Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Easy DIY Burlap Tablecloth

This is the easiest tablecloth ever! And I LOVE the look of it! A little bit rustic, and yet natural and pretty. I bought burlap (10 yards, but I have plans for what I didn't use!), cut what I wanted for the tablecloth, and used fabric glue to put a burlap trim around the bottom edge.

A Centerpiece of Pumpkins

I love doing the flowers on the table in pumpkins, it really adds something to the table to use a pumpkin as a vase. I pull all the insides out of the pumpkin, line it with a plastic bag, and put wet florist foam in it. Start in the middle, and work out the the outside, keep turning the pumpkins, filling until you can't see the foam anymore. Eyeball it till it looks good, and you're done!

Ring Around The Napkin

This year I wanted something simple to help play up my new burlap tablecloth, so I took some gold ribbon, glued it into a ring, and sewed some little leaf beads onto the front. Yes, there's a lot of them! Fifteen, to be exact!

Places at The Table

I love the look of place cards, and I don't like to do the same thing every year, so each year I try to come up with something new and cute for the place cards. This year I made some clay leaves with cookie cutters, painted them in fall colors, and stuck them on some card stock I cut out. I used fancy edging scissors to cut smaller cards out of card stock for the names.

National Adoption Day

Today is national adoption day. It is a day primarily set aside to raise awareness about kids in foster care who need families.

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday. I love holidays, and celebrations, but I cannot say that I am in love with Thanksgiving. Really, I have always thought of Thanksgiving as more of a means to an end, the segue into my favorite holiday, the weekend we decorate for my favorite holiday, and so on...

Thanksgiving is a good reminder that I need to work on being more thankful for what I have right now. Sometimes it's hard to remember to be thankful for what you already have, especially when it's so hard not to think about what you want. But, I have a lot to be thankful for:

My husband-Josh is so perfect for me. God gave me the perfect match in Josh, and I am so grateful for him.

My husband's job, and my job

Family and friends

Our paid off car (yay!)

Our home

Our health

Our church

My I-phone

Tivo (I like my shows:-))

Holidays with family

I want this Thanksgiving to be a reminder to give thanks for all the wonderful things I have been given. I am truly blessed!

Eighteen

Eighteen, and still waiting...

It Has Begun

It's everywhere. the hustle and bustle has begun and the Christmas season is upon us.

So I made myself a little list of goals for this season:

1. I want to remember to stay centered. I don't want my heart and mind pulled in every direction by super cute craft ideas, the super tasty looking recipes, and the beautiful photos of decorated rooms that make me want to scream with delight. I know I can't try everything, have my house look like a Pottery Barn catalog, and stay focused on how I really want my heart to feel this Christmas. So, to that end, I will endeavor to give up the superfluous crafts and decorations after the 1st of December.

2. I want to be completely done with my Christmas shopping by December 1st. Before you scoff, let me say that I have accomplished this goal in the past. I have even once finished by the first day of fall! I have found that long lines, big crowds, and pressure buying take away from the joy of buying gifts for my loved ones.

3. I want to remember what Christmas is really about. I want December to bring peace and quiet, and nights of relaxing by the tree, meditating on the real meaning of Christmas.

Adoption...An Update

Many of you have asked how things are going, so I thought I would do an update.

Things are slow. There are always fast and slow times in adoption, and right now, unfortunately, we are in a slow time. Normally, our agency would get referrals each month, and things were moving along nicely. The past two batches of referrals have come at eight weeks, and then twelve weeks. That's only two batches of referrals in five months. We are, of course, quite hopeful that things speed up and start moving along more quickly.

Let's cry, shall we?

Since it is national adoption month, I thought, why not cry through some adoption videos! Won't you join me?

Cheerios Adoption Commercial

The2ofme / Mark Cacciatore | MySpace Video

Orphan Sunday

November is national adoption month, and today is Orphan Sunday. It is a day set aside for all of us to consider the plight of the orphan.

This was posted on the Orphan Sunday website today:

On Orphan Sunday, Christians stand for the orphan. We are a people called to defend the fatherless… to care for the child that has no family… to visit orphans in their distress.

From many sources, one voice. Hundreds of events across America and beyond, all sharing a single goal: that God’s great love for the orphan will find echo in our lives as well.

Each as they are led. Sermons and small groups, concerts and prayer gatherings—each rousing believers with God’s call to care for the orphan… and what we can do in response.

November 8, 2009. Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan.

Today there is a live broadcast (click here to watch it) Spread the word! Stephen Curtis Chapman, Geoff Moore, and the Children of the World Choir will be performing, and there will be many speakers. It is sure to be informative and convicting!

Winning

Remember when I posted about Cheri's awesome contest? Well, as luck would have it, I won something. And not just any something, but the something I had told Cheri that I would like to win! It is from Shady Creek Lane. She does vinyl letter art, and blogs about them and sells them. If you need a cute Christmas gift, she would definitely have something for you!

Check out my family tile!

The Birthday Bash and Monster Mash

Our halloween party was so much fun! Here are a few pictures of the festivities!

The food: there were mummy dogs, swamp chili, boo bites, cheesy pumpkins, and much more!

Josh stirring up the spooky swamp punch. Doesn't he look scary!

The birthday cake.

The party people:

It was so fun, I do love a holiday party! Now I am ready for the next one, Thanksgiving! Bring it on!