3 Beautiful Tables for Thanksgiving With Handmade And Cherished Family Heirlooms

Welcome to the 791st Tablescape Thursday! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones! I have two beautiful tables to share with you on this wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Sheri set this special table for her family's Thanksgiving. A family member celebrated their birthday a little before Thanksgiving and the table was also used for that special occasion.   Sheri said, "Mike made the cedar box … [Read more...]




2 Beautiful Thanksgiving Table Settings, Lovingly Prepared for Family

Welcome to the 790th Tablescape Thursday! I have two delightful tables to share with you for this week's Tablescape Thursday! Kathy has her Thanksgiving ready for her family, and it's beautiful!   I was so excited to see Kathy set her table with Plymouth Turkey dinnerware. I've seen this pattern when visiting my local William Sonoma, so it's exciting to see it in a real Thanksgiving table … [Read more...]




A Cozy, Warm, Candlelit Table For Fall, Mixing The New With The Vintage

Welcome to the 789th Tablescape Thursday! My favorite table settings, especially during the fall and winter, are always by candlelight.   This time of year, when nightfall begins arriving so early, I crave anything that feels cozy, warm, and comforting. Candlelight definitely gives me that.   A few days ago I purchased these rattan chargers that are currently on sale. I … [Read more...]




A Washer Update, A New Purchase + 4 Beautiful, Affordable Designs for Thanksgiving

Welcome to the 771st Metamorphosis Monday! Did you make it through the time change okay? I thought I read a couple of years back that we were going to stop the changing of the clocks every fall and spring. Does anyone else remember reading that? I guess something didn't get passed or make it all the way through for it to become a reality. I was really looking forward to that. I've just returned from a … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving Table with Spode Woodland, Waterford Araglin & Towle King Richard

Welcome to the 739th Tablescape Thursday! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! I'm not hosting Thanksgiving this year, but after the freezer was delivered yesterday, I put together a small table for four late last night that I hope you'll enjoy. This post is a mix of photos taken last night in low lighting and a few taken this morning in the natural light coming in through the breakfast room … [Read more...]




Decorate Your Home for Autumn with Whimsical Touches of Halloween!

Welcome to the 715th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy New Week! I have a delightful fall decor makeover to share for this week's Met Monday! Jillian is all ready for Halloween and Autumn and the fun starts right here at the front door.   Please note: This area is designated for "Broom Parking Only, Violators Will Be Toad!" Ha!   Eeek! Bats everywhere! Love the cattail … [Read more...]




2 Beautiful Tables, A Snowy Christmas Mantel & A Lovely Hand-crafted Church

Welcome to the 690th Tablescape Thursday! Jackie shared her beautiful Thanksgiving table just after Thanksgiving. It was so pretty, I couldn't wait another whole year to share it with you!   Being a Thanksgiving table, Jackie went with a color scheme in beautiful autumn browns, reds, creams, and deep greens for this tablescape.   Of course, being Thanksgiving, there had to … [Read more...]




Beautiful Equestrian-Themed Table Featuring Ralph Lauren’s, Wedgwood, Balmoral-Hunt China

Welcome to the 688th Tablescape Thursday! I have a beautiful table setting to share today, one I couldn't wait to see as soon as Elinda, a lovely BNOTP reader whose tables I've shared before, first told me about it. Elinda and I both have a love for all things "equestrian." I've never had a horse but I just love the beautiful clothing, collections and accouterments normally associated with horses and the … [Read more...]




Gathering with Friends for a Beautiful Thanksgiving

Welcome to the 687th Tablescape Thursday! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! I'm blessed this Thanksgiving to be surrounded by friends in this beautiful setting.   My friend, Teresa, put together a beautiful table for this year's Thanksgiving celebration. Her hubby, Frank, is in charge of the turkey and it's been brining away all day today in a special mixture he prepared. I'm … [Read more...]




Affordable Dinnerware, Perfect for Fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas & All Winter

Popping in with a quick post to share a super affordable dinnerware that I just purchased. It's perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or really it would be great to use all fall and winter long. I saw this pattern online recently and fell in love with the design! I love the toile design around the outer edge of each plate, but what really got me were the lit houses and the beautiful winter … [Read more...]




Double the Autumn Beauty and Color for This Week’s Tablescape Thursday!

Welcome to 681st Tablescape Thursday! I have two wonderful autumn treasures to share with you for this week's Tablescape Thursday. Sheri has set a beautiful table setting for fall. Sheri said, "I have my house ready for the fall and wanted to share some photos with you."   Sheri's tablecloth for this fall table goes with her lovely Heartland dinnerware. She paired this Heartland pattern … [Read more...]




Tablescape and Holiday Shopping for Autumn–So Many Temptations!

Welcome to the 673rd Tablescape Thursday! Hope you are staying well and haven't caught this yucky summer cold that seems to be going around. Thankfully, my cold is much, much better now. Whenever I visit family in Ohio, I love venturing out to check out the tablescaping goodies in this area of the world. I made a fun and very productive trip to HomeGoods yesterday and picked up quite a few goodies that … [Read more...]




A Thanksgiving Recap with a Few New Ideas for Christmas

Does an idea ever come to you in the form of a picture or an image? You're just going about your day and suddenly an idea comes to you out of nowhere, but it doesn't come to you as a conscious thought. Instead, it pops into your head as a picture or an image. Has that ever happened to you? That happened to me about two weeks before Thanksgiving. I had been picking up a few goodies for my grandsons in the … [Read more...]




9 Thanksgiving Table Settings, Plus a Colonial Williamsburg Centerpiece

Welcome to the 634th Tablescape Thursday, a blog party sharing beautiful table settings for all occasions! Wow, Thanksgiving is just one week away! Wasn't Halloween just yesterday? Do you ever feel like life is flying by way, way too fast! The older I get, the faster it seems to go. I know everyone says that, but it really does feel that way. For this week's Tablescape Thursday, I'm sharing links to 9 … [Read more...]




Planning Ahead for Christmas: Wreaths on Windows, Snack Center for Delivery Personnel & Lots of Holiday Inspiration

Welcome to the 613th Metamorphosis Monday, a blog party sharing fabulous Before and Afters! When my son was small, I worked in his elementary school library as a Media Parapro for five years. Unfortunately, I pretty much stayed sick with a cold or virus the entire five years since I spent my days interacting with young children all day long--handling the books they checked out and returned, reading to … [Read more...]




Beautiful Autumn Wreaths in Both Neutral and Fall Colors

One of the first things I'm going to do when I get back home is decorate for fall. I'm busting to get started! I have two wreaths I've used for my front door and over my mantel in past few years, so it will be time to pull those out and access their condition. I have a feeling it may be time for a new wreath or fall basket. I've been wreath shopping today to see what's available and there are some … [Read more...]




A Winterberry Candlelight Table Setting

Welcome to the 604th Tablescape Thursday! If you only read Between Naps On The Porch on Thursdays for Tablescape Thursday, you may be wondering why you haven't been seeing any tables from me lately. I've been visiting with my son, daughter in law and grandsons for the past five weeks, helping to homeschool and watch my grandsons during the day while my son/dil work. Fortunately, they have been able to … [Read more...]




A Cozy, Candlelit Thanksgiving Table Setting

Welcome to the 584th Tablescape Thursday! Happy Thanksgiving to you! I'm so excited because I have a beautiful Thanksgiving table to share today, a table created by my friend, Teresa, for her Thanksgiving feast with family this year. You may recognize Teresa from the fun, crazy adventures we had together while traveling through Egypt. Teresa was there when I was almost pickpocketed while shopping in … [Read more...]




Two Fun Sleeping-Bed Ideas for Visiting Children During the Holidays

I have the strangest problem right now: in a house with two guest bedrooms, I am lacking the type of guest sleeping quarters that I really need. How can that be? I have a guest room with a full-size bed.   And I have an upstairs family room with a queen-size sofa-sleeper which sleeps great per my son and daughter-in-law. In fact, when they are here visiting, they always prefer it over the … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving Table Setting Idea, Featuring Spode Woodland & Pheasant, Magnolia, Nandina Centerpiece

Welcome to the 582nd Tablescape Thursday! This is the table I'll be setting up for Thanksgiving this year. My grandsons, ages 3 and 5 will be here for Thanksgiving but won't be here for Christmas, so I want to do something fun for them.   They've never really watched the movie, Christmas Vacation, since they aren't quite old enough. They could probably watch it if we skipped past some of … [Read more...]




A Surprise Thank-you That Touched My Heart

Last January, after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season had died down and life was starting to return to normal, I was working in my office one day when the RING app on my phone went off indicating movement on my front porch. I checked my phone and saw a man place a folded, white piece of paper on one of the porch benches. Aftward, he walked back to his car that was parked on the street and drove … [Read more...]




Beautiful DIY Lit Pumpkin Centerpiece for Autumn

Welcome to the 560th Metamorphosis Monday! Good Morning from Ohio. I'm visiting family over the next few days and looking forward to sharing some of Ohio's beautiful autumn foliage. My Before and After for this week's Met Monday is a wonderful idea my daughter-in-law, Nancy, created for a beautiful fall table centerpiece.   She placed a pierced ceramic pumpkin down inside a gorgeous autumn … [Read more...]




Halloween-Thanksgiving Dinnerware Shopping & What I Couldn’t Leave Behind

Welcome to the 574th Tablescape Thursday! Yesterday I stopped by two of my favorite stores to check out the autumn dishware offerings. At first, I was completely underwhelmed, every table I saw was done in neutral tones. There were at least four dressed that way. I didn't take photos of all of them because I was really in the mood for some gorgeous fall color.   If you love neutral colors … [Read more...]




An Enchanting Candlelit Table Setting for Fall

Welcome to the 571st Tablescape Thursday! I'm back home now, had a great drive yesterday in beautiful sunshine the whole way. And no wayward ties attacked my car as I drove home this time! Whew! After the 9+ hour drive, it was too late to put a table together once I arrived, so today I'm sharing a wonderful table from Noemi who wrote: Hey Susan! I have been a fan of your blog for a couple of years … [Read more...]




Fall-Autumn Table Inspiration & a Stunning Autumn Pumpkin Candlelit Centerpiece

Welcome to the 570th Tablescape Thursday! I always love it when I hear from readers of Between Naps On The Porch, especially when they share photos their beautiful porches and tables with me. Autumn weather and the holidays are just around the corner! Hard to believe, isn't it? Recently I received an email from Maureen with pictures of a beautiful table she created for Thanksgiving this past year. … [Read more...]




A Family Christmas Mantel & The Best Cyber Monday Shopping Finds

Welcome to the 513th Metamorphosis Monday! My sweet daughter-in-law, Nancy, has been sick the past few days with a yucky cold, but this weekend she was feeling much better and started pulling out the Christmas decorations. It was so much fun seeing my grandson's reactions to the trees, lights and pretty decorations. There were a lot of Ooohhs and Ahhhs and WOWs! One of the areas that saw a makeover … [Read more...]




Happy Thanksgiving to You!

Welcome to the 530th Tablescape Thursday! Happy Thanksgiving to you! For this week's Tablescape Thursday, I'm sharing links to 8 previous Thanksgiving table settings. If you're looking for any last-minute ideas this morning, I hope these will provide a bit of inspiration for your Thanksgiving table. Click on any title or picture below to open that particular Thanksgiving Tablescape … [Read more...]




Hanging Wreaths & My Favorite Tartan Flannel Sheets Are On Sale

Have you completed your autumn decorations? I didn't really decorate a lot this year since I was out of the country for most of October, then under the weather with a nasty cold/virus for 10+ days of November. About the only decorating I did prior to leaving for Egypt was to hang a fall wreath on my front door. (See more of this wreath in this previous post: Autumn Wreath for the Front … [Read more...]




A Canadian Thanksgiving Celebration with Harvest Pumpkin China

Welcome to the 524th Tablescape Thursday! Brenda and Tom are newlyweds, they were just married in August. Together they live at Peaceful Valley Farm in Canada. What a beautiful place! It certainly lives up to its name! Brenda said, "We are retired but we have a hobby farm with two horses, Lady and Foxy. We also have 6 black Angus cows, (Tour of Duty, Rosebud, Daisey, Feiria, Roscoe, and Arlene) over … [Read more...]




A New Autumn Wreath for the Front Door

Summer is still very much with us here in Georgia with temps in the upper 80's and low 90's every day. I love the hot weather so I'm not complaining. Though it's not feeling one bit like fall, I came across a beautiful fall wreath recently that I couldn't pass up. I usually have a hard time finding a wreath I like because often they are just too small. I like a nice big wreath that fills out my … [Read more...]




Fall Dinnerware Shopping & Beautiful Embossed White Chargers On Sale

Welcome to the 518th Tablescape Thursday! I always have to be dragged kicking and screaming into fall. I know it's not that way for a lot of folks who can't wait for a bit of relief from the heat. When it comes to checking out the new dishware offerings for autumn, no dragging is needed. Ha! Yesterday I stopped into the Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma near my home to see if they had their fall/autumn … [Read more...]




Banana Bread: Delicious with Some Surprise Ingredients

Welcome to 483rd Metamorphosis Monday! Thank you so, so much for all the kinds words left in the comments of Thursday's post! I was traveling all day on Thursday and was out of town over the weekend, so I haven't had a chance to personally reply to everyone, but I'll be working on that throughout the week. I am so blessed by all the lovely dearhearts who stop in each day and want you to know I never … [Read more...]




Going to Miss the Cozy Tartan Plaids of Winter

Welcome to the 492nd Tablescape Thursday! A few week's back I posted a winter woodland table for Tablescape Thursday.   Shortly after posting that table, Elinda shared photos of a recent woodland table she had put together. Though spring has arrived early here in Georgia (everything is blooming up a storm now!) I had to share this delightful cozy woodland table. Recognize the deer in … [Read more...]




One Dish, Many Celebrations

Welcome to the 478th Tablescape Thursday! Hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends this week. I'm away enjoying visiting with family, so don't have a table to share, but I have something table related that I hope you'll enjoy. Recently I purchased something as a Christmas gift for a family member and loved it so much, I purchased one for myself, as well. You may remember … [Read more...]




25 Ideas & Tips for Decorating & Preparing for the Holidays

Today I've pulled together some of my favorite ideas for decorating and entertaining for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. Hope you find this helpful as you decorate, craft, cook and prepare for your festive holiday parties and gatherings. Click on the BLUE title below to access that post for more details. Follow Between Naps On The Porch on Instagram for more of my holiday posts: BNOTP … [Read more...]




Noritake Xavier Gold: Perfect for an Autumn or Holiday Table

Welcome to the 474th Tablescape Thursday! Too cold to create a table setting on the porch this week...   ...or, on the new seating area on the deck.   Since we're inside in the dining room for this week's Tablescape Thursday, it's the perfect time to share a candlelit table with a cozy, autumn feel.   This table wanted to become everything. It wanted to be a … [Read more...]




17 Charger Plate Ideas for Your Next Dinner Party

Welcome to the 454th Tablescape Thursday! Whenever I set a table for friends or family, I often use a charger plate underneath the dinner plate. I love the way they enhance a setting, adding another pretty layer and providing a base for each place setting. They are also practical as they help catch drips that would otherwise fall on the table or tablecloth. Back in early 2008, before I ever began … [Read more...]




Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome to the 427th Tablescape Thursday! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Though I'm not hosting Thanksgiving this year, I put together a table setting to share using the acorn soup tureens I just recently purchased .   I started out with the idea of creating a woodland centerpiece using deer, but it just didn't feel right leaving Mr. Turkey out of the picture. I only get to use … [Read more...]




A Beautiful Fall Thanksgiving Feast with a Sassy Turkey Centerpiece

Welcome to the 426th Tablescape Thursday! This Thanksgiving Gina, who reads BNOTP, will be hosting not one, but two Thanksgiving feasts! She shared photos with me recently of the table she created for her first dinner and it is stunning! Look at all those darling acorn tureens! Love the little green pumpkins perched atop the tall candlesticks...so cute!   There are so many wonderful … [Read more...]




7 Tables of Thanksgiving

Welcome to the 425th Tablescape Thursday! Thanksgiving is just two weeks away! This month is flying by, but then the holidays always do. For this week's Tablescape Thursday, I'm sharing seven past Thanksgiving table settings. Hope they will provide a bit of inspiration for your Thanksgiving this year. Will you be cooking this year or traveling to be with family?   Click on any title or … [Read more...]




Where Did You Get That Flatware?

Welcome to the 409th Tablescape Thursday! I've been out of town visiting with family for the last five days and just got back late yesterday evening. Since I wasn't home to create a tablescape, I thought it might be fun to put together a post all about flatware. Flatware is to a table setting what jewelry or shoes are to an outfit. The right flatware can be the perfect finishing touch to a beautiful … [Read more...]




A Thanksgiving Tablescape With a View

Welcome to the 376th Tablescape Thursday! Recently my friend Bonnie, shared some photos of the beautiful table setting she created for Thanksgiving this year. Her dining room overlooks this stunning view!   The gorgeous autumn foliage must have been the inspiration for this wonderful Thanksgiving tablescape.   The beautiful beaded, leaf placemats work so well with the fall … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving Table With Spode Woodland & A Whimsical Turkey Centerpiece

Welcome to the 375th Tablescape Thursday! Happy Thanksgiving! We'll be having our Thanksgiving feast here in the dining room today. I'm not planning on serving soup (wish I still had some of the roasted pumpkin soup I made recently) but just for fun I added the turkey soup tureens to see how they would look. Whenever I use Mr. Turkey in the center, I can't resist brining out the turkey tureens since … [Read more...]




Squash Casserole Recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Anytime

Greetings this beautiful fall day! Are you busy preparing for Thanksgiving? I haven't had Thanksgiving here at my home in a while, so I'm excited to have family coming here this year. I picked up a Honey Baked Ham yesterday and bought a fresh turkey today to cook on Thanksgiving Day. I know they'll be lots of left overs but that's fine with me. Who doesn't love leftovers! I always prepare a squash casserole … [Read more...]




A Roasted Pumpkin Soup For Cozy, Fall Dinners

Happy Friday! Yesterday I shared a fall table setting and my centerpiece for the table was the prettiest little pumpkin casserole from Martha Stewart. (Pumpkin Casserole is currently on sale here: Martha Stewart Pumpkin Casserole)   The pumpkin casserole came with a yummy recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Soup. This soup was very easy to make, the trickiest part was cutting apart the sugar pumpkins. Those … [Read more...]




Get Ready for Holiday Entertaining & Dining, Everything Is On Sale!

Yesterday I ran a quick errand and while I was out, I stopped by Williams-Sonoma to see what was new for the holiday season. Oh my gosh, if you are in need of Autumn, Thanksgiving or Christmas dishware, they have some of the cutest patterns in that I've seen in a long time! I went online to see if I could find any good coupons and I noticed they are having a 20% off any item sale along with free shipping … [Read more...]




Decorate a Porch or Sunroom for Autumn

Welcome to the 351st Metamorphosis Monday! Earlier this year in June, I shared Linda's beautiful 3-season porch. You may remember that this space was once a concrete pad with just a pergola overhead. Linda and her hubby transformed it into a porch they now enjoy almost all year-long.   They kept this room and the adjoining living room light and bright by using a clear, acrylic roof … [Read more...]




What I’m Loving For Fall & Halloween

We've been having some really wonderful fall-like days here lately. It's hard to believe this is August because it has felt more like October. How has it been where you live?  I've been throwing the doors to the porch open every morning, letting all that cool morning air into the house, then I close them around 10:00 when it starts to warm up a little. With the cool temps, I'm starting to think about … [Read more...]




Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome to the 324th Tablescape Thursday! Pssst: Putting this week's tablescape up early since tomorrow will be a busy day for so many. Since I'm not hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, for this week's Tablescape Thursday I'm linking back to previous table settings I've created over the years for Thanksgiving.     Hope you enjoy and hope your Thanksgiving Day is … [Read more...]




Decorate Your Mantel For Fall and Thanksgiving

Welcome to the 302nd Metamorphosis Monday! This weekend I decided it was time to give the living room mantel a little makeover for fall and Thanksgiving. This can be a fun room to spruce up for autumn because the warms tones in the judges paneling and the jewel tone colors of the fabrics always make a great backdrop for fall decorating.   Normally the mantel has a few books and … [Read more...]




They Only Look Like Ornaments…

Welcome to the 301st Metamorphosis Monday! Pssst...come over here a second, I want to show you something. We're in the Christmas section of Wal-mart...what do you see? Looks like ornaments, right?   I'm seeing something else. Those antlers, the ones in a circle shape there on the top row...   To me, those look like great napkin rings...   ...for a Christmas … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving & Christmas Tablescapes With Pottery Barn

Welcome to the 320th Tablescape Thursday! Yesterday I popped into Pottery Barn to get a look their tabletop goodies for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. The PB near me was under construction last time I visited because they were expanding the size of the store. With construction complete, things looked very different on this trip. They had lots of pretty tablescapes set up throughout the … [Read more...]




Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

A couple of days ago I shared plans to make a butternut squash soup for a New Year's Day dinner party. I found a recipe that sounded and looked pretty yummy at "Chow" online.   One of the things I like about this recipe is that it can be made up to 3-4 days in advance, then reheated prior to serving. So many foods actually taste better if they are made a few days in advance since it gives the … [Read more...]




Emergency Substitutions for Common Ingredients

There's nothing more stressful when preparing a big holiday dinner than running out of a key ingredient, especially when there's no time to run back to the store. Here's a list I compiled of popular substitutions for some of the more common ingredients we sometimes run low on. Hope this helps your cooking go a bit smoother this holiday season! Happy Thanksgiving! Image from … [Read more...]




21 Delicious Party Drinks for the Holiday Season

It will soon be party time! Even if you're not having a big party this year, chances are you will have family and friends stopping in during the holidays. Treat them to a special drink that's as pretty as it is tasty! I spent several hours yesterday searching for the yummiest and most beautiful party drinks I could find. I'm pretty excited about this list, I think it will be my go-to spot for holiday … [Read more...]




A Thanksgiving Fall Tablescape Out On The Porch

Normally, this time of year would find me tablescaping inside, but with temps like this I couldn't resist tablescaping out on the porch.   Mr. Turkey was already out here from last week, still posing as the perfect centerpiece for an autumn table setting.   Fall has finally arrived here in Georgia. The trees are changing colors and are beginning to look bare. More sun is … [Read more...]




Ideas and Inspiration for Your Thanksgiving Celebration

Happy Friday! Are you looking forward to the weekend? Any fun plans for a little leaf ogling or cider sipping? Have you finalized all your plans for Thanksgiving? If not, you're going to like today's post!  I'm excited to be joining in a fun Thanksgiving party put together by Laura who blogs at Top This Top That. The other lovely ladies participating in today's "Better Late Than Never" … [Read more...]




Autumn Table Setting with Spode Woodland

Welcome to the 268th Tablescape Thursday! Happy Halloween! Are you ready for the Trick or Treaters? Have you been sampling the Halloween candy this past week like I have? You know that's necessary, just to make sure it isn't stale or anything. Okay, remember when I decked out the hutch on the screened porch with pumpkins for Fall?   For this week's Tablescape Thursday, it was time to … [Read more...]




An Autumn Mantel and Fire Screen

It's been a while since I've posted a fall mantel, the last time was late September 2011. I only have one fireplace, thus one mantel in my home and it's in the den, a room with honey-colored judges paneling. (Picture below from last year, just after Christmas.)   Photography is always a bit of a challenge, even with a tripod. The walls just soak up all the light.   This is how … [Read more...]




Decorate in White for Fall

It's late summer and the temps are still warm here in the south, but in the evenings there's a hint of fall in the air.   Yesterday I shared a new lamp I had just added to the porch. It's painted one of my fave colors, a soft green. I love the color combination of green and white. It feels so fresh and so alive.   I have a hutch here on the porch and it's painted in the same pretty … [Read more...]




Wide Ironing Boards Make Ironing Easier

Welcome to the 216th Metamorphosis Monday! Recently I made an upgrade most folks would probably not get too excited about, but I'm actually pretty excited!  While out shopping a couple of weeks ago, I found myself in the ironing board isle of a local home product store. Guess what I discovered?  Ironing boards come in wider sizes! Did  you know this?  I had absolutely no idea. I didn't buy an ironing … [Read more...]




A Cozy, Woodland Setting

Welcome to the 221st Tablescape Thursday!  (Pssst:  The seasonal footer at the bottom of BNOTP is all decked out with Christmas and Holiday posts.) As I put this table setting together yesterday, I thought I was creating a Christmas tablescape.  Once I sat down and began writing my post, I realized this is really a great "transition" table, a table that's as much at home for a fall or Thanksgiving dinner … [Read more...]




Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome to 220th Tablescape Thursday!  I'm posting Tabescape Thursday early this week since tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and it will be a busy day for everyone. I'm excited to share my friend, Bonnie's beautiful Thanksgiving table this week! Come a bit closer and soak up all the wonderful details. I love, love, love all the  rich fall colors in this setting.  Such a warm, inviting table for … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving Tablescape, 2012

Welcome to the 219th Tablescape Thursday! I'd also like to welcome listeners from the Bekah, Lynne, Thursdays show!  Thanks so much for stopping by and thanks to Bekah and Lynne for the shout-out today on their mid-morning show!   If you're looking for the home tour of the adorable cottage in the movie, The Holiday, you'll find it here:  Tour Rosehill Cottage from the movie, The Holiday. Thanksgiving … [Read more...]




Never Buy Place Cards for Your Tablescape Again

I've been working on my Thanksgiving table setting this week and I had it almost finished when I realized how much I didn't like the way the place cards I was using looked with the autumn colors in my tablescape.  The only place cards I have are some I purchased a few years ago and they are stark white. I hopped in the car and headed over to a couple of home stores thinking I might find something in more … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving Table Setting with Nature Themed Centepiece

Welcome to the 171th Tablescape Thursday! I'm a week late but for this Tablescape Thursday I'm sharing the Thanksgiving table setting I had been working on when my camera cat-astrophe occurred. All the pics in this post were taken with the new camera, a Nikon D5100. This camera is super, duper light sensitive, which is why it works so well in low lighting situations. It will take me a little while to get … [Read more...]




Sometimes the Grass Really Is Greener on the Other Side

A while back I set up a little cozy, fall  'scape out on the porch.   A few weeks before creating that little tablescape, I had purchased some real acorns on Amazon.  They were reasonably priced  and perfect for  fall.  (You'll find more pics of this fall tablescape, HERE.)   The funny thing is, I have a HUGE oak tree in my front yard.   But for some crazy reason, 99.9% of … [Read more...]




Ummph! Martha Stewart Canceled, Again!

As you're running around today preparing for the big day tomorrow, here's a little silliness to give you a giggle.  Unfortunately, the source for this piece is unknown. Stop, take a few deep breaths today and know this:  It doesn't have to be perfect.  It doesn't even have to be edible.  It just has to be about gathering together with the ones we care about and love. Dear Family & Friends, I … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving Turkey Napkin Fold Tutorial

Recently, for Tablescape Thursday, I posted a Thanksgiving tablescape with the little ones in mind.     (Tablescape below can be viewed here:  A Thanksgiving Tablescape for the Kids) It included a fun turkey napkin fold.   Today I'm sharing a tutorial showing how it's made, in case you would like to incorporate it into your Thanksgiving table this year.     To create your turkey … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving Tablescape for the Kids

Welcome to the 169th Tablescape Thursday! Thanksgiving is only one week away!  Wow, this month has flown by.  For this Tablescape Thursday I put together a tablescape with the little ones in mind.  Do you set up a "kids" table each year for Thanksgiving?  Sometimes I think sitting at the kids table would be more fun than the grown-ups table.   Though this table was created with little ones in … [Read more...]




Autumn Comes to the Porch

I've been playing outside today, bringing a little fall to the porch.  During the summer it looks something like this Because the porch is all white (for the most part) it's a blank slate for anything you can dream up.  For the 4th of July, it looked like this. (4th of July porch can be viewed here: Porch Decorated For the 4th of July)   It was time to add a little fall  to the … [Read more...]




Decorate Your Pumpkin with Ribbon for Halloween

Welcome to the  142nd Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? I've had a busy one. Saturday, I drove down to Macon, Georgia and attended a class for "extreme couponing" with my sister and niece. I watch so little TV, I didn't even know what extreme couponing was. It was really interesting. If you have a good size family, I can see how the savings could really add up. I'll share some of what I learned … [Read more...]




Warming Up on the Porch

Welcome the the 163rd Tablescape Thursday! Cool fall nights are perfect for hot chocolate out on the porch. Where would you like to sit?   How about on the swing?  There's a soft, warm blanket to keep you warm and a great book awaits.   The late afternoon sun is so wonderful streaming in across the porch.     The evening breeze carries the … [Read more...]




A Fall Mantel for the Family Room

While we're enjoying all the wonderful "before and afters" from yesterday's Met Monday, I thought I'd share another little metamorphosis I've been working on this week in my family room.  (Update: This living room looks very different now. See the changes in these two posts: Reforming My Faux Ways and Velvet Drapes for an English Country Living Room)   BEFORE: The coffee table looks so bare … [Read more...]




A Tablescape of Thanksgiving

Welcome to the 118th Tablescape Thursday! This post is dedicated to you...the readers of BNOTP. I was so touched by all the expressions of thanksgiving you left on Mikasa's Facebook wall, I decided to let you write today's Thanksgiving post. I am thankful for each day with my husband of 42 years, time spent with our children and 6 grandchildren. As well as my Mom who will be 89 this year. We are … [Read more...]




An Autumn Basket for the Front Door

Welcome to the 89th Metamorphosis Monday! I need your help today...I can't see the forest for the trees, so tell me what you think. I have a pretty fall wreath I sometimes place on my door...but this year I thought I'd try a basket instead. Here's how my front door has looked all summer. Nice, but time to put this look away and welcome in the fall season... I found this large basket … [Read more...]




Three Tablescapes: Baby Shower, Beachy & Thanksgiving

Hi Everyone! Hope your week was fabulous! Any great plans for the weekend? I hope wherever you live...the weather is as awesome there as it is here. A few months back, I was blessed to receive some delightful pics of tablescapes created by three readers of BNOTP. I thought I'd share their wonderful tables today...along with the info they sent about how they were inspired to create them. Kathy from … [Read more...]




Coconut Cake Recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic these days.  Holidays have a way of doing that to us, don't they? As I was looking back through some of my older posts, I came across one written around this time last year and couldn't resist sharing it with you guys again. It's a post about a family tradition that I hope you'll enjoy. But first, I have to share something that had me laughing so hard on Christmas Day, I was … [Read more...]




Holiday Table Settings by the Readers of BNOTP

Happy Saturday! Are you having a fabulous weekend? Shopping done, or are you still looking for that perfect gift? I'm done (thank goodness) except for a few more gifts for stockings. Several weeks ago, I announced that on Saturdays, during the month of December, I'd love to posts pics of tablescapes created by Non-bloggers who are readers of BNOTP. Well, you guys got busy tablescaping and I've been … [Read more...]




Turkey Day is Almost Here!

Wow! 152 participants in yesterday's Metamorphosis Monday! So many fabulous "Before and Afters!" When you have some spare time this holiday weekend, come back and check them all out. I promise you will come away inspired to tackle that project you've been putting off around your house. You may have noticed a little trend this week here at BNOTP. I wanted these last few days before Thanksgiving to be a … [Read more...]




Decorating for Autumn and a Thanksgiving Tablescape

Welcome to the 45th Metamorphosis Monday!   For this weeks Met Monday, we're going to Bonnie's beautiful home to see how she has transformed her hutch in her breakfast room. When we last saw it around the end of October, it was all decked out for Halloween. Remember this amazing pic? Well, honey, that was so, three weeks ago! Feast your eyes now! Wow...quite a transformation from Halloween...love … [Read more...]




A Beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescape

Recently, Babs, a lovely reader of BNOTP, shared a few pics of her beautiful Thanksgiving tablesetting. Babs told me she wanted to set a casual Thanksgiving table with some of her recent purchases from Cracker Barrel. (If you are a follower of BNOTP on Facebook, you already know about the amazing 40% off sale Cracker Barrel recently had on much of their autumn tabletop merchandise.) Feast your eyes on … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving Tablescape with Spode, Woodland China

Welcome to the 65th Tablescape Thursday! With Thanksgiving only a week away, I thought I'd share a "hunt themed" Thanksgiving tablescape this evening. This tablescape is similar to the one I did last year, but I've changed quite a few things and added a bit more whimsy.   Let's dim the lights a bit... Acorn tureens from Williams-Sonoma are just right for a hearty Butternut Squash … [Read more...]




Sweet Potato Casserole, Southern Style

With Thanksgiving just 9 days away, I sat down today and started creating my grocery/shopping list. In the past you would have found me rooting through scraps of paper and note cards, trying to pull together all the recipes for those traditional Thanksgiving dishes my family enjoys this time of year. A few years ago, I typed up every single recipe, all pretty and neat. I printed them all out on cute little … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving with Candlelight and a Natural Centerpiece

Welcome to the 64th Tablescape Thursday! Recently I was "chatting" with my friend, Kathysue...we met via Rate My Space and have been friends every since.   Kathysue has created a beautiful tablescape for Thanksgiving and she graciously agreed to let me share some pics of her table setting, as well as her beautiful dining room. I've always loved the striped wall paper in Kathysue's dining room...it's … [Read more...]




Fall Dining on the Porch

Welcome to the 61st Tablescape Thursday! I'm often asked, "How many sets of dishes do you have?!"  Well, I'm letting you in on a big secret tonight. You really don't need that many sets of dishes to create different tablescapes...you just need to be a little creative and change a few of the elements. Let me show you what I mean. Remember this tablescape I posted about 4 weeks ago with my Pier 1 china, … [Read more...]




A Plate for All Seasons

In my kitchen, I have a little plate holder that for years held a red and white "rooster" plate. A while back I decided to make it more than just a plate holder with a decorative plate...now it's a fun way to mark the changing of the seasons, as well. So when February rolls around, it's time to think about cupid... And as it get closer to Easter... Once Easter has past, it's time to … [Read more...]




A Thanksgiving Table Setting with Spode Woodland

Welcome to the 14th Tablescape Tuesday! Recently I had a "china" panic attack! A china panic attack is what happens when you hear or read that a particular china manufacturer is trying to sell their business because they are fast headed in the direction of closing their doors. Unfortunately, there's a lot of that type news going around these days. The company I heard about was Spode and my little … [Read more...]