DIY Thanksgiving Tablescape with American Farmhouse Style Magazine

Last year after a nation wide search with thousands of entries, I was honored to selected one of the top four finalists for the 2022 American Farmhouse Style Magazine Ambassador contest. Below is the DIY table riser I built for the final project. You can view the magazine article here.

As the seasons change, fall ushers in cool crisp nights, falling leaves, pumpkin decor, cider, and cozy sweaters. 

A Time for Gratitude

Thanksgiving will soon be here and families will gather around a loved one’s kitchen or dining room table to celebrate the season of gratitude and renewed blessings. Creating a fun and festive thanksgiving tablescape is my way to welcome family and friends into my home and help make the holiday feel special.

DIY Centerpiece for the Thanksgiving Tablescape

I love to think of an empty table as a canvas, and the pieces as the paint. Creating a Thanksgiving tablescape can be a wonderful way to be creative and expressive. I always start with the centerpiece and make it the focal point of the table.

My table is just over eight feet long, so I wanted to use an extra long elevated centerpiece. But I couldn’t find one in the stores so I decided to make my own! I went to my local hardware store and bought a large board and some furniture feet.

Once home, I gathered the materials and planned out my next steps. To make this centerpiece a bit more interesting, I used a router to create a decorative edge. If you don’t have a router, or want a simpler technique, just use sandpaper to round off the corners for a smooth finished look.

Afterwards, I drilled holes in one side of the board and hammered in threaded plugs to attach the feet. With the feet attached, it was time to paint. I chose a satin white spray paint for a quick durable finish. After the paint dried I went back over it with sandpaper to create a rustic texture for my Thanksgiving tablescape.

 Creating Coziness with Decor

With the board complete, it was time to decorate the table. (My favorite part!) Going around the table I started layering the plates using a charger as a base, followed by the dinner and salad plates. By putting the largest plates down first, it gives me an idea on how much room I have to add the decorative pieces, uch as candles near the centerpiece. 

Next I place the glasses, silverware napkins with napkin holders. (There’s a wide assortment of napkin holders available.) I love to mix in florals, pumpkins, faux leaves, and sprinkle them around the Thanksgiving table to create ambiance. You could also incorporate a small charcuterie board mixed in with the decor. 

I hope these ideas spark your creativity and get you excited for the upcoming holiday season! 

Warmer Weather Finds

The warmer months are here and I’m all about refreshing rooms and brightening up spaces in my home! The greatest update I did this season was changing out my traditional taupe living room sofas for a brighter, more contemporary look with a sofa and love seat from Jonathan Louis Furniture. I also updated some living room accessories. (For links to items in this post go here.)

I added this large contemporary white bowl to my coffeee talbe and filled it with vibrant green moss balls. This really brought in a pop of color againz the cosateal, nuetral furniture and pillows.

My new Jonanthan Louis customized furniture is part of the chic, tailored Pia Collection - and I absolutely love it! There were so many fabrics options to choose from, and after narrowing it down to three fabric swatches, I chose a beautiful, elegant fabric called Dover Ivory. This is a just live™ performance fabric. That means this fabric is durable, STAIN RESISTANT, soap cleanable and moisture repellant. Definitely check out Jonathan Louis and all their amazing furniture options for your home! #ad

Even though sofas, chairs and loveseats come with coordinating pillows, you don’t have to be stucke using them if they don’t strike your fancy. I always bring in my own pillows with different colorors, patterns and fabrics to create a more interesting look.

I also update my fireplace mantle decor. Again, like the coffee table, I kept the look pretty light and airy with a pop of green from some faux eucalyptus stems. I also added two more white clay vases that act as book end for the linen decorative books.

Click here to get links to all items shown in post.

A Pretty in Pink Easter Tablescape

To me spring time is all about flowers! I love to be surrounded by the beauty of flowers, but would rather not spend money constantly buying real ones. So I turn to faux florals! They never wilt or die, and always look fresh! I always buy faux florals at Michael’s craft store because of the quality in the texture and colors. You can place them in a white ceramic pitcher, a galvanized pot, or traditional glass vase - the decorating possibles are endless! Definitely my go to for Spring Décor!

Every year I choose a color pallet for Easter table. Last year it was peach with touches of aquas. This year I wanted to devote the entire tablescape to pinks and whites.

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I’m blessed and have a closet off my powder bath totally dedicated to storing my home decor. I buy things I know so will be staple and I will use again. I also hold on to a lot of things, like fabric, vases, and greenery, that I know can be repurpos…

I’m blessed and have a closet off my powder bath totally dedicated to storing my home decor. I buy things I know so will be staple and I will use again. I also hold on to a lot of things, like fabric, vases, and greenery, that I know can be repurposed. Such is with this pink a polka fabric. I used it three years ago for my daughter birthday party. I held on to it, and brought it out to be my Easter table runner. I folded the edges over instead of sewing and it worked great! It saved money buying on one! To an add more texture I added lace on top, also something I also had in my closet.

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Strawberry petite fors!

Strawberry petite fors!

I couldn’t find pink napkins to match the decor, so I brought out some old Pottery Barn curtains that I used in my daughter’s room 15 years ago! They were faded but perfect for what I need them for. I used my pinking sheers to cut them in a 16 inch …

I couldn’t find pink napkins to match the decor, so I brought out some old Pottery Barn curtains that I used in my daughter’s room 15 years ago! They were faded but perfect for what I need them for. I used my pinking sheers to cut them in a 16 inch square. Them I placed them on top of white square cloth napkins I already had, and secured them with my darling bunny napkin rings. (Use code NISSALYNN for 10% off your order!)

Shop my daily looks by following me, nissalynninteriors, on the LIKEtoKNOW.it app http://liketk.it/2ACLa #LTKhome #liketkit@liketoknow.it @liketoknow.it.home @liketoknow.it.family

Shop my daily looks by following me, nissalynninteriors, on the LIKEtoKNOW.it app http://liketk.it/2ACLa #LTKhome #liketkit@liketoknow.it @liketoknow.it.home @liketoknow.it.family

Cover of a Magazine! A Dream Come True!

✨DREAMS COME TRUE!!✨That’s my home on the COVER! I’m so honored to have had the opportunity to have my Christmas home on the cover, the inside cover, and a ten page feature in the 2021 The Cottage Journal Holiday Home magazine!

I was so busy last holiday season with the magazine and my daughter’s wedding I never had a chance to write a blog post about this extraordinary experience!

The Cottage Journal contacted me Fall 2020, asked if I would like to be featured in one of their 2021 Christmas magazines. I was thrilled!! I couldn’t believe it! I immediately got to work planning, designing, and styling each room before the photo shoots. I worried so much about every little detail - every little ornament, every ribbon, and every piece of greenery. My husband Justin and I did all the photography since we have our own light kit, tripod, and DSLR camera. This worked out well because we were able to shoot one room at a time - especially with having five kids at home.

I wanted everything to be perfect, and have as much natural light as possible,  so we ended up reshooting the dining room and living room three times. After I sent the raw photos to The Cottage Journal team during January of 2021.

Then in July, amazing writer Katie reached out to me with questions to answer for the article. Katie did an outstanding job! The article was like a window to my heart.

In September Katie conveyed to me the most exciting new ever - that my home, my photography, was going to be on their cover story! I couldn’t believe it - my home was going to be on the cover of a prestigious interiors design magazine!!

The magazine hit newsstands on October 12th, 2021. I received two complimentary copies a few weeks before that. When I first opened the package with the publication I sobbed with joy. It was an incredible feeling!

The next several weeks were magical as my family and I would go around to different stores to find the magazine. It was fun to be at the check out counters at places like Albertsons or Lowes, and to look over and see my Christmas living room while I’m purchasing our items.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the wonderful The Cottage Journal team for choosing me! It was an extraordinary experience!

To see the article in its entirety you can find it online - Google The Cottage Journal Holiday Home 2021.

DIY Thanksgiving Tablescape with American Farmhouse Style Magazine (Copy)

After a nation wide search with thousands of entries, I am honored to selected one of the top four finalist for the American Farmhouse Style Magazine Ambassador contest. Below is the DIY elevated tablescape riser I built for the final project. You can view the magazine article here.

As the seasons change, fall ushers in cool crisp nights, falling leaves, pumpkin decor, cider, and cozy sweaters. 

A Time for Gratitude

Thanksgiving will soon be here and families will gather around a loved one’s kitchen or dining room table to celebrate the season of gratitude and renewed blessings. Creating a fun and festive thanksgiving tablescape is my way to welcome family and friends into my home and help make the holiday feel special.

DIY Centerpiece for the Thanksgiving Tablescape

I love to think of an empty table as a canvas, and the pieces as the paint. Creating a Thanksgiving tablescape can be a wonderful way to be creative and expressive. I always start with the centerpiece and make it the focal point of the table.

My table is just over eight feet long, so I wanted to use an extra long elevated centerpiece. But I couldn’t find one in the stores so I decided to make my own! I went to my local hardware store and bought a large board and some furniture feet.

Once home, I gathered the materials and planned out my next steps. To make this centerpiece a bit more interesting, I used a router to create a decorative edge. If you don’t have a router, or want a simpler technique, just use sandpaper to round off the corners for a smooth finished look.

Afterwards, I drilled holes in one side of the board and hammered in threaded plugs to attach the feet. With the feet attached, it was time to paint. I chose a satin white spray paint for a quick durable finish. After the paint dried I went back over it with sandpaper to create a rustic texture for my Thanksgiving tablescape.

 Creating Coziness with Decor

With the board complete, it was time to decorate the table. (My favorite part!) Going around the table I started layering the plates using a charger as a base, followed by the dinner and salad plates. By putting the largest plates down first, it gives me an idea on how much room I have to add the decorative pieces, uch as candles near the centerpiece. 

Next I place the glasses, silverware napkins with napkin holders. (There’s a wide assortment of napkin holders available.) I love to mix in florals, pumpkins, faux leaves, and sprinkle them around the Thanksgiving table to create ambiance. You could also incorporate a small charcuterie board mixed in with the decor. 

I hope these ideas spark your creativity and get you excited for the upcoming holiday season! 

A Royal Christmas Tree

A few months ago I had the amazing opportunity to visit the Decorator's Warehouse in Arlington, TX. It was truly like stepping into a Christmas wonderland! Lights were twinkling everywhere, and themed Christmas trees were decorated to perfection!

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I met with Kristen, whose family has owned Decorator’s Warehouse for years, to pick out items to decorate a themed Christmas tree as part of the Home for the Holidays Christmas Tree Challenge with Decorator's Warehouse. #DWChristmasAtHome.

I knew I wanted to go for a regal look with luxurious Christmas ribbon and Christmas flowers adorned with silver and gold ornaments. I have always loved silver and gold trees and when I saw the navy flowers at the Decorator’s Warehouse store, I knew instantly I wanted to combine the two looks of silver and gold with navy accents to create an elegant Christmas tree with lots of sparkle and shine!

My love for elegant Christmas trees started when I was a little girl and frequently visited Macy’s department store on 33rd street in Manhattan, NYC. I remember being in awe of all the large shining Christmas ornaments, lights, and stunning ribbon. The department store felt like a palace.
Drawing upon those memories, I used silver, gold, and navy to bring my regal Christmas tree to life!✨

To  get started, I made fourteen clusters (groupings) with one flocked and champagne crabapple spray, a poinsettia stem and white Christmas flower. I then wrapped the stems around each other to secure them. Next I applied my navy blue velet Chrstimas ribbon in 2 ½ feet strips throughout the tree and added the larger balls. I placed in two different types: The Silver/White Christmas ornament and the 15 CM Glitter ball. After that I added tree different types of flowers - two white and one navy blue, along with a small navy blue ornament for an addition pop of the navy blue color. I also added the crystals to give the Christmas tree an extra dose of glam! The final step was to add several different sparkle sprays.

To simply:

  1. Make clusters.

  2. Add ribbon to Christmas tree. 

  3. Add two different types of large ornaments.

  4. Add four types of flowers and small ornaments.

  5. Add sprays to fill in any gaps or holes.

Click here for all the sources for my Christmas tree! Plus you can use code NISSALYNNINTERIORS at checkout for 10% off your purchase at Decorator’s Warehouse

 I hope you enjoyed my new regal tree. Check some of my friends’ beautiful Decorator’s Warehouse Christmas trees below!

It's a "Spooktackular" Halloween!

When I found out I was going to have family flying into town for Halloween, I was so excited to decorate for this holiday! Every year I’ve always just decorated my living room for Halloween, but this year I wanted to branch out and do a “spooktackular” Halloween tablescape! And I must say, I think it’s my most favorite tablescape ever!

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With it being halloween, I chose a black and white color scheme, and then added pops of orange. The first thing I did was pull out this black and white striped table runner from my decorating closet and put it on my table.

Then I was on the hunt to find some fun Halloween decor. When I saw this Mackenzie-Childs witch’s hat - I was obsessed! I knew that it had to be the center of the tablescape. After placing it on the table, I wanted the hat to stand up a little taller, so I put the hat on a white tray and then raised it a couple more inches by putting it on a couple wood boards. Then I covered the boards with fabric and fake leaves. Next I added patterned and solid colored pumpkins on either sides of the hat. (The Mackenzie-Childs Courtly Check gets me every time! I just love the black and white whimsical pattern.)

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These glasses are from the Dollar store! Can you believe it? I only needed eight for this table setting, so I bought each glass at a dollar a piece. That was cheaper than buying 2- 6pk glasses at Walmart or Target - I checked!

Tip: When putting together a place setting, think of it as a pyramid. Start with the largest piece on bottom and layer until the smallest piece is on top. I usually start with a placemat, then a charger, dinner plate, salad plate and napkin and napkin holder to finish it off. 😊

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*These darling bat napkin rings and Sit for a Spell sign are from Krumpets Home Decor. Use code NISSALYNN at checkout for 10% off your entire purchase, plus free shipping on orders $25 or more.

*These darling bat napkin rings and Sit for a Spell sign are from Krumpets Home Decor. Use code NISSALYNN at checkout for 10% off your entire purchase, plus free shipping on orders $25 or more.

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I wanted to throw this photo in for fun. This is my Halloween decorated living room.

I wanted to throw this photo in for fun. This is my Halloween decorated living room.

I hope you have an amazing Halloween! I hope it’s a day filled with fun and laughter.

You can easily shop my Halloween tablescape by clicking on the products photos below.

New Floors Make the Best Christmas Gift!

Christmas came early with this new flooring from Select Surfaces! I keep looking around and can’t believe this is my home! ❤️ This new laminate flooring is a game changer! Everything went so smoothly from receiving the planks, to the removal of the carpet and final installation. (Sponsored)

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After living in our home for nine years, the builder grade carpet had definitely lived its life and needed to go! We planned on replacing the carpet in the dining room, living room, and master bedroom with wood flooring. But first I needed to explore options. I did a lot of research on different flooring types and materials.

We had some specific things we were looking for in new floors: 

-It had to be durable - because we have five children and lots of traffic. 

-It also needed be be waterproof/water resistant to protect against spills.

-We needed to be able to install it ourselves. 

-And I wanted a beautiful, timeless shade of laminate wood color. 


Select Surfaces met all of these requirements hands down, plus they offer a limited lifetime residential warranty!

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You can purchase the flooring from your local Sam’s Club or order it online, and then pick it up at Sam’s Club.

We installed this over a concrete subfloor so after we removed the old carpet and pad, we put down a plastic moisture barrier to protect the laminate from any moisture that may transfer from the concrete. You can learn more about prepping your subfloor at here.

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Once we started installing we were amazed at how great it was. Select Surfaces flooring uses their Speedloc™ installation system which makes this laminate flooring extremely easy to install. The Speedloc™ system uses a tongue and groove joint that fits right together. Sometimes you need to wiggle the planks a bit to get them seated, but after they click together they hold very well.

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Here are some things I will recommend. First, get a saw blade specifically for cutting laminate. We couldn’t find the right size blade locally so we used a new fine tooth finish blade. It worked great for most of the project, but by the end it was cutting very slow and we replaced it before doing the transition moldings.

Second, a battery powered hand-held jig saw is very helpful for notching out the laminate to go around corners or any other molding or trim you may have in your room.

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Third, do your research! There is a lot of good info here and more is available all over the internet. Especially if you will be going through any doorways, as the undercutting of the door frames is a different process.

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I had friends of ours that saw my Instagram stories of us installing the floors and they had to come over to check them out. They were in awe and couldn’t believe how amazing these laminate planks looked! They’re ordering their flooring samples from Select Surfaces next week!! 

I can’t even begin to tell you how impressed I am with the flooring from Select Surfaces! Definitely check them out for your flooring needs!

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Fall is in the Air!

My living room is all decorated for fall! I had fun using lots of different textures in my coffee table decor, while bringing in pops of traditional fall colors. Do you enjoy decorating for fall?🍁🍂🍁

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Can you tell that this fireplace garland is actually three different garlands put together? 🍁 I couldn’t find a large garland anywhere so I used two garlands of one kind and a different one for the center, then put them all together. I nailed in two tiny white nails in the front of the mantle to keep the garlands from falling forward. Then I also added faux leaves, flowers and beaded stems to fill in empty spaces and to make the three garlands look like one.

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This photo below might be one of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken. To me this photo represents fall, with all its’ wide range of colors and natural elements. For the center police I used a lot of wood texture. I paired the mango wood candlesticks with the painted white word pumpkins, then added fall stems to fill in the empty areas on the tray. (The taupe and orange pumpkins are from Hobby Lobby.)

This white tray is a home decor staple in my home. I use it for almost every season because the white goes with everything, plus it’s the perfect size for most coffee tables. You can find it here.

This white tray is a home decor staple in my home. I use it for almost every season because the white goes with everything, plus it’s the perfect size for most coffee tables. You can find it here.

I love what this tag says. “Grateful.” To me this tag says one of the most important virtues in life. To me, being truly grateful for blessings in one’s life will only bring true happiness. When I saw this pumpkin at the store, I knew I had to get it and take an uncles photo of it. I also love the pumpkin because it’s so interesting with the carved indents on it. It make it so interesting, and interesting pieces are great in decorating.

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I love the look of candlesticks, but I don’t lichee mess of real candles! Flawless candles were one of the best inventions ever! I always purchase mine here.

Notice the white leaf stamp on the orange pumpkin? I like the muted orange next to the contrasting deep red beads.

Notice the white leaf stamp on the orange pumpkin? I found it fun to mic the muted orange next to the contrasting deep red beads.

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The cute orange pillow, white wood pumpkins and Harvest sign are from Krumpet’s Home Decor 🍁 Use code NISSALYNN for 10% off your order plus free shipping on orders over $25

The cute orange pillow, white wood pumpkins and Harvest sign are from Krumpet’s Home Decor 🍁 Use code NISSALYNN for 10% off your order plus free shipping on orders over $25

You don’t have to buy new seasonal decor every year. I always use decor from previous years, and then buy a couple new pieces each year. In fact,this autumn sign I’ve had for over thirteen years. I bought it from one of my friend’s boutique, and it’s 100% hand made.

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Hope you enjoyed a little tour of my fall living room! If you have any questions feel free to email me!

Click on the links below to shop my home. And remember, you can always shop my posts by following me, @nissalynninteriors, on the LIKEtoKNOW.it shopping app @liketoknow.it #liketkit http://liketk.it/2XcfP #LTKhome @liketoknow.it.home