Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Hope you enjoy your day and are able to celebrate with family and friends!

Our Christmas decor...

{Our Christmas Tree}

Christmas decorations are my favorite! :-) Tried to go with a more neutral tree this year. 

{Brown paper packages...}

Kraft paper wrapping is from Target. Ribbon is mostly from Hobby Lobby- love their red velvet ribbon. Bags are primarily from Marshalls. 

Burlap treeskirt is from World Market.

{Our mantel}

I stick with the basic pre-lit greenery every year and add candles and of course our stockings. 

{burlap stockings}

I ordered new stockings this year from Groopdealz. They're handmade. I am very pleased with how they turned out. 

{DIY merry & bright art}

I wanted something with a little sparkle, so I created my own! It wasn't exactly how I envisioned in my head, but it was super easy to make. 

I used a font I already had from dafont.com, wrote out the "bright," traced it with glue, and sprinkled gold glitter I already had on it. Then, I drew the half wreath at the bottom with a pen. 

{rosemary tree}

Purchased from Trader Joe's! Also sprayed painted the votive beside it, which was originally red. The red seemed too much this year. I wanted more neutral and simple. 

{buffet table}

Again, used pre-lit greenery that I already had. Makes it easy!

{Merry Christmas chalkboard sign}

This chalkboard plate stays up year-round. I like to update the message based on the season!

Maybe one day I'll try for a fancier style/font. :-) For now I am keeping it simple. 

Rustic holiday wreath {DIY}

{rustic holiday wreath}

The natural wreath is from Trader Joes and then I dressed it up with burlap ribbon and an initial I spray painted from hobby lobby. 

Super easy and quick! 

Great for anyone who needs a last minute idea. 

Happy decorating!

Thanksgiving favorites...

'

A little behind, I know, but here are a few of my favorites of our Thanksgiving holiday! We were at Lake Junaluska. 

There we are above with the lake in the background!

An unexpected surprise, we had snow! So pretty!

Just a little bit, but enough to cover the ground. 

Footsteps in the snow!

The house we stayed at had great views! I snapped a few pics with the fog over the lake in the AM. 

Benefit of waking up early!

For Thanksgiving, I ended up making apple cider margaritas! I modified the recipe I posted about here. 

On Saturday, we had a girls lunch at a cute little cafe located downtown, which had a rustic eclectic feel. 

Here's our group shot!

And....a family shot right before leaving!

Hope you had a happy happy Thanksgiving filled with time with family and friends!

Pumpkin spice muffins...

{pumpkin spice muffins}

In case you are looking for a Thanksgiving treat.....

These pumpkin spice muffins are easy and delicious, without being loaded with sugar and artificial flavorings/color.  

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I use Trader Joe's)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat the over to 350.

In one bowl mix together the dry ingredients and then set aside. In another bowl use a mixer to combine the sugar and the eggs, then add in the pumpkin puree and oil. Once combined, slowly add in your dry ingredients and whisk together until combined. Fill each of the baking cups 3/4 of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes. 

Enjoy!

On being thankful....

True statement. These days I'm trying to take more time to stop and count my blessings, mostly it is the little things.

The sweet content face of Jackson as he is sleeping--thankful. Harvey snoring (he is quite loud) in his dog bed--thankful. The beautiful colors in the changing leaves on the way to work--thankful. A job I love {most of the time}--thankful. A hot shower--thankful. A nice glass of wine after a long week--thankful. A husband that cooks and is very good at it--thankful. A beautiful sunny day--thankful. Cup of coffee in the morning--thankful.

And the list goes on....

Point being, there truly is always always something to be thankful for, even in the midst of the hardest and most challenging times.

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with a heart filled with the true meaning of this day!

5 apple cider cocktails....

First of all, anyone else feel like November went by super fast. I think I'm still stuck in October somewhere, but nonetheless, I've excited that the Thanksgiving break is upon us!

We'll be going out of the town to spend time with family. In preparation for our trip, I bought some apple cider with the intention of making some sort of cocktail over thanksgiving. Didn't realize there would be so many choices! 

All of these cocktails sound delicious! A few months ago I would have grimaced at the mention of bourbon, but I have come to love it. Just makes you feel all warm and cozy!

We'll see what I end up deciding on.... :-)

{the bourbon bomber}

Found over at The Boys Club. Contains apple cider, bourbon, agave nectar, all spice and a few other goodies. 

{apple cider cocktail}

Found at Cordially Yours by Julie Blanner. Love her blog btw. I've made a few of her recipes and they turned out fantastic. This cocktail is made with apple cider, vodka, club soda, and a cinnamon stir stick. Love the use of the cinnamon stick!

{apple cider sangria}

Found over at How Sweet It Is.  Contains pinot grigio, apple cider, club soda, ginger brandy, and fresh fruit.

{bourbon and maple apple cider}

Found at Freutcake. Contains bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup, and apple cider.

{apple cider margarita}

Also from How Sweet It Is. Contains Grand Marnier, gold tequila, apple cider, cinnamon, sugar, apple slices and cinnamon stick for garnish.

Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!