Feeling Thankful

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Today I'm feeling so thankful!! Even though we are far from all of our family and friends, we got to spend Thanksgiving weekend with some pretty great family. B's parents are in town, along with his Godmother and her husband. It's been a lovely visit, and we still get B's parents for another week! 

That means, things will be busy around here as we visit and explore and do all kinds of fun stuff. So it means we may not be accomplishing much around the house, but in the great news department, I do have some great posts coming this week... including a look at some of our wedding photos!

So, to all of my Canadian readers - Happy Thanksgiving once again! I hope you have had a wonderful weekend!

Our Week Away

Happy Monday all. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We sure did, and we are currently on a plane on our way back to the West Coast. It's a little bittersweet, as always, leaving family and friends, but we are so happy to be heading back home to see our Pups, sleep in our own beds, and of course start preparing for Christmas.

So, while we soar through the friendly skies, I thought I would give you a brief look at our visit back in Massachusetts.

Our first couple days were lazy. We enjoyed spending time at B's family home with his parents, and sneaking out (just the two of us), whenever we could to do a little Christmas shopping. Then, Tuesday was our big day. We pretty much enjoyed a full date day in the city. We arrived in Boston (via the Commuter Rail) around 3pm. We strolled down Newbury St., enjoyed some Berry Line frozen yogurt...

Afterwards did some more shopping and a bit of bar hopping before met up with some friends for a fantastic dinner at TICO on Berkley. If you're in Boston, do it... and get one of the taster deals. We went for the "Forgot to Eat Lunch" - $55/person, but probably one of the best dinners I've ever had! Such a great night in the city.

Wednesday B and I got out to do quite a bit more Christmas shopping. We were successful and Halle really enjoyed her afternoon with Grandma - she even napped for close to 2 hours in her playpen. Very rare even in her own crib, so we were all very happy about that.

Thursday was the big day, and Halle made sure that she was nice and rested up for all of our guests...

Then it was all the fun stuff. Food, family, drinks, football... and more food of course...

{1. B and my Apple Cider Mimosa (apple cider, prosecco & caramel syrup), 2. Family by candlelight, 3. Turkey Cake Pops - so yummy!}

{Chocolate Pecan Silk Pie and Chocolate Shop Wine - a great dessert combination!}

We aren't big Black Friday shoppers, so we had a quiet morning at home... until B's Mom asked the boys to work on a little home project for her. Come back tomorrow for more on that. In the afternoon we ran out to do a few errands and then headed to Milford to meet a couple of friends for dinner and drinks (we took full advantage of having Grandma and Grandpa itching to have time with Halle). It was a great night catching up, and we arrived home to my parents who came down from Toronto for the weekend.

Saturday started off lazy with some playing at home, and then a walk to the duck pond to feed the ducks again. It was a tad chilly, so the whole visit was rather short.

We returned home to warm up and eat some lunch, and then we prepared for the family party - what a fun day. Sunday was a whole other day of fun that I will have to share later this week... we celebrated Christmas a month early. I'll share all the details later.

How was your weekend? How was Thanksgiving for all of my American friends? Would love to hear what everyone else got up too!

Happy Thanksgiving - Round TWO!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Most of you probably guessed that Halle Handmade is on vacation this week because we are in Massachusetts celebrating with B's family. It's been a great and busy week so far, with still more fun to come! My parents will be joining us tomorrow for an early Christmas celebration this weekend (since the three of us will be in BC this Christmas). 

So, I'm off to watch the Macy's Day Parade, enjoy some delicious food with some wonderful people, have a turkey coma nap (I think I can get away with it again this year), and if I don't sleep for too long, enjoy some Patriot's football as well.

{via oh so beautiful paper}

So Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers and friends... and for those of you elsewhere in the world, Happy Thursday I guess! :)

Transforming Your Dining Room Into A Hosting Room

Happy Thanksgiving (Canadian) Friends! Well many of you may have already had your big dinners, there are plenty more to be had over the coming months! I was so thankful to hear from David Morrison over at UK Tool Centre, who in my opinion writes very well though out guest posts. I have been so busy recently, and his offer to help me out was gladly accepted. Today, I have a post from David on how to transform your Dining Room into a "Hosting Room".

Preparation is key in the run-up to a party; a good host not only throws a great gig but enjoys being there themselves.  A well planned event can guarantee little work or stress of the day of the event, though you might be dusting off your power tools in the run-up!  When you don’t have space to entertain, you have to make do with what you’ve got.  Following these tips and tricks will ensure that your next bash goes off without a hitch.

Theme

{via 100 Layer Cake}

Depending on the occasion or time of year, it is usually a great idea to decide on a theme. With that said keep decorations simple and use what you have. Guests usually notice decorations last, if at all. Choose a few key places to decorate and call it a day. I would recommend decorating the front door, possibly a fireplace mantel, or the powder room. Decorating smaller areas is easier and more noticeable than trying to decorate an entire living or dining room. Also use candles wherever you can. Candles are inexpensive and provide a ton of bang for your buck. They truly “set the mood” and make your ordinary rooms feel special.

TableScape

{via Style Me Pretty}

Unless you are hosting a formal dinner party, I would suggest removing all of your dining chairs from around your table. Treat the table as a buffet and use the chairs as extra seating around your home. Since decorations are limited, your dining table and all of the food should be the centre piece of your party. People will always crowd around the food (or drink!) so this is the area you want to spend most of your time preparing.

First I would recommend covering the table with layers of linens. Start with a table cloth, and then layer on additional table cloths and runners. Because this will be a buffet and not a dining table, bunch up the layered table cloths so they flow over the table rather than laying them flat. Next gather your best dishes, cake plates and serving platters from around your home. The key to creating an interesting arrangement is to create levels and differing heights. Use boxes under the tablecloths to create platforms and elevate different dishes. You want the highest levels in the centre of the table and lower levels around the perimeter.

Food

If you are a chef, this is your time to shine. If you are not, now is not the time to start pretending. In other words, don’t fool yourself. Keep the food simple and fool proof. For a party of 10-15 guests I would recommend preparing 3 cooked dishes, and using store bought items for the rest. Never underestimate how much people appreciate a bowl of festive M&M’s or gourmet potato chips. Make any food the day before so you can simply plate it the day of the party. With your table scape in place, use sticky notes to label exactly what food will go on each plate. This way, even if you are running around taking care of last minute details the night of the party, someone else in your family can put out the food.

Additional Hosting Tips

When hosting a party it is important to act the part of the host. This means greeting your guests at the door and taking coats. In addition it is nice to have a guest book out in your front hall as a way to remember the evening. Make sure to have appropriate music playing in your home to set the scene, it’s a great way to evoke an initial feeling.  On the buffet table make small signs for each dish so guests know what you are serving and have some extra recipe cards in case anyone asks.

Remember that the host always sets the tone and looking stressed and disorganised will create a bad atmosphere so being on top of everything for when your guests arrive is paramount! The other thing to remember as the host is that you have to look the part too, finding the time to look well groomed and appropriately dressed for the style of your party will always help settle the mood of the occasion too. And most of all, after all your hard work and preparation, you must have fun too.

Author Bio:  David Morrison is an avid DIY’er, renovator and party host.  Being a husband, father and brother; he’s attended his fair share of parties and knows a thing or two about how to run them.  Embracing his inner tradesman, David currently works for UK Tool Centre.

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian readers. Thanksgiving has to be one of my most favourite holidays... so I must say, it's pretty great getting it in both October and November! :) 

{EF Learning via pinterest}

This is probably the first time I haven't been with my parents and extended family for Thanksgiving. That's not always an easy thing, but I am pretty lucky that I have my little family together. B, Halle and these pups are what I need every day, so I am thankful that we are all happy and together on this holiday Monday.

We shared a Thanksgiving feast with friends on Saturday, hit the pumping patch yesterday and tonight we'll be roasting up our own little turkey and enjoying a second helping of some yummy Thanksgiving foods. 

Most importantly today I am thankful - SO thankful - for the incredible things I have been blessed with in my life. Halle, B, our pups, our wonderful loving and supportive families, incredible friends (both near and far), a roof over our head in a beautiful place and free country, food in our fridge and money in the bank. I am thankful for all that we have been given, and all that we are able to enjoy together! Happy Thanksgiving everyone - whether you are celebrating or not, why not take a moment to think of what you are most thankful for today?

Swing by a little later today for a sweet little guest post on transforming your dining room, into a "hosting room". After all, I'd say we are official in the season of dinner parties and entertaining...

Our Thanksgiving Table

So, this coming weekend is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. I don't know about the rest of you, but I seriously feel like the whole holiday just sort of snuck up on me. I mean, here we were FINALLY enjoying some summer weather on the West Coast and them BAM - Thanksgiving. Well, I figured, we finally have a pretty nice space to work with, so why not really get into decorating this year? 

Last Friday, while the rain fell, my Mom and I got busy with working on a Thanksgiving table setting, using only items I already had in the house. Here's what we came up with...

The best part about this time of the year it's that it's so easy to step right outside of your front door and find items to bring inside and help you decorate. We did quite a bit of that with this setting - or at least were inspired by the outdoors. 

All of the dishes, glasses and cutlery are items that we have owned for quite a while. I figured since the dinner plates were black and white, that mixing up the glasses would make the dinner table look a little more fun. I love it.

For place markers, we used pinecones that we had stored in the garage for crafts and leaves I actually made last fall, using watercolour paper and paints. I just wrote on the painted leaves and then stuck them inside of the pinecones - easy, and free!

The centre of the table was really easy and quick to put together. I pulled the red lantern from our mantel (coming soon!), and the plate on the bottom B had got when he won a cake at a raffle during the summer. I put some extra painted leaves on the plate and then we scattered some acorn vase fillers around the base of the lantern. I also added some orange tea light holders on top of my cupcake stands, and the pumpkin salt and pepper shakers that my parents gifted us a few years ago.

I left is pretty simple, and it cost me absolutely nothing to put it together - something we really appreciate these days! I like leaving space for food and drink on the table, hence not too much cluttering up the centre of the table. Now, if only we were going to be hosting our own big Thanksgiving dinner this weekend! 

Have you started decorating for autumn? Have you been thinking about your Thanksgiving table, or are you heading away for the long weekend? I'd love to hear what everyone else is doing to prepare for the holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving - Round 2!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends! Today we are south of the border celebrating this fantastic holiday surrounded by all of B's family. Halle's first Thanksgiving (we don't make a big huge deal of Canadian Thanksgiving back at home). I'm looking forward to taking in the Macy's Parade, watching football, eating turkey.... and MAYBE, if I'm lucky, having my usual post-turkey nap on the couch.

{via design dump}

I hope that all of those celebrating today are surrounded by the one's they love the most, and are showing their gratitude for all of the fantastic things we are blessed with! 

Happy Turkey Day!

Morning friends, and Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canucks! We've been having an incredible weekend, and the fun ain't over yet!! So, as we continue enjoying this long weekend, here's some of my favourite Thanksgiving inspiration collected on my Pinterest board!

This first one comes from Style at Home. What I love most about this stylish fall spread, is that it proves the season does not always need to be done in the traditional red, oranges, yellows and browns! Why not do a more modern take with blues, purples and whites? I'm definitely feeling this one!

A beautiful way to welcome all of your Thanksgiving guests, care of Better Homes and Gardens!

This has to be my favourite table setting. So sweet, and all of the little details make it perfectly fall - don't you agree?

Looking for a way to involve your family and guests, and be reminded of what you're all thankful for this holiday? Why not try something like this lovely thankful chain, from silverbox creative studio? Even the kids can enjoy writing down what they are thankful for and seeing it displayed!

Okay - I know I've been lacking in my own home content, but trust me when I say there are lots of goodies coming this week! We've made some progress on our living room, done some fall decorating and I can also finally update you on my parents guest room! I can't wait to share, so be sure to keep coming back this week... oh, and of course I'll also share some photos of the wedding and our fun filled weekend... how could I not?

Thanksgiving Weekend Recap

The house still smells like turkey. Turkey soup made from Sunday night's leftovers to be exact. What an incredibly fantastic weekend it was, and it was exactly what I needed to make me get back to my old self again. Surrounded by so many wonderful friends and family, we enjoyed doing so many fantastic things.


On Friday night after work, B and I met up with his parents and their friends who arrived from Massachusetts that afternoon, after spending a couple days in the Niagara region. We went out to dinner and spent Friday night just sitting around together chatting and catching up. Saturday morning we had breakfast at our house with B's parents, before picking up their friends from a nearby hotel (unfortunately we don't have that much room for guests at our house). From there we headed to the Distillery District for lunch and some strolling...

Lunch was at the Mill Street Brew Pub, and B and I each had to get a taster tray. I recommend the 4 Seasons tray. Delicious!

Followed by... more strolling....

Lots more pictures, and a great day... followed by a wonderful evening at home. Dinner with friends, and an extremely enjoyable game of Cranium. What's better than a Saturday night filled with family, friends and laughter? Not much in my book! 

Sunday was the big dinner... and I had some help with the table top! B, his Mom and his God-mother all pitched in, and here is what we came up with...

Since the dining table and most of our dishes and flatware are black and white, I went with a neutral table cloth and then we injected colour using gourds, as well as some Mums and leaves that B and his Mom grabbed from the backyard.

When it was all said and done though, the most important part was not really what was on the table, but rather, those who were sitting around it...

Monday was a lot more laid back. After we all got a chance to sleep in, and eat a late breakfast we got ready and B's parents friends came over around 1. We dug into left overs for lunch, and then headed out for a walk by the lake, just down the street from our house...

Of course, there were a ton of gorgeous fall colours to take in...

It really was a gorgeous weekend here, and I hope that it was for you as well! Whether you were celebrating Thanksgiving or not, I sure hope you felt as blessed and loved as I did all weekend long! I know that this feeling will carry me through this coming work week.

How was your autumn weekend?

The Perfect Thanksgiving Table

Last year we hosted our very first Thanksgiving in our first home. It was myself and B, my parents and B's parents (who came up from Massachusetts). We had a great time, and seeing as Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday, I've been looking forward to doing it again ever since.

This year, we will expand the guest list. On top of hosting both sets of parents, B's Mom's best friend and her husband will be accompanying them on their trip up North. We also plan on inviting our good friends who were married back in August. It will be LARGE for our tiny home indeed! So, with less than a month to go until the big day here in Canada, I'm trying to decide how to deck out our table for the big event...

image from here via there

What do I love about this perfectly dressed table? Let me see, where do I begin?

- That copper pitcher with the autumnal blooms is the perfect way to add some florals to your Thanksgiving table. I think it looks gorgeous, and of course the pitcher can be easily and quickly removed to be replaced with those Thanksgiving fixin's!

- Love the idea of spelling out something using the candles, and that the letters are mimic'd in the napkin rings! Perfect little DIY project... but don't know if I would go for something as long as "Giving Thanks" on my table... especially when we are trying to seat and feed 10.

- The paper leaves stewn across the table are the perfect way to add some not so fussy fall fun to your table. They don't have to be removed to put down platters, drinks and plates, and once you are done with them they can be recycled or safely stored away for future years! Also, bonus that it would be a super easy DIY project!

LOVE IT! Now what else can we find?

How about this simply elegant table from Country Living?

Once again, I'm loving the copper holding the flowers in the middle of the table! Hmmm... should I be heading out and starting my search for the perfect copper centrepiece?

The best part is how simple and uncluttered this table is. Though I love the look of my first table, it doesn't seem very practical for a large gathering, especially when you want every seated for the carving of the turkey! I do think that some elegant tapers in gorgeous holders are a much better option than the pillar candles in the first.

Speaking of tapers in great holders....

from the always fabulous Martha

Um - Loving the pumpkins turned into taper holders! Reminds me of my own little candle holders B and I put together for last years dinner...

My initial search has definitely left me with some great ideas! I know I want some flowers, preferable in a copper pitcher and candles. I'm also seriously in love with the idea of those paper leaves to scatter across our table! They'll definitely add some autumn colour to our table, without taking up precious space! I'll keep brainstorming, and I'll be sure to share the final look next month.

Have you thought about your perfect Thanksgiving table, or are you straight to the point and fuss more over the food than the fancy?

First Thanksgiving Decor

I haven't had much time to write this week. Things have been a little stressful around our home as we prepared for a few house guests this holiday weekend. A friend of mine from University stayed with us Thursday night on her way home for the holiday, followed by B's parents arriving on Saturday to spend Thanksgiving at our house... oh yes, and it will be their FIRST TIME seeing the house in person!!! So there is quite a lot to be done!

Growing up, Thanksgiving is something that was never made a big deal of at our house, but something we always celebrated. Somewhere in there I came to love it, since it was always more laid back and still all about family. I then loved the holiday even more after celebrating American Thanksgiving with B's family for the first time two years ago. It's made me really want to make a bigger deal about Thanksgiving... especially with decorating! (What's better than that?) But of course, with buying a new house and all - our holiday decorating budget is pretty tight! So this past week I've spent some time researching and seeing what I could find in the way of inexpensive decorating.

My centre piece for our dinner came easily after picking up the October issue of Canadian House & Home.

Aren't these Pumpkins just absolutely adorable? So the other weekend I went out and picked up a couple of small white pumpkins (as well as orange) and a large sized white one. The larger one I plan on painting "Welcome" on the front in cursive and place it in our front entrance.

At the time of picking up my pumpkins, I also picked up a big bag of assorted gourds. I wasn't too sure what I was going to do with them at first, but eventually decided that I wanted to display them in a nice vase in our living room. So the other day I ran down to our local goodwill and found this wonderful vase that I was able to pick up for $6!!! Can't beat it!The brown ribbon is HALF of one left over from a house warming gift we got - so that was free!! The display itself cost me $10 and even B commented that he thought it looks really great!!

I continue to search for other ideas I can put into place before B's parents arrive tomorrow. I'm excited to get everything in place... and I'll be sure to share more photos after our weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!