thanksgiving inspiration

Please accept our apology for a non-complete post that accidentally went ‘live’ yesterday. 

We’ve searched high and low for our favorite Thanksgiving inspiration from the blogosphere, and here are our faves so far this year…

We love the colors, gold confetti, feathers, natural touch of the cotton centerpiece and the salad plates in this gorgeous table setting by A Place for Us, with accessories by West Elm. You have to see the rest of it here.

There is no better time to reflect on the people around us, family and friends, things or people we are grateful for and even past family traditions or past Thanksgivings…and I think the best way to do that at the dinner table is to create a photo table runner. We saw the beautiful one featured on Ruffled Blog, so why not recreate for your Thanksgiving table? It’s on my to-do list.

Kids Thanksgiving Placemat, My Sister’s Suitcase
The kids will be fully entertained with this adorable and FREE printable.

This Thanksgiving, think about Paying Gratefulness Forward. We love this idea by Small Fry. Read more about it here.

We love this simple place mat idea for adults or kids by Skies of Parchment that can be easily made with Kraft paper. It’s a great activity for guests too.

We LOVE these customizable Word Search Placecards. So adorable, and a fun activity. Read this full tutorial at My So Called Crafty Life.
 This Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate by Good Life Eats looks amazing! Find the recipe here.

Think about adding a mini treat to this year’s dessert table with these Apple Pie Cheesecake Bites by Baked by Rachel. OMG delish!

{images via A Place for UsMy Sister’s SuitcaseRuffled Blog, Small Fry, Good Life Eats, Skies of ParchmentMy So Called Crafty Life and Baked by Rachel}

diy halloween

In addition to the DIY hot glue gun spider webs, I wanted to add a little Halloween touch to our table. I like the colors of the original candy corn, but can’t stand the taste, so with a little yarn, paint and some diy tips, this simple Halloween table came to life in an afternoon, without having to eat a single candy corn.

I found the best way to make yarn pom poms was to follow Creature Comforts video tutorial. She explains it so well, and you will be addicted! Very easy and cute! I used yarn to tie them to one another to make a ‘yarn chandelier’.

As far as the BOO treat station, as we call it, I bought wood letters from Hobby Lobby, and wrapped them in yellow, orange and white yarn {inspired by the candy corn}. I didn’t follow a tutorial, just did it as I went along, but My Sister’s Suitcase has a similar approach to the one I took, and they provide a great tutorial. I took a piece of raw wood from the garage, painted it white, and used a circle-shaped brush to add black polka dots to it. Once dry, I used a hot glue gun to glue the letters and candy container in place. It was simple, and the kids love it…as it’s their favorite spot to stop at the end of the day for a treat.

{images via Tutto Bella}

red, white & blue

Show your patriotism this 4th of July holiday, and celebrate our freedom with a little red, white and blue.

P.S. When I refer to ‘it’ below, I’m referring to red, white and blue!

1. Wear it

2. Bake it
Mini Cherry Pies by Country Living

3. Or, don’t bake it…this No-Bake Strawberry Blueberry Mini Cheesecake Trifle by Glorious Treats looks amazing

4. Plant it
My father-in-law built these planters with antique red barn wood, and my mother-in-law planted beautiful red, white and blue flowers

5. DIY it
I couldn’t sleep at 5 am today, so I woke up and thought of a quick and easy DIY project. I re-used Budweiser Platinum beer bottles my husband happily consumed last week. The base of this simple patriotic centerpiece is an antique piece of wood, the beer bottles are vases to red and white daisies, and I used a hot glue gun to attach a burlap ribbon with red stripes to decorate the bottles.

6. Hang it…and the tissue fans will look like fireworks, via Martha Stewart

7. Sip it
Red, White and Blue Sangria by Punchbowl

7. Most importantly, thank a soldier serving our country who fights everyday for our freedom. Among two of the many organizations are A Million Thanks and Operation Gratitude.

{images via Glitter Guide, Glorious Treats, Country Living, Tutto Bella, Punchbowl and Martha Stewart}

sour soiree, the anti-valentine party

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhRMeiyret0]

All the single ladies need something to celebrate on Valentine’s Day too, right?
How about a little party we’d like to call: Sour Soiree, the Anti-Valentine Party

Here are some fun ideas to help you celebrate your fabulous, single self:

{1} Hang this ‘Love Stinks’ banner to decorate the bachelor{ette} pad.
{from Etsy}

{2} Serve Maple Sour cocktails … and keep them coming!
{find the complete recipe here}

{3} Customized water bottle labels, available at Fleur de Lis, for only $5.
Personalize them your own colors, fonts and wording to match your unique party. Be creative!

{4} Sour Patch cupcakes are a delicious {and appropriate} dessert for a single, sour night. YUM!
{find the complete recipe here}

{5} ‘Love Stinks’ lip balm is the perfect goodie bag gift!
{from Etsy}

{6} Black Heart Necklace. Super stylish and very Anti-Valentine.
{from Etsy}

{7} Girls’ Night Out Table Topics. Such a good time!
{sold at Fleur de Lis}

{8} Keep Calm and Plan Your Revenge t-shirt. Love this!
It’s the official dress code for a Sour Soiree!
{from Etsy}

{9} Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart-Ass, or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office by Jen Lancaster will be the cherry on top of your sour night, trust me 🙂
… it’s absolutely hilarious.

{PS}
Alice 105.9 is hosting a Bitter Ball with Slacker & Steve on Valentine’s Day in downtown Denver at Suite 200. It’s going to be a party for singles who could care less about Valentine’s Day and want to have some fun – another Sour Soiree to add to your list of parties!
Check out their Facebook page for details.

Remember, it’s okay to be a bit sour for Valentine’s Day … because it makes for a cute party!

{images via: Etsy, drinks: Pinterest, water bottles: Tutto Bella, cupcakes: Pinterest, Table Topics and Barnes & Noble}

my funny valentine

We’ve bought boxed Valentine’s in year’s past, but this year we got creative with our words. Some are healthy and others are not, but they are all adorable, and for Valentine’s Day, that’s all that really matters, right? We have cutesy kid-and-adult-friendly DIY Valentine’s for…all the hot mama’s, the stud{s} in your life, all the cutie’s and for those who make you giggle! You can buy them here for just $3, and they are an instant download.

DIY Adult Valentine’s

you are one hot mama
{fill the bag with hot tamales, fold over the custom tag and staple closed}

happy valentine’s day stud muffin
{fill the bag with a homemade poppy-seed muffin, fold over the custom tag and staple closed}

Poppy-seed Muffin Recipe
Makes 12 muffins
recipe adapted from our wonderful mom

Add the following ingredients to a large bowl and mix:
2 cups flour
1/8 cup poppy seeds {a used a little more, but less than 1/4 cup}
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter

Add 2 eggs{1 at a time} to the above ingredients and mix well

Add 1 cup plain yogurt and 2 tsp. almond extract and mix into the rest of the mixture.

Put the muffin mixture in baking cups and bake in the oven on 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes {It took me about 18 minutes}.

DIY Kid Valentine’s

i think you are quite a cutie
{fill a bag with clementines, fold the custom tag over the top of the bag and staple closed}

friend, you make me laffy
{fill the bag with laffy taffy for your silly friends, fold the custom tag over the bag and staple closed}

Last year’s fold-over labels {above} were so popular, we revamped them, and we did it with colorful stripes.

If your looking for the original cutie file {the orange bubble}, you can buy it here.
The original laffy taffy file {the blue bubble} is available too.

Tags are 2×4. Purchase them here.