The minute I saw these midnight black champagne flutes at an estate sale I knew it was perfect for my wine cabinet. I guess you can call it a house swap!
A short time later I found matching wine glasses…I guess you can call that a gift from the universe!
A quick and easy way to store and display your fav or most precious greeting cards is to FRAME them!
I received this Blue Mountain card, titled Don’t Ever Lose Sight of the Wonderful Person You Are, in 2014 from my former supervisor/mentor. I now keep this card framed with a photo of me in primary school. These are the words I needed to hear as a little girl. These are the words I need to read every day to continue to become a better me.
Turn to your fav magazine for more quick, easy and FREE art! This beautiful African model rocking jumbo gold metal earrings was ripped from the pages of a Harper’s Bazaar magazine. High fashion turned high quality framed art!
It’s the little elf hat for me! I love a good find and a cute pet costume…put them both together and DOUBLE SCORE! Doesn’t he look dashing in his Dollar Tree Elf costume? Yup, Dollar Tree! He’s a skinny thing under all that hair/fur so a size Large was a great fit! Stay tuned for his Santa outfit!
2020 has been a year of _________ (fill in the blank).
Creativity. Through adversity we’ve launched a new business venture, Art Effect Kid, LLC and Kid Coffee, as well as revamped our website. It’s also been a year of fun house projects. My first and biggest decorating project for the Thanksgiving holiday was setting my dining table, Pinterest-style.
The center of my theme was a black and white damask table cover from Dollar Tree. I was quite surprised at how well it fit. Although it didn’t hang as long as I preferred, once the chairs were in place the cover’s shortness of length was less noticeable.
Figuring out exactly how to set the table was a bit of trial and error. Every fancy table setting has candles so I figured that would be a good place to start. I grabbed my fav vintage brass candle holders and “good dishes”, the only full set I have without any dings. Even after covering the gray dining chairs with a mustard yellow cover (courtesy of Wish.com), I was underwhelmed with the overall look. The table was drab. What am I missing?
When I wasn’t sure what direction to go in, I kept going back to these saved pins from Pinterest. The gold spray painted pumpkin was a bit over the top for me, but I loved the pop of color and it also reminded me that I had real pumpkins that I could use. The table garland also gave me the idea to create my own using craft supplies around the house!
The transformation was fun and exciting! I created the table centerpiece by wrapping an artificial Hanging Eucalyptus Bush (used in my DIY: Globe Hanging Planter) around my brass candle holders and a glass hurricane. For florals, I used Dollar Tree peonies and red roses. I love how the colors created a romantic, moody vibe. For a touch of fall décor, I added a small orange and white pumpkin. The napkins and cutlery were also Dollar Tree! No need to fuss with fancy napkin folding with these “ready sets”. The black champagne flutes were an estate sale find, however there’s a similar set available on Amazon (Artland Flute Glasses/$64.00). To tie it all together and add a bit of fancy, I included personalized table number frames from, yup Dollar Tree!
Since I was on a roll, why not create my own menus!
I’ve always prepared a menu to keep track of groceries to buy and meal prep. Since fancy on a budget was the motive, I decided to print a black and white menu showcasing the appetizers, main course, side dishes and dessert. The rosemary branch was from my backyard-a convenient and personal touch!
Love the idea of having a Thanksgiving or Holiday menu? Download my menu template and create your own.
Here’s a final look at my Thanksgiving table setting! I purchased a second table cover to create an outdoors table setting as well. Don’t’ forget to include you balcony, patio or backyard as an option to enjoy appetizers or dessert.
This year has been full of lessons for us all. My prayer is that we will become stronger because of it. I know that I have. I’ve learned to slow down, be in the moment and never, ever take loved ones for granted. The pandemic painted a perfect picture of what can wait and what can‘t. Spending time with family is something I am no longer willing to push to the side. With that, my grateful list on today is short and sweet. I am grateful to be alive, healthy and loved.
It was important for me to show my gratitude this year in an extravagant way. It may seem silly to go about a lot of fuss for a party of three (myself, son and brother), but life is too short. I’m no longer waiting for that special moment to bring out the “good dishes” or wear that “special outfit”. Everyday should be a fancy occasion.
I may have gone a bit overboard with decorating the backyard patio!
ella bea + art effect 