Planning for Thanksgiving...

Next weekend is Thanksgiving.... the countdown is on.

I have planned the menu and bought the groceries for the menu.

Except for the fresh turkey...I will pick that up later this week.

Fresh cranberries for cranberry sauce. Check. I will make the cranberry sauce ahead of dinner by a day or two.

Assorted green and orange vegetables. Check.

Wine. Check

Decorations for the table.
 Hmmmm.
I wanted something to leave on the table all  this week.

Something natural.

Something simple dimple.

This is what I decided on.

 I found these at Superstore for $2.68. I purchased 2 bags.

 I found this basket~$9.99. It's great because I don't have a basket for french bread.

And we eat french bread a lot.

 Then I just played.

The peanut gallery watches.

I play around until it looks just so.

 I am thinking that for our Thanksgiving Dinner next Sunday,

I may nestle some votive candles in between the gourds.

Or something else.

I got a little chuckle when I read on the bag that the gourds came in:

"For Decorative Purposes Only".

 I mean....doesn't the green-nubby-warty-looking gourd look especially yummy?

This post is linked to these great parties:

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I'm being featured on "Remodelaholic" today...

I was super surprised to get an email on my Blackberry this morning, while I was in the middle of grocery shopping, telling me that my office nook was going to be featured today!!

I have been reading Remodelaholic for a while.

It's one of my favourite sites....loaded with inspiration on how to reduce, recycle,  reuse, repurpose,  & remodel  just about anything  in your house!

If you haven't ever visited this site, do yourself a favour and go over and check it out!

You will be so inspired to tackle projects around your house, and the  fabulous tutorials will show you how!

Now go on and click on the BIG blue square above that says "Remodelaholic" and you will  be over there in a blink!

My little world of brown & blue....

I love parties!

Today I am joining the Blue & Brown Bonanza over at Cottage Instincts.

I love blue & brown together.

It's one my fav colour combinations ever.

The one room in my house that needs to be serene and calm is our bedroom.

I want it to be a chamber of peacefulness...not busy or loud....not bright or overstimulating.

Enter a cafe mocha brown on the walls with fabric accents in soft grey blue.

It works for us.

It feels restful.

A respite from busy days.

 You will probably find blue and brown in every room in my house.

My living room has brown leather sofas with more shades of blue & brown in pillows, picture frames and our cuddle quilt for watching tv.

I made 3 of the 4 pillows you see, along with the quilt on the back of the sofa.

All with Amy Bulter fabrics...her colour combos are so delicious!

Thanks for letting me share a little of my blue & brown world!

To enjoy more blue & brown inspiration, click the button below and head on over!

Are you getting ready for chilly weather?

I am.

I have to.
The chilly mornings are here.

This is the shelf of the closet in our mudroom.

I picked up 4 baskets from Canadian Tire for $7.99 each.

I sorted & purged.

Then I labelled.

Shipping tags from Staples. Ribbon from my scrapbooking stash.

The labelling part is so important!

It keeps people from making a mess while looking for something in a hurry.

My 'Messy Marvin' likes to wear a tuque to school in the morning when it's chilly.

This helps us to find things in a jiffy.

This post is linked up to:

A Striking Contrast.....

It's Monday morning and I just got home from walking the dogs.

I came upstairs to start to gather laundry.

I couldn't help but notice this striking contrast...

Here we have Exhibit A: My daughter's room.

Bed made.

Clothes put away.

Room looks neat & tidy.

Here we have Exhibit B: My son's room.

{Sigh}

Yeah.

A room only a mother could love.

Found: A dessert for Thanksgiving dinner....

The Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake on the cover of the latest issue of Fine Cooking.
A delectable pumpkin spice cake with a topping of pecans, brown sugar and crystallized ginger.

Doesn't it look scrumptious?

I am having guests for Thanksgiving dinner...and I am so excited to make this cake!

I  started reading Fine Cooking a few years ago.

It is my very favourite cooking magazine.

Everything recipe I have tried from this mag has been outstanding.

Outdoor Decor...

Yes. My dirty little secret.

While the inside of my house was plumped for Fall, my front door was barren.

{And while I am not fond of the white screen door, it came with the house.}

I had a bad case of the buy-something-new-itis this week.

I really, really, really wanted to buy something new for the front door.

I looked around at a few shops and found a wreath that I quite liked, but it was $70.

With all the monies that just flew out of our house for school fees and sports fees, I could not justify $70 that was basically a want...not a need.

So I went shopping in my basement.

I found this wreath that I bought in 2001 for our new house in Nova Scotia.

It came from Wicker Emporium.....a store in the Maritimes that I love.

I decided to add a little orange to freshen it up.

So I took this flower pick I already had from Michaels...

and cut some pieces to add to the wreath with floral tape.

Here is the finished project:

{Cost: $0.00}

There you have it-an upcycled wreath for Fall.

I also switched out this summer-ready lantern from this:

To this:

And added it to the little bistro table beside the front door.

Next I will be adding some fresh pumpkins.

Canadian Thanksgiving is just 2 weeks away!

How are you decorating for Thanksgiving?

*Edited to Add: This wreaths was featured here:

 

This post is linked to these great parties: