Belated Thanksgiving 2012 Update

Now that we’re safely into the new year (ohhh, by almost two months!), I think it’s time I posted my thanksgiving decor. It was super low budget, but I accomplished the feel I was going for. Without further ado, our alfresco Thanksgiving dining experience:

First, I painted the stems of small pumpkins gold.

Then I cut the pumpkins on the bottom in order to hollow them out and create luminaries. This was my first time carving/decorating a pumpkin, and I was surprised at how tricky it is! You have to really put some muscle into it. Those seeds are a beast to get out.

I found a rather Tim Burton-esque looking face while I was working.

Our sweet white rabbit {who is no longer with us 😦 } loved getting some of the scraps, while Diesel our dog supervised.

For the table runner, I use a long sheet of craft paper and stamped two different sized circles all over it at random with gold acrylic paint.

The gold circles tied in with the gold stems of the pumpkins.

I continued the “polka dot” theme by drilling circles in the pumpkins that would  allow the luminaries to glow.

For place cards, I made a few batches of carmel corn {recipe here, though I added a ton of cinnamon, SO good!!} and filled individual, name-stamped paper bags with the crunchy goodness. Guests could munch throughout dinner, or during dessert if pumpkin pie didn’t float their boats {holla!}.

You’ll notice nothing on my plate but carbs and veggies. 🙂 None of that turkey nonsense for me.

Our table full of lovely neighborhood friends . . .

The pumpkins came alive as the sun went down.

The food was placed around this buffet table my mom set up. I love the placement of the crates and pumpkins!

That wraps up our thanksgiving festivities. We all gathered around the fire-pit for dessert when it started to get chilly.  I say it very often, but I love where I live! So grateful we were able to enjoy our thanksgiving meal outdoors this year. 

Pumpkin Decor

Thanksgiving is coming up and this year my family will be hosting a shindig alfresco. Of course, I’m pretty excited to come up with decorations. There are so many wonderful ideas floating around the internet nowadays. Here are some of my favorite ways to decorate using pumpkins:

I still have some time left to start narrowing down my options. Since we’ll likely be eating outside (shouldn’t be too bad in Southern California), I think I’m going to run with the idea of warmth and glow. Hmm. Decisions, decisions. Do you know what you’ll be doing for Thanksgiving yet?

Sources:

Paint Glitter Drill Lace Decoupage Scrape Carve Gild Paint

Let My People Go

This past Passover season, my family hosted a dinner in which we decided the decor should be loosely themed ‘Egyptian’ (since we were commemorating the Israelites leaving Egypt and all . . .). As is, King Tut lives in our family room, so this was a logical table decorating decision. (Should you be wondering, he’s filled with DVDs, not a mummy. And yes, he’s wearing a Medieval Times crown, and also holding rhinestoned reading glasses. He likes to accessorize.)

I chipped in by making place cards.

I stamped, embossed, cut, and folded card stock, then lightly colored in the designs with colored pencil.

I didn’t trust myself with the penmanship, so I asked my mom to write the names.

Doing their jobs . . .

Ready to eat!

These were pretty straight forward, but I had fun making them! There are some awesome and creative place cards out there, and I’m looking forward to playing with new ideas for future get-togethers.

Have a good weekend!

P.S. Avengers was great. The 3D IMAX experience was pretty fun, too, though the screen wasn’t much bigger than regular 3D. Great movie though!

Country Vintage Wedding

A little over a month ago, I had the pleasure of attending the beautiful wedding of two friends. It was held at the bride’s parents’ home just off California’s Central Coast. It was an amazing gathering of friends and family, where the emphasis was on celebrating with the couple and having a great time. There was good food, ample drink (alongside margaritas, the brother of the bride made six varieties of beer especially for the occasion),  and a live band to ensure dancing ’til the wee hours.

Before the wedding, I had fun with helping with some of the last minute DIY projects (signs, photo sets). My friends are so creative!

Lis designed these simple wedding signs that were perfect for the theme. (Thumbtacks, wood, and stain. Genius!!)

I went crazy with the flower photos because they were irresistible. (Arranged by Panacea Flowers) This is one of the bridesmaid bouquets — I love the feathers!

They had high boys set up for pre-ceremony cocktails and ceremony overflow. I love the dual-purpose blue bottled water that served as refreshments, while adding a pop of color to the space.

Here’s the fun photo set put together by some of the wedding party and friends. It was definitely a hit with the guests!

Another photo opportunity, this one slightly more interactive!

The beautiful flowers were arranged in assorted vintage vases and containers.

More flowers . . .

Keeping the bride and groom hydrated, using their gorgeous flutes.

Pie! There was lots and lots of pie.

The selection stayed stocked throughout the night.

This huge protea blossom was enhanced by the pink glow of the sunset — stunning!

The clear tent made for a great view of the sunset.

The spectacular sunset, with festivities below.

I had a wonderful time with great people, and I especially loved reconnecting with one of my BFFs! (Her husband’s cowboy hat made the rounds that night. . .)

One of the most fun weddings I’ve been to, and with pretty details to match. The newlyweds are off to a fabulous start!

Thanksgiving Decor

Hey friends!

This year is the first Thanksgiving in 15 or so years in which my family hasn’t been camping. We had a treasured tradition of spending Thanksgiving week camping with nearly all of our close family friends. We’d come together on linked picnic tables for a shared meal (starting at 2pm! quite a food fest) Thursday and again for “leftovers day” Friday.

I have sooo many wonderful memories from our annual campouts, but this year it was time for a change! We had a good, old fashioned, indoor Thanksgiving. No down coats or plastic tablecloths to be seen. I was in charge of table decor and had a blast rummaging through my mom’s collection of dishes and tableware. I lucked out finding various Waterford goblets and small crystal vases. I knew I wanted to play with cranberries, so I made mini topiaries with toothpicks and grapefruit. I also found super fun (and very affordable) whole sugar cane that I knew had to be incorporated somehow!

The final look combined the cranberries, sugar cane, and really interesting flowers (protea) that added amazing shape and texture into the mix.

We had a lovely meal with a few friends and family, and tons of delicious food, of course. It was an excellent holiday! Already looking forward to next year.

Thanks for reading!