Thanksgiving Tablescape and Thankfulness

November.....the month of thankfulness.  

A time when we all reflect on our blessings and maybe tell each other a little more often how much we appreciate one another. A time when we thank God a little more often for what He has done for us and given us so undeservedly. A time when we actually think about all the things that we so often take for granted. 

We gather around the table in homes, eat together and enjoy being together.  We smile. We laugh.  We are thankful. 

I wanted to create an inviting space to sit down together for a nice Thanksgiving meal. A space that invites smiles, and laughs. One that spurs on love and openness and thankfulness.

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I used my daughter's scalloped bulletin board as the base for the centerpiece.  I then added in gold and neutral pumpkins that I already had from this centerpiece.  Then I walked around my yard and gathered magnolia leaves, twigs, and pinecones for a more natural look that brought in some of the greens and yellows from the plaid tablecloth. 

I used a gold paint pen to write names on magnolia leaves for place cards. The silverware was tied together with jute twine with a sprig of rosemary to adorn it.  I purchased the embroidered napkins at Target for only $2.99 for a set of six. (I am thankful for 75% off at Target.)

The black paint on the cork board is chalkboard paint. If you didn't want to use magnolia leaves as place cards, you could write the names of your guests on the board itself in front of each setting......

.......or you could have them each write something they are thankful for. 

There are so many things to be thankful for. Don't you agree?

Linking up to: 

Metamorphosis Monday on Between Naps on the Porch

The DIY'ers on Home Coming 

Tuesday's Treasure at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Weigh-In Wednesday #3

It's that time of the week again!  I have been looking forward to this day. I am so thankful to have a goal and accountability in posting every week.  Your prayers and accountability have helped so much!  

I have had a lot of people ask me what I eat throughout the day, so I thought I would share what a typical day would look like for me.  

Breakfast:

I usually have an egg scramble with veggies, turkey, and cheese. You can see that recipe here. 

Lunch:

Lunch will usually consist of meat, veggies, and fruit.  (Although, this past weekend I started adding whole grains back in to my diet at the lunch-time meal.)  A lunch I have really enjoyed is a baked sweet potato with cinnamon pecan butter. So yummy. 

Snack:

Snack is usually fruit and yogurt. Most of the time, I have plain Greek yogurt with strawberries and honey. I have found, though, that I love the Toasted Coconut Vanilla Oikos Greek yogurt with strawberries. It tastes like a dessert.  I also enjoy apple with peanut butter or a smoothie. 

Dinner:

Dinner generally consists of lots of veggies, like stewed squash and fresh garlic green beans,  and a protein.  Serve the squash and beans up with grilled chicken and you have a delish dinner. Other options I have enjoyed are chicken fajitas (without the tortilla), bunless hamburgers, and soups. 

I am really having to get used to cooking so much.  Cooking isn't something that I necessarily enjoy, but in order to eat clean and not grab processed foods all the time, you have no other option but to cook.  Planning ahead is key.  

So without further ado, the weigh-in!

Beginning weight: 304 pounds

Today's weight: 290 pounds

This week's weight loss: 2 pounds

Total weight loss in 3 weeks: 14 pounds 

I didn't get a whole lot of walking in this week because I had a lot going on.  I think since last weigh-in I only got to walk three times.  I really need to work on making workouts a priority.  But, I will say, focusing on nutrition these last three weeks has really helped me. That is the hardest part for me.  It has been good to take it one step at a time, but I am ready to step up in the excercise area. 

Things I need to improve on:
*Drink more water......Water (and a coffee in the mornings) is all I have been drinking but I still think I'm not quite drinking enough.
*Exercise more......in addition to walking and some free weights, I need to add in cardio. And make it a priority.  
*Get more rest......I am a night owl, but I pay for it in the mornings.  I need to make myself wind down earlier and get more rest. 

How are you guys doing?  Any areas that need to be improved upon? Already over the exercise hump? Comment and share what has worked for you!  I'd love to hear some creative ideas for exercise. 

*To view the post that started the weight-loss journey, click here.

Little Pumpkin Baby Shower

This weekend, with the help of my sister-in-law Kayla,  I had the honor of hosting a baby shower for my sister Leanne and her little pumpkin on the way!  What better theme for a fall shower!  When I mentioned to my sister what I was planning on doing, she said that she actually calls baby Liam her little pumpkin sometimes. How sweet!

I started out by making the invitations using PicMonkey.   If you haven't checked it out, you should.  It is a wonderful FREE photo editing site.  (I blacked out personal info for privacy.)

We kept everything really simple with pops of orange and yellow and little pumpkins everywhere. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the afternoon sun streaming through the windows.

I used washi tape to make the little flags on the caramel apples and also on the pumpkin spice muffins. 

We enjoyed finger sandwiches in the shape of pumpkins. 

The menu included: Pumpkin Spice Muffins (Weight Watchers recipe) with cream cheese frosting, caramel apples, cream cheese with Harry and David red pepper jelly and crackers,  pretzels, mini vanilla cupcakes, pumpkin shaped finger sandwiches, pumpkin candy, cheese, and apple slices. 

I printed out small pumpkins and hung with baker's twine.

This was printed and framed for the table.  I also made it over on PicMonkey.

Leanne is 36 weeks!

The beautiful diaper cake was made by my sister-in-law, Kayla. Isn't it adorable?  

What a wonderful day for my sister!  Thanks to everyone who came out and celebrated with us. 

Painted Front Door

You know, I think that painting a front door is like putting on lipstick.  A pretty shade of lipstick can pull an outfit together, can top off a look.  It can make the okay look more fabulous.  

Painting a front door can mean the difference between "Meh" and "Man oh man!"  I've been meaning to paint our front door for months now, but, until now, just haven't seemed to get around to it.  

You see, our home was kind of boring.  It had white doors, white trim, white windows, and white shutters. I stained my vinyl shutters a couple months ago.  That was like my home's eyeshadow, the mascara.  You know, when you add eye makeup, it brighten's up the whole face.  And staining my shutters brightened up my home.  It made it stand out just a little bit more.  Suddenly, you had something to look at other than white. 

But, the look wasn't complete. Not yet.  Not without the lipstick.  And every girl needs a good shade of lipstick. 

(Via )

Our brick is a reddish orange.  I wanted a bold color to compliment the brick, so I thought turquoise and orange would be perfect just like in this color scheme.  The door color needed to be bold enough to stand out and draw the eye.  Our front door is recessed back, and since it is white, you really don't even see it. 

I started with two shades of blue.  The left is Festoon Aqua by Sherwin Williams and the right is Florida Keys Blue by Benjamin Moore.  While I love Festoon Aqua, it was a bit too muted in the outside light.  I went for the bolder color.  It was the perfect shade of lipstick for my home.   

I added a house number decal that I ordered from Leen the Graphics Queen over a year ago.   It was great quality and affordable at only $10!

I also spray painted the door knob and lock with Rustoleum's Oil Rubbed Bronze.  The lock was gold and the knob was aged and had been painted on a few times.  This unifies the two and gives it new life. 

Now that I have the "lipstick" on,  I am kind of debating painted the trim around the side windows to make it look like it is all one door unit instead of a door and two side windows.  I just can't decide if I should or not or what color I should if I did.  (I was thinking either a color like the shutter stain or the aqua.)  What do you think?  

To paint or not to paint?  That is the question.

Weigh-In Wednesday #2

It's that time of the week again!  I was actually looking forward to this day.  I used to dread getting on the scale, but I know that I have been eating healthy and only within the parameters that I have set for myself, so I was okay with whatever the scale showed this week.  

I am not going to lie and say that this past week was easy.  It was a lot more difficult for me in week two than in week one.  I think in week one, we didn't have a lot of "extras" happening, so I was in my own controlled environment and wasn't too tempted when it came to food.  This past week was a lot more hectic.

The first obstacle was Halloween.  Oh my good heavens did my children procure the most amount of candy!  And lots of chocolate, which is my favorite. I am happy to report that I haven't delved into their stash.  Halloween night, I allowed myself two squares of dark chocolate from my own bar that I keep.  I usually will allow myself one square a day if I want it.  

The second obstacle I faced was my sweet grandfather's 80th birthday party, which was held at a barbecue restaurant.  Now, my biggest temptations are sweets and bread.  And barbecue joints always have lots of scrumptious toasted garlic bread.  When I ordered, I just told the waitress to not even bring it to me (a slice came with the roasted chicken I got.) 

My little family with my grandfather and grandmother.

My sister-in-law Kayla and I at the bbq restaurant. 

I am happy to report that I left the restaurant cake and bread free and was able to eat off the menu within my set guidelines.  

Now, I know that I am being super strict right now. And you may think it a little rigid.  I am being strict for two reasons. One, my body is still detoxing and my metabolism and blood sugar should even out during this time. Two, I know myself.  I know my triggers and I still don't trust myself yet. I will eventually add back in whole grains and other healthy foods, but I am not ready to do that yet.  

The third obstacle was the taking our girls to the fair.  It was a large fair with a whole midway full of food vendors.  The smells and sights assaulted me with every step I took.  You know the typical fair food.  Oh, it was hard, but I left there without indulging even though my stomach was screaming at me to send the caramel candy apple to the party in my tummy. 

Then on the way home, my husband suggested that we stop at McDonald's as we headed back home.  I looked at him like he was crazy!  I didn't want to step foot in a McDonald's.  I didn't think I had the strength to resist a quarter pounder and fries.  Or even to watch them eat them while I chewed on a salad like a cow chewing cud. BUT, I ordered a premium burger, took the bun off and ate apples on the side.  I did it. (Praise God!!!) Temptation annihilated. 

Now, some of you may be wondering why I am making a big deal out of these occasions.  If you don't struggle with food addiction or something similar to that, you just plain won't understand.  

I mean, I wanted some garlic bread more than Edward wanted Bella's blood. I wanted  those fries at McDonald's and a caramel candy apple at the fair like a junkie wants a hit. It was hard. 

But I am pressing on toward the goal, people.   And I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. 

Now, if you ever watch the Biggest Loser, you know about the dreaded Week Two Weigh-in.  You know that historically on the show, people pull great numbers on week one and not so good on week two. It is no different with me this week.  

This week's weight loss is...... 2 lbs.  

For a total of 12lbs. in two weeks.  
Down from 304 to 292

On the Biggest Loser, they may have hung their heads in shame or frustration for a number like that, but I am super proud of my 2 pounds!  That is a good, healthy amount to lose each week.  As long I am moving in the right direction, I am happy. 

I found this picture on Pinterest showing what fat looks like.  I am looking at the 10 pound and 15 pound lumps of fat and knowing I am somewhere in between the two feels really good. 


I still have a really long road ahead of me.  I am seeing how this has to be complete life change or I will just end up where I am now again.  

But, I am up for the challenge!  I will do this!  I am not a casualty on the battlefield.  I am a fighter!

If you want to try out some awesome healthy recipes, head over and check our my Healthful Pinterest Board.  I especially like the "Best-Ever Brocolli" and the "Parmesean Crusted Green Beans."  Also, for weight-loss motivation and fitness tips check my Fitness and Weight Loss board. 

Don't forget to subscribe to this blog and follow on Facebook!  

*To view the post that started the weight-loss journey, click here.

November Trend: Plaids

November is here already. It's kind of hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This morning,  I have rounded up some of my favorite plaid posts from around the web.
I am really loving plaid for Thanksgiving this year, and I can't wait to deck out my Thanksgiving table with it!  

Rustic Picnic

Wouldn't you love to be along on this picnic on a beautiful November afternoon?

Casual Outdoor Dining

How about dining outdoors at this rustic-casual table? 

Thanksgiving Tablescape

I love the modern black and white plaid plates used in this Thanksgiving tablescape by Focal Point Styling.

Rustic Thanksgiving Tablescape

The mixed plaids used in this tablescape are beautiful!  Beaux R'eves did an amazing job setting a table that welcomes family.

Thanksgiving Porch

I would absolutely love to snuggle up with a good book on this Thanksgiving porch by Dear Lillie.  It is absolutely gorgeous!  I love the small touches of plaid on the pillows. 

Plaid Nails

Or how about donning plaid on your nails for Thanksgiving?  Beautiful job by Fetching Konad Nails. 


Thanksgiving will be here before we know it.  What are your go-to tablescape or decor faves?  Will plaids make an appearance at your place this year?