Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I want to go everywhere I haven't been, and back to everywhere I have been.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever...and #RedCups


The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever -  looks great, and takes about three minutes to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 Are you a cool, calm and collected hostess?

I most certainly am not,
although in my head, I always think I'm going to be.  

   No matter how much time I give myself to do the food shopping, the prepping
the house-straightening, the table setting and the cooking 
-- we're talking days here, not hours -- 
I'm always down to the wire in getting it all together.
 
Think "Quickfire Challenge" on Top Chef just before the buzzer sounds...

Pots in the sink, 
Spills on the counter, 
Drawers and cabinets open...
 
I guess you could call my style Say Yes To The Mess

The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever -  looks great, and takes about three minutes to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

But somehow, I manage to clean it all up,
leaving me with about four minutes to shower and dress 
before my guests come.
As the doorbell is ringing, I'm running down the stairs,
 putting on my mascara, and zipping up my pants.

The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever -  looks great, and takes about three minutes to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 My favorite part of hosting dinner parties is setting a pretty table. 
I always start out with grand visions 
of designing a beautiful dining table centerpiece, but,
 either the execution of that vision ends up looking like a four-year-old made it...
or I just don't have the time to create something extravagant.

The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever -  looks great, and takes about three minutes to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I've learned that I am better off keeping it simple from the get-go.
You may recall this centerpiece, or this five-minute one. 
Both are super-easy to throw together for a Thanksgiving table. 

Today's centerpiece may be the simplest yet. 
We're talking 3 minutes, here -- maybe

The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever -  looks great, and takes about three minutes to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Here's what I used:

1 cake stand

2 pumpkins (one flat, one round)
1 faux berry garland
A few real leaves
A few walnuts
A few pinecones

Stack...Wrap...and you're ready to Roll!

The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever -  looks great, and takes about three minutes to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes
 This centerpiece is so easy, and so quick to put together,
that not only will you buy yourself time to take a proper shower,
you'll have enough time to run out to Starbucks, 
and enjoy a grande Caramel Brulle Latte...
in a #starbucksredcup.

Can you believe that this red cup business is really a THING?
I mean, wake up and smell the coffee! 
There's a lot of other things to be upset about in this world,
and a cup that doesn't have snowflakes or reindeer on it isn't one of them...
in my humble opinion.
If anyone needs a few suggestions of things to stress over
I'm a gold medalist in "worrying" and I'll be happy to supply a list...
which may or may not have bad hair days somewhere on it.

Sorry for the rant -- I had to venti. I mean vent. 
It felt good, and I'm done.
Just call me Ms. Toody Brew Shoes

The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever -  looks great, and takes about three minutes to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Now, I'm sure that you are waiting with bated coffee breath
 to see how I put together this centerpiece.
I'll tell you faster than it takes the barista to misspell your name 
on that #starbucksredcup...

The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever -  looks great, and takes about three minutes to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Ready?

Stack two pumpkins on a cake stand.
Wrap the berry garland around the pumpkins.
Scatter the leaves, walnuts and pinecones around the pumpkins.
Place it on the table.  
Relax, and have a cup of coffee.

The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever -  looks great, and takes about three minutes to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes
 Rocket science, right? 

The Simplest Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ever -  looks great, and takes about three minutes to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

The moral of the story is, that sometimes,  
a plain cuppa joe in a simple red cup  
is a lot more satisfying than a  
gingerbread peppermint white chocolate decaf skinny frappumacchialattecino.

If you want the simple stuff, you've come to the right place

**************

One more thing before I go:
Thanks to Brenda from Cozy Little House 
for visiting me on her "virtual bloggers tour." 
If only it were for real! 
And thanks again to the very same Brenda 
for doing a post on how to center Blogger blog post titles, 
 Gadget Sidebar titles, and more, 
 on her other blog, Brenda's Blog Tips.
It took me two seconds to do it, and it worked! 
Thanks, Brenda!  

LINKING WITH:
 Wow Us Wednesday
Share Your Style 
Home and Garden Thursday 

27 comments:

  1. I am with you, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or Not

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  2. I love your simple centerpiece. Stacking pumpkins is such a great thing to do for décor in the Fall! I love the berries around them! I agree with you...there are bigger things to worry about than what Starbucks or Dunkin does in competition with each other, in any season!!

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  3. Amy, love this it's simple and pretty. I have to tell you reading this, this late in the day was not a good idea. I am tired as it is but now exhausted. I was able to feel your venting. Thanks, I'm so tired now I should have it great nights sleep, LOL!

    Cindy

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  4. Hello Amy,

    I love your pumpkin center piece. Stunning and yet very simple to make. Just a quick question, did you secure them with anything? I do love setting the table for the holidays too. I am only calm and collected when the guests arrive but a total mess before that between the cooking and setting everything up.

    I don't worry about Starbucks. Life is more than a silly cup.

    Have a great week,

    Janet

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  5. Love your thinking today! Who cares about Starbucks? Not me!! I do care about this gorgeous centerpiece though. Pinned. :)

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  6. Love it! And yeah, what's up with the Starbucks cup?! Geez, some people need to wake up and smell the coffee ;).

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  7. Love your simple centerpiece. Sometimes the simplest things are the best. Have a great rest of the week.
    Kris

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  8. Wow Amy, you made such a pretty centerpiece with the pumpkins, berries, leaves and pinecones on the cake stand! I am a wreck before the guests arrive too and then relax when everyone arrives. I think it's crazy too about the Starbucks cup. Congrats on the feature on Brenda's blog. I thought that you two really got together! Lol! Enjoy the rest of the week.
    Julie xo
    Julie xo

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  9. PREACH!! For those of us that do celebrate Christmas I would love to know how a reindeer or snowflake on a cup has anything to do with religion. I am 'venti'ng with you, sister!
    Great centerpiece, too dahhhling. Also, I am the same way... usually dressing when the doorbell rings and asking myself "Are you kidding me? WHO SHOWS UP ON TIME???" lol

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  10. I felt like you were describing my style of hosting, too! LOL! I am a planner, but I still always seem to be "cutting it down to the wire," so to speak! Your arrangement might be quick and simple, but it is really pretty! :) ~Rhonda

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  11. Amy,
    I smiled with the visual of you running down the stairs as the door bell is ringing putting on your mascara and zipping your pants. Cute post and beautiful centerpiece. Simplistic yes but its rustic and stunning. In advertising they teach you the KISS method. (Keep it simple, stupid)! I have always applied that to things I create so you better believe I will be copying your centerpiece - love it.
    I find the Red Cup brew-ha-ha (like that play on words) totally silly.
    xo,
    Vera

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  12. This is so stinking cute cuz it's simple and perfect. You are so down to earth---love it!!

    Jane x

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  13. This is just lovely. Was your pumpkin flat enough to stack and stay stable?

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  14. Simple and sweet centerpiece. You and I have more in common than you know..although I have learned to stop about an hour before my guests get here to "get myself ready"....then, if I am caught- it is doing finishing touches on THINGS and not MYSELF. lol
    Stoooopid Hoooopla over Starbucks red cups. Some people need a life, I tell you! I wonder if the advice to not patronize Starbucks was started by a jealous competitor. lol xo Diana

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  15. Great simple centerpiece! Sometimes the simple things in life are the best. Thanks for sharing. Milena

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  16. That whole entire tablescape is so pretty and I love how simple yet elegant the centerpiece looks. See Friday at the party! No mascara necessary ;)

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  17. Great look, sometimes simplest is best! And who really obsesses about what any retailer does...honestly. RED cups can simply be RED cups. argh...so over that! Sandi

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  18. Simplify, simplify, simplify!! Not only with regards to centrepieces, but to life, in general! Your stacked pumpkins bejewelled with berries are brilliantly beautiful!

    Poppy

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  19. This is awesome!! And yet another reason I need to pick up a pretty cake stand!!

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  20. love this centerpiece! I have a cake stand similar to yours...and just may try to copy your centerpiece. Brenda visited me on the same day. She sure gets around! ha. Sheila

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  21. I love that idea for a centerpiece. I like the bittersweet wrapped around it too. I remember reading about the red cup situation on facebook. My biggest complaint was that it's not even Thanksgiving yet so why is this even being discussed right now? I'm sick of Christmas stuff being pushed on us as early as Halloween! That gripes me more than the lack of a Christmas greeting on a coffee cup.

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  22. I love your centerpiece and the Starbucks thing is too funny. I've read about it over the last few days here and there. Some 'evangelist' equating getting rid of a reindeer equals hating Jesus. A funny on FB joking that every time you drink from the plain red cup they'll kill a kitten and serve it to the Dark Lord, lol ! Meanwhile Chanukah usually falls in December too though the 'evangelist' probably forgot about that.

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  23. Your centre piece is perfect - the colours work so well together.

    Have a Happy Weekend.

    All the best Jan

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  24. Very very pretty! And so easy to put together. You weren't kidding when you said simplest. And yet simple is good in this case, because the colors and texture are so rich you don't need much else.

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  25. This is the best kind of Thanksgiving dinner centerpiece, Amy. And I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who actually makes a mess cooking. I try to wash as I go but somehow I always get behind.

    I want to try the Caramel Brulle Latte. I don't like coffee and keep meaning to learn to drink it. Maybe if I started with this version I'd actually like coffee?

    Dewena

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  26. This is the best kind of Thanksgiving dinner centerpiece, Amy. And I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who actually makes a mess cooking. I try to wash as I go but somehow I always get behind.

    I want to try the Caramel Brulle Latte. I don't like coffee and keep meaning to learn to drink it. Maybe if I started with this version I'd actually like coffee?

    Dewena

    ReplyDelete

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