Thanksgiving Table Decor

Thanksgiving is two weeks away! I mentioned in my last post that Chad and I are hosting this year, which I'm excited about. I've been working on my grocery list and thinking of ways to dress up my table. Normally our table is dressed up with fingerprints, crumbs, random pieces of mail and at least two or three sewing projects. Aside from cleaning it up, clearing it off, and polishing it to a beautiful shine I'm not sure what to do.

I like simple designs and preferably ones that use natural elements or things I already have. And a tablecloth is preferable, but not a must. Ideas for holiday table arrangements can be found everywhere, but the hard part is finding a design that A) I like and B) is doable (read: very inexpensive or free) and C) isn't atrocious. Some are waaaay overboard for my taste, with dozens of candles, vases, flowers, gourds and other stuff that looks cluttered and leaves hardly any space for food or elbows. And some go a bit overboard in the creativity department--for example: I saw an idea for a Christmas table that used an old wooden toboggan as a large buffet. Cute idea for say, a magazine photo spread, but not necessarily a practical choice for the average hostess.

Here are a few ideas I've found that might work:

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I love this one, but I'd have to get my hands on some sort of wooden box structure that is rustic looking and not too big. Definitely a contender:

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I'm ignoring the super ornate background decor in this photo and just focusing on the centerpiece. I have vases and I have a toddler who will happily collect sticks for me. This could be the winner :)

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This one looks more wintery than the others, but I really like the cream colored candles and pinecones:

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Simple and cute, but would require buying flowers:

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This one is very pretty and wouldn't take up much space--bonus!

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I'm still not sure what I'll end up doing, but it'll likely be a combination of some of these ideas. And let's face it, all anyone really cares about is the food and the pie. Pie is non-negotiable. Specifically, pumpkin pie.

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Mmmm.

~Stacy