Halloween Tablesape


Happy Halloween friends! Last post was all about the kiddos, and this one is all about the grown-up table... Here I have created a simple and affordable tablescape that is all about easy clean-up and is sure to wow your guests, or even just your kids, for Halloween dinner. As I have stated before, I am not one to splurge when it comes to Halloween decor and if I do purchase something new, I search for items that can be used year round. Let me take you through the steps of how I created this "spooky" tablescape:

1. I started off with a base, I used a painters dropcloth and placed it diagonally on the table.

2. I then layered a large piece of black cheesecloth over the drop cloth. I found mine at Michaels, but you can find these at any party, craft or fabric store around Halloween.

3. I then took a single panel sheer white curtain and puddled it down the center of the table. Yes, a curtain! I did this for my last tablescape as well which you can see HERE.

4. Now it's time to build up the centerpiece: 
To ground the center of the table, I used craft store brown moss and a styrofoam skull and placed them on a wooden plate under a glass cloche. On either side of that, I stacked some of my favorite old books in black and brown colors. Once I had the overall layout of my centerpiece, I stuck glittery twigs and flow-y greenery underneath and in between the books. Lastly, I staged the brass vintage candle sticks throughout and placed black candles in them.

5. For the place settings, I used the same plaid plates (out of stock) from PIER1 that I used for my early fall tablescape, but this time used them as a charger plate. I had found these cute PAPER SKULL PLATES (now on sale for $1.49 a pack!) at Michaels and they fit perfectly over the plaid ones, making an easy clean up come after dinner! You could take this a step further if you wanted and even layer a charger plate underneath the plaid plate. For mine, I just used these black and white striped napkins from the Magnolia Hearth & Hand line at Target for some additional pattern. Once the place settings were complete, I flanked one side with these beautiful printed cloth menus from PORTER LANE HOME use code SIMPLYCIANI20 for 20% off of your order. She does custom orders and can print any menu that you have in mind for your next event! I think it is such a special added touch when having guests over. The other side has my grandmother's silverware which I break out for every special occasion.

I hope this goes to show you how you can easily create a fun and elaborate tablescape by using just the items around your home, or using the same items from previous table set ups but just in different ways! Below I have linked a few of my favorites for easy shopping:

*This post contains affiliate links, this in no way affects the total price that you pay, it simply is a way for bloggers to make a small commission from the linked brand for the time we put in sourcing items to make shopping easier for our readers.














          

Kid Friendly Halloween Decor


In all honesty, Halloween is one of my least favorite holidays to decorate for... but my oldest loves it! This mama does what she can to make any holiday feel special, and Halloween is no exception. Preferably I like to skip the overly-spooky and lean more towards the kid-friendly side of decor. This year I went for simple and easy, really just sticking to decorating one area other than having the kids  decorate their windows and doors with dollar store Halloween cheapies just for fun.


Most everything that I used this year were things that I already had, such as these trick & treat banners that I made 6 years ago now! You can find the tutorial on them HERE.




The cute little paper bats were from Michaels, along with the black & white cheesecloth fabric. The adorable runner was a Target dollar spot find from last year. The spider web place mats and little black trees were dollar spot finds from this year. My favorite part of the whole set up are the Halloween plates from PIER1. While most of this decor is now out of stock, I will let you in on a little secret of mine... I almost always plan my seasonal decor a year ahead and buy everything as soon as it hits the clearance section or after holiday sales. And one last tip: when shopping seasonally, I also search for items that I can use year round. Below I have linked some of my favorites for creating a perfect Halloween table for kids, and all of it is on SALE, so stock up before it disappears!

*This post contains affiliate links, this in no way affects the total price that you pay, it simply is a way for bloggers to make a small commission from the linked brand for the time we put in sourcing items to make shopping easier for our readers.



Honoring My Veteran

Being a military wife comes with a whole set of sacrifices and challenges but most of all, pride. Being a wife of a veteran doesn't mean that we leave that military life behind us, the pride just takes on a new form. I love a man who served our country in the Marine Corps for 10 years before putting his boots to rest. He now wears a new uniform on a daily basis, protecting our community as a police officer. To use the word proud can't even convey how I truly feel about this man. When Veteran's Day rolls around each year, I like to take it back to our military days and remind him of those special moments we had early on in our marriage. While we weren't able to be together much in those days, we always tried to make the best of the distance. I would send him cute little themed care packages when he was away, letting him know that he was thought of and loved. I did it all in hopes that it provided him a smile on his dirty and tired face, even for just a few seconds. Those little pieces of home mean the most to these guys when they're so far away from all the comforts of home.





After he would return, you know what he told me was his favorite part of those packages? The handwritten notes from home. In this day, deployments have changed a lot since the ones our grandparents or even parents had to endure. We can video chat daily in most cases, along with emailing, and even still communicate via Facebook while half a world apart! But one thing remains the same: those handwritten letters and cards from the ones we love. Nothing compares to that. With each care package, I would send a specially chosen card. Now, creating Veteran's Day care packages for him, the tradition is the same.



The rest of his care package is filled with all of his favorites and decorated with scrapbooking paper and stickers purchased from my local craft stores. So if you have a veteran in your life, take some time to create a little package of love to honor them.

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