Holiday Gift Guide

It's the most wonderful time of the year! If you haven't begun your holiday shopping, I've assembled a gift guide to get you in the spirit. Spoil your mom, sister, girlfriends, or yourself with these fabulous finds! 

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xoxo

Snapshot

Thanksgiving 2011

Since we were in Mexico on Thanksgiving, we celebrated at home last night. It was my first time cooking a "Thanksgiving" meal, and I was loving every minute! I created a tablescape with many new items from our wedding, along with a few things from around our home -- I think it turned out really cute. I have so many things to be thankful for, I feel so blessed.

Our Menu:

cranberry stuffed turkey breast 

garlic and parmesan green beans (so delish)

stuffing with sauteed apples

and of course...acorn squash 

Dinner I wouldn't be complete without it...

cut

 and gut

 peeling and coring apples for the stuffing

best gift ever...Found Here

Happy Thanksgiving from CABO

Happy Thanksgiving from Cabo! We are on our Honeymoon this week and will be heading back to America this weekend. We have really enjoyed our time in Cabo, it's beautiful and our resort is amazing! This year, I have many things to be thankful for:

1. My wonderful husband
2. My amazing family (now even larger than last year)
3. My gracious friends
4. God
5. Having a job that I love
6. My blog :)
7. Our new home

If I continued to list them all, I wouldn't get to enjoy the remainder of my honeymoon...HAPPY THANKSGIVING! xoxo

Wishing you a safe, healthy, and happy Holiday!
A little Thanksgiving art for you...I created this one in Cabo!

LOVE-ing Art

One of my favorite things to do is create art...I have always loved art. It was my favorite subject in grade school, but I hadn't touched on it much in my (semi)adult life until recently. I have been doing quite a bit with acrylic paint, and most recently, digital art. Both are great creative outlets that really allow you to go in any direction. Below is a digital piece I created today. I am "LOVE"-ing this one...can't wait to get it printed to hang in our home. Enjoy!

My Favorite Space

My favorite space in our new home is our living - dining room. Our place has a very open floor plan. The kitchen flows into the dining room, and the dining room into the living room. This is my favorite area to hang out at home. 

painting inspired by JEN

Posted at THIS link party

Acorn Squash

Last night I made Acorn Squash -- it was delicious. It tasted more like a dessert than a side (due to the butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows yummm). A wise woman once said, "A moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips..." forget that! It was SO simple, and perfect for this time of year. Here is my recipe (I tweaked one I found online).

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash cut in half, seeded
1T butter
2T brown sugar
1/2 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F
Place squash in baking dish, flesh side up
Put a little water at the bottom of the baking dish (not in the squash)
Place 1/2 T butter in each half of squash
Place 1T brown sugar in each half of squash
Bake for 45-50 minutes
Remove from oven, add marshmallows, and place back in the oven until marshmallows are golden brown (5-10 minutes)

ENJOY!

My Parent's House

My mom has asked me to help with a few areas in her house that need a little love...her (non-existent) dining room, and a seating area. I would describe my parent's style as rustic and cozy - perfect for their lakeside home. I had fun creating these two looks and am excited to get this project rolling.

Dining Room:

Seating Area:

O'Verylay Dresser Sneak Peek

As soon as I laid eyes on O'verlays...I knew I had to have them! They can make any piece (and I mean literally - anything) look amazing. We purchased two, six-drawer dressers to complete this project and I love the look it gives our Master Bedroom. Check out all of the amazing projects people have completed here. And now a peek at the before and after...

Before:

After "peek":

Dining Room

After finishing the chairs, I was able to complete the dining room...woohoo!

Sources:

Dining Table - Here

Rug - Out of Stock - Overstock

Buffet - Here

Sunburst Mirror - Out of Stock - Kirkland's

Vase - Home Goods

Craigslist Chairs = Complete

Remember the amazing chairs I found on Craigslist? I completed them a few weeks ago, and am loving the finished look. As a reminder, I bought all FOUR chairs for $100 (plus $20 delivery -- really?!). The chairs were looking a little sad when they arrived, but that made the project even more exciting! I made a trip to Home Depot to get my supplies:

2 Sanding Sponges
4 Cans Rust - Oleum Primer
4 Cans Rust - Oleum Gloss Paint - White

I will post the tutorial at a later date....but here is the before and the after!

BEFORE:

And...

AFTER:

Chandelier Sneak Peek

A little peek at the three chandeliers we've installed at 401...more to come!