There's a Whole Lotta Love to Be Thankful For

I have a lot to be thankful for this November--my brother married his longtime girlfriend on Sunday in the village of Piermont, down by the Hudson River. It was a beautiful day! Last week the whole house was abuzz, baking and making and getting ready for the big day. My grams made them a stunning Hidden Star quilt (where each block has a star hidden within the block). I made the happy couple a Scrabble picture frame with their names interlocking to hang in their hallway. And my mom and I fashioned earring and bracelet sets for the bridesmaids.

I tried a handful of recipes out this week--all from A Taste of Home magazine (which is fabulous by the way). I baked to my heart's content--a Chocolate cake with raspberry filling and white chocolate frosting, a rich strawberry & champagne cheesecake, and a lemon meringue pie. A new family favorite is the Apple Orchard Pork Loin Roast (very simple to make and incredibly tasty).

Here's an easy & elegant D.I.Y. for your dinner table, mantle place, or window sill:

Hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving this Thursday! Check later this week for holiday gift tag D.I.Y.S!

D.I.Y. Simply Steampunk Candle Holder

With so many holidays approaching, no doubt you have begun to think about decorations. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is dressing up the table. Here is a simple and beautiful way to steampunk your dinner table. Here's what you'll need: ~The light bulbs & gears can be substituted for other various machine parts that you desire. It is best to use a majority of clear items so that the flame will shine through them. Possible substitutes include: radio or vaccum tubes, broken glass or even bits of ornaments that have broken, & washers.

Making this candle holder is easy, finding your materials will take longer than assembly (which is great, because if you're entertaining last minute this is a quick table fix!). Here's what you do:

1) Place the tea candle inside the smaller candle holder. Then place the small candle holder inside of the larger one.

2) Arrange your light bulbs & gears (or what have you) and fill in the space surrounding the small candle holder. Be sure not to fill the (larger) candle holder over the height of the small candle holder.

3) Once your items are arranged, light your tea candle and enjoy its illumination!