10 Tips for Hosting an Amazing Friendsgiving.

In the Military community, Friendsgiving is quite popular. It's not uncommon for many Military families to not be able to go home during Thanksgiving, so the next best thing is to host a party and invite your friends which is what I did! Friendsgiving is usually a laid back affair and in today's post, I am highlighting 8 great tips to host a successful Friendsgiving.

Make a budget and stick to it.

Don't skimp on flowers. 

Plan a simple menu and ask your friends to bring a meal. In fact more than likely they'll offer to do so.  It saves on time on money when you adapt a kind of potluck type menu.

Try chicken or cornish hens instead of turkey. I opted for chicken and baked it after seasoning it with some, basil and thyme(from the garden), kosher salt, black pepper, and Jamaican jerk chicken and  letting it marinade overnight. I garnished with grapes, more basil, and lemons. It was delicious!

Try alternative seating if you don't have enough chairs. In this case, an ottoman was used for extra seating at the table.

Be realistic regarding the number of friends you can accommodate

 Please use your fancy plates! Some say it's ok to use paper plates for Friendsgiving, but that's a big no no for me despite the fact that clean up would be more of a pain, but that's what friends are for- to help with cleaning up!

It's ok to not prepare everything yourself. For e.g., this cake is store bought and that is totally fine!

A fully stocked bar is a must for cocktails after dinner.

I chalked the ends of those logs for the party-definitely a great ice breaker.

Sit back, relax,  and have a good time.  Have you ever hosted or attended a Friendsgiving? xx

Shout Outs:
Special Thanks to local florist for all the beautiful floral arrangements: wildlycultivatedflorals

Wardrobe from local Lularoe consultant and stylist: Tiffany Parsons

To Kate- you were such a blast!

Photography by the always amazing Leahartman

Tabletop styling: Stacey Blake/Design Addict Mom

Our Thanksgiving Table and Some Turkey Recipes: Happy Thanksgiving!

This is a glimpse of our Thanksgiving Table in progress. I posted a peek on Instagram yesterday. The runner is actually fabric I bought to use for pillow covers. Isn't it pretty? I went with blue and white for the dinnerware and lots of gold pop from utensils, candlesticks, etc. Also, we're hosting this year 

so this has been me for days! I get down on my knees and clean the baseboards too! Yep! 

via health.com

Looking for ways to prepare your turkey? Here are 25 recipe ideas. Have a Blessed and safe Thanksgiving if you're celebrating tomorrow. xx

A Thanksgiving Gathering Inspired by Nature.

The changing colors and the beautiful weather we've been having here in North Carolina were the deciding factors for bringing this Thanksgiving gathering outside. Our colorful handmade table provided the perfect backdrop for the tablescape.

Fruits from the kitchen, fresh produce from a local Farmer's market, and greenery from shrubs  in the backyard were used for the tablescape. They mimicked the Fall colors that abound and brought this nature inspired table to life. 

A thanksgiving gathering is not complete without wine and you know we love our wine here!

The plates with their floral motif reflects  more of the nature theme.

I couldn't resist snapping this pic during set up with our chickens roaming around!

I love the texture of these candles and how they mimic the color of the grapes and wine. Do you have a theme for your Thanksgiving table?

Photography: Design Addict Mom

Styling: Design Addict Mom

15 Thanksgiving Table Ideas.

Have you decided on a theme for your Thanksgiving table? If you haven't, I have rounded up 15 beautiful Thanksgiving tables that are loaded with great diy ideas and that will be sure to inspire you.

My Thanksgiving table isn't set yet. I will be putting the final touches on our menu and hopefully, will have the table all set by tomorrow. Have a lovely Monday and I know many of us are excited about the short work week! xx

images: {pinterest, marthastewart, stylemepretty}

My Mod Podge DIY with Ferm Living Wallpaper.

It smells like Thanksgiving here. Lots of seasoning and scents whiffing in the air! What are you up to? I am also sipping wine before noon; tis the season!. Well, while things are baking and soaking, I figured I would share this mod podge project that I recently completed with you. I did a variation of this for my local paper using pictures, but today I am sharing the wallpaper version that I did for myself. I had this ferm living wallpaper left over from when we papered a wall in our prior home and I was excited to finally use it!

Getting Creative with Mod Podge: DIY Wallpaper Tile Coasters


I enjoyed doing this diy and I was thoroughly pleased with the results. Here are the details:

Materials Needed:


Tiles: I used  white subway tiles that I had left over from a building project. However, you can purchase inexpensive white tiles from your local hardware store.
Wallpaper: I used leftover wallpaper that I already had. If you do not have wallpaper, you can substitute wrapping paper or printed paper. You can also use pictures if you prefer. Remember, this diy can be tailored to suit any style or colour palette.

An Exacto Knife or a pair of scissors if you are precise at making a straight line.

Mod Podge Gloss Sealer:They are available at craft stores like Michaels, JoAnn Fabrics, or AC Moore.

Craft Felt: It's a great idea to adhere felts to the back of the tiles so they will not scrape or damage any furniture. Craft felts can be purchased at Walmart or any of your local craft stores.

The Process:


Trace your tiles onto your photo or paper.

Cut out the shape of your tile with an exacto knife or a pair of scissors. I left about 1/4 inch on each side because I wanted to see some of the tile as a border on each side.

Apply a small amount of any type of liquid adhesive(available at craft stores or walmart) to each tile. Use your fingers to gently press your photo or paper into place. Allow each tile to dry for approximately 20 minutes.

While they are drying using an extra tile, cut out felt shapes to place on the back of each tile.

Apply mod podge gloss sealant to each tile after it is dry. Repeat the process about 5 times allowing 20 minutes of drying time between each application.

When your tiles are thoroughly dry, apply precut felt to the back with an adhesive of your choice. Wait a day before using the coasters or before wrapping them as gifts.

The Results/Setting the Table with Mod Podge  Tiles:


A peek at our Thanksgiving table. I kept the utensils off because the boys tend to think all sharp things are toys.  The tiles look fab and pick up on the green from the plates which I already had and they were purchased from CB2 a couple years ago.  Don’t you just love that table covering? It’s a vintage laminated fabric that I scored at Hancock Fabrics some months ago! Oh, the table runner was a purchase from Pier 1 years ago and the chargers are from Target. The napkins are Kate Spade and guess what, I spent nada for this table setting. I used what I had and hoped it would all work together.  Have you used mod podge before? Enjoy your special day my friends. xx