Merry Christmas all! :) Thanksgiving and Holiday shopping/decorating have made my life very hectic! So I have some catching up to do!
Let's start with Thanksgiving. For the very first time ever I attempted to cook my very own Turkey Day dinner. I was so excited, I purchased my supplies 2 weeks early. When that day came, I do have to admit, I was sweating bullets. What if I burn everything ? What if I don't time it right and my turkey isn't done?
What if, what if, what if... It all worked out fantastically though. My brothers, boyfriend, Grandmother and I enjoyed an amazing spread of Turkey, Ham and all the trimmings and I encountered no problems what-so-ever. Very successful day to say the least. My heart was so full it could have exploded. My family all around the table, eating the food that I had prepared and actually enjoying it. Smiling, talking, laughing. I stuck to basic recipes and used a lot of pre-prepared food to be on the safe side for my first go-round at our Thanksgiving Feast. Each year I plan to perfect a few more precocious recipes to add to our Dinner!
[Cameron, Joe, Bub - Thanksgiving 2011 -- 3 most important men in my life <3]
Next we'll start on Christmas. First thing's first: DECORATING! I've never really had the urge to decorate anything other than the traditional tree until this year. My mother has gotten fairly crafty lately and I made a visit to her home recently. It was literally like walking through a "winter wonderland". Granted my mother has a ton of money to spend on things like that and I don't. Regardless -- I was inspired! I had very little money to work with so I went to my local dollar store and picked up some ribbon, ornaments, spray paint and candles. A total of maybe $10. I used some candle holders and vases and other what-nots I had at home and turned my dining room into a smaller scale version of a "winter wonderland". I couldn't afford to do the whole house like my mom did, so I chose the room where the whole family comes together at least once a day for dinner!
A few ideas that I used for cheap decor:
1. Gather pine cones, pretty leaves, small branches, etc. -- Also, fake flowers. I think everyone has these laying around the house somewhere.
2. Spray paint them a metallic color -- I chose gold. You can go with sliver, red, blue, green. Whatever colors you're tying into your decor.
3. Buy ribbon -- twirl it, tie it in bows.
4. Use vases and basic candle holders you have around the house -- decorate them with your ribbon, basic Christmas ornaments you already have, and your spray painted "nature" finds.
5. Candles -- they're good for everyday use as well as Holiday decor.
Everything mentioned above can be found at your local Dollar Store. Or if you have a little more to spend, a local craft store would have a broader selection. For me, it's all about creativity. Make it your own in some ways and you'll feel much more accomplished!
My very own mini "winter wonderland" :
xoxo, Tiff
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