happy thanksgiving

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be thankful

I love the tradition of going around the table and sharing what you are most thankful for at Thanksgiving. When I have a large enough family of my own to host I will place a card at each setting, have everyone write what they are most thankful for and then place it on a thankful tree.

 Below are a few free printables that I have found over the years that I love and thought I would share with all of you so that you can use them for your Thanksgiving dinners. 

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Example of pretty "thankful tree"
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I also thought this was a neat idea...print out a "Thankful For" page and then have the family write what they are most thankful for. It would be neat to save the pages through the years and be able to look back at the memories. 

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Although we should be thankful everyday, Thanksgiving is an extra special time to spend with our families and truly be grateful for the many blessings in our lives. 

Have a great weekend! 

southern living idea house 2013

Have you all seen it!? It came out over the summer but I just came across it again and it is just gorgeous!! I also added in some pics of their beautiful Christmas decor via KariAnne who was so lucky to tour it in person. 

at night

herringbone entry door


I LOVE these swags!!!

wood beams

barn doors and bar stools

the back porch

the front porch

my favorite room - the guest house living room

If you are in Nashville or plan to visit make sure a stop here is on your agenda! For more details and a wonderful video tour click here :)

Happy Wednesday!

dining room transformation

When painting a room it is always a struggle to pick the right color - as seen here! But once that is done it is pretty much smooth sailing...most of the time. :) After the ease of painting the living room I decided I was ready to tackle our dining room. 

pre-move in from HAR

I knew I didn't want to paint it all one color so I started looking into wainscoting. 

I knew I wanted it to be white....

it to be chair rail height...

above photos all from Pinterest
...and for the walls above to be gray. 

After looking at a few how-to sites I just went for it - I measured the ceiling height (8' or 96") and divided it by 3 (2.7' or 32") and that is where I taped for the bottom half or really bottom third. (After reading the sites I totally thought this would be too low, but it isn't! Its a great way to decipher where to put the rail and I am so glad that I followed this rule of thumb.) I knew I didn't want to use the panels so I just went ahead and painted the bottom third white including the baseboards.

Next up was the crown molding...this part almost put me over the edge. I had to do FIVE coats of paint to get it to the bright white I wanted. It took FOREVER and a few nights. Oh and then once I taped it to paint the gray it peeled off and I had to paint it again...good times.

Then it was onto the fun part!...the Gray...I chose three colors to pick from - BM Kendall Charcoal, SW Dovetail, and SW Mindful Gray. I wanted it to be darker than the living room and lighter than the kitchen so Kendall Charcoal was immediately out and I thought Mindful Gray looked too much like the living room so we went with Dovetail. It is still a little darker than what I originally wanted, but I still love it's contrast with the white! 

The paint is not totally dry here so it looks a little sloppy. :)

Next we added the chair rail...

and the finished product...

We are so so happy with how it turned out! A little on the darker side, but it adds so much more character and interest to the room! I love it :) I plan to put a white plate collection on the blank wall above...to be continued...

Have a great week!

thanksgiving place settings

We get to have our first of three Thanksgivings this weekend! I love Thanksgiving and all of the traditions that are different at each one so I don't mind. :)

Here are a few of my favorite place settings for a Thanksgiving table:

all photos via my pinterest

This last photos are from my mother in law's last dinner party in Lake Toxaway :) 

She used the cutest little pumpkins with her guest's names attached to them and leaves with other foliage from right outside her back door for the centerpiece. 

I hope you all have a Happy Friday and a great weekend! 

ikea

I ventured to Ikea a few weeks ago and was so suprised by all the goods I found! It is quite a commitment to get yourself to go, but hopefully this will help because the prices are worth it! I also just go straight to the downstairs area and don't mess with the showrooms - it saves time and makes you feel less like a mouse in a maze :) 

Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant
I love my new plant! I put it in our bedroom's sitting area and it makes me happy :) I hope it doesn't die!

Placemats
These were such a great price I bought some for our dining room and breakfast area. They are a great texture to put under my new white dishes (see below).

Holiday plant pots
Who knew they had Chritmast decor!? There is an entire section right before you get to check out with wrapping, tins, faux christmas trees, etc. I bought these to use as candle holders or place settings for a party. 

Basket

This is what my fiddle leaf fig tree lives in. I love a basket and the colors of it combined with the tree :) 

black and white throw
This is also a new addition to the sitting area in our master - just slung over a chair. I love the stripes :)

White Dishes
Who can have too many white dishes?!? and 18 for $39...you just cant beat it! I loved the detail on these too!

picture frame
I love a gallery wall! I had one that I loved in our old house, but I haven't been able to find the perfect place for one yet in our new home. I went ahead and bought this and framed an old 8x10 photo from our engagement and put it in our bedroom. Could be the new gallery wall...we will see!

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I feel like I got some pretty good stuff all at a great price! I wouldn't decorate the entire house from here or anything, but it is a great place to find things here and there. So go and don't be scared of the big box Ikea! :) 

Happy Thursday!

the most wonderful time of the year

It's Nutcracker Market time!! :)


I look forward to it every year and this year even more so because I have a new house to decorate! YAY!  I thought I would share a few of my all time fave shops - not to be missed. 

Coton Colors - Booth 554

This booth has just a ton of cute hand painted accessories. Many of which make great hostess gifts for holiday parties :) 

Donne di Domani Pasta Sauce - Booth 920

These sweet little ladies make this marinara sauce every year just to sell at the Market. It is not only amazing, but it benefits charity! I personally like the Spicy. It sells out every year so make sure you get by there.


Leftover Antiques - Booth 1456

Beautiful things for the home from this cute little shop in Brenham.

Marye-Kelley - Booth 1101

Decoupaged EVERYTHING! From wedding invitation plates, picture frames, mail boxes, and paperweights. These are all great gifts as well for all occasions!

Paul Michael Company - 925

Patchwork and Petals - Booth 234

These photos dont do this booth justice! It is such a beautiful shop with all handmade arrangments (similar to the one above) and accessories. They also have the most amazing feathers,  potpourri and oil that I leave with way too much of every year. Make sure you say hi to Meg one of my best friends that works this booth! :)

The Pewter Company - Booth 523

Great serveware for entertaining for the holidays!


The Round Top Collection - Booth 900

Love all of the iron decor at The Round Top Collection. It is one of the largest booths and has great Thanksgiving, Christmas and other year round decor for your home and yard. 

The Royal Standard - 1833

This is one of my favorite shops in Baton Rouge! Geaux Tigers! I get so excited that I get to shop from it here in Houston.  It is quite an ecclectic shop with home accessories, decor, serving peices, and even coolor bags and jewelry.

Sandstone Gardens - Booth 1401



Great home decor and accessories!

Treasured Accessory - Booth 1563



All the way from Calabasas, CA! This little shop has great jewelry that is not too pricey. Lots of fun bangle sets!



The Write Designs - 718

Who doesn't love a custom styrofoam cup?!? This is definately a must for me every year! I stock up on plenty of "G" cups for the year and also some for a few of the holidays. The "redneck stemware" were a hit last Thanksgiving at the ranch :)
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I hope this helps any of you heading out to the market this weekend! I unfortunately can not go until Friday, but I will be ready :) I will try to update this post with any other fun shops that I see while I am there! Please let me know your favorite shops too!

Happy Wednesday and Nutcracker Market week!