CHIC, BUDGET FRIENDLY THANKSGIVING TABLESCAPE

It's amazing what kind of decorating goodness you can find around the house when you put your mind to it. I wanted to whip up a budget friendly, but still ultra gorg, tablescape for our Thanksgiving festivities, using items I already owned.

On hand; our wedding china (always use it when I can), white cloth napkins (an absolute staple when it comes to entertaining), fancy gold glassware (you can never have too many glasses), mason jars (if you don't own a few, stop reading this and go out and buy them right now!) and good old kraft paper (so many uses).

I filled in the gaps with some seasonal foliage (only $10.99) and spiced them up (pun intended) with some cinnamon sticks - these normally just sit in my cupboard because I generally have absolutely no idea what to do with them!?

The cinnamon sticks made another appearance as a decorative place setting detail on the napkins; simply wrap 3 sticks with twine, and place, that's it.

I scattered the table with mini white pumpkins ($3) and a couple candles to add sparkle. I got really adventurous (not) and painted a bit of gold on a green gourd ($5); gold is my world!

And there you have it, for approximately $20 out of pocket, I made a pretty, seasonal tablescape out of items I already own.  Try it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

HOW TO MAKE A QUICK DIY VASE IN A PICKLE...JAR

Hello!!! I know it's been a while, I've been busy getting my life back on track after my loooong vacation; laundry piles, bills and fallen leaves have been top priority; however I did mange to get away for a weekend with friends (they come before laundry).

Last weekend we made the trek up north to a friends cottage to celebrate two birthdays, an anniversary and one engagement! I was in charge of the flowers for the bride-to-be and in my post vacay daze I didn't even think to bring a container to put them in for her to transport back on the 4 hour drive home. Yikes!  

One of my super crafty girlfriends came to the rescue, she spotted a pickle jar in the fridge and decided we could make something pretty to keep these flowers perky.  

We emptied the pickles into Tupperware, washed the vase,  arranged the flowers (not sure why we did this before we wrapped it) and wrapped in twine (taping the first end down and the last end as well).

Ta da...make-shift pickle jar vase!  It turned out beautifully, very rustic-chic.

When you get desperate, your get creative; think beyond the everyday use for items you have on hand...it just might get you out of a pickle.

CHIC SHACK || master bedroom design, or lack thereof...

Hellooooo! I'm back from vacation, ahhhhh what a glorious trip of a lifetime indeed. As you can imagine a 19 day tour with 4 major destinations has left me wiped. Quite honestly, I'm not organized enough to show you some of the awe inspiring things I came across in my travels, so instead I'm going to complain about my unfinished bedroom!

This new motivation to finish what I started in our master is driven by all of the wonderful ideas and inspiration I soaked in while gallivanting around the globe.

This is what the bedroom looked like when we bought the house.

And here we are now, as you can see not much has changed. We've moved the bed out from under the window, bought curtains, a rug, side table, dresser and a lamp. Why you ask would someone purchase these items without a bigger plan or vision for the space? Who knows?! I was excited when we moved in to fully complete every space, I was on a buying frenzy, but a couple of months ago I realized, I don't have a plan!

Note the many paint testers on the wall, like I said, no plan.

I'm back now with a fresh set of eyes and a head full of ideas; I'm gettin' this room done! Stay tuned for the vision...

FETE || inspired by provence

Hello! Right now I’m in Provence (well at least that’s where I’m supposed to be accordingly to the carefully crafted schedule).  I’m most excited about taking in the lovely French countryside and enjoying a slower way of life. Entertaining in Provence would be so easy, the countryside as your backdrop, fresh lavender stuffed into vases, and the purest ingredients straight from the local market.

This is what al fresco dining in Provence looks like to me…  

How to pull it off:

Create the Perfect Cheeseboard         Linen Table Runner              Lavender Cupcake Recipe 

FETE || inspired by paris

Bonjour, I’m in Paris now, likely stuffing myself full of cheese and baguette and falling in love all over again.  When I think of Paris I think of Versaille, when I think of Versaille I picture myself as Marie Antoinette living the luxe life of decadence. 

This is what my Parisian dinner party would look like….

How to pull it off:

 

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