Happy Thanksgiving!

Helloooo and happy Thanksgiving week!  Thought I'd share some crafty table ideas for you if you're hosting Thanksgiving this year like me.  I always try to make the table look very festive and I usually use things I already have.  Also a new recipe I'm adding this year for those of us that are now eating plant based diets and this dish is delish!

I've always loved the word forage, as in to hunt and gather.  So the weekend before TG my daughter and I forage for pine cones, berries, sticks and dried leaves, basically anything that will look good on the table or in a basket or galvanized bucket, (from the .99 cents store).  It's all very Laura Ingells.  I also keep my pumpkins from Halloween to use for TG and sometimes I paint them.  Also, colorful pumpkins from the craft store, mixing dishes and patterns, colorful napkins, twine, and lots of candles.  Here are a few of my tablescapes from past Thanksgivings.  I hope they inspire you to get creative!

Here's the recipe, it's from Zestandsimmer.com via Pinterest.  And check out my fabulous food board for tons more plant based yummy recipes!  I'm kind of obsessed.

There's so much to be grateful for

Happy Thanksgiving!

OJAI HOME HOLIDAY TOUR:

Happy Thanksgiving!  After our neighborhood was spared from fire and evacuations in the Woolsey fires two weeks ago, being Thankful is an understatement! 

That Saturday, as an annual tradition, my friend Nicola and I were scheduled to go to the Ojai Holiday Home Tour.  Since Ojai is one of my favorite places, and legally peeping into peoples homes thrills me, we look forward to this event hard core.  But by Friday afternoon the freeway entrance by my house, which heads north towards Ojai, was closed and the fires were only one neighborhood away. 

The event ticket was good for either Saturday or Sunday.  We decided not to go on Saturday.  It was hard to dwell in disappointment, (even though we were), as families and animals were being displaced and losing their homes.  Another girlfriend texted me at 2AM Friday night to tell me that they had to evacuate, really scary.  Saturday night I was glued to the news, seriously I slept with my laptop. 

Could we possibly go on Sunday?  Could I live with the Jewish guilt of touring beautiful homes while others were literally burning to the ground?  What if the wind changed and I abandoned my husband to evacuate with our 4 fur babies?  On the other hand this was a charity event and what if after all their hard work no one showed up, they even sent an e mail with alternate routes to Ojai. After all, they had their own share of fires and heartache last year with the Thomas fire.  I couldn't sleep. 

Sunday morning I did what I always do when making a decision, I go deep and go with my gut.  We were going.  It usually takes about an hour and 15 minutes to get to Ojai from my house.  It took us three hours.  We drove through smoke, passed flames, we got lost, the GSP was worthless and kept trying to get us back to roads that were closed.  We drove through a town called Filmore which led us to a mountain pass that looked like Mars.  Sand was blowing at us and the car was being pelted with tumble weeds!  Tumble weeds!!!  We later found out we drove through a rock quary.  We had no cell service.  Fortunately I grabbed crackers, water and bananas on the way out the door.  It was both hilarious and scary.  But we made it!  None the worse for wear. Here we are on the most magnificent property called Patina Farm.  Notice my new do? (Left 7 inches on the cutting room floor.)

I wish I could show you the pictures from inside the homes, but for obvious privacy reasons no photos allowed, however I can share the photos they had on the event website since those are public. Prepare to drool!

Starting with my favorite, Patina Farm, which 5 years ago was just a vacant lot!  This gorgeous masterpiece is the result of one couples vision, the husband is an architect and the wife is a designer, what a combination, every detail was just gorgeous.  Building a house is like any other art form, you have to conceive it in your mind and then take it step by step.  This house was truly a work of art.

This next one was surrounded by the gorgeous Topatopa Mountain Range.

I was super excited when I saw that this house below was going to be on the tour because it had been on the Ojai Garden Tour in 2017 and I loved this outdoor dining room, you can't see it from this picture but there is a pizza oven on the left.  Getting to see the chefs kitchen inside was a real treat. The homeowner is a cook book author.

These are a few pictures I took outside at Patina Farm, nothing private, but just the cutest little farm with goats and chickens and veggies plus I'm a sucker for a good greenhouse.

And of course, a trip to Ojai is not complete without Papa Lennon's amazing garlic fries!!!

This is the first ever Thanksgiving my daughter and I are apart and it's for a wonderful reason.  So although I miss her terribly I'm so happy that she is off living her dreams as an actress filming on the other side of the world!  So much to be thankful for!

From our table to yours, 

Happy Thanksgiving!

DIY FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING TABLE:

Happy Thanksgiving week! I LOVE Thanksgiving!  And we host it every year, we all love to cook so it's a team effort. I try to change it up a bit every year and this year we will be having Thanksgiving alfresco in our vegetable garden. Inspired by Joanna Gaines and my Instagram addiction to farm house chic. It's a great holiday to take your table from drab to fab for very little money and very little effort with this DIY. So Sunday morning we took to the hills and foraged. (My new favorite word). We collected lots of pine cones, branches with holly berries, and sticks. The buckets were $1.99 at our 99 cents store. (Yes, our 99 cent store sells things for more than 99 cents, eye roll). Still, how could you go wrong with a galvanized bucket for $1.99! I may or may not have bought all they had. When we got home we arranged them into beautiful Thanksgiving center pieces. Perfect for the rustic look we're going for this year. I also asked everyone coming to bring a few things they have collected from nature so we can arrange a few more buckets together. So much fun, so simple, and so cheap :)

Here's a few other ideas and pics from our past Thanksgivings.

 Lots and lots of candles.

Keep your Halloween pumpkins and paint them for Thanksgiving.

 I like to mix up my dishes.

Move it outside if you're in a warm climate. Hang lights from the trees.

 

Mix up textures and patterns.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with home, heart, love, blessing, over eating, and a fabulous table.

HOLIDAY HOME STYLE:

Hey, can you believe it's almost the end of October! With Halloween fast approaching and Thanksgiving right around the corner I can't help myself from gathering and sharing, (like the Indians & Pilgrims), all of this fabulous fall stuff with you. OK so they really had to gather it and we just have to click it :)

Thanksgiving's my favorite holiday. I love mixing random objects down the center of our Thanksgiving table like these glass acorns along with different size candles, pumpkins, gourds, etc.

Amber Glass Pumpkins

Glass Acorns 

Give Thanks Salad Plates

My favorite scent Ginger Peach

Spiced Cake Orange

Fall Leaf Napkins

Here's a few of my previous TG table settings, this year I'm hoping to set up alfresco again. I just bought these leaf napkins and I'm going to make napkin holders out of twine and sprigs of rosemary and I'll be sharing that DIY and other table ideas at Thanksgiving week.  In the meantime it's a great time of year to up your fab quota at your home, you'll be amazed at what a few little pumpkins can do!