Party Chignon

I tend to get bored with my hair pretty often. I'll grow it out and then chop it off and then grow it out again.  I've even been known to dye it dark a few times and have given bangs a try. A less drastic way for me to deal with my hair doldrums is to try out new hairdos.  My hair is finally getting long enough that I'm able to play around with updos and when I came across this tutorial for a chignon on She Lets Her Hair Down, I thought it would be a good one to test.

The instructions were very simple and I think it took less than 5 minutes for me to achieve the look (although I wish I had the fun star pins she uses in the tutorial). The hairdo was perfect for a recent holiday party and I think I'll give it another go at our next gallery opening. Definitely one to keep in the roster!

Wreath Inspiration

I love these holiday wreaths! They each have such a different feel and some of them look pretty easy to make. Sources: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six.

Words to live by

For my birthday, my mom sent me a little anthology of classic poems. One of the first to catch my eye was Walt Whitman's This Is What You Shall Do from Leaves of Grass.  While I'm certainly a long way off from realizing Walt's advice, I've found myself thinking of this poem in moments of stress or frustration and it's helped me to keep the big picture in mind. Enjoy!

This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and
the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one
that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote
your income and labors to others, hate tyrants, argue
not concerning God, have patience and indulgence
toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known 
or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely
with powerful uneducated persons and with the young 
and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in 
the open air every season of every year of your life, 
reexamine all you have been told at school or church or 
in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul,
and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the
richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent 
lines of its lips and face and between the lashes 
of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.

Thanksgiving Inspirations

Love this Thanksgiving table. I'm going to try to recreate it in my dining room!

For the first time, I'll be hosting Thanksgiving this year! Ian's cousin and his family will be joining us, along with one of my best girlfriends.  I've been having fun searching the interwebs for recipes, decor ideas, serving ware, etc.  I'm planning on using a white table cloth, with a burlap runner down the middle (I've recruited my mom to make this for me, yay for moms that can sew!), with nuts, gourds, and leaves to add some color. I'm going to use my gramma's white au naturel Noritake china that I LOVE with some orange-y gold napkins. I really like the idea of a neutral base (white table cloth, white dishes, and burlap runner) with pops of fall colors. Basically, I want a traditional feel, but with a contemporary update.

Some decor inspirations:

I like the rustic feel of the burlap

The white/orange combo I like

For the menu, I'll serve all the stuff you'd expect: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, the brussel sprouts from a few posts back, green beans, cranberry sauce, green salad,  and rolls. For dessert I'll make pumpkin pie of course, plus Ina Garten's cranberry apple cake, and her white chocolate bark, and maybe some yummy apple cider caramels.

Maple whipped sweet potatoes from Martha Stewart

Apple cider caramels from Smitten Kitchen

 I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week! I can't wait!