our mini-thanksgiving.

Landon and I are celebrating Thanksgiving a little early this year--and since it's just the two of us, I'm keeping the menu pretty simple (just our favorites!). The turkey and trifle recipes are both new (to me), and I'm really excited to try them. I made the twice baked sweet potatoes last year (to die for), and the creamed corn is my all time favorite dish. Really. It's that good. That's why I've deemed it "world's best."

And, on another note, I'm so very grateful for the things I've been learning this year, and the things God continues to reveal to me through His word, the people I meet, the books I read, and the conversations I have. He is so good, and His goodness takes on new meaning for me everyday. It's strangely beautiful how we can be changed in something so constant--His love.

xoxo.

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Thanksgiving Menu

Cranberry Apple Roasted Turkey Breast | World's Best Creamed Corn | Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes | Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifles

life lately: giving thanks.

If there's one thing I'm grateful for, it's family. We were fortunate enough to have Landon's family come visit for Thanksgiving last week, and we had a great time. There was lots of disc golf, lots of food, lots of card games (where we learned that Landon likes to cheat...) and lots of time spent together.

 DeAnn and I prepared a Thanksgiving dinner for the family, and it was pretty delicious, if I do say so myself! You can see the full menu here.

(we had to snap a photo of our taste tester, who also tried to take credit for cooking the whole meal). 

And while I missed the Turkey Bowl (it was another victory for the cousins team), I had a good little "FaceTime" session with my family before the game, and they tweeted updates during the game. All in all, it was a fun and delicious day and we're grateful that Landon's family made the trip!

xoxo.

P.S. We'll be flying to Portland in 22 days!

happy (bright) friday.

 I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! Landon's family was in town, and we enjoyed lots of yummy food yesterday. Today, we're relaxing and gobbling up the leftovers (poached eggs over dressing with potato cakes, and pumpkin pie of course!). No black Friday shopping for us today, we'd rather cozy up at home! Have a good one!

xoxo.

happy holidays: the thanksgiving table...

Wow, where has the week gone? These days it seems like time is just flying by! I had great intentions about bringing you lots of Thanksgiving tablescape inspiration today, but it just didn't happen. So instead, I'm bringing you my Thanksgiving tablescape (terribly lit photos and all!). 

 We were so blessed last week to receive a table and six chairs from our church for free. The gift came just in time, as we have Landon's family coming next week for Thanksgiving! The table just needed some minor touch ups, and now it's resting nicely in our living-room-turned-dining-AND-living-room. 

 I'm happy to say that I only spent $10 on this tablescape, which I used to get a tablecloth at Target (on sale!). The rest were items I already had...

 I printed menus on brown cardstock and just laid them on top of the napkins. For the placecard holders, I used some corks I had that were left over from my brother's rehearsal dinner two years ago.

 My sweet friend Leah gave me a bag of coffee beans that were left over from an event she was a part of. Since they had been part of a centerpiece, they weren't fit for brewing, so I filled mini latte bowls and stuck in some tea lights...and viola!

What do you think? Probably that I'm crazy for setting my table a week early...but I had to give it a test run!! Our actual Thanksgiving day table probably will look a little different as we'll have seven for dinner, but since I've been without a table for six months, I just couldn't wait another day to try it out. 

xoxo.

in the shop: thanksgiving placecards.

Happy Friday, friends! Aren't these weeks just whizzing by? They are for me, it seems like Christmas will be here before we know it! Today I'd like to share a little something that we just listed in the shop, our Thanksgiving Placecards! 

The cards say "this seat is reserved for" on one side and "i am thankful for" on the other. You can invite your guests to write what they're thankful for on their placecard, and then read them aloud or post them up for everyone to enjoy. My family did something similar a couple years ago, and I loved it. It's great to spend time in reflection, thanking God for the blessings He's given us!

Thanksgiving Placecards (Set of 25)

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

xoxo.

P.S. A recap of this week:

DIY Monday: Holiday Headbands

Inspired: Snail Mail

Life Lately: It's the Holiday Season...

The Anthology: Holiday Trees

life lately: it's the holiday season...

It just so happens that this is my favorite time of year. It used to be tied with summer, but now that we live in Texas, summer has been downgraded. I'm loving the fall here in Abilene. We have lots of clear, sunny, chilly days that make for perfect mornings wrapped in a blanket with a mug of hot cocoa.

First up, Thanksgiving of course. We're staying in Texas for Thanksgiving, which marks the first year that I won't be in Portland. While I'm sad to miss the Turkey Bowl, I'm thrilled for the holiday because Landon's family is joining us here in Texas! With no dining table and a small oven, it will certainly be a Thanksgiving to remember, but we're really looking forward to it. I created a menu for us (part of my 12x2012 list!), so I thought I'd share it here...

The holidays also mean good things for CookingThyme, my mom's cooking school in Portland. Check out the holiday classes they've got planned.

Killer, right? I wish I could be there for some! Speaking of being there, we just booked our Christmas tickets last night...we'll be back in Portland for THIRTEEN days around Christmas and I can't wait!! Family, food, festivities and my beloved city...three cheers!

And finally, with the holidays comes the Cold Hands, Warm Hearts swap! This is my first year participating, and we just got our swap partners last night! Mine is Amanda from And They Will Become One Flesh. Can't wait to swap with you Amanda!

It’s the holiday season
(The holiday season)
With the whoop-de-do and hickory dock
And don’t forget to hang up your sock...

xoxo.