thanksgiving: the table

thanksgiving is coming up, and i've been put in charge of decor. i don't know about you, but i've just barely started thinking about how to decorate and make the table a little extra special, and thanksgiving is just days away! i've found some fun ideas that seem pretty easy, so if you're last minute like me, there's still hope!

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happy decorating! we are heading to my in-laws house tomorrow, so it will be radio-silent over here until after all the festivities are done.
have a wonderful holiday, hopefully it is full of food and fun and people you love.
xo

thankful + printable

every year i like to make a big deal of the holidays. i fill our home with decor, smells, and sounds of the season; it is always so cozy and happy and something i look forward to. this year has been a little different. my husband has been away for work for the last few months and it has felt weird to do all the home stuff without him. it is our first thanksgiving in our new house, and it just feels a little wrong to do all that stuff for the first time without him.
a few days ago i was pondering life and thanksgiving and realized that even though life has been hard these last few months, i still have a lot to be thankful for. something about that realization whipped me into shape and now i am so excited to celebrate thanksgiving next week.
i made some little "thankful for" cards and sat and wrote out some simple things i am thankful for: taking walks, the colors of fall, family, friends, and my sweet husband. i might even bring some with me to my husband's parent's house next week so we can fill them out while we eat our turkey and potatoes.
would you like some too? download them here, print (on kraft cardstock if you have it), cut, and enjoy.
hopefully they'll help you think of all the little things you are thankful for, too.

autumn

autumn is my very favorite season. i love the smells, the crisp air, the fashion, the excitement for the holidays that are to come, the festivities, the fantastic colors, and the cozy feelings that it all brings.
recently, i visited one of my sisters in spokane for a few days. fall was at it's finest that weekend. we went for a few drives and were in complete awe of the gorgeous colors all around us. it's inspiring.
do you do that to? go for drives just to see the pretty world around you? if you don't, you should try it. it's one of my very favorite things to do. you better do it quick, before all the leaves are gone! winter is on it's way...
xo

pumpkin fun part 2

remember my chalkboard pumpkin? well, since halloween has come and gone i wiped away that jack-o-lantern face and drew a little thanksgiving message.

it took about ten minutes and has taken my front porch from halloween to thanksgiving. so easy, so fun, and something i will definitely be doing each year.
what have you done to thanksgiving-ify your front door/porch?

how to: no-sew pointed bow tie

it seems bow ties have taken over the wardrobes of men, babies, and boys these days, doesn't it? i must admit this trend has been a favorite of mine for quite some time now, and i love the pointed bow ties i'm seeing in all the old movies and shows i have been watching lately (downton abbey, anyone?).

with all the bow ties i see all over blogs i thought it would be fun to switch it up a bit and try something different.

enter: the pointed bow tie.

it often gets forgotten, and i think it's a great nod to men's (and boys') fashion from decades and even centuries ago. making it out of felt not only makes these babies a breeze to whip up, but it also modernizes and adds a touch of whimsy, not to mention makes these the perfect fall accessory for the guy in your life (or girl, i would wear it too, and it would make an adorable hair bow).

supplies:

all you need is some felt (i bought sheets of felt at Michaels for $.20 each)

scissors

hot glue gun (this could also be easily hand-stitched)

the length and width of your felt depends on how big you want your bow tie to be. mine was 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, with a smaller strip that is about 1/2 inch wide and 2 1/2- 3 inches long. my little guy is one and this size is perfect for him, and i think he'll be able to wear this size for a few years. (i like smaller, more proportional bowties, but if you like them bigger just make your strips larger.)

how to:

1. cut one end of the longer felt strip into a point. lay the felt strip on a flat surface and bring the pointed side across the strip about 2/3 of the way.

2. turn the pointed side over and bring it back across the other side until it touches the edge.

3. adjust the point if you need to, it can touch the edge or hang over a bit, whatever you like.  

4. scrunch the middle of the felt together, making it look like a bow.
5. wrap the smaller felt piece around the middle of the bow where you scrunched it, with the ends meeting in the back.
6. turn the bow around and dab some hot glue in the center of the bow, then fold the top end down over the glue. glue down the remaining flap, making sure the bow is tight and secure.
and then have fun with them!
to turn it into a bow tie i usually thread elastic through the center of the back of the bow tie, but if you don't have room you could glue elastic to it or sew/glue it to a pin or clip.

enjoy!

feeling woodsy

i must have lumberjack on the brain lately, because i am drawn to all that is woodsy. real wood. pictures of wood. faux bois anything. it all seems so cozy and organic and perfect for this time of year. it makes me feel like going for a drive and getting lost in heavy woods (with someone else and a picnic basket full of soup, rolls, and hot chocolate, of course!). mmmm. sounds nice, don't you think?

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pumpkin fun

a few years ago i realized that carving pumpkins wasn't as fun as i pretended it was. after all that work you end up throwing them out after a few weeks because they get that wrinkly-old-man-pumpkin-face. you know what i mean?

this year i decided to have fun decorating my pumpkins with:

after halloween i'll just wipe that jack-o-lantern face right off of that chalkboard pumpkin and draw something more november appropriate.
they were all very easy, a bit of glue, glitter, and leftover paint is all it took to jazz up my ordinary  pumpkins.

the chevron pumpkin took the most work, but with a little masking tape, my trusty scissors, and some white spray paint i had on-hand, it was actually quite fun. and the color possibilities are endless: eggplant, navy blue, and yellow would all be fun with the orange. and if you feel you can't commit to painting, you could even get the look by just leaving tape on the pumpkin. green frog tape would look fantastic. wouldn't washi tape add another element of fun to pumpkins? i'm thinking washi-plaid...

are you doing anything fun with your pumpkins this year?

mad about: yarn

there's something so cozy about yarn. i can't stop buying it in pretty fall colors: mustard, gray, navy, and plum. the kinds that are extra thick and chunky and soft are my favorite. i've been seeing some beautiful projects with yarn all over lately, and here are my favorites this week:

1. yarn wrapped pumpkins, via martha stewart.
2. a cozy bowl full of yarn, via pinterest
3. pretty yarn wrapped letters, maybe to spell out something spooky? or cozy? via etsy
4. yarn wrapped wreath, via etsy
5. cozy leaf mobile, via ohdeedoh
6. pretty fall garland, via a beautiful mess

i've been busy crocheting with my yarn, but maybe i should venture out and make something new. i can't seem to get that leaf mobile out of my head, so i just might be adding one to my blue-eyed baby boy's room this weekend.
xo

a pretty fall wreath

one of the items on my fall bucket list this year is to make a pretty fall wreath. i have never made a wreath before, and it seems like one best ways to make your home look more inviting and festive. i did lots of searching for inspiration and kept seeing this beautiful wreath popping up all over and just knew it was the one.

all you need to make your own is a grapevine wreath, felt, scissors (and a rotary cutter if you have one), and hot glue. it's simple and fast; i made mine in one evening.

the first thing you have to do is make all of your rosettes. i wanted my wreath a little more spaced and organic looking than the inspiration wreath, which also meant less work making rosettes!

to make the rosettes:
1. cut squares out of your felt, any sizes you want. (smaller squares make smaller rosettes, larger squares make larger rosettes. for a uniform look make all squares the same size.) this is where a rotary cutter comes in handy, but is not necessary.
2. cut the corners off your squares, creating a circle.
3. starting on the outside edge of the circle, cut a spiral. 
4. starting with the pointy end of the spiral, roll the felt, wrapping tightly.
5. once you are done wrapping, the middle of the circle creates the perfect end for the bottom of the rosette.
6. stick some hot-glue or fabric glue under the end and hold down firmly until dry.

it is almost impossible to mess these up, and i found that no matter how crazy my circles and spirals were, they always turned out in the end.

next, just hot glue the rosettes to the wreath however you like.

and then check that one off the bucket list!