Talking Turkey Thanksgiving Tablescape!
Talking Turkey Thanksgiving Tablescape!
Can We Talk?
Turkey, I mean.
Tis the time for delicious roasted turkey for our Thanksgiving feast and also a time to really, literally… put the turkey on the table.
Ok, Thanksgiving isn’t until next week, but it will be here before you know it.
I’m thinking roast turkey or deep fried, southern cornbread stuffing or sausage dressing, depending on where you live and whether you put the stuffing/dressing in the turkey or in a casserole.
Welcome dear friends to our Thanksgiving Tablescape Blog Hop!
Before we talk blog hop, lets talk about the time the turkey spoke to me!
Yes! I know!!!!
Trust me….the turkey spoke to me.
Not a real turkey, although I have raised turkeys and a few of them have talked to me.
Not English of course, but turkey talk.
You know.
Gobble! Gobble!
Oh, I wish you were here to hear me talk turkey.
I can really do that gobble sound because that is the way I called to the turkeys when it was time for them to flock to eat their grain.
On second thought, it is probably better that you can not hear my gobble gobble sound. It can get on one’s nerves quickly.
Ask my children or the Captain.
The Ceramic Shop!
But I digress a bit because I am talking about a sorta white ceramic turkey that talked to me while it was perched on a shelf at the ceramic shop, alongside a jar of used paint brushes, a jack-in-the-box clown with white face and a big red grin…. and a lampshade sitting atop a cowboy with bowed legs and a lariat in his hand.
The shop was one of those where you could purchase already made ceramic pieces OR…you could take classes and make/paint/glaze your own.
And I saw this neglected turkey.
The turkey had bits of yellow and red paint splattered here and there from careless paint brushes being tossed into the jar of used brushes.
I am not sure which is worse.
A live turkey meeting the Farmer’s chopping block, and then ultimately roasted to a beautiful, crispy brown and nestled in the center of the dinner table among side dishes of stuffing and gravy…..
…..Or a white ceramic bird having to put up with the dust and paint splatters of would be ceramic artists in a ceramic workshop.
What a humiliation for this proud bird, which almost became our nation’s national symbol!
I am sure you have heard this story or legend….you see our founding fathers picked the American Bald Eagle as our national symbol. But from the start, the eagle was a controversial choice. Benjamin Franklin scowled at it. “For my part,” he declared, “I wish the eagle had not been chosen as the representative of this country. He is a bird of bad moral character; he does not get his living honestly. You may have seen him perched in some dead tree where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the fishing hawk and, when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish and is bearing it to his nest for his young ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes the fish. With all this injustice, he is never in good case.”
Some people have since questioned whether the eagle would have been chosen to adorn the seal had the nation not been at war. A year after the Treaty of Paris ended the conflict with Great Britain, Franklin argued that the turkey would have been a more appropriate symbol. “A much more respectable bird and a true native of America,” he pointed out. Franklin conceded that the turkey was “a little vain and silly,” but maintained that it was nevertheless a “bird of courage” that “would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on.” Congress was not convinced, however. The eagle remained our national symbol.
So you see, I knew the turkey on the shelf, covered with ceramic dust, and various colors of paint splattered on the white finish, had to come home with me.
It was the right thing to do.
So, I bought this white bird and then I dusted and cleaned the paint off and it was then I decided it should be center stage on my Thanksgiving Tablescape.
Let me describe my table for you.
The tablescape is a simple one with wheat stalks, pumpkins, fall leaves and sunflowers lining the center of the table.
There are also two white chippy candlesticks with small orange pumpkins perched atop each one.
The place settings are colorful chargers with autumn leaves, white ironstone dinner plates and a spode salad plate featuring a turkey in full plumage.
Sort of the ying and yang of white and colorful turkeys.
The napkins are brown with a orange and white acorn embroidered on the corner and clustered together with a wooden napkin ring.
The flatware is called Sophia and the handles are rust colored. They coordinate nicely with the bubbled amber water glasses.
WHICH….goes well with the ceramic white turkey centerpiece, anchored at the ends of the table by two orange mercury glass pumpkins and white birch votive candles.
AND….the white ceramic turkey salt and pepper shakers,
Well, he needed a couple little friends didn’t he? 🙂
Gobble Gobble!
Sources:
White turkey and Salt & Peppers-Ceramic shop
Leaf covered chargers-Michaels
Flatware-Sofia on-line
Chippy candle sticks-Hobby Lobby a few years back
orange mercury pumpkins-Michaels
Amber bubble water glasses-Pier 1 over 10 years ago
Birch candle holder logs-Hobby Lobby several years ago
Brown napkins-World Market several years ago
wood/jute napkin rings…so old, I do not remember
Sunflowers and wheat stalks, I assume Michaels but don’t remember
Spode salad plates-Home Goods, several years ago
Thank you Chloe for hosting this Thanksgiving Tablescape Blog Hop! I know you have your sweet little grand daughtters living with you while their mother is serving her country.
Thank her and your son-in-law for their service.
Monday
Knock it Off Kim | Home is Where the Boat Is | Everyday Living | Living With Thanksgiving
Tuesday
Panoply | Corner of Plaid and Paisley | Red Cottage Chronicles | Home and Gardening with Liz
Wednesday
Me and My Captain | Bluesky at Home | Life and Linda | Our Crafty Mom
Thursday
The Painted Apron | Debbee’s Buzz |Loveland Lodge | Celebrate & Decorate
Friday
Kari, your “talking turkey” post is so creative with the ceramic shop turkey rescue story and the history lesson. Your tablescape featuring the proud Tom is so lovely and festive. I love the birch votive holders and the rust colored flatware and the amber drinking glasses. Well done! So nice to hop with you. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
thank you Rebecca we are so glad you joined our blog hops…they are such fun.
Love your turkey-themed table! Your white ceramics are so pretty and look fantastic with the plates you found.
thanks Jenn I love playing with dishes especially during the holidays.
Hi Kari! I love your tablescape with traditional Thanksgiving colors, but enough white to give it a neutral vibe. I love your story about how you saved the turkey, and of course he needs some salt and pepper shaker friends! So happy to be hopping with you!
thanks Michelle, these blog hops are such fun as the ideas and inspiration are never ending. So glad you have joined our group. Happy Thanksgiving.
Kari, I really enjoyed your storytelling as well as your tablescape. Also think the wood in your tabletop is stunning. Love that turkey called to you. For me, it’s peacocks — that’s why I have brown transferware plates depicting them on my Thanksgiving table! A very happy holiday to you.
Gobble, Gobble Kari! Love your witty commentary as well as the fact that you rescued your handsome white Tom from a dusty shelf and paint splatters 🙂 It’s always a treat to blog hop with you! Your Spode turkey plates are handsome gobblers! Happy Thanksgiving!
P.S. Would you mind updating your links? I notice your Halloween post is missing updated links too.
thanks Mary…R U talking about the celebrate your story link party link?
If that is the case, you have to click on the little blue frog link which takes you to the link party links (they all show up there) and then you can add your link. It is not convenient for sure but I have had the assistance of the “Link techs” and my blog “design team” and this is the best they can do with my word press.org. Ugh!
I explain at the bottom of my link party post to click on the little blue frog but I know it is not convenient. Perhaps I should try again with the IT people as so many link parties don’t have this issue. 🙁
Hi Kari, No, I talking about the tablescape blog hop links on your post and the links on your Halloween blog hop post.
ok thanks…I will check it out. Hugs
Hi Mary, I went back in and hopefully updated the links for the Halloween and the Thanksgiving Blog Hop(s). When I clicked on them they were current, but perhaps there was a glitch so I removed them all and started over for each day at both hops. So sorry if they were messed up. I did contact Chloe and she said they were ok from her phone, but she would try on her lap top at home later. Let me know if there is still an issue please. I so appreciate your telling me about this.
Kari
Kari, I loved your story about finding the ceramic turkey. I’m so glad the turkey talked to you. I love my ceramic white turkeys too. Yours looks perfect as the centerpiece of your lovely table. Franklin would be so proud.
thanks Carol….ceramic turkeys are such fun aren’t they?
I am glad to hear of this story! Glad the Eagle won and happy that the Turkey is for Thanksgiving, Your table is gorgeous! And so is your turkey!
I’m glad the turkey is for Thanksgiving too….yum yum
Let’s talk Turkey, Kari! I do love your stories but even more than that, I love your table styling! I can’t imagine that gorgeous bird covered in paint splatters – he looks so majestic now. I really like the chargers and love the contrasting pattern they give to the table. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thanks Kim…ceramic shops can be “dusty”…in fact, years ago, I used to have a small hobby ceramic shop in my home, where I not only taught ceramics, we poured molds and fired clay. So I perfectly understand the sometimes chaos. LOL Have a great thanksgiving.
Kari, I look forward to more stories and history lessons. I’ve always wanted a ceramic turkey as a focal point for a Thanksgiving centerpiece. Finding your turkey was fun I know. As tablescapers we can start setting a table before it is purchased.
All the elements you had on hand went together beautifully for your Thanksgiving table.I especially like your turkey plates and flatware and how you created a landscape table runner with candlesticks, flowers, fall leaves, wheat, and your proud ceramic turkey.
Enjoy your family Thanksgiving celebration. Blessings to you today.
Bonnie, I so appreciate you and your comments…obviously, we love what we do with our tablescape designs or we wouldn’t be doing it. There are times I lay in bed and think of different uses for items I have either found around the house or see in a store or on line. And Poof! a story comes together.Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Hugs
Thanks for saving Mr. Turkey, thanks for the history lesson, thanks for reminding me that I have those same napkins stuffed in a bin somewhere. Most of all thanks for sharing this gorgeous table. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sandra, I am so glad you have those same napkins. I have always been partial to the embroidered autumn leaf and acorn on them. Happy Thanksgiving my friend.
Kari, you have a gift of storytelling as well as tablescaping. I had read about the turkey being Franklin’s choice for our national emblem. I am glad the bald eagle won out because I think it is majestic and turkeys are, oh well they are turkeys and quite homely! I love that you rescued the ceramic turkey because he makes for a wonderful centerpiece and story.The Spode turkey plates are stunning. I love your table sweet friend!
I do like to tell stories and I can usually make it appear to be a book, when talking in real life, Pam…in fact, it is one of the reasons I started blogging, as my kids told me I should start a blog, so they could keep track of me, my tablescapes and my daily story-telling-happenings.
In reality, they most likely felt it was easier to read my stories, than to hear me go on and on and on and on from a daily telephone call. LOL
Love the title you chose and your story about turkey calling. That has to be a difficult one to imitate! Glad for you that you spotted that white turkey to bring home! It looks lovely with your candles and floral accents. Love your dishes and napkins. All of these special touches make great memories for everyone! Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving Day!
Liz, sometimes we have to go out on a limb…no pun intended, to find the beauty for the less intelligent of all fowl…the turkey. LOL!!! I love playing with dishes, some more than others and this guy is at thee top of my list. 🙂
I am familiar with the eagle controversy, and your description makes it even more dramatic! The poor turkey didn’t get the respect he deserved! Anyway, I’m so glad you rescued the white turkey from the ceramic shop, he looks proud indeed on the center of your table Kari! Lovely setting, the chargers are great! Happy Thanksgiving Kari, gobble, gobble!
Jenna
Jenna, for some reason, I identified with this splattered bird…no matter the colors of our feathers, we still look for acceptance and I am glad I was able to rescue him spots and all. Hugs my friend.
What a perfect table to enjoy Thanksgiving around! I love the natural color pallet, those chargers pair wonderfully with your turkey plates. Your turkey cleaned up beautifully, nice that you saved him from humiliation and made him the star of the show! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Always a pleasure to hop with you!
Ann, who knows what the feast table would have looked like if he hadn’t cleaned up….so glad he is not the poor relation of the stately Thanksgiving bird….although he would have still been acceptable for me. LOL
What an interesting story to go with your beautiful tablescape, Kari! I didn’t know the dilemma of the eagle and turkey (or dove, which I like best, I think) for our national symbol. Though majestic in flight, the analogy of the eagle taking from others reminds me of the state of things today in our country! I digress…..
Your table looks perfect for the holiday, and your rescue of the turkey rivals that of any Presidential pardon. 🙂 Love all the accompanying elements – the flatware and stemware are two of my favorites here, but the chargers with print are a nice addition to the handsome plate stack too.
Rita, as you said, the white bird sits majestically on my table…even though originally splattered with paint, I love his new white looks. Although, in hindsight, if I was not a traditionalist, but an abstract expressionist such as Jackson Pollock or Picasso, this bird could have kept his splattered demeanor and the Thanksgiving table would have taken on a completely different look! LOL
How wonderful that you saved this noble bird. What a great addition to your table, especially with your matching salt and pepper shakers. Your table looks elegant and welcoming. I am thankful for meeting you, my friend and continuing our blogging friend relationship! May you have a joyous Thanksgiving!
Chloe, you don’t know how much your friendship has meant to me…from the first time we met at Haven. I love you girl. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your wonderful family.
Kari, congrats on bring your very own turkey home. It looks quite noble as a centerpiece. Love the little friends too. The ironstone plates look charming with those Spode turkey plates. Love the pretty brown with orange and white acorn embroidered napkins. The mercury pumpkins look fabulous all lit up. Truly a lovely table to sit down and enjoy the upcoming feast. A pleasure to join you on this Thanksgiving tablescape.
thanks Linda…at least this white turkey did not give his all for the feast…he just sat on the table! LOL
Kari, Jefferson wanted the dove, to symbolize peace.
Franklin thought the turkey a ‘truly noble bird’
Adams wanted the eagle. And got his way. Ha!
Wow! I didn’t know that. I, personally love the eagle. I think he is majestic and a great symbol of America. Thanks for stopping by and enlightening me.
Do you remember how we used to laugh at the movie lines in O Brother, Where Art Thou? I still laugh at that movie. Luv it. “He is bonified” ….”He’s got prospects!”
Luv ya and have a Happy Thanksgiving to your family.