French Farmer's Market Thanksgiving - the decor

It's the very last day of November...

I figured I'd better hurry up and post about our Thanksgiving before we are officially into December.

I've got so many photos to share so I'm hoping you'll get lost in the imagery...

The idea to host Thanksgiving this year began with the purchase of our new home back in April.

Having never hosted Thanksgiving or any other holiday before...we knew we finally had a home that would accommodate a large crowd comfortably.

So the planning began...

After deciding on a French Farmer's Market theme...(a theme I was originally going to use for Ella's 2nd birthday party)...I started researching Farmer's markets and focused on finding little details I could incorporate to make our Thanksgiving feel authentic. (baskets, fabrics, etc.)

Here's where we would all eventually gather...

at the 11x3 foot custom harvest table we had made.

(more details on this in a separate post)

I wanted things to feel simple and organic and

I chose fabrics, dishes, utensils and decor that felt "French" to me...

I LOVE this French ticking I found in ivory/brown...

I felt it added a nice contrast to the floral fabrics I'd picked out

And that's how the color palette evolved into creams, brown, orange and vintage blue...

which then led to the creation of the Fall 2010 Kids' Table Collection.

With the table for the kids figured out...

it was time to move on to the adult table.

I opted for a cotton fabric that resembled vintage flour sacks for the table runner - it was PERFECT.

(even though burlap would've looked great - I felt it's distinct smell would be distracting during dinner)

My mom sewed it together for me and then we worked together to create the fringed ends.

(She and my older girls also worked to make all of the coordinating napkins too).

I kept the centerpiece decor pretty simple by using small fibrous pumpkins

wrapped in the coordinating fabrics and twine.

Mason jars were filled with lentils and a simple tealight

and were surrounded by a few acorns the girls and I had collected weeks prior...

The grapevine wreath design element I created for the invitations...

was carried over into the decor

by using mini wreaths to wrap the silverware...

hanging two large wreaths on the front doors to greet people as they arrived...

and incorporating two large wreaths on the french doors in the dining area.

When my search for goblet-style drinking glasses didn't turn up much, I settled on the stand-by mason jars.

I also created chalkboard place card settings by spray painting pre-cut triangular wood pieces from Hobby Lobby

and then hot gluing a small square wood piece to the back to keep them standing upright.

I wrapped fabric around the scented soy candles strategically placed throughout our home...

I wrapped the wheat bundles I had diplayed on the fire place mantle in the dining room...

I used chicken wire and an old window to create a place for everyone to write down & display

what they were most grateful for...

and the sentiment I'm sure we all were feeling...

Now...

the dessert table deserves a post all on it's own...

Stay tuned for all of the details...

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving Day celebrations with your own family.

I know I have a lot to be grateful for and I intend to carry that spirit of gratitude into the December holidays as well.

hugs!

Jessica

KEEPING IT REAL

• I was still adding floral picks to the wreaths in the dining area after family began arriving...

• I was fighting a cold/allergies that was zapping me of energy and was seriously wondering how I would get through the entire night...

• I had wanted the mason jars wrapped in fabric but ran out of time...

• The 25 pound turkey we cooked provided enough leftovers that I don't want to look at turkey again - for a LONG time.

AND.....

• I could NOT have pulled this off without the tremendous help from my mom and stepdad, Rick.

They worked for weeks helping me create the foundation for the dessert table - you'll see that later...

along with creating the table runner & napkins.

But it gets even better...

I showed up to my house late Wednesday afternoon to discover a squeaky clean home - accomplished by the group effort of my mom, Rick and my two older girls. WOW!!

Could there have been a more perfect way to come home and prepare for the hours of baking ahead of me?

Thanks Mom, Rick, Clara & Ema!! I love you!!!

And thank you Grandpa Wayne & Grandma Debbie from Illinois for watching Ella on Wednesday so everyone could finish up all of the preparations!!

It was seriously a group effort!!

I'm SO lucky to have so many people in my life who were willing to help!

I of course can't forget to mention J...

the man who overlooked the chaos during planning...

helped keep us on a budget...

and supported, encouraged and uplifted me through the entire process!! Love you!!