Friday Quote: Gratitude

:) Good reminder.  Happy almost Thanksgiving.  What are you grateful for?

Family Book of Thanks

So, I heard of this idea awhile back: creating a Book of Thanks for your family (and guests) to record something they are grateful for each Thanksgiving.  Take a group shot of everyone at your Thanksgiving feast each year, save room for it on a

Thanksgiving Napkin Rings (Lincoln's Proclamation)

Have a little humble history and thanks with your holiday meal, by sharing quotes from Lincoln or Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamations setting forth this great holiday of remembrance.  

Do a little remembering of your own.

Napkin rings.  As a college student, I have just had little use for them.  When do I hold dinner parties that consist of much more than pizza?  Okay. So I'm not that stereotypical; I actually really like having people over for dinner, and love a nice spread (ever see my Cheese Party post?).  But because I have a hard time limiting my guest list, still share most things with roommates (so keep my good dishes, etc, boxed away), and because I'm usually trying to cram all those people into my small living room to sit around a card table, a folding kitchen table, and my couches--my dinners usually end up looking something like this: 

Quote Friday: Giving Service

"Do for others with no desire of returned favors. 

We all should plant some trees we'll never sit under."

Oh how I love this quote--for so many reasons.  Beyond the wisdom of these words, and for an application fitting this blog's purposes, I can see this quote being placed on some scrapbook pages of service, of a grandfather or grandmother teaching a child a skill, of a Boy Scouts leader teaching something, etc.  Hope you can find a good use for it in your scrapbooking or home.

DIY: Pottery Barn Knock-off "Give Thanks" Holiday Glitter Banner

You bet I will. 

So, a few weeks ago I had some time to kill at the mall as I waited for my roommate to get out of a movie.  I wandered through the usual clothing shops out of habit, but then found I spent most of my time perusing the decor in Pottery Barn Kids.  Ugh.  I really love some of the Pottery Barn styles.  Unfortunately, I don't generally tend to love the Pottery Barn prices.  Ouch.  Especially on a budget.

Quote Friday: Whittier's Autumn

"The tints of autumn...a mighty flower garden blossoming under the spell of the enchanter, frost.” 
― John Greenleaf Whittier"

What a beautiful sentiment.  Perfect for a scrapbook page filled with your beautiful Fall photos.  

In the mountains back West we'd take a drive through the canyon to see all the beautiful Fall colors. Now, living out East, I can see them just stepping out my front door.  (However, I still love to take drives now and then to see them uninterrupted by houses and telephone poles.)  

What a gorgeous earth on which we live.

Halloween Craft Project for Kids

Did you just remember that you signed up to do a craft project for your child's Halloween party and have no clue what to do? Or, just looking for a fun craft to do with your kids?  Well, here is a Halloween craft that you can do that is simple and it turns out really cute.

I have seen this idea floating around on Pinterest for a while and I have also done it in my classroom when I was an elementary teacher.  All you have to do is

Halloween Apothecary Jar

Well, this post is sort of an addendum to my "Spooky" Dollar Store Potions/Halloween Table Decor Books post, which I shared a few weeks back.  (And which I kind of love.)  Just wanted to show that you can also do the wet paper towel technique (see that previous post) to create neat looking jars to also add to your Halloween decor.

Spooky Halloween Apothecary Jar

The method for the jar was the same as the base layer for the books.  Namely, cover it with a wet 1-ply napkin or paper

Pixy Stix Witch Halloween Card or Party Invitation

This card or invite combines the festiveness of Halloween with one of the other things so loved about this holiday: CANDY. :)  

Using Pixie Stix Candies from the dollar store, some obliging bark from a branch in my backyard, some cardstock, glue dots, and my Silhouette--I was able to make these tasty lil' cards in no time at all. 

Don't send out Halloween cards?  I think these are even better used as the front of an invitation to a Halloween Party.  

DIY Vinyl Window Cling

Feeling like your house is lacking in holiday decorating?  Mine sure was.  So I broke out my Silhouette, found these cute Halloween shapes and cut them out of vinyl.  Once that was done, I simply placed them in my front windows and just like that, the outside of my house looked 'decorated'.  This project only took me 5 minutes to do and when Halloween is over, all I have to do is peel the vinyl off and throw it away! My type of holiday clean up.