Happy Thanksgiving from Buttercup Bliss

*  Simple fall centerpiece * 

Happy Thanksgiving!!  Things are hopping around our house today as we prepare for Thanksgiving.  I love Thanksgiving!  It is such a special time of year when we focus on our blessings.  

I have set the table for tomorrow.  (We will also have people at the bar and on a small folding table!!  I love a crowd! )  I am excited - the more the merrier!  I have had this centerpiece out since September.  The gold square container was a three dollar bargain from Target, as was the striped pumpkin.  I've had the votives for a few years - a little ribbon and twine gave them a fresh look.  (Now that I think about it, the tray and the candlestick are from Target also.  I clearly spend way too much time at Target!) 

 I enjoy using my Spode Woodland salad plates each year.  They go perfectly with my Wedgewood Strawberry and Vine dishes.   Thanksgiving dinner is also the perfect time to use my silver.  It is Gorham Buttercup and I truly love it!.  

I have turkeys, pheasants, deer, hunting dogs, quails, and yes, turkeys!  I love this pattern so much, I may start purchasing serving pieces.  I have this thing about dishes..... But that's the wonderful thing about white dishes - you can totally change the look by using various salad plates!  

I truly hope each of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Our family will be cooking, watching the Macy's parade, and enjoying being together as a family. Tomorrow night we will watch Charlie Brown's Christmas - it is one of Seth's favorite traditions.  I believe I am most thankful that we all live so close to each other.  I know I have said this before, but I truly believe having my father across the street and my sister around the corner has been the most amazing blessing!!  Family is everything!   

"In everything, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" 
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Blessings from Buttercup Bliss! 

Lisa 

Happy Thanksgiving from Buttercup Bliss!

 Are you ready for Thanksgiving?  Seth is out of school so we are ready for a fun-filled week.  We will not be home for Thanksgiving this year because we are going to the mountains.  Yippee!! We are so excited!!  I have not planned a Thanksgiving tablescape this year since we will be enjoying the holiday in a wonderful chalet; however, I thought I would share a few of my Thanksgiving tables from previous years.  

 

 We were in our "old, old" house this year.  We have moved twice since then, hence as Seth says, the "old, old" house. I loved this formal dining room.We no longer have a formal dining room, and while we didn't eat there very often, I loved having a special room in which to eat on holidays.

This was the year I discovered Plush Pumpkins.   I love them and have quite a collection now.

This was the year we moved to our smaller house.  We had only one dining area so we kept our large round table that had previously been in our breakfast room.  It is still perfect for our family. I loved this simple centerpiece. I prefer tablescapes that aren't too fussy. 

 My everyday Longaberger dishes in various colors work perfectly with the accent salad plate and charger that I found at Walmart.  The fall colored placemats and napkin rings were from Dillards.  I love the rich, warm colors.  

This was two years ago.   I used my Wedgefood Strawberry and Vine as the main dishes.  I added the Spode Woodland salad plate.  I love any occasion to pull out my silver.  I know it is silly, but my mom started my collection of Gorham Buttercup, so I love using it.  They remind me of her so much!

Finally, this was last year.  Very simple.  I have added to my collection of Spode Woodland plates.  I love the elk.  I also have a quail, and a hunting dog, in addition to the turkeys. I don't want an entire set, but the salad plates are just the perfect touch for Thanksgiving.

I hope each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I am always so thankful for my blessings, but this year has been so wonderful for our family.  I am blessed to be back 'home".  God is so good!!! 

 Thank you for visiting Buttercup Bliss,

Lisa

Fall into Thanksgiving

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving!!  I hope your day has been full of family, friends, food, and football!!

We stayed home this year for Thanksgiving.  It has been a wonderful day!!

I have had my fall tablescape in place since about mid September. I tweaked it yesterday to make it perfect for Thanksgiving.  Here are a few pictures:

For the early fall, I used simple white dishes that go with everything!   

The striped napkins are actually hand towels that I folded to serve as a napkin.  

I loved the blue and brown stripes for fall.  Of course, I had to use my plush pumpkins.  

The burlap table runner was a recent find from Antiques at the Loop. 

To "tweak it" for Thanksgiving, I switched out the burlap runner for this wooden beaded runner.  I got it several years at Target.  

I switched out the napkins and added my Spode Woodland salad plates.  I have a mixture of these: turkeys, quail, deer, and a hunting dog.  I love the rich colors of this pattern.  I also removed my everyday flatware and added my silver, Gorhap Buttercup. 

I added a paisley napkin and also changed the casual gold goblets to clear goblets by Denby.  I suppose I should have added my nicer crystal but I really like the more relaxed look of these glasses.  (Plus, we no longer have a formal dining room so the Waterford is packed up for now.) I do love a formal dining room.  When we have our "forever home", I hope to have a place to enjoy special family gatherings and display my china. 

Thanks for visiting Buttercup Bliss!!  I am off to cheer on my Ole Miss Rebels!!!  

Happy Thanksgiving!

source

Today is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday.  I hope you and your family enjoy this most special day.  The other day I was organizing some things to put in the attic  when I stumbled across a board book that Seth and I read many, many times when he was a toddler.  It is just absolutely perfect for this time of year so I wanted to share it with you.  

Thank you, God 

Written by P.K. Hallinan

Thank you, God, for all that you give --

For the friends that I have...

For the home where I live.

Thank You for meadows of beautiful flowers.

Thank You for rainbows and soft April showers.

Thank You for beaches with warm summer sand.

And thank You for snowflakes that cover the land.

Each evening You bless us with heavenly light.

Each morning Your sunrise gives flight to the night!

So thank You, dear God,

For all that You do --

For answering prayers and for miracles too!

Thank You for feeding me, day after day.

Thank You for leading me along the right way.

And thank You for angels that I can't really see

But somehow I's certain keep watch over me!

Thank You for family and my relatives all,

Thank You for animals, the great and the small.

And thank You, dear God, 

For all that You are --

From the cross on the hill

To the Bethlehem star.

Yes, I thank You, dear God, for life without end,

For  hope and a future, and for being my friend. 

And I thank You for all of the wonders I see.

But mostly I thank You....

For just loving me.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Lisa, Jon and Seth

P.S. In case you are interested in purchasing this book for your child or grandchild, you can find it at Amazon.com  I have attached the link: here

Ready, Set, COOK!

It's official!  I am turning into my mother! I have been working on my Thanksgiving dinner menu for two weeks!  I made my grocery list and went shopping - and went shopping again!  I always manage to think of another item or two that did not make it onto the original list.  Doesn't that drive you nuts?  My mom always kept an ever  changing list going during the holidays as she prepared menus, shopping lists, things to do, etc. She always made holidays so special! 

I began cooking this afternoon in anticipation of my family coming to Mobile for Thanksgiving.  I am so excited!!  I can't wait to get up in the morning and watch the Macy's parade while sipping coffee and cooking up a storm!  This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions that I loved sharing with my mother.  In fact, I wrote about Thanksgiving traditions in one of my very first blog posts ever.  You can read it here. 

I have quite a few cookbooks, but most of my favorite menu items come from my trusty three ring binder that is chock full of yummy tried and true recipes - this binder has been on my kitchen counter all week! 

So far, I have made sausage balls for Jon - that is his favorite holiday snack.  I also made a homemade carrot cake, a first for me!  The corn bread is ready and waiting to be made into dressing in the morning.  I also picked up the smoked turkey breast today.  The ham will be put in the oven bright and early in the morning (making a ham is another first for me! I will be using my friend Lynda's special homemade glaze.)  Now I need to go to bed early because I will be up early making the ham, dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, cream style corn, bacon wrapped asparagus bundles and especially for Paige and Spencer, Lesueur English peas and Sister Shubert rolls.  In addition to the carrot cake, we will have homemade chocolate pie (my sister's speciality)!  Have I forgotten anything?  Believe it or not, this is a pared down menu because there will be just seven of us tomorrow.  Crazy, I know!  I also left off Spinach Madeline this year in favor of a new recipe I am trying:  Bacon wrapped asparagus bundles. It sounded so yummy I just had to give it a try! What are the "must haves" for your family?

I have also set the table, complete with my beautiful Gorham Buttercup silver for which this blog is named.  I polished it yesterday and it made me so happy to see it on my table!  Here is a quick look:

Spode Woodland Turkey salad plates are just perfect for Thanksgiving. They go perfectly with my Wedgewood Strawberry and Vine.  I am so glad I chose these classic white dishes when Jon and I got married.  They will never go out of style and look perfect when paired with seasonal salad plates. 

See you soon!! But first, I have to put my apron on and get back to cooking!! 

This week I am joining the following parties:

Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Come join in the fun!

Lisa

Thirty Days of Thankfulness

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It is that time of year: A time to reflect on all the blessings that we have in our life.  I am thankful to God each day, but I will admit that there are time when I get down.  Sometimes I need a reminder of how God has blessed my family.  It never hurts to sit down, have a cup of coffee and simply make a list of the many, many things for which we are thankful!  

1) I am so thankful to be a child of God. 

2) I am thankful that my parents loved me and brought me up in a Christian home where I was shown God’s love at a very early age.

3) I am thankful for every single moment I had with my sweet mother.  I was blessed to call her Mama.

4) I am thankful that I still have my father.  In addition to being an awesome dad, he is the best Papa to Seth, Paige and Spencer.

5) I am thankful for Jon, my amazing husband of eleven years.  He is a fabulous husband and an extraordinary father!

6)  I am thankful that God allowed me to be a mother.  Seth is the most precious gift that I have ever received.

7)  I am thankful that Anita is my sister and best friend.  

8)  I am thankful for Paige and Spencer, my niece and nephew.  They have brought me so much joy over the years.  Being “Sissy” to these two has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life!

9)  I am thankful for my step-sons, Matt and Drew.  They gave me my first glimpse of motherhood.  They are growing up to be awesome young men!

10) I am thankful for my darling in-laws, Lonnie and Mary McCartney.  They welcomed me into their family with open arms! 

11) I am thankful for the strong friendships I have with several dear girls. There is nothing quite like a close group of friends! 

12 I am thankful for a snug, cozy and beautiful house that we call home.  In a world where so many do not have a safe place to live, I know that our home is a beautiful blessing!

13) I am thankful for a large extended family full of grandmothers, aunts, uncles and cousins.

14) I am thankful that I live in America, land of the free and home of the brave! 

15) I am thankful for all of the members of the Armed Forces who protect our country and our freedoms every day!

16) I am thankful for my precious furry babies, Bentley and Clarabel.  Animals give unconditional love and I am so thankful for them. 

17)  I am thankful that my mother taught me how to cook and clean!  I love all things related to homemaking.  That is one of my mother’s gifts to me.  J

18) I am thankful that I am Southern Girl!! 

19)  I am thankful that although I live in Mobile, I work in Small Town America!!  I am so glad that Seth and I go to school and work in such “down to Earth” communities where kindness is a given!

20)  I am thankful that I am blessed with such a great job!  In addition, I am so thankful that both of my “bosses” are wonderful, caring, Christian individuals!!

21) I am thankful for all the years that I taught school.   I have so many precious memories of the children I was fortunate enough to have in my classes through the years.

22) I am thankful for eyes to see and ears to hear J  I am thankful that I am able to walk and run!! I am thankful to the doctors who have worked so hard to keep my Crohn’s under control.  God is so good!!

23)  I am thankful that I was able to lose 26 pounds this past year.  This allowed me to no longer have to take blood pressure medicine! Woo Hoo!

24)  I am thankful for random acts of kindness that happen in the world around us each day.

25) I am thankful that I was brought up in a loving church.  Pearson Baptist was such a huge part of my youth and for that I will always give thanks.  Friendships that were formed there still bring me happiness today!

26) I am thankful for Seth’s silly laugh, and happy smile!  I am thankful that he looks just like his daddy!  His blue eyes just melt my heart!!   I am thankful that he is such a little athlete!!

27)  I am thankful that Seth got his dad’s beautiful singing voice!  I am also thankful for music!  I LOVE to sing and listen to music every day!! Music can always bring a smile to my face!

28)  I am thankful for the gift of reading.  I end each day by reading an assortment of books.  This makes me so happy!  Whether I am reading God’s word, Christian books, or any other books for pleasure, it is always fun to relax at the end of each day with a good book! I am thankful for wonderful Christian writers such as Elizabeth George, James Dobson and Elisabeth Elliot.  I have learned so much through their wonderful Christian example of how to live. 

29)  Iced coffee!  Enough said :-)

30)  Life is a precious gift! I am thankful to be alive each and every day!!

As we anticipate celebrating Thanksgiving, take time to stop and be thankful for life’s many blessing!  What are you most thankful for this year?



So Thankful!

Several of my friends are challenging themselves to think of one thing they are thankful for each day during the month of November. I think the month of November is the perfect time to reflect on the many, many things I have to be thankful for in my life. I am truly blessed, but often in the day to day business of life, I forget to stop and give thanks to God for all of the many blessings I have received. It has been fun to see the daily FB posts of my friends as they give thanks for gifts and blessings, both big and small. Here are a few of the things I am most thankful for:

I am a Christian and I know that I will have eternal life because God sent His Son to die for my sins. I never want to take this precious gift for granted. Because of this gift, I know that I will see my mother and other loved ones again one day in Heaven!

I am so thankful for my wonderful parents! They instilled in me the values that have made me the person I am today.

I was blessed with the husband I was meant to have…. On God’s timeline… not mine. I don’t regret the wait at all… Now I see that God allowed me to experience many things during those years as a single woman – even though at the time I whined a lot (sorry Mom and Nini) about being an “old maid”.

God blessed me with Seth, my most special miracle!

Seth is a healthy, smart, happy, gregarious, little boy who makes me laugh each and every day! He is definitely “social” and has a determined little spirit! I know that he will do great things!

Jon and I both have great jobs! We are blessed!

I work for a wonderful school district! Our superintendent is a remarkable Christian man – this is such a blessing!!

We have a safe, secure, pretty little house that we call home. I love going home every day and simply being together with my family.

Friends old and new – I am so thankful for dear friends who love me like I am…. Just a little bit hyper! LOL

My dad is doing better! Thank you God for this wonderful blessing! Each day with Dad is a gift!

As always, I am thankful for each moment I had with my mom! I am thankful for the many things she taught me about life – from the simple joys of cooking and how to keep a house clean to the huge life lessons!

Bentley and Clarabel – they bring a smile to my face each day!

I am thankful for my health! Yes, I have Crohn’s disease, but I have a terrific doctor who works hard to keep it under control.

Twenty years ago God used a bone marrow transplant to save the life of my then 16 month old niece. Paige is now 21 years old and is still our miracle!

We live in a country where we are free to live and worship as we choose! I am also thankful for the men and women who serve to protect those freedoms every day!

I am thankful for Seth’s school! Seth is getting a top notch education as well as being loved and nurtured each day!

God helped us get through Katrina. We were one of fortunate ones who had flood insurance! We were able to rebuild and put our lives back together. God used that time to help us understand what is truly important!

I have a husband who will help me with projects around the house AND who will willingly go shopping with me!

I am thankful for the large extended family that I grew up with – grandmothers, aunts, uncles and many cousins! My childhood memories are filled with images of holidays and vacations spent with so many loved ones!!

Family traditions!

I am thankful to be a Southern girl! There is nothing better than being born and raised in the South! I will probably do an entire post soon on “the joys of being Southern”.

The beauty of the world around us – May we never take God’s wonderful creations for granted!

There are SO many little blessings that I am thankful for each day! I did look at a blog recently in which the writer was listing 1000 things she was thankful for…. Perhaps, I should have started earlier :-). I can think of a multitude of tiny things though: rainbows, rainy days, curling up with a good book, delicious hot coffee, the smell of freshly mowed grass, the aroma of homemade soup simmering on the stove, Christmas music, old movies, Seth’s smile…I could go on and on!

Friends, I hope we all pause to remember our many blessings during this most special time of year! I wish for everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

This week I am linking to the following:

Inspiration Friday @ http://www.atthepicketfence.com/

Thanksgiving Tablescape

Today I had fun as I shopped for the last minute items needed for my Thanksgiving tablescape. The funny thing is - we are going to my dad's for Thanksgiving, but I wouldn't dream of not setting the table for special holidays....even if we won't actually eat the meal in our home! I don't worry about saying that here because I bet most of you would totally agree with me. My sister is probably laughing right now though!!


I started with the place mats and napkins that I bought a few years ago. They are a soft muted "greeny-brown" and look perfect for this time of year. Next I added faux wood chargers that I picked up at Walmart. They are so pretty and were so inexpensive! Love it! The dinner plates are my Longaberger everyday dishes. I have them in blue, green, red, yellow, orange and purple. For this tablescape I used the green, yellow, orange and red because they just seem to fit with the colors of the season. For a salad plate, I chose inexpensive ones with a leaf motif that I also found at Walmart. They look so pretty together!!

As an aside, I will tell you that I originally wanted to use my Wedgewood Strawberry and Vine dinner plates and add Spode Woodland salad plates. I have wanted to purchase these little beauties for a while. I did "win" two on eBay, but finally decided it was not practical to try to purchase all of them this year. That is when I found the BH & G pieces at Walmart. They are perfect and cost only $20 for all of the salad plates and the chargers. I feel so frugal! Hopefully by next year though I will be able to use the Spode "turkey" plates. :-)

For the past year or two I have used my pheasants and plush pumpkins in my centerpiece. This year, though, I don't have a formal dining room so I decided to do something totally different. I finally decided to use an inexpensive gold tray that I found at Target. Next I added three apothecary jars and filled them with a variety of objects: dried beans and assorted nuts that I purchased at my local grocery store and two colors of silk ribbon. I added a small bow to one of the jars and scattered shimmering leaves around the base of the jars. They are so pretty and added the perfect finishing touch!!

I like the simplicity of the finished table :-)

I love the natural look of the walnuts and pecans in this apothecary jar! Plus, it reminds me of my childhood....we always found these in our stocking on Christmas morning!

As always, thanks for visiting Buttercup Bliss!!

I am linking to the following parties:

Seasonal Sundays @ http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/


Wow Us Wednesdays @ http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/


Inspiration Friday @ http://www.atthepicketfence.com/

Potpourri Party @ http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Feathered Nest Friday @ http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/


Vintage Inspiration Friday @ http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/


Home Sweet Home @ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com

Thanksgiving Memories

Lisa and Anita - Sisters and Best Friends

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  In fact, fall is my favorite time of year.  I truly enjoy Christmas, but honestly, I think we get so caught up in everything prior to the holidays that we forget what the true meaning is about.  With Thanksgiving, it is like we are able to total focus on the meaning of that special day. 

My favorite memories reach back to when I was a small child.  I remember waking up to the smell of my mother cooking delicious dishes for us to enjoy later in the day.  This may seem odd, but to me, Thanksgiving Day is not the same unless I wake up to the smell of celery and onions sauteing in butter!  Now you should know that leads later in the day to the best dressing ever!  If you are from a part of the country that eats stuffing instead of dressing then I urge you get to the South this Thanksgiving so that you will know what you are missing!  It is incredible!  Of course you should also know that the perfect dressing starts with the perfect pan of cornbread! 

My sister Anita and I were taught how to make cornbread at a very early age.  My mom was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta – and in case you didn’t know this, you don’t get much more southern than the Delta – making the perfect pan of cornbread is a must!  We were also taught in our early twenties how to make dressing.  I very clearly remember one Thanksgiving that my mom said, “Girls, its time you two know how to make dressing!”  I am so glad she did.  I am amazed at the people I know who tell me they have no idea how to create this Thanksgiving essential!

Another favorite part of Thanksgiving was watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.  This is a tradition that I have looked forward to every year of my life!  I love seeing the balloons, the marching bands, and of course, the Rockettes!  Two side stories about the Macy’s parade:  The first is that my husband, Jon, knows that actually attending the Macy’s parade is on my list of things to do before I die.  Not being morbid, but it is just one of those things I am determined to do one day.  I want to experience first-hand the excitement of this quintessential Thanksgiving tradition. 

The second Macy’s story involves a dog that I got one year the day before Thanksgiving.  It was a precious Shih Tzu that needed the just the right name.  She would be my “baby”.  I wanted to name her Olivia.  My mom thought perhaps that was a little too “human” for a puppy and encouraged me to keep thinking.  The next morning as we were cooking and watching the parade, my mom looked at me and said, “how about Macy”?  She had thought of the perfect name for my puppy! 

Another memory involves an activity I did each year when I taught second grade.  Every child in my class would bring one ingredient and we would make “Sharing Soup.”  The children would dress as Pilgrims and Indians and enjoy the soup they made together!  I looked forward to this each year! 

A final Thanksgiving memory happened the year that my sister and I decided that we would “DO” Thanksgiving for our family.  We decided to give our parents the day off and we would take care of everything.  We were probably in our mid to late twenties and we thought it was time for us to be adults and “host” Thanksgiving.  We, of course, had been accustomed to going to Mom and Dad’s or our grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving.  This year, we would stay in our hometown and Anita and I would plan and cook the entire Thanksgiving dinner for Mom, Dad, my sister and her husband and my niece, Paige.  Well, we thought we had it all completely under control.  We cooked a turkey, dressing, sweet potato casserole, our Mom’s wonderful green bean casserole (not your regular green bean casserole, this recipe has shoe peg corn, water chestnuts and other scrumptious goodies), spinach Madeline - you get the picture - the works!!!  We also had homemade pecan pie and Chess pie for dessert.  Chess pie is another Delta recipe that is simply delicious, rich and decadent!  The table was set and everything was in order for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner.  Our parents arrived at Anita’s house and we were so proud of ourselves!  Just as we were about to begin, Anita (and I don’t know why she did this) opened the microwave.  At this point, I should tell you that Anita is the “calm sister” so when I tell you that she opened the microwave and exclaimed “what the **** is this?” we all just gaped at her!  We looked into the microwave and there was the entire stick of butter – the KEY ingredient in Chess Pie – sitting cold and yucky in the microwave.  She had baked the entire pie without the butter!  The pie was beautiful, but inedible!  It was just hilarious!  We thought we had pulled off the perfect Thanksgiving dinner…. Right up until the last minute!  We laughed and laughed.  It is still one of my all time favorite holiday memories!  It was just so funny!  We realized that pulling off the perfect holiday dinner is hard to do.  But we also realized that having fun and making memories that last forever is the most important part of any holiday!

What are your favorite Thanksgiving memories?

     My Thanksgiving table last year.  I love these pheasants!

                                         

I used table runners to tie bows on some of the chairs.  I love little extra touches that make a room special!