thanksgiving

I recently watched a sketch of two neighbors - Canada and the United States - saying hello at the fence. The Canadian neighbor was wishing his American neighbor a Happy Thanksgiving, to which the American responded "Isn't that a bit early?" The Canadian explained how we celebrate in October, and that no, none of our other holidays are early; we celebrate the rest at the same time. The American hints at an invitation, and when the Canadian obliges, he adds that no, they wouldn't be having Sweet Potatoes with mini marshmallows as "that's just weird".

A huge amount of bloggers, and Instagram accounts I follow for inspiration, including Magazine publications like Martha Stewart Living, are American. So a lot of Fall focus is first on Halloween and then Thanksgiving, which can also tend to have a Christmas feel to it.

Personally, I'm not sure which I prefer. With our Thanksgiving being early in October, it can often feel less like Autumn, and more like Summer still. However, I like the space we have between Thanksgiving and Christmas. For the past couple of years, I've just decided to celebrate both. You can't have too much gratitude - or Pumpkin Pie, in my opinion. One usually includes large get togethers with our families, and the other, a small intimate dinner for just us.

Regardless, this year, as nearly all of our immediate family was out of town, we didn't have much planned, so it honestly snuck up on me! My parents were the only ones home, and as my mom wasn't busy making hundreds of pies for the store, she wanted to make dinner. She told me I could have it at our place, which suited me perfectly, as it meant I could still enjoy setting the table. So set the table I did.

I have envisioned this pair of pheasants down the center of my Thanksgiving table for a very long time. My mom and I purchased from an antique shop five years ago to sell at the store. For a couple years my Aunt had them in her kitchen, and this past Spring, knowing how much I loved them, gifted them to me. They were my inspiration.

I made simple arrangements of white Roses and berries from our Ivy in clay pots. I liked how the clay picked up the copper tones of the birds.

The greenish blue tones that they also have made the blue berries and greyish blue squash good accents.

I love the woven chargers with our dining chairs. and simple ribbon-tied napkins to make each place setting more special.

George sat content, sleeping quietly, as I puttered around.

The next morning was a holiday Monday, but we lazed around like it was a Saturday. I made Pumpkin Spice waffles and we spent the morning reading. In the afternoon, the boys went for a hike, while I walked around the Balls Falls Thanksgiving Show with George.

All the historic buildings were dressed up for Fall, and everything is tucked in and around the old village. It was a gorgeous weekend - the perfect way to put one in the mood for Fall.

Looking forward to seeing how you all decorate your Thanksgiving tables.

Ribbon and Candles - Everyday Occasions 

Chargers - Pier One (in stores only)

Table Cloth by Ralph Lauren - Homesense

Soother Clip - Darling Emma Handmade

Celebrating Fall

We've been making the most of the beautiful Fall weather we've been having recently (for the most part): trips to the pumpkin patch, an afternoon at one of our many conservation areas, even a weekend camping trip the the Finger Lakes.

It seems this year that the leaves have taken their time changing colours. They've slowed this usually short part of their life cycle down just slow enough to allow us a few extra moments enjoying their colourful transformation.

My sister Becki and I spent a few hours on Thanksgiving weekend browsing the local craft shows. It's held each year at a historic conservation area, amongst a beautiful old homestead complete with antique barns, a mill and a beautiful waterfall.

Willen has been learning all about apples at school, so we've tried to do a few activities together that have to do with apples. We visited an old orchard in a valley near us. It's one of many, many orchards in our area. We then visited one of our market stands and took home a few Honey Crisp apples, which he brought into school and made apple sauce with. While there, we also grabbed some apple cider to enjoy later, warmed with some spices. I discovered neither of the boys cared for it warm, but can't seem to get enough of it cold.

The trees were bursting with the brightest, biggest red apples.

On our trip to the pumpkin patch, Willen enjoyed a hayride, corn maze, and visiting a few farm animals. He took home a tiny pie pumpkin, and didn't seem to be bothered by the bad weather. Of all the days, that was the day the temperature decided to plummet. It actually hailed on our way home!

We've also spent many afternoons with the boys, wandering around some local trails. They have so much fun running around and exploring. We don't usually get too far, but they see so many interesting things, and are ready for bed by the time the sun sets.

Their favourite part is always the hot chocolate and cookies that accompany a good hike.

One of the most beautiful places we've been this Fall is camping at Watkin's Glen in New York. We did the walk to the one mile point, and couldn't believe how amazing the waterfalls were, and how well kept the path was. It was this stone walkway with many stairs and little bridges and caves and basically, it was the coolest place for the boys to explore. There were plants growing all along the path, and it was quite relaxing hearing the constant sound of rushing water beside you.

And the camping alone was an adventure! It was freezing cold at night, and preparing all meals by fire, or small stove was quite the challenge. We had lots of fun though. Willen even learned how to ride his bike.

And of course, there is enough Autumn beauty to take in even in our own back yard.

A Winters Walk

On my way home from the market in town this morning, I took a short detour down into a conservation area quite close to my home, Balls Falls.

The sun was out in all it's glory and there was a fresh blanket of snow, peacefully resting on everything. It was quiet, except for the low grumbling of the nearby falls, and the sounds of kids laughing while pulling their sleds back up the steep hills.

The air was crisp and quite cold but the sun was still warm. It was the perfect day to foot through the deep snow, snapping some photos.

Enjoy the tour!