that, and have meet so many new friends this past year. These are just a few things I think about often and remind myself to be thankful for.

As your setting your Thanksgiving table this year, take a few moments and think about all the things you have to be grateful for! It’s a great time to reflect on the past year and give thanks.

So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is how I put this tablescape together! This tablescape idea can be used for Thanksgiving or any other time in the fall. Add lots of organic materials along with lots of patterns and textures and you will have the perfect table. I started this tablescape with a brown kraft paper table runner with a verse from the bible (runner linked here). For extra drama, make sure your runner is extra long so it can hang quite far down from the table. Then, I added an orange pumpkin that I removed the seeds and innards from, and then filled with autumnal colored fresh flowers. I added glass candlestick holders along with casperitas bunched together on either side of the table. For the place settings, I started with a gold charger, white plates from Mikasa, gold silverware, and highball glasses. I layered striped black and white cotton napkins between the plates. Then I placed a eucalyptus stem, casperita, and a brown paper tag on top. The brown tag can be used as the place card or just for decoration. I could not find an inexpensive place card so I made my own, by adding white stamped fall leaves on the top of each place card. Viola, you have the perfect fall or Thanksgiving table!

I hope you liked this tablescape idea! How will you be setting your table for Thanksgiving this year? Would you be interested in a tutorial on how to make a pumpkin centerpiece? Let me know your thoughts!

I look forward to sharing more of my home with you and inspiring you to have a well loved home! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LIKEtoKNOW.it.

Xoxo ~ Heidi