Thanksgiving Through Christmas Decorating

thisisglamorous.com
(Start with the mantle decor and add the pretty basket with gifts later)

While life is pretty busy for all of us this time of year and we all want shortcuts, we don't want it to look as though we have taken shortcuts.  Since Thanksgiving and Christmas are so close, why not start decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving?  Now, I think there are a few tricks to this so that it looks appropriate:  Lot's of greens and candles to begin with (perhaps with a few pumpkins) and after Thanksgiving you can add all the tree decorations and pretty sparkly elements or just keep it simple and natural.  Also, pine cones are the perfect accent for fall to winter decorating.  Here are a few images that inspire me to get started but help my efforts last long after the turkey and stuffing are devoured.  

triciafoleyinthecountry.blogspot.com
I love this image and it is appropriate for Thanksgiving all the way through the New Year.  Maybe accent with sparkly lights in the garland or leave it simple.

yourcozyhome.blogspot.com

petit-jardin-secret.tumblr.com
Candles are always festive.  Just add mini white pumpkins for Thanksgiving.

cat-arzyna.tumblr.com
These moss stars are lovely and could work for Thanksgiving through the New Year as well.

ideasdecor.net
This table is just perfect for any winter celebration.

bespokeonly.tumblr.com
Again, beautiful greens and candles.

familyholiday.net
Start with pumpkins and then add the trees after Thanksgiving.  It just doesn't get any easier or more beautiful.

sagolikasinnen.blogspot.no
For me, this is the perfect, everyday dining environment during the holidays.  It could easily be dressed up for a special gathering.

traditionalhome.com
Here is the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas hostess gift.  Why didn't I think of this?

Fresh greens or really good imitation garlands are the key to pulling off these looks.  They are inviting and simple and beautiful.  

Happy Decorating!

Family First

At the beginning of this month we decided to have our annual family photos done by our good friend Kyungmoo Ryu.  We met up in lovely Pasedina this time for a totally new backdrop from anything else we have done in the past.  I went for a palette of bold blue, mint and soft grey.
As you can see, we had a really great time doing these.  Even my kids enjoyed themselves.  I was longing to shop but I will have to come back and do that another day.
This time of year is all about family.  I know I will look back at these pictures and think fondly of this time in our lives.

This is my last post before Thanksgiving day, so I'm taking this opportunity to wish all of my wonderful friends out there a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Love to you all,

Green Beans With Almonds, Roasted Garlic, and Lemon

As you can see, I overdid the almonds

Don't you just love trying new recipes from pinterest?  I sure do.  I saw this green bean recipe that I wanted to make for Thanksgiving, but I had to test it first.  It was so delicious and I had to share it with you!

edibleperspective.com

Her picture is much better than mine and her blog is dedicated to cooking and photography (you can see why).  Please do check out this tasty recipe if you are looking for a little twist on the traditional side-dish; especially with Thanksgiving a few days off.

Enjoy!

This is David.

He has been in our family for years.  My Dad bought him for my Gram decades and decades ago, and he used to live in my Gram's garden when I was little.  I have always loved this statue (somewhere there is a picture of two year old me hugging him and giving him a peck on the cheek). When my Gram passed away, David came home to my Mom's house, and when Alli was about two, I was able to snap a picture that mirrored the one of me hugging David (she has always loved him too).  When I bought my house, my Mom gave David to me.  It has become a tradition that we dress the statue up for holidays.  It started as a joke one fourth of July when I put a red, white, and blue ribboned hair tie around his neck like a tie.  He looked very festive, so when Halloween rolled around, I got him a little witch hat.  And from that, our little tradition was born.  So here is our statue of David, sporting his little Pilgrim hat, wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

DIY Fall Oak Leaf Wreath

Last year I saw a picture of an oak leaf wreath in Country Living magazine.  I decided to try it myself.  I found it was so easy and beautiful, that I think I will make it a fall tradition. You should definitely try this one!

Here is my bag of leaves.  Give yourself a few inches of stem to work with, and try to gather leaves of varying sizes and colors for interest.

I like grapevine wreath bases, because it is easy to push the stems through the spaces.

You could wire each leaf on, but I found that method to be very time consuming.  I just use a hot glue gun so the leaves don't dislodge.

Each wreath only took me about 15-20 minutes.  Add some ribbon if you like and enjoy as long as you want.  The leaves dry beautifully!

One of these would make a perfect
 Thanksgiving hostess gift!