there is always, always something to be grateful for

Last year I was invited to participate in an event at our local Room + Board to makeover a section of the store with a holiday theme. I was so happy with how my room turned out and realized last night that I never shared it with you!

Each of us designers chose a different look – a few did Christmas, another did New Year’s Eve and for my space, I decided to embrace the warmth of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving gets overshadowed by Christmas – I’m raising my hand this year on this one, too – but it is such a special holiday. Before we falala our way through December, we get a chance to pause collectively and give thanks.

On the wall of my space, I added a quote that I just love:

There is always, always something to be grateful for.

So before I jump into Christmas projects and gift lists and art and decorating inspiration (all coming soon!), let’s take a few minutes to talk about my Thanksgiving-inspired space.

Here is what the space in the store looked like before I got my hands on it:

It’s a furniture store, so obviously each grouping highlights the furniture. My job was to make the space look less like a furniture store and allow shoppers to imagine what the space (and products) could look like in a real life scenario.

I loved the clean lines of the furniture and the detail of the wood-clad wall. It all felt a little more ‘bachelor pad’ than my more girly style so I was excited to add an Emily touch.

After a whirlwind install, here’s how my space turned out:

And a view from the side before:

And after:

By adding in lots of accessories, a little bit of color in the throws and pillows and fresh flowers and greenery, I think I made the space feel like such a pretty place for an evening gathering.

That big back wall felt like a great place to add that Thanksgiving quote to keep us all mindful of having a grateful heart.

To make the quote, I used pre-cut letters from the Target dollar section stuck to the wall with poster putty (like this). Under the quote was a picture ledge that I treated like a mantle and added a bunch of fresh greens.

That wood fireplace wall had me stumped for a while. I wanted it to be a focal point, but in a subtle way.

I ended up finding these minimal wall-mounted tea light holders and randomly nailed in 30 of them. The glow of the candlelight was so pretty all evening!

It was a fun event and pushed me creatively, which I am grateful for.

Also? When I look at this picture, what I see is one tired mama. We had just moved, I was working on several big work projects, and was at the absolute peak of iron-deficiency. My mom came out to the event to see my space and she left feeling worried about her girl. This was the catalyst for me slowing down this year and taking time to take care of myself. For that, I am especially grateful :)

Since we’re talking about gratitude, can I just say that I am so thankful for you, my reader-friends. What a joy it is to connect with you (even if strangely over the internet).

What’s at the top of your gratitude list this year? I’d love to hear!