Happy Thanksgiving!

May your turkey be cooked and your pie divine

Cap off the day with a nice glass of wine

Here's to you, the hostess, for on this day

You are truly the "mostess" in so many ways!

At the end of the day, it's not about the food, china, or tablescapes... it's about being with close family and friends and celebrating all you have to be thankful for. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and best of luck with your Black Friday shopping! :-)

REAL LIFE: Fall Fondue Party

Fondue is one of my favorite things to do, and it's fun to invite "newbies" over to join in on the food fun. A few weekends ago I hosted a fondue party for a few friends. I like to do this a few times a year, usually as the seasons change and new inspiration hits me!

I have a tiny place that I call home, so squeezing a few more bodies in, along with multiple fondue pots, plates, and bowls of food, is sometimes a challenge. While I wanted to really be festive for the fall season, I stuck with the "less is more" mantra and maximized the decor by keeping it central to the dining area. This accomplished two things that I know you'll appreciate: my decor spending was unbelievably small, and my stress level for party preparations did not shoot through the roof.

I hit up a JoAnn Store and scored some key decor items on clearance for 70% off... YES! I then took a basket, a vase, and harvest-themed decor I already owned and put them to work. The results included simple, yet inviting fall tablescapes that did not get in the way of the fondue.

I got a little busy after my guests arrived, so I forgot to take pictures of the tables with food on them (which my guests were bringing). Every square inch was filled with delicious food!

A Good Cause: Operation Shower

Photo from Operation Shower

Amy of the Stem blog is involved with a wonderful organization called Operation Shower. Operation Shower, a 501(c)(3) accredited charity founded in 2007, is a non-profit organization that recognizes and honors the sacrifices military families make by producing and coordinating baby showers and “showers-in-a-box” for pregnant and expecting military personnel and their families. It is currently run by a super-small group of dedicated individuals, and they NEED OUR HELP to keep this endeavor going and GROWING! Please check out the Operation Shower blog and consider how you can help them out this holiday season!

Double-Duty Harvest Decor

There's still time to deck out your house for Halloween, but consider choosing a scheme that will celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving at once. It will save you time, energy, and money... things we all love to save! Here are some ideas that will do double-duty for you during the Fall season and allow you more time for other things... like planning your Christmas decor! :-) (just kidding!)

One idea I LOVE for this holiday season is using candlesticks to display small pumpkins or gourds. You probably have the candlesticks already in your home, so put them to use in an untraditional way. You can also use this same display idea for other holidays.

Photo by Mike Staff Productions (obtained here); Tablescape by Susan Keels of Royal Park Hotel

Martha Stewart comes through again with inspiration to create a fun fall garland out of dried corn. Add the garland to your entryway with pumpkins and gourds to create a warm welcome for guests. Instructions on how to make this garland can be found here.

Another idea from Martha Stewart that I find intriguing is a cornhusk wreath. Find instructions on how to make the wreath here.

Note the mantel display also in the photo. I especially like this because it combines the autumn season with a touch of Christmas, and you can easily swap out the gourds for Christmas items and leave the berries and candles in place!

One more favorite from Martha Stewart is this pumpkin wreath. How fun! Click here for instructions, and you can do a similar thing with a Christmas-themed wreath.

History of Candy Corn

I came across this fun Halloween tidbit this morning and thought I would pass it along!

The following photo and information were obtained from MSN; you can find the original post here.

Candy Corn

First created in the 1880s by George Renninger of the Wunderle Candy Company, the three colors of candy corn are meant to symbolize actual corn. Each piece is approximately the size of a whole kernel of corn, as if it fell off a ripe or dried ear of corn.

Candy corn is made primarily from sugar, corn syrup and honey. Working by hand, the original manufacturers first combined sugar, corn syrup and water and cooked them into a slurry. Fondant was added for texture, and marshmallows provided a soft bite. The final mixture was then heated and poured into shaped molds. Three passes were required during the pouring process, one for each colored section. Few changes have been made to the process or recipe, with machines now performing the tasks formerly done by people. Candy corn can be found at most popular grocery food stores in the United States.

Halloween Cupcakes

Cupcakes are one of my favorite treats, and of course, no Halloween party would be complete without Halloween cupcakes!

Check out this idea from Michaels: Haunted Manor Cupcakes

Some more Halloween cupcake must-haves from Michaels:

Freaky Friends Cupcake Pix

Cupcake Stencils

Skeleton/Spider Cupcake Wrappers

Skulls and Scrolls Cupcake Stand

You can also check out more Halloween treat supplies from Michaels here.

Halloween Tablescape Idea

Hi there! After a bit of a hiatus, Creative Entertaining is back with a CUTE Halloween idea for you. The best thing about this idea is that you can utilize items you already have around your home!

This tablescape design was created using the following items:

1. Tall glass vase with tall sticks

2. Lantern with candle

3. Ornamental ball

4. Antique lock and keys

5. Halloween card

6. Glass jar with Halloween candy

7. Scrapbook paper

8. Pumpkins

The scrapbook paper was used as a "mat" underneath the other items on the paper. In addition, Halloween-themed paper was used to create embellished tags that hang from the sticks in the vase and to embellish the candy jar. By gathering items from around your home and mixing them in with the Halloween items to create a fun and festive tablescape, you're reusing items you already have and you're saving money. This particular tablescape cost nothing, as all items were on-hand at home. How can you beat that cost for holiday decor??

Thanks to the Sporadic Scrapper for this wonderful tablescape!