PINTEREST!!!!

I have a new addiction and I'm not even ashamed to tell you that I have spent hours (and by hours I mean days) indulging in this addiction - it's Pinterest! Pinterest is a site that allows you to create vision boards from images anywhere on the web and consolidates them all in one, organized place.  You can "pin" onto your own boards AS WELL as view other people's! So, so, so LOVE IT!

Check out mine here !!

You do have to be invited however. There's a "Request Invite" option from the website but it can take a few days.  If you are invited by someone who is already a member you will receive your login quicker.  Just send me a message with your email addy if you wish to be invited!

Source: google.com via Donna on Pinterest

Source: media-cdn.pinterest.com via Kristy on Pinterest

T - 3: Turkey Weekend Countdown! part deux

Okay, now that we have some ideas about how to decorate the exterior of our homes for Thanksgiving from the previous post here, how are you going to decorate the interior?

Again, Better Homes and Gardens is a fabulous resource. It literally has hundreds of Fall decor ideas and tips.

Here are some of my favourites (some will also look fabulous on your front porch as well)...

"Mumpkins"

Hollow out a large gourd and paint it gold to make a gilded gourd vase.

This is my absolute favourite! I just adore the yellow sunflowers and daisies paired with the pumpkins! It makes me think of childhood, storybooks, and hay rides :)

Your Thanksgiving decor doesn't have to be complicated. Simple bouquets of autumn-coloured roses are quite stunning.

More simple seasonal bouquets.



I love the look of this tower display with Fall foliage, flowers and fruit! To get a similar look follow these easy instructions:

* Start with a bamboo vase filled with gravel or other weight for balance.

*Insert mums with short stems into a ring of dampened florist's foam and rest the ring over sugar maple leaves in the top of the vase.

*Fit a pumpkin in the center of the foam ring, top with another ring of mums, and crown with a smaller pumpkin.

*Use a long pick to secure the pumpkins together.

Baskets filled with nuts, autumn-coloured fruits, squash, and foliage are both easy to make and easy on the eyes! Throw in a cloth napkin, a bow, or glue some acorns and pinecones on and you have a fabulous Thanksgiving decoration just like the baskets above and below :)

For a more involved DIY Fall basket project, you could try something like this.

What You Need

*12-inch square basket
*11-inch round basket
*9-inch round basket
*Floral foam for artificial arrangements
*Glue gun and hotmelt adhesive
*10 to 12 juice oranges, whole
*Cloves
*Kumquats
*Pinecones in assorted sizes from 1 to 6 inches *Wooden floral picks
*Assorted greenery
*Seeded eucalyptus
*Small pillar candle and holder


How to Make It

1. Choose three baskets that will stack with the largest on the bottom to the smallest on top.

2. Cut blocks of floral foam to fill each basket.

3. For the center of the largest basket, cut a circular piece of foam the size of the medium-size basket bottom and an inch higher than the largest basket's sides.

4. Place the foam in the large basket then glue it to the bottom of the medium-size basket. This will raise the medium size basket higher than the outside edge of the largest basket. Repeat for the small basket.

5. Stud the oranges with cloves in a variety of patterns.

6. Insert floral picks into the studded oranges and kumquats.

7. Wire floral picks to the pinecones.

8. Fill the baskets with oranges, kumquats, pinecones, greenery, and seeded eucalyptus.

9. Nestle a small pillar candle in the top basket.

These are very cool veggie candle holders. To see a tutorial on how to make them click here.

Stay tuned for more Turkey Weekend Countdown posts... tomorrow we'll be taking a look at some really fabulous Thanksgiving table setting ideas, more creative uses for pumpkins for All-Things-Creative Wednesdays, and much more!

K.

Images via Better Homes and Gardens.

T - 3: Turkey Weekend Countdown!

It's 3 days away from Thanksgiving weekend! More if you're American, but it doesn't hurt to start planning now!

Better Homes and Gardens has a plethora of Thanksgiving tips, how-tos, and ideas on how to put on your best holiday dinner yet. Pages, and pages, and pages... Holy TURKEY there's a lot to see here... and here!

So how are you going to decorate for Thanksgiving?

The first place to start could be your front door. Add a beautiful wreath to make for a festive invitation to enter...

You can get the kids to help with this one.

This one is my favourite! :)

I also really like these rectangular shaped wreaths shown above and below. They are pretty straightforward to make as well.

Materials

*Styrofoam wreath form (or a wire form)
*Sheet moss
*U-shaped florist's pins
*Florist's wire
*Hot-glue gun
*Preserved fall leaves
*Fall ornament (optional)

Instructions

Create a wreath hanger at the top of the wreath using sturdy wire wrapped around the form and bent into a hanging loop.

Cover a Styrofoam wreath form with sheet moss using U-shaped pins to attach the moss. (On a wire form, wrap thin florist's wire all the way around the wreath to secure the moss.)

Next, use U-shaped pins or dabs of hot glue to attach preserved or artificial leaves all around the wreath.

If desired, hang a pumpkin ornament in the center

What are some of your Fall decorating ideas for the exterior of your home besides hanging wreaths?

Which wreath is your favourite?

K.

All images via Better Homes and Gardens.

FFFFOUND!

Tuesday Feature: Website

FFFFOUND! is the site I visit to get my daily aesthetic fix.

In the words of FFFFOUND! it "is a web service that not only allows the users to post and share their favorite images found on the web, but also dynamically recommends each user's tastes and interests for an inspirational image-bookmarking experience!!"
Below are some of the images I ffffound!

via FFFFOUND!

via FFFFOUND!

via FFFFOUND!

via FFFFOUND!

via FFFFOUND!

via FFFFOUND!

via FFFFOUND!

via FFFFOUND!

via FFFFOUND!

via FFFFOUND!

via FFFFOUND!


Where do you go for the inspiration and stimulation of your visual and artistic sensibilities?

K.

All images via FFFFOUND! - click on link under image for information regarding original source.

Soup's Up!

In keeping with the "soup" theme I've had going the past couple of Tasty Thursdays, here are some delicious looking soups from the Jamie Oliver site.

There's nothing better than a nice hot soup on a chilly evening... Can you tell I'm getting into the Fall nesting mode? LOL

(It's actually sunny and warm outside right now but that's beside the point - somewhere someone is cold right now and would like some soup!)

Click on the soup name to be directed to the recipe

Early Autumn Minestrone
Very fitting name ;) There are a lot of healthy veggies in there too

English Onion Soup with Sage and Cheddar
I've had french onion but never english - does anyone know what the difference would be?

Bread and Tomato Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro)
This looks wonderful! I eat tomatos whole and could even eat them straight out of the can - this soup is right up my alley!

Feel Good Chicken Broth
Chicken soup for the soul - this certainly doesn't look like any ol' Campbell's soup :)

Scrumptious Spanish Chickpea and Chorizo Soup
Mmmm! This definitely does look scrumptious! This will probably be the first soup recipe I try out of all of these.


Southern Indian Rice and Seafood Soup
I really enjoy nice hot Indian dishes. I would probably switch out the seafood for chicken but I'm looking forward to trying this one as well.

There's definitely going to be a lot of soup-eating in our house this season!

Enjoy :)

K

All images courtesy of the Jamie Oliver website.

Captain David Kelley House - Historic B&B Inn

Tuesday Feature: Travel

It was an absolute pleasure staying at the Captain David Kelley House this August in Centreville, Cape Cod.

The innkeepers, Tom and Rick, were just delightful and the inn itself combined the charm of yesteryear with the comforts of today.

Sometimes at B&Bs you can feel like you're intruding on the owners' personal space or that they're intruding into yours - but one of the many great things about the CDK House is that Tom and Rick had separate living quarters from the guests so it felt more like an intimate inn than like staying at someone's home. The guest quarters were so beautiful I was just dying to see what Tom and Rick's space looked like - but I didn't have the guts to ask for a tour! Maybe next time!

Each morning Tom and Rick served us a 3-course breakfast. The first day we a light and fluffy breakfast quiche, with fresh fruit and delicious home baked banana bread. On the second morning we were served eggs benedict, fruit and scrumptious just-out-of-the-oven scones.

CDK House is a 19th century Greek Revival, Cape Cod sea captain's home. The decor was just darling - romantic and cozy.

We stayed in the Alexander Suite shown below. It had two bedrooms (one we used for dressing and the other for sleeping) and a private bathroom. I just fell in love with the rooms...

This was the intimate little bedroom we slept in for the weekend. The four poster
bed and the floral print linens paired with the periwinkle and cream striped wallpaper

was a beautiful and striking combination.

Our bright and sunny "dressing room" had a slightly more masculine feel with a

nautical motif and maritime blue and cream striped walls. Touches of red and yellow

were used as accents. So gorgeous.

This was our charming bathroom.

Unfortunately it rained the whole weekend we were in the Cape, but staying at this darling inn was our saving grace.

Tom and Rick were always so hospitable and very happy to engage us in conversation about the history of the home or give us spectacular recommendations about where to dine. They really pay attention to the small details that makes one feel welcome and comfortable. Every morning we were always greeted with a smile and on a first name basis. Every evening there would be a platter of various cheeses awaiting us before we went for dinner. And every night we came back to a turned down bed and delicious chocolates waiting for us on our pillows. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the soft, cozy bathrobes that were provided for us in our room either!

The enclosed porch where we spent lazy, rainy hours reading.

The view from the breakfast porch where we ate each morning... except our view at the time
wasn't as sunny!

The common room where soft music was always playing.

Here are photos of some of the other guest rooms at the Captain David Kelley House...

So incredibly pretty!

I love the floral wallpaper with striped accents.

Gorgeous bed!

If you're ever in the Cape I highly recommend staying at the Captain David Kelley House - rain or shine, it's a delight! It is one of the most beautiful inns in Cape Cod with the two most hospitable innkeepers you will ever find!

They have only ever received raving reviews. To read some of them see tripadvisor.

Happy travels :)

Kristy

All photos courtesy of Captain David Kelly House - Historic Bed and Breakfast Inn.