Autumn Leaves

With the crisp crunch of leaves under my feet and acorns and pinecones falling from the trees, it wasn’t hard to choose a theme for my tablescape. 

The colors this year are vibrant and have lasted longer than I ever remember, possibly because of the warm temperatures here in Virginia this fall. Thanksgiving is upon us, and Christmas will follow quickly after. Thanksgiving and Christmas are two holidays that most families, even if they don't throughout the year. Traditions are observed with special food dishes and table settings.   

Gathering items and setting your table in advance is one task you can do, to create the atmosphere for your festivities and help make it less overwhelming.  It can also get you in a festive mood. I try to use everyday items I have around my house with a few special items to commemorate the celebration or holiday I am observing. 

In the video the foundation for the table is a shower curtain. If you have a large table, you can place it like a diamond as an overlay on top of a full tablecloth. I draped fabric across and down the sides of my table as a runner.  You can do the same with a curtain, and it may even be less expensive than cut yardage. Be sure to launder them if they are not new to  the package. In my Waterfall fall video I discovered out of the package also requires ironing or a spin in the dryer to remove excessive wrinkles. Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season.         

 

A Waterfall Fall

I enjoy the autumn trees, colorful leaves and crisp breeze that fall brings. The sound of  water flowing or trickling with a bit of sunlight is a perfect day to celebrate. So, I had to share my visit to two Virginia Parks, one last fall and another a few days ago. I bought along my three decorated artistic mannequin heads to the table setting. 

I stretched stockings over the  mannequin heads and then decorated them with fall and fall colored flowers. I use foam mannequin heads instead of foam balls for round flower arrangements because it is a fraction of the cost, and the neck is a good stem to secure them into containers. I just shave the facial features away.

The container I have the mannequin heads setting in, is a bed riser, I like using them because they are weightier than most non-ceramic containers and the reinforcement inside raises live plants away from the water.  I love using them for my small poinsettias at Christmas to help with keep them watered. Tie a bow around them and they become very festive. I purchase mine from the thrift store, they seem to always be plentiful.