Thanksgiving Tablescape: Bittersweet Traditions

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭9:1‬ ‭

Hello sweet friends and welcome to Everyday Living!  As most of you know, tablescapes usually show around here on Tuesdays…but not this week, there is a little re-arranging!  Today, I am joining a group of talented bloggers to kick off a Thanksgiving Tablescape Blog Hop hosted by the multi-talented Chloe of Celebrate & Decorate.  It’s never too early to start gathering ideas for your Thanksgiving celebration, and you will find many ideas if you hop around this week!  The full schedule is at the bottom of the post…and I welcome you to my tablescape today!
  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it holds so many bittersweet thoughts and memories for me!  It centered around one of my very favorite places…my mother’s table!  She hosted every single holiday and Sunday lunch, insisting that she do all of the cooking…never allowing anyone to bring a dish.  When she passed away in 2007, I continued the tradition of hosting and preparing all the food!  My menu hasn’t changed much from my Mother’s…it is basically what Nanny (Seth’s name for Mother) had every Thanksgiving.  To say that it is a bittersweet holiday for me is an understatement.  Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her, and those hand written, food stained recipes serve as a reminder that no one’s food can come close to hers! She had the gift of hospitality that remains untouched. Every person that ever sat at her table (and there were hundreds) knew they were loved and special!  But, oh how sweet it is to think of her life!  

Thanksgiving reminds me that I have so much to be happy and grateful for.  My precious 87 year-old Daddy is still with us and his mind is as sharp as any young man.  I am also thankful that our family has grown over the past ten years to include 4 great-grandsons and the only great-granddaughter, our princess, Ella Mae. You will notice the bittersweet vine on the table…unplanned, but very fitting for the holiday that Thanksgiving is to me! 

You may notice a china pattern that you haven’t seen on any of my tablescapes!  The pattern is “Autumn” by Lenox and it is my son’s and daughter-in-love’s wedding china.  I was so pleased when they chose this traditional and timeless pattern that was introduced in 1918.  On Thanksgiving Day, I will use my Spode “Woodland” that you can see on the Fall Tablescape Blog Hop.

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The centerpiece is so simple that anyone can do. I used an heirloom pumpkin and tied bittersweet and seeded eucalyptus on to the stem with raffia!

I tucked in a sprig of seeded eucalyptus under the hand-made napkin rings given to me by a lovely friend.  The embroidered napkins came from Pier 1 many years ago.

A salad and dinner plate rest on heavy gold chargers that came from Hobby Lobby so long ago that I don’t remember exactly when!
 Vintage Fostoria was given to me by one of my Mother’s dearest friends!

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The cotton tablecloth with its pretty gold border is perfect for an autumn table…I don’t remember where I found it.

I love the elegance of a crystal knife rest…the gold flatware is from Wal-Mart!  Gasp, it is ok to use more expensive and less expensive together!

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“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver”
Proverbs 25:11

I scattered seeded eucalyptus down the center of the table with a pair of candles and some ghost pumpkins…this was as easy as can be!

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Thank you so much for your sweet visits.  Will you be hosting Thanksgiving and do you have special traditions?

 

  Linking with:
 Pieced Pastimes, Life on Lakeshore Drive,Coastal Charm, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, French Country Cottage, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Charm of Home, Katherines Corner,Vintage Mama’s Cottage, Marilyn’s Treats, Peonies & Orange Blossoms, Eclectic Red Barn, Share Your Cup,21 Rosemary Lane,The Vintage Nest, The Essence Of Home, Feathering My Empty Nest, Kingsbury Brook Farm,  The Red Painted Cottage, Love Of Home,My Soulful Home, Celebrating Everyday Life, Little Farmstead, Starfish Cottage,  Rattlebridge Farm, Rustic & Refined,The Freckled Rose, Life and Linda, DIY 180, The Stonybrook House, Celebrate & Decorate, Sweet Sensations, The Dedicated House, Jodie Fitz