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Welcome to Thanksgiving By The Sea!

Summer slipped away like a whisper. Along came the awesome season of Fall.

My love for both seasons is passionate.

Every fall we like to pick a decorating theme for Thanksgiving.

This has become a fun tradition we enjoy in our home.  The following article is from one year long ago when we decided to have Thanksgiving by the Sea.

Love of the changing seasons lives inside my heart.  This carries over into the decorating of our home.  It is especially true at Thanksgiving.

HOLDING ONTO REMNANTS OF SUMMER

This particular year, we decided not to leave behind the beach-cottage look we enjoyed near the end of summer.

We wanted to hold on to some of it just a little longer.  Still we were excited to turn the page for the new season too.  Hence, we simply let a tiny remnant of summer linger longer in the air.  Fall decor softly fell around the quickly fleeting winds of summer.

With the theme of Thanksgiving in mind, we turned from summer to fall inside our home.

Because we left remnants of summer by the seaside here and there, we fondly called our new theme “Thanksgiving By The Sea.”

Now it seems completely possible for our hearts to magically live within two worlds at the same time.  One world begins as the other world ends.  In the middle, they simply blend softly into Thanksgiving.

USING IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY

Here, behind the safe and strong walls of our home, we can still enjoy all of the pleasures of the sea. Our late summer cottage look is mixed with the inviting and seasonal luxuries of the fresh, beautiful colors of fall.

What more could a person desire?

Once the process is underway, we are surprised at how well all the things we already have just seem to meld together into pools of fall but beachy colors. We are loving this Fall-Beach Cottage Theme.

VISIONS OF JESUS ON THE SHORE

When I say those words “Thanksgiving by the sea” I tend to have sweet visions of Jesus walking along the shoreline of The Sea of Galilee.

Thinking of this vision as a continuation of the beach theme, my spirit is reminded of why I am so grateful to have such an awesome Savior.

He is The One who was willing to come humbly down to this earth. Yeshua was willing to walk, talk, and become as one of us in order to love us into an eternity with God The Father.

Therefore, I did not find the theme of the beach totally out of order. Giving thanks for an awesome Savior we began to ponder a new and unique theme for Thanksgiving.

The unusual Thanksgiving theme of Thanksgiving by the sea fits well with the thankfulness for the many fond beach memories we have in our hearts. These are family memories which are full of times we all shared visits at the seashore.

We count those days among some of our times of greatest blessings. So, in this new season of Thanksgiving, they are fondly recalled from thankful hearts.

THANKING GOD FOR PERFECT MEMORIES

Fall is a perfect season to lift up praise and thanksgiving for all of our awesome memories.  By using this “Thanksgiving By The Sea” decorating theme, we are now reminded of all the many ways God has blessed us with warm family gatherings.

In this season of thankfulness it is good to be offering sincere thanks for such cherished blessings from God.

NOTICING THE CHANGES OF THE SEASON IN A DIFFERENT WAY

The whole concept actually inspires my heart to sing. Then the song brings me into a more thankful mood. The change in décor now sets the stage for meditating on all the pure and right thoughts of this amazing season of gratitude.

God is always in total control. I am reminded of how He works everything together in order to give us this lovely time of the year. The time is so full of reflection and awe. What could only show death and decay is actually about the hidden preservation of life and all of it’s abundance.  God teaches us so much during this last harvest season’s lingering moments.  We are thankful.

Even the air is full of peace and harmony. Also, we bask in a sense of excitement and change.  There is this mysterious feeling of the old leaving and the new waking up.  The Hebrew month of Cheshvan speaks of this as a time of transition.  The evidence greets us with each passing day.

However, much of this season’s blessings remain unseen with the eye.  Only the believing heart would know it is there, waiting to be renewed. Far beneath the ground there are new surprises not yet ready to appear.

KEEPING AN ANNUAL RENEWAL

An annual unseen renewal is going on behind the scenes. This renewal transitions into our future well-being and happiness. Hence, Fall reminds me of kept promises which are in the state of maturity and change. This always provokes a fresh anticipation.

At the beach, the seasons change like clockwork. This happens just the same as in the heartlands. Only at the beach do the slow changes come with the extra blessings of a lovely shoreline. Like the divisions of time the seasons keep disappearing then re-appearing in the changes of the landscape.

RHYTHMS OF CHANGE

Typically, we don’t think about our beaches changing seasons too.  Most of us tend to leave our beach memories and thoughts in a state of constant summer. We remember summer beaches in our imaginations. They always seem to be of summer when we speak of them in our thoughts and conversations.

Lately though, I’ve been pondering the constant rhythms of change. I muse about how these changes come about in so many different ways. Perhaps the changes of seasons at the beach are just as lovely as the seasonal changes to the more inward lands, only in a different way.  It is the unique way that only a beach can convey.

So, with this seaside theme in our home for Fall, I want to ponder some of those lovely changes God put into nature. These things teach us important life lessons.  Therefore, during the coming year, I wish to stop and ponder these changes more often.

I’m joyfully planning to ponder the deep blues of the morning skies. Also, I want to recognize and enjoy the corals of every lovely sunset. I want to soak in the ways that beautiful sunsets begin the changing of our days from one time into another.

TRANSITIONS INTO FALL

This fall, it will be our blessing and privilege to be able to take time out for how God allows nature to bestow such delicious and natural treats from heaven.  In the silent moments of our days, we will remember to stop and offer up our thanks.

So, at our home during this year’s Thanksgiving season, we will begin a unique new page of Fall. It will happen by coming together as a family for our vision of Thanksgiving By The Sea. The great miracle is that in this humble little abode we call “home” we will celebrate Thanksgiving by The Sea. There is absolutely no shoreline in sight, but we can feel like it is there.  It is the knowing of the heart that matters.

This family is full of creative and imaginative minds. When you mix that with praise and adoration for God Almighty, you simply know that great secret of each and every season in each and every place. With God, all things are possible.

Even Thanksgiving By The Sea can arrive to the center of this southern state called Alabama. If you don’t believe me, just take a peak inside our front door.  Maybe I can try to share some of those things with you in the pages of this article.

THANKSGIVING STARTS WITH A WARM WELCOME

You know all seasonal décor officially starts with a warm welcome. The breezes are cooler but the greetings are warmer. You receive that seasonal feeling as you cross the threshold and enter someone’s home.

As Fall approached in all her splendor on this particular season, I wanted people to feel the casualness of the beach. This feeling was immediately presented as they crossed into the place of our abode. More importantly, I wanted our visitors to experience a sense of rest and relaxation. Whenever someone stopped by to visit, it was hoped they would know a sense of peacefulness within our walls. As in every beach setting, there should be a feeling of “slowing down” and “leisure.”

A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT APPROACH

Thus, on this year our fall celebration we named “Thanksgiving By The Sea” was completely different. It wasn’t our usual classic Fall harvest approach (which I still love and will use again in Fall seasons in the future.) You may review that other type of Thanksgiving themed article here if you like: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/classic-fall-thanksgiving-decor/ .)

In the recesses of my mind, I’m still pondering all the reasons I felt so compelled to make this unexpected change for this year’s celebrations. The little and temporary change designed for this season only just felt appropriate for this time. I found myself acting on instinct. This little nudge from my spirit told me God would certainly reveal every reason later. All I had to do was to trust Him.  So it was. With a satisfied sigh, I just accepted the suggestion on faith.  Then I began moving through these changes with joy.

So here goes!  Look at what happened and decide for yourself.  It was good for that year for this family.  This is the beginning of the decorating of a living room in land-locked, central Alabama. We are treating our home as if it were a beach cottage on a Caribbean island. It will only last through late summer and the season of Fall.

Mix the drinks. Turn on the music. We will get this celebration started. I promise we will have a blast.

MEETING THE SEA INSIDE THE FRONT DOOR

The sign saying “by the sea” is now on the outside of our front door. After such an invitation from the outside, I wanted to make the entrance to the inside very warm, colorful and inviting.  I think I pulled that off pretty well with a modern painting of the ocean which I hung in the foyer.

The painting of cool greens and blues shows  nothing but refreshing waters.  It is anchored into its space now and the painting seems happy here with my simple little antique desk sitting casually underneath it.

FASCINATED BY BICYCLES

The small desk is holding a miniature replica of an old fashioned aluminum bicycle.  It has a basket in the front. This year I’ve been fascinated with bicycles.  My favorite place to ride a bike is at the beach.

So, this part of the room reflects part of real-life for me. Bicycle canvases just seem to lend to the sea-side cottage look. I did manage to put some bicycle pillows to work on one of our sofas.  Maybe you have more room for bicycles than I did, but I’m just loving all the bicycle art that has become so popular.  If this feeling continues maybe I’ll graduate to the real thing!  You never know.

To give the bicycle, the desk, and the painting a bit more fall flavor, I added the little orange wooden pumpkins to the desk.

PUMPKINS AND ANCHORS

I also used the “by the sea” look provided from the blue weathered anchor on the inside of the doorway. However, I added some fall flowers in a pretty wreath to give it that “fall” flavor.

The sky blue vase at the top of the stairway holding some pretty blue and green daises added some pop to the stairwell. To give these flowers a taste of the beach, I added an old branch of wood painted antique white into the mix of blues and greens.  The white wood reminded me of a weathered piece of driftwood. This is just the kind of wood you might see floating along any shoreline.

Simple, easy, free and lovely.  The recipe for perfect “seaside” décor in my book.

The warm welcome of the entrance is enhanced further by the pretty shades of turquoise and blue in the beaded mat I placed under a pretty silver vase containing aqua, blue and brown colored balls. These items seemed to be showing off as I placed them on our antique white couch table. The blues popped out of the whites.

MAIN ROOM FURNITURE CHOICES

The right coffee tables, and the right sofa tables, are probably some of the best investments anyone can make for the main rooms of their home. I chose to make my table surfaces as versatile as possible.  I needed them to serve well by being able to display the seasonal items I love to use. This Great Room actually contains a black coffee table and a white sofa table. The color contrasts were on purpose.

MAKE ONE UNIQUE CHOICE STAND OUT

The large square black coffee table has been well worth the investment. We have used this coffee table for many years. It is a wonderful and useful part of the room. The scratches which have accumulated over time all have stories.  Most of them involve our grand-children.

When you open up the cover of this large, black, architectural-styled table, you find hidden treasures of cards, photos and notes we’ve received from friends and relatives over the years. This has been great for such storage.  We’ve instructed our grown-up children to look inside this coffee table first if we die. The inside of that table is like a scrapbook full of good memories of the years we’ve spent together as a family.  Our coffee table was expensive but worth every penny.

REPURPOSE SOME PIECES

On the other hand, the antique white sofa table was just an old re-purposed dresser which I originally considered junking.  I’m so glad I changed my mind.  That old chest is now one of my favorite pieces of furniture. I’ve used it in a million different ways to say “welcome” to those entering our front door.  Using it as a sofa table has added a lot of extra storage space to the room.

The portable bar across the foyer entryway is the first resting place for your eyes as you enter the inside the front door. It appropriately displays a friendly little sign saying “welcome home.”

USE A FEW DECORATIVE MESSAGES

I love reading that little message each time I walk in the front door after a long day at work. The message instantly cheers me up. Decorative messages scattered through a house are a great idea.

RUTH VISITS THE BEACH FOR THANKSGIVING BY THE SEA

Speaking of work, I have placed my family’s heirloom statue of Ruth Gleaning Wheat on the portable bar for Fall. This statue is recognized as a valuable heirloom among our family members.  The value is simply because of all the stories it helps us to remember.  The monetary value of this piece of art probably isn’t much.

However,  family history is very significant and full of details. My grandmother loved the story of Ruth. She spent approximately three months of my grandfather’s salary to purchase this statue. In those days this was very extreme behavior. It was right in the middle of the Great Depression. She loved this piece of art that much.

During this present fall season, Ruth speaks to us of our own personal harvests in the midst of a harvest season. I doubt the real biblical character of Ruth ever made it to the sea shore. I’m sure, if she had, she would fit right in and love the beach. So, I’m keeping her in the theme of this living space because of all the “harvest” logic she brings to our table in the season of Fall.

My family has many stories that evolve around this particular statue of Ruth.

THE BEAUTY OF BROKENESS

The statue is very old and weathered now.  Somewhere along the way (I do not know the details of that story yet but am trying to find it out) she got broken.  I think my own mother was the culprit.  Someone very carefully glued her pieces back together.  We still have her with us, despite the tragedy of her brokenness.

For us, the brokenness only makes her better.  That part of the story just fits the old lesson which we all have learned the hard way; that broken things increase in value. We’ve come to realize all the cracks and scars of our lives just tend to give us more character over time.  For this we are thankful.

FROM ONE LABORER TO ANOTHER

So every Fall season Ruth greets me as I come home from work. Often I too feel broken and given from a long hard day. Sometimes I even pretend she is real. I casually speak to her of the troubles I’ve encountered from the modern-day fields where I go to labor.

She always listens patiently. I’m sure she relates to all of my stories. Ruth just never stops gleaning.  I’m amazed at her constant strength and determination and her consistent work ethic.  I’m pretty sure the two of us (the three of us when I think of my Grandmother Grace) are kindred spirits.

So, that is the story of how I came to have the biblical Ruth’s company waiting inside the foyer of my living room beach-cottage during Thanksgiving By The Sea.

A SEQUEL TO THE STORY

To top off an already good story, one of my friends later wrote and published a beautiful book about the life of Ruth.  The novel is called “Ruth The Woman Who Found Romance In a Barley Field.”  Of course you can purchase the book from Amazon.com.

I like to keep my autographed copy near by when I display Ruth’s statue in one of our rooms. The author’s name is Vona Elkins. We have shared some writing adventures.  I am thankful for Vona’s friendship over the years. She has taught me much.

THE COLORS OF BEACH GLASS

As we move on with the decorating of the main areas of the house, I wanted to bring a more nostalgic, beach-like look to the portable bar.  I’ve incorporated a collection of red, green, turquoise, yellow and orange bottles made from sea glass.

These bottles like to catch the light of the sun from the windows across the room. I love the colors which result. It is amazing to watch them differ and change hues during the shifting moments of the day.

When the sunlight hits the bottles and their colors begin to change, I’m again reminded of the seasonal changes and transitions we all go through each year.  It is only appropriate that these colorful bottles get to celebrate the season of fall at the beach with us.

So with all those elements of welcome, a person comes into a living room flanked with splashes of turquoise, white and coral. Those colorful and beachy splashes are complimented by splashes of oranges, browns, and grays that speak of fall.

The blending of the cooler beach-like colors of tan and blue, mixed with the warmer elements of the fall colors brings the spirit of the room around to suggesting a more relaxed, celebratory and cheerful way of life.  We have really enjoyed the surprising and eclectic results of these color choices. I’ve loved using all of these particular decorative elements together.

When you arrive and look around, you instantly feel and know the season is fall.  Still, you begin to feel as if you are relaxing beside the sea.

In my mind, this is a perfect combination of events.

A WHIMSICAL FALL ELF

Did you catch a glimpse of the little fall elf on the coffee table?  We’ve heard God gave him the job of painting the trees this fall. Word on the street is that he has been a busy fellow.  This is the very week when the results of his efforts have started popping up everywhere.

All of the leaves in our neck of the woods are changing their dresses and bringing out their lovely colors.  They put on a new parade for us every day. I think this little elf with the specific instructions from God may be secretly coordinating all of their steps. He smiles knowingly from the side table at anyone who dares to question his motives.

This little guy has maintained a tiny little space on our fall end-table for years now.  The skinny little fellow has miraculously survived the love, hugs, kisses and bending and posing of all his limbs by all of our grandchildren.

The owl in the candy dish keeps him company when they are not around to play. 

WINDOW TREATMENTS

We changed the gray curtains in the living room windows to a refreshing shade of turquoise. To give a different effect, we deliberately left the golden sunflower yellow color for the curtains in the dining room.  The contrast of the two sets of different window colors in the same space seems to work without any problem.

One can still feel the flow that connects the two main rooms to each other. This combination works well for framing the foyer and the hallways too. The color blends of the curtains hanging in the two separate yet open and joined rooms, remind me of many of the paintings of Vincent van Gogh.

GOING FOR ALL OF VAN GOGH

Did you know we have a Van Gogh guest room?

My granddaughter is the room’s main guest. She uses the room a lot. It has come to be known as “her room.” One whole wall is a mural of Stary-Stary night which was painted by our daughter (our granddaughter’s mother) when she was in her teen-aged years. Now two generations of girls from our family have shared the loveliness of that room.

I’m sure Mr. Van Gogh would be  appreciative of us bringing the beach inside our home. I suppose one could look at my draperies and ask the same question they asked of Vincent van Gogh; “Is she mad or just genius?”

Okay…..maybe not…..but it was a nice thought anyway.

PUMPKINS

For the living room widows in our Thanksgiving By The Sea, I let turquoise and beige pumpkins find a home. The pumpkins sit at the bottom of each window.  You can incorporate pumpkins into your life without making them into jack-o-lanterns.

My dining room table is now spread with some lovely beach colors.  The pilgrims seem to be right at home at the beach. The large white bowl full of turquoise, blue and white colored wicker balls and the light blue candles in silver holders keep the beach theme going on.

I’ve added a few fall touches here and there.

The turquoise and gray place mats were a great find. They tied together a lot of what I was wanting to portray in the dining area for this season.

The plates are simple yet elegant.  They add that pop of color accented by a fall colored ring of brown.

The starfish on each side of the centerpiece give the table that finishing touch. So do the colorful vintage napkins with their pretty darker blue flowers.

I always find a place to display the wicker cross I found hiding in our storage building. I’ve loved using it inside my house. Over the years we have used it in a million different ways.

REFLECTING ON THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS

This cross has taken on many seasonal messages within our home for many years.

During this season of Thanksgiving By The Sea,  I sprinkled it with some fall leaves.  Then I added the sign saying “by the sea.” This is another one of those things that gives me that beautiful vision of Christ walking along the shores of the Galilee.

To add to the beach-like atmosphere of this corner of the dining room, I put a little lantern filled with sea shells at the foot of the cross. When all the pieces came together I thought the dining area turned out pretty and cozy. It will make for a nice fun place for our ever-growing family to gather on Thanksgiving Day.

You know the heart of the home is always the kitchen. The piece of furniture that absolutely everyone loves and adores in my kitchen is the counter-height kitchen table with the black smoked-glass top.

HIGHLIGHTING THE KITCHEN TABLE

Hours and hours of conversations have gone on around this table. We often like to use our kitchen table similar to how most people use a kitchen island. It really does show off any of our food-art. All of the seasonal decorations and dishes pop out of the black background.

This old table may be my favorite piece of furniture inside our home. It is definitely the most used. There is no better way to show off your labor of love in the kitchen.

THE FALL FAMILY TREE

Of course, my very favorite item for this fall’s seasonal kitchen decorations is our Family Fall Tree. I display this tree each year at Thanksgiving. Often it sits inside our kitchen window. Every family member who has shared any of our Thanksgivings has a leaf on the tree.

I still have warm memories of the years when our last two grandsons arrived and their Mom and Dad and Big Brother added the leaves with their names on them to our FALL FAMILY TREE.  That will always be a memory which I cherish.

The Fall Family Tree has some different company this year.

LOVE ANNA LEE FIGURINES

There are new beige and turquoise pumpkins flanked by little Anna Lee figurines which have a fall look about them.  One is an apple picker, since apple-picking is one of our family’s favorite fall activities. Another one is a cute little fellow who is gathering in his fall pumpkins.

The figurines in the window beneath the tree are complimented by the one in the center of the beach-like centerpiece of our kitchen table. I just filled a bowl full of shells, put the little fellow on top of them, and surrounded him by larger shells filled with fall candies.

This little guy is gathering fall squash to feed his family this winter. That happens in our kitchen too, so he fits right in. I’ve given him a few pumpkins for decorations. Also, I’ve added some candy corn to the big sea shells that accent the large wooden bowl full of shells in the center.

Fall and Thanksgiving By The Sea are surely coming together here at this kitchen island/table. I’ll have fun serving people on these turquoise place mats with matching napkins.  Don’t you love the seashell plates?

THE CASE FOR TURQUOISE

Soon all of the kitchen and living room turquoise will be reflected in the front yard because I’m working on painting my turquoise picnic table.However I have not finished that project yet. It will surely be in place by spring;.  Until then the turquoise accents inside the house will have to send out the message of hospitality.

I suppose you know the meaning behind the word/color of “turquoise” has now become traditional for representing hospitality in our communities. That meaning is something I learned from one of my favorite books called The Turquoise Table. I’ll be official in the movement soon. I hope to start the turquoise table fad in our local neighborhood. In the meantime – the welcome mat is out in the kitchen. The main parts of my house have their turquoise hospitality showing.

There is one more little elf.  He will be joining the fall landscape painter elf who sits on our den coffee table.

THE FALL ELF GETS A HELPER

Our chief painting elf must have needed a helper.  I assume this because we have lots of fall trees. This other one is now resting on my kitchen counter whenever he isn’t helping God to paint the landscape with his partner. That guy is resting right now inside the living room. We are beginning to see the results of all of their hard work everywhere. It is quite beautiful.

Soon my cul-de-sac’s fall tree will be in a full blaze of glory. It will probably be the brightest spot on our street. I love that these little elves are sneaking around and helping out every chance that they get.

SAILING SHIPS

For a finishing touch, I placed the replicas of sailing ships which I usually use every summer beside the lamp in the living room. I think they add that final element of relaxing by the sea shore.

As you can see, I’ve been a bit carried away with this beach cottage for fall theme. So much so, that I could almost turn this article into a novel.

I hope your fall home is giving  you as much joy as ours has this year. Feel free to drop in anytime and have a cup of coffee with us.  We promise to sit you beside the fireplace.

HOW WE WILL FEAST

I’ve got to run now.  It is time for me to start to dream up a seafood feast for Thanksgiving. Now what did Jesus serve those disciples after they came dragging in from a long fishing trip?

Maybe that will give me some good ideas….

If you wish to review some of the recipes I finally decided on, you can find them here:  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/thanksgiving-by-the-sea-recipes/

May your fall be warm and cozy and your heart be filled with thankfulness for all of God’s many blessings!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!