Phase 2 of The House Behind The Trees ~ The downstairs #TeelsBuildaHouse

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So we are starting the downstairs ... I HATE to say basement because we had a basement in our old home, where you opened a door and went down stairs separated from anything else. It was a finished basement complete with a bedroom, craft room, family/game room and we spent a lot of time there ~ our oldest son moved down there in jr high and stayed through high school ... until we finished the master suite in the attic then he moved back up to the bedroom floor with his brother and sister.  So here our downstairs is open to the rest of the house, you can see through to the outside from the top of the stairs going down because we have a wall of windows down there as well.  We really didn't plan to have a kiddo down there but since we are having to do a switch-a-roo with rooms (I'll explain later) he is moving home soon and will be downstairs. Anyhoo, our downstairs will house our main family room, our middle sons room, a full bath and kitchenette.  I thought it would be fun ...
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Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas

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Get Inspired by the Season
Who says casual, kid-friendly centerpieces should be relegated to the kid table? This feathered friend is sweet and charming enough for a seat of honor at the big-kid table. To create, have every guest write their thanks on a piece of construction paper, cut, crease, and fringe to resemble a tail feather. Tuck each feather into an oversize pinecone. Make the turkey's head and neck from pieces of paperboard cut in oval shapes; add googly eyes and a beak and wattle. Elevate by stacking on top of several boxes or baskets. To complete the rustic look, surround with gourds and use a kraft paper runner.

Hang Painted Acorns
Contrasting colors and interesting textures add visual variety to this outdoor-inspired centerpiece. Select a few acorns; carefully remove the tops and set aside. Spray-paint the seeds a bright color, let dry, and reattach the tops with a bit of hot glue. Secure a twine loop to the top with more hot glue and hang from an intricate branch (suspended in a pretty vase). Place the vase off-center in a tray and add more acorns and a complementary bowl to complete the vignette.

Use "Thanks" as a Centerpiece
There's a clever way to remind you and your family of the true reason for the season -- and create a centerpiece in the process, too. Each day of November, have family members write something they are thankful for on a leaf shape, cut from multicolored construction paper (search the Internet for copyright-free art). Punch a hole in the top of each leaf and use string or twine to tie from a branch. You can paint the top of the branch white or leave it natural. Prop the branch in a tall vase filled with acorns, nuts, or small rocks.


Go Vertical
To get around the how-to of creating your own centerpiece, rely instead on a dramatic container to do the work for you. Here, a tall vase on a slightly fluted base offers an impressive focal point. Branches, trailing with autumn leaves, take the place of flowers. Tip: Before deciding on placement of this type of a centerpiece, sit in each chair to ensure that the arrangement won't block the line of sight.

Select a Single Color
Soft white and golden hues dance in natural lighting at this alfresco Thanksgiving table. A vase filled with wheat adds texture to the centerpiece. Fill a tall cylindrical vase with dried white beans. Add a berried branch from a Golden Raindrops Crabapple tree to another vase to complete the setting. Tip: Don't have a tall cylindrical vase? A wide round vase would hold more beans and wheat for a fuller centerpiece display.

Natural Table Touches
Autumn touches of bittersweet, leaves, and gourds grace this pretty Thanksgiving table. Start by arranging fall-color pillar candles on a wooden plank in the center of the table, then encircle them with gourds, berries, and vines. Let Mother Nature carry through to the place settings of golden yellow dishes by wrapping linen napkins in ribbon and dried leaves.

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