Be Thankful... For Awesome Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Party!

Happy Thursday to my fellow Creative Cabana readers! Can you believe it? We just had Halloween a week ago, and now we have 3 weeks left to prepare for Thanksgiving! Well thankfully, and I mean this literally, unlike Halloween and Christmas, Thanksgiving is more laid-back and doesn't involve as much fluff and planning. Sure there's the cooking, shopping for food, and kitchen preparations of course. However, Thanksgiving isn't meant to be as commercialized as other holidays which means you can take more time for yourself. It also means you can take some extra time to detail items for your home decor. In my previous post, "Having a Candy Hangover?", I mentioned some easy shortcuts for reusing generic Halloween decorations for Thanksgiving. If you're in the mood though for some fresh decorative settings, then here are some suggestions for you and the little hands in your family to try:

1. "Handmade" Turkey

For this craft, take your hands and trace the outline onto pieces of construction paper (brown, yellow, green, orange, red). Then cut each of the traces out, these will later be the feathers of your turkey. For the body part, simply cut out the head, beak, wattle, feet and stomach out of additional cardboard or foam pieces to create the rest of the turkey body. Glue each of the pieces together with the feathers going behind the bigger stomach piece. Once your turkey has dried, simply place it in a frame with some festive card stock for a beautiful display. You can also add your own touch by adding keywords such as: Thankful, Blessed, Give Thanks, etc. around the frame. This simple and easy craft is a great way to bring the family together for Thanksgiving and admire each other's amazing crafting skills!
*Oh, I just wanted to mention that I got this idea from Pinterest, but the website on this picture is pretty cool too! So check out pounds4pennies.com for some awesome money saving tips and projects.

2. Pilgrim Placards

I saw the picture of this idea on my Pinterest feed and thought this was just the most adorable idea for your table settings- especially if you have a big family or lots of kids. You'll need construction paper, paper towel or toilet paper brown rolls and a list of who will be at your dinner. Once you have your guest list finalized of who will be at your Thanksgiving dinner, print out pictures of their faces from your computer. Nothing too big, or small. If you'd like a comparison on size, try to make the heads about the same size as the base of the toilet/paper towel rolls you'll be using. Next you'll be cutting your rolls into smaller pieces either cut in half or thirds depending on how long the roll is. Now cover the rolls with brown construction paper and place your heads on top of the rolls. Next cut out little collar designs to place at the top of the brown roll, just under the face. Next you can make little hats and bonnets to place on the heads. Either cut little black pilgrim hats for the boys or little white bonnets for the girls. Likewise, you can also do this to dress up the pictures as Indians with different color construction paper, and feathers. Place each of the placards where you'd like the guests to sit. During the meal they can admire your designs and it also makes a cute favor for them to take home along with the yummy leftovers.

These are just a few of the many ideas I'd like to share with you my readers. Of course you can always stay up-to-date on different activities and decor ideas by following The Creative Cabana on Pinterest, just CLICK HERE. I've got those creative juices following, so be sure to check back for more great ideas coming up soon. I know in a future post I'll be showing you tricks for creating your own Thanksgiving cards to send to distant friends and family. Plus I'll be discussing the opportunity for Fall Photography ideas! This and much more coming soon to The Creative Cabana!

*Images and Craft ideas used in this post were originated from ideas found on Pinterest using the keyword "Thanksgiving". All images and craft content belong to their respective owners. I am in no relation connected to pounds4pennies.com. No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Creative Mastermind for Week 11/4: Todrick Hall

Salutations to my wonderful Creative Cabana readers! I hope you had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed your Halloween festivities for the weekend (if applicable). As for me, my weekend was a bit rough. I spent much of Saturday in bed feeling quite a bit under the weather, and Sunday was a little rough too. However, today I'm back on my feet getting some stuff done around home and getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving here at The Creative Cabana! While I'm still getting ready to redecorate the site for Thanksgiving, I have to present to you this week's Creative Mastermind.

For this week's honor, I have chosen a YouTube celebrity. You've probably seen his viral videos over the web and have heard of his spoof music videos, but if not, you're in for a treat. I give you, Mr. Todrick Hall!

This man is truly a piece of work, and I enjoy watching every video he puts together! Todrick is an extremely talented singer, producer, and visual artist with a real knack for remixing the elements of pop culture and music. 

I was first introduced to him a few months back when he released his video "The Wizard of Ahhhs", a remix of songs that aligned with the basic plot of the film "The Wizard of Oz". One of my friends sent this video to me because I'm the #1 Wizard of Oz fan in this part of Ohio (hence my Halloween costume for those who saw it) and at first I was skeptical. Generally, I don't like renditions or when someone comes out with "their version" of a song, I stay true to the originals. However, when I watched "The Wizard of Ahhhs" I was totally stunned by the talent and production of this video. Instead of doing some lame copycat reproduction of Oz songs, he took current songs that fit with the story line and fit them into the world Oz. Featuring the group Pentatonix, as well as Todrick Hall himself, the group put together a unique story telling video starting with the classic song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and turning into other popular hits such as "Lollipop", "Damaged", "I Can't Be Tamed", and finally ending with a mash-up of Daughtry's "Home" and Michael Buble's "Home". During the finale, Hall and Pentatonix pay tribute to beloved classic film by showing clips of Judy Garland and many other characters during their scenes in the original film. You can see the video below and watch how they bring together a brilliant contemplation of music, style, creativity, and emotion. 

And as if that ain't enough for you, last week just in time for Halloween, Todrick Hall released his latest video "Spell Block Tango". This delightful Disney parody plays off of the musical "Chicago" and the song "Cell Block Tango", only in this version he uses popular Disney Villains to sing and dance about their crimes against other Disney stars. I honestly couldn't stop laughing at this video upon watching it for the first time. I love how each character had created their own twist in the stories and plus the singers' costumes and make-up was just icing on the cake! Todrick Hall produced this so well and did such an amazing job at bringing family-friendly fun like Disney together with a more mature, adult- themed hit like "Chicago". Better yet, for those who have seen either the musical or the movie, chances are you remember songs like "Cell Block Tango" because of its catchy tune, memorable lyrics, and well Catherine-Zeta Jones (enough said.) So it's perfect that Todrick Hall managed to put Disney's greatest villains into the seats of this great criminal music masterpiece. If you haven't seen "Chicago" or heard "Cell Block Tango", don't worry about it- this version is just as good and even more entertaining!

Ok, now that I have shown you examples of his work, it's time to answer what exactly makes Todrick Hall a Creative Mastermind? Well, there's a few of the things I've previously mentionned that definitely qualifies him for this title. Certainly his style and technique is honestly something I've never really seen anybody else do. I can honestly say I never thought I'd see the day when Disney and "Chicago" would exist in the same universe, but sure enough they do now! Another thing I really admire about Hall is his unique approach to the audio and music production. He writes all of the music himself and then works with these incredibly talented actors and singers to bring together these amazing collaborations! I must admit that Todrick Hall is definitely one of the most creative and talented individuals I've ever seen (at least on YouTube). The man is truly inspiring and takes creativity to the next level. As a Creative Mastermind he has the audio and video production down to a tea. His writing talents are extraordinary and I think he will definitely go far in his career.

So well done Mr. Todrick Hall and also snaps to your amazing crew and everyone who helps you to create these sensational videos. Keep them coming! You can check out more of Todrick Hall's videos on YouTube just CLICK HERE. If you have a great idea for a Creative Mastermind, please send me your ideas either leave a comment on this post or you can visit The Creative Cabana on Facebook, Twitter, and follow on Pinterest for more creative ideas no matter the project!

*Image used of Todrick Hall was saved from Google Images. I do not own "The Wizard of Oz", "Chicago", "The Wizard of Ahhhs", "Spell Block Tango", "Cell Block Tango", or Disney. All films and songs belong to their respective owners and film companies. The videos for "The Wizard of Ahhhs" and "Spell Block Tango" are available on YouTube through Todrick Hall's official page. No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Having a Candy Hangover?

Congratulations! If you're reading this, then that means you haven't over-dosed on candy, you've recovered from a sugar high, or just simply that you're still here and breathing. In any case, welcome to The Creative Cabana where you can breathe and relax because the holiday rush is over... oh wait. We still have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. WHO AM I KIDDING? We are just getting started with the holiday season! Well for the moment just relax and take a breather to acknowledge one holiday down, three to go.

I hope your Halloween was amazing and filled with lots of great fun. As for me, I didn't do much of my usual Halloween activities- I did decorate a few weeks ago, but as an unemployed and broke college graduate your choice of social activities are very limited. Plus, trick-or-treat around my home was questionable this year. I currently live in Columbus, Ohio and last night there were reports of some wicked (no pun intended) storms in the area. Some of the communities had to delay trick-or-treat to keep the kids and adults safe. So I just went out for pizza with my family, came home and watched Dracula with my Mom. Oh and when I say I watched Dracula, I'm talking about the Bela Lugosi version. For it being a 1930s movie, I appreciate the effort that was put into it, and I understand it's a classic, but I gotta say I was somewhat disappointed. The scenes just dragged, there was very little music, and I couldn't help but laugh at Dracula's random, awkward expressions in the camera. But, I digress, I'm not here to talk about Dracula. I wanted to share some ideas with you for transitioning from Halloween to Thanksgiving.

The thing about Thanksgiving is that unlike other holidays, Thanksgiving isn't quite so IN YOUR FACE! It's definitely a more casual, relaxed, and family-oriented holiday which is nice for people who aren't into the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating, and extravagant partying. So as you're taking down your Halloween decorations, keep out anything that would make cute decor for Thanksgiving- plain pumpkins, scarecrows, fall harvest baskets, etc. Obviously you don't want your singing skeleton or grim-reaper table top still out for Thanksgiving, but if you have any decorations that can be recycled for your family get-together then keep them out! This can save time and money, and trust me when I say some people don't think to just reuse their non-scary generic decorations.
      

Now what to do about leftover food... the simple solution is to take the food to work, school, club meetings, whatever you're involved in and have everyone else feast on your delicious treats. Another idea, a little bit more charitable, would be to give the food to non-profit organizations or shelters who can distribute the food to people who need it. This is especially good if you have tons of unopened candy bags. For some kids beggar's night is every night, so help the community give these kids a little something sweet!

Now the ultimate question is what to do with your Halloween pumpkins? In my personal experience, when I've had pumpkins mine have usually lasted 'til about Thanksgiving, weather permitting, before they start to rot. However, not all pumpkins are created equal, so here's some other ideas if you don't want to keep it around. If you haven't decorated your pumpkin with paints, markers, or other decorative tools then you can still cook and eat your pumpkin. Just make sure to clean your pumpkin really good and then take the seeds to either eat or grow more pumpkins for next year!

You can also use your pumpkin to make good fertilizer. Simply throw it into the compost heap or bury it to help enrich the soil if you have a garden. If none of these options sound good, then simply throw it in the trash- preferably in a bag! Otherwise your pumpkin will rot in the trash and can leaving a nasty mess with a horrible smell!

By doing these activities you're saving money, helping the community, and making less trouble for yourself down the road. If you've got more tips to share for Halloween clean-up then be sure to leave a comment in the box below or on any of The Creative Cabana's social media sites. Enjoy your Friday and get ready to ring in the weekend!

*All images used in this post were gathered from Google Images. I do not own "Dracula" or have the rights to the films, books, or have any connection with Bela Lugosi. No Copyright Infringement Intended.