ANOTHER LOOK: Thanksgiving Centerpieces

The first picture from Country Living is my original inspiration. Notice the Indian Corn.
The second picture is what I threw together with what I had.
The third picture is what I came up with using my New Blocks and the beautiful fall floral arrangement my SIL brought last weekend. So basically, I couldn't have done this without my SIL's! Thanks, girls, you're the best! :) I love how it turned out.
I took a smaller vase to put the flowers in, and then put them in a bigger hurricane with rafia and fall leaves. Then I took my indian corn and "scattered" it around. The tablerunner is a little number I put together with some fabric given to me, years ago. I love it, it seems to work all year round.
So this is the view I will be enjoying for the next couple of days until the big feast!

AN OLD-FASHIONED THANKSGIVING

I just watched a movie I had never heard of. It was released last year and based on this book by Louisa May Alcott, one of my most favorite authors. I LOVED it. And I highly recommend it. It really made me think about what is most important in my life and what I am grateful for. A really great family movie, my two little ones sat and watched the whole thing with me. I think I have found a new Thanksgiving tradition! I think I will get the book and then decide if I want to read the book every year or watch the movie. Check it out!

SOME CRAFT LOVE

OMIGOODNESS. My awesome S-I-L, Karen sent me a present all the way from Idaho. I didn't know what it was, but I couldn't wait to open it!

Look what was inside!

I was so suprised and excited!

Double duty decor: Thanksgiving...

... and Christmas!
THANK YOU!

TURKEY PLACECARDS

A couple years ago I used this EASY peasy free downloadable template from Martha Stewart. All my nieces and nephews were coming to town for Thanksgiving and I wanted to find an easy "craft" for the kids to do. Instead of using yarn for the "feathers" I just cut out the template where you would put the yarn on and let all the kids color their own "feathers" with crayons. Then we glued them all together and labeled them for every person at the table. It was fun, easy, and free! Gotta love that. The kids were so proud to show off their artwork at Thanksgiving dinner that night.
To get this template, just go here.

COSTUMES 4 CHEAP

(Picture has been removed)
I realize that Halloween was 2 weeks ago (already?!?) but I also just realized that this subject would be good to blog about because the cost for an entire family of four to dress up this year was about $15. Not bad. My husband's farmboy costume was entirely from his closet. My Laura Ingalls farmgirl cost 25 cents for the dress at a garage sale. #1's Pocahontas Disney store dress was a $1 garage sale find, the wig was $3 on sale at Joann's and the "ugg" type slippers were an after Christmas find at Old Navy a few years ago for about $10- a splurge, I know! And the most expensive item on the list. #2's costume was a hand me down with mouse ears thanks to granparents who went on a Disney cruise= free. Although very cheap, the point I want to make is that these are all things that we did not buy specifically for Halloween. That's where companies prey on consumers- but not me! All these items are things bought througout the year and can serve several purposes. The girls wear dress up clothes all the time, #1 uses her slippers, etc. So remember when something comes up, don't panic and run out and buy. Shop your closet, see what you have, and keep an eye out at garage sales, and clearance racks all year long, buying only those things you know you can get good use out of, or that serve more than one purpose.

I LOVE PRETEND ONLINE SHOPPING

After my online window shopping spree on IKEA last night, I decided it was so fun I'd do it again. Thanks to my S-I-L Amber, I found this fun store Faded Plains. As you can see the above picture, the website had me at hello. (Hydrangeas are my favorite flower). And that picture is just scrumptuos! Anyway, if I were rich and were Christmas shopping for real, these are a few things I might put in my cart. Enjoy the eye candy :)

These are for my princess daughters. I think it would be so cute to hang them on their walls with fancy ribbon next to thier names. They would be perfect in their shabby room.

These are for my Queen Bee mother. She loves bees.

These are for me so I can brush up on my French and do it in style. Then I would do something creative and cute with them!

I would buy one of these for my mother in law S, my sister in law A, and myself :) Three gals who I know appreciate all things Paris!

Where do you like to pretend shop?

I CAN LOVE IKEA

I was browsing the IKEA website to see what new fun stuff they have and I found these lovelies.
TVILLING posters: adorable set of 2
KYLIGT trays: how fun are these for Christmas, Valentines Day.....
KOTTE: ornament stands, but I would use them for jewelry
And the best part OF COURSE is that they are all under 5 bucks!
What's your favorite thing from IKEA?

HALLOWEEN CANDY: LOVE/HATE

What to do with the leftovers?

Here are a few ideas I have gathered:

#1: Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.

#2: Bite size bars or chunks of chocolate from broken up bars and candies can be placed in the middle of poured cupcake batter. Bake as directed and when you bite into them, there is a delicious melted chocolately suprise!

#3: Make a "candy counter" ~ one piece of candy per child counting the days to Thanksgiving or Christmas. Hang on wall, ties with ribbons, etc...

#4: The best idea for mommy's hips, although may be devastating to children: Throw it away. Ahhh!

Do you have any other ideas???

LOVE FREE DECORATING

Remember when I showed you this? Well, it's as easy as shopping in your backyard!
Check out the eye candy below for some beautiful, simple, and FREE ideas- just use whatever containers, vases, seasonal decor, ribbons, and fabric you have!

Real Simple

Real Simple

Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn

Country Living

Country Living

I LOVE SESAME STREET

And now my kids do, too. They are celebrating thier 40th anniversary!
Take this quiz to find out which character you are most like!
My results:
I am Bert. I often find myself being the more mature, analytical and reasonable person in my group of friends. Some may consider me eccentric, that bottle cap collection and the fascination with pigeons ain't helping, but I'm a true friend who's always everybody's "old buddy."

Wondering which Sesame Street character you are? Click check out the Sesame Street 40th Anniversary interactive and take the personality quiz.

SMART & "SNEAKY" STORAGE

Do you live in a small space like me? Or does your "linen closet" look like this? Wall to wall stuffed to the brim with blankets, etc...

Here is a king size pillow sham. A lovely little number I got from Ballard Designs a long time ago. This thing is huge. So I decided to create some SMART STORAGE with it!

I put all our sheets and pillow cases for the bed in here. Sneaky, eh?

Just fold the sheet and it sits nicely in there.

Then zip it up.......

And no one will ever know! An added bonus: The sham is stuffed and it looks better that way!

Know what I love about November? It's still FALL...

And you can still decorate with all the lovely pumpkins from October :)

INSPIRATION: pie from Williams-Sonoma catalog....

And my lovely Pottery Barn Thanksgiving 2009 catalog. I actually let out a audible happy sigh when I got this in the mail.

My beautiful Turkey plate I got on Pottery Barn clearance. I call him "Tom."

Also in the China Hutch-- just traded out the candy for raffia and leaves- quick change! And my super cute pots from my sis in law.

Need a free and easy arrangement idea? Sticks from the backyard! (Notice the AUTHENTIC leaves left on the twig. LOL)

And for the kiddos.
Happy November everyone!

RECOVERY

After a Happy Halloween weekend...

A million pounds of candy....

And six cousins having a great time, it was time to assess the damage Monday morning...

These are the BEFORE pictures....

And here are the AFTER....

I got the itch to reorganize the girls room. I cleaned, rearranged, reorganized, and got rid of stuff. I spent a good portion of the day in thier room and it was SO satisfying :) Not to mention it was fun being side by side with my girls all day while they played. They helped alot too!

Due to lack of space and my oh-so-creative mind, I "repurposed" the play refridgerator as an extension of the bookcase for now. I just took the doors off and am saving them for later. Wouldn't this also make a cute bedside table, right side up?

Hope you had a great weekend and are recovering as well!