Okay, we’ve been MIA. We admit it. Shhh…our secret undertakings while being off grid were totally worth it! We going on the road and first stop is Midway Swiss Days! But seriously, our Tirli Wirli by No Fuss Fabulous booth is serious. It is too cute to spook.

My dream woman, Paula Deen, told me that this pie was a man-catcher.
I generally take Paula at her word.

If you love the thrill of the hunt as much as I do OR the idea of rushing around a store while putting tons of stuff you never knew you wanted into your basket – then you are most likely reading this on your iphone at 3am standing in line freezing awaiting your doorbuster. But in the off chance you read this early, I wanted to leave you some NFF tips to make this your best Black Friday EVER!

…this Thanksgiving! For those of you living in the West and Southwest, utilize your popular tall grass perennials as stand-in “cornstalks” before you trim them for winterizing.

Miniature personal pies are all the rage right now. And what better time to jump on the bandwagon than this Thanksgiving? Blame it on the cupcake, but every one is loving these mini sweet treats. Here are some of our favorites for inspiration. Recipes are included for most!

Turkey Toes are the perfect favor for a Thanksgiving Kid’s table! I was wracking my brain trying to come up with a cute favor that the kiddos would enjoy on Thanksgiving when inspiration hit! I remembered how much my daughter LOVES candy corn and how much I would LOVE to find a way to rid it from my house! Bottling up those little Turkey Toes was a fabulous opportunity.

With Thanksgiving and the Christmas season shortly before us, I thought it was a perfect time to hold a laid back and cozy soup party with dear friends who may be too busy dashing through the snow in a few weeks to get together.

I just couldn’t wait to share this! We are in love with the funky vintage design……Create a number of glitter gourds mixed in with silver or gold painted gourds. Think of fun color combinations like white, celedon, and cranberry which will transition through both holidays.

Once a year, I hold a Harvest Soup Party. I have dear friends over and invite them to bring a homemade soup to share. Although the event is generally potluck (some years I have varied), I try to keep the event as formal as possible while keeping a warm inviting atmosphere. I believe creating a formal event makes people feel special while keeping an event warm makes people feel at home. My favorite easy detail of last year’s Harvest Soup Party was the place settings. Instead of using just cards, I purchase white pumpkins, glittered them with gold spray glitter from the can, and then tied brown cardstock tags with ribbons onto the stems.

The days are getting shorter and so are the days counting down to the holiday season! I love this time of year because it is meant to focus on the Lord, family and our blessings.