Clean and Simple Thanksgiving Decor 2013 {Tutorials and Ideas}

Like I have said many times I love to decorate for the Holidays. And although Christmas creeps up on us earlier and earlier every year. When the Halloween decor comes down Christmas doesn't go up quite yet in this house there is that middle holiday, you know the one we call Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong I love Christmas and I especially love to bring out all the Christmas cheer but after thanksgiving that is.  I actually like to decorate for thanksgiving because it is calm, neutral colors and it just feels so fresh and clean bringing in a perfect amount of fall inside. I love this style in between the playful, childlike Halloween decor and the glits and glam, glitter and sparkles of the Christmas decor. 

Today I just wanted to show you how I put together some easy, and thrifty decor pieces and displays for my family and guests to enjoy this year. I like to incorporate a little of what I am thankful for in this decor because well that is what this time of year is all about so pictures of my family are a huge part. Pick up a few of these ideas and you will love the simplicity yet festive look it will bring.

First up is this fun sofa table decor! In love with this and it was all what I already had or made for super cheap. I wanted it simple but to speak volumes. I love it! You can find the ridiculously easy wheat banner tutorial HERE and the Dollar store pumpkins makeover HERE.  I made both the wheat banner and pumpkins to be able to use them for Halloween and keep them up for November. As for the rest..

-The Eat letters I made for my all year round kitchen decor, but of course EAT is perfect for thanksgiving. You can find the Tutorial HERE. 

-The amazing pallet piece is  handmade by yours truly {and I mean all by myself while hubby was out of town} using the plans from The handmade home ebook. I will be posting more about the projects I have made from this awesome book very soon, so stay tuned. You will die.

 

 -the candle sticks are from Ikea and I have had them forever, but they still have them and they are only a couple bucks over by all their candles.

-The big turkey is my very favorite to put out every November, we got it from a very close family friend from a Holiday shower I had for my wedding!

-Then lastly I simply added some of our most recent family pictures in some Ikea frames, because well I am sure as heck a lot thankful for that adorable little family of mine. I mean come on look at my boys! I die. There is just something about being a mom to boys and being treated like a princess from not only my husband but them as well. I am so spoiled. 

Next up my kitchen table display just consists of some DIY hand painted Mason jars Just like I did HERE, just fall color version. I also had these up for Halloween. Added a fun handmade table runner we got for our wedding, and some a mini white pumpkins and you are set. Easy peasy.

Like I said in my Halloween post this is what I like to call my "wannabe mantel" since I don't have one. Although I am working my DIY magic and will be building one for our rental very soon. So lets just pretend this is a mantel for a minute ok, humor me.

-I got the hay barrel for super cheap on sale at hobby lobby 

-White antique molding- A perfect little antique shop in Cedar City, Utah {I need to go back there they have the best treasures}

-Keep Calm and carry on sign tutorial found HERE

-Prints from HERE and HERE in some 99 cent Ikea frames 

-Mini pumpkins from a pumpkin patch left over from my Halloween decor

-Awesome long legged turkey from Ty's Grandma's old decor {treasure I tell ya}

 -The turkey banner was super duper easy. I had these letter cards I have had forever from Michaels and I simply just hot glued them to some burlap ribbon. Done and oh so cute!

  

-This chalkboard I keep up year round. It is from Hobby lobby and I just painted the wood trim red. Wrote Giving thanks and drew a little turkey on it. Nothing fancy just simple and fun. 

-Pumpkin from JoAnnes

-Adorable little turkey hand art plaque was made by my little Maddux last year and it is my favorite. Oh my gosh look at that adorable little hand. I die! He made it at a fun event at Poppyseed projects. 

Maddux was so excited to see it up this year. I think it is so important to bring your kids projects into your decor. Plus I am so thankful for him and his adorable little hands. 

-Super fun and festive Holiday countdown made from a Ikea metal trivet and paper leaves. Full tutorial found HERE.

I obviously like banners. Why not they are fun, easy to make and oh so festive. This banner was made by my oh so talented mom over at Organize and Decorate everything and she gave it to me.

I love it I just added the leaves to made to some backers twine with some tape.  You can find her tutorial HERE. Thanks MOM!!!

-Harvest sign- Won it at bunko when I was subbing years ago I think it is from Roberts Crafts {which sadly is no longer}

-Mini pumkins

-Adorable little banner- I made this cute thing at a fun event called Ignite that my cute friend Kami, from the Blog Sweet Charlie put together and this was one of our craft projects we did. They were precute mini wood triangle with holes in them to string twine through. I just simply mod podged some orange, a little blue, and black and white card stock onto the triangles and sanded down the edges for a perfect fit.  I also did Christmas card stock on the back to I could have two banners in one.

- Cute little card cute from a 12X12 scrapbook paper from Heartland Paper  just tucked into this adorable chicken wire frame from pick your plum 

Dollar store pumpkins makeover HERE, and a frame printable found HERE, displayed on my favorite antique table. My goodness I love this table my parents have had it forever and it was in my room when I was a teen I don't know why but it has been one of my favorite pieces and my mom gave it to me to put in my home when I got married.

  

-Antlers- Thank you Restless Risa {I have some fun plans for these for the upcoming holidays}
-Dish- Wedding gift 

-Pumpkin I have had forever I think it was from Roberts Crafts my first fall married.

-Pumpkin made from a drier vent I made clear back in my young women days.  Can you believe I still have it. Just get your drier vent cut it, bent it into a circle, hot glue it together, spray paint in orange and add a stick at the top. Done!

Loving my family gallery wall especially because I am so so grateful for my family. I added some new family pictures up there mixing them in with some old ones and I love them!!!

 

-Every Holiday HAS to have a themed wreath right...or do I just think that. You can find my tutorial for this beauty HERE. Also the fun Chalkboard Decal is found HERE.

-Corn Stalks bought at the pumpkin patch only $1 a piece 

-Crates- Smith and Edwards filled with Hay and pumpkins

-DIY side table tutorial HERE
-Apple picking bucket- Homegoods filled with burlap and apples\

-I also have a big Caravanshoppe engineering print getting printed at Staples that I will be putting up in that blank space above the crates as soon as I go pick it up  

Phew! Did you catch all that! Fun right?! Just pick a few ideas that you love

and bring them into your home and your style. 

I hope you were able to be inspired by some of my ideas 

PIN PIN PIN away for future years to come and holiday craft nights 

Happy Weekend, Happy Thankful Season, Happy Holiday Season

and smile it is Friday Love you all

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Our 2013 HALLOWEEN

It is no secret that October is my favorite month. I love the fall crisp air, the boots, the sweaters, my birthday, pumpkins, and of course Halloween. I have always loved Halloween, but now that I have kids I love it even more. The festivities leading up to it, the pumpkin patches, and corn mazes, the dressing up, the countdowns and of course watching them so so excited to knock on each door and show off their costume while saying in their small voices trick or treat, holding out their pumpkin bucket in their tiny little hands. Watching my kids enjoying themselves just melts this mama bear's heart!

Maddux started off our Halloween week with his little preschool party on Tuesday. He got to dress up and he was so excited to show off his costume to Mrs.Vanessa and his little friends. I made their little shells to add to the costume. Maddux really wanted to be a ninja turtle this year but he was not stopping there he insisted that we needed to be a family of ninja turtles which was perfect for our little family of four.

Next we picked Maddux up and headed to the pumpkin patch as a family. It was a nice quiet Tuesday afternoon and we just got to enjoy each other. Maddux lead us through the kids corn maze, we all played on the old tractors, and then we got our wheel barrels and walked the patch. The crop struggled a little this year and since we came a little late the pickins were pretty slim and there were a lot of pumpkins that were struggling, so we got a few smaller decorative pumpkins, and some corn stalks for me to use for my fall decor. After we had our fun we headed to Walmart to get the big pumpkins to carve, they had perfect ones and they were half off.

After some much needed naptime we were off to Ty's aunts house for some soup and pumpkin carving goodness.

We were able to each carve 2 that night and each carved two more on Wednesday night. In the 6 years that we have been married we have grown to love carving pumpkins. It is more than just a face on a pumpkin now, we want to go big or go home and we are getting better each year. This year I even took a crack at some shaving. Thanks to Ty's brother Dan and our sister in law Brooke for showing us the way and getting us addicted to this fun activity.

We got them done just in time to be able to display them on Halloween and they fit perfectly on our long front porch in a line. The neighbors and kids loved them.

Halloween night was full of my boys perfect laughter, running in pure joy, smiles, and lots of candy. While we waited for Ty to come home Maddux and I passed out candy to the early trick or treaters, then we had a pizza with the pepperonis in the shape of a jack o lantern face for dinner {tradition each year}. After our boys tummys were full and they were about to run out the door we finally went out around our cute little neighborhood and did some trick or treating.

We got home after the boys were tired and had full buckets, we packed up the car and the pumpkins and headed to Ty's parents house. We hung out, talked, displayed our pumpkins with theirs, did some trick or treating at some friends and family around their house and the kids got hopped up on candy.

On our drive home the boys were out like a light and it is safe to say they had the times of their life.
I hope you all had a happy Halloween and are looking forward to giving thanks and a lot of family time. 

Follow me on Instagram its a party over there

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to see all my fun pics, my real life, fitness, fashion ideas

 and sneak peaks of what I've been working on

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Make sure to check out my other social media sites and follow along

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