Are you there, World? It's me, Thanksgiving.

I love these last few months at the end of the year. There are so many activities going on and everyone is in a generally cheery mood. The air is crisp and so are the leaves. And, of course, all of the best holidays are at the end of the year!

I think my favorite holiday of all is Thanksgiving. Christmas is special, too, but there's something about Thanksgiving. People tend to be so greedy over Christmas time and tend to overlook Thanksgiving altogether, as if it has no significance at all. It truly makes me cringe to hear Christmas music playing over the loudspeaker at Wal-Mart in October. It's as if everyone's forgotten that we're supposed to give thanks for what we have right before we stampede over each other at the mall to get the best price for the new iPad.

Webster defines Thanksgiving Day as "a day appointed for giving thanks for divine goodness." I don't know about you, but this year I want to be fully aware of divine goodness when I witness it and I want to be infinitely thankful for experiencing it. I'm thankful every day for the life I live and, when I'm no longer a part of this earth, I want that to be something people remember me for. I don't want to be remembered for having the best electronics or clothing or house on the block, but instead that I showed gratitude for what I had and who I loved and for who loved me.

With that said, this post is dedicated to some Fall/Thanksgiving favorites! If you're looking for inexpensive yet crafty ways to get in the Fall spirit, check out these fantastic ideas...

• Framed Fall Printable 

Sometimes all you need is a reminder of some Fall favorites to get you in the mood to give thanks! I got the idea of framing a Fall themed print-out from this blog: "My Blessed Life." There are 12 *FREE* Fall "printables" provided here. Use a frame you already have or pick one up at the dollar store for some super inexpensive decor. Set the frame on a sofa table or the mantle of the fire place and surround it with small pumpkins or gourds for an added touch!

 

I printed and framed this one!

•  Homemade Air Freshener

If you're like me, you're not a fan of that fake "holiday" smell that you get from a candle or air freshener. I want the real stuff! This blogger's all-natural air freshener is sure to bring warmth and comfort to your home using items you probably already have in your kitchen or can pick up for next-to-nothing on your next trip to the grocery store.

• The Thankful Tree

I love the sweet idea from this blogger to create a tree dedicated to giving thanks. Gather fallen branches from your yard and put them in a vase. You could even spray paint them a certain color if you wanted. Create "tags" (could make your own or find these at Michael's or Hobby Lobby, I'm sure) and have your children, family members, friends, visitors, etc. write a little note on a tag of something they're thankful for and hang it on a branch. And there you have, The Thankful Tree. I plan to do this immediately! My husband and I will each hang a thankful note on the tree every day in November.

• Paint a Pumpkin 

I may have just been ignorant for the past 26 years but this is the first year I've ever seen anyone paint a pumpkin! What an adorable idea - and, if you have them, a fun craft for the kids! A friend of mine painted some pumpkins, covered them with stockings, and stuck flowers in them as decor for a wedding shower she hosted for her sister-in-law. So adorable!

Pumpkin Vase by Dana Clawson :)

 

 

 

It's not much, but I hope this post inspires you to think creatively this fall and to give the Thanksgiving holiday some well-deserved attention! :) Happy Fall!

Mary's Bar-B-Que Meatballs

This has been a busy week for my kitchen and never ending dishes for my sweet husband who always cleans up after me. This week I've made (and recommend that you try!):

Pad Thai from the blog "Brownies for Dinner"

Honey Lime Shrimp from the blog "The Dough Will Rise Again"

with a side of these potatoes.

Penne Rosa from the blog "Back to Her Roots"

And, for a charity event at my husband's work, Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins from the blog "Sugar Cooking"

 

 But last night was definitely my favorite. This recipe is near and dear to my heart and produces an aroma that reminds me of "home." My mom's infamous BBQ Meatballs. You truly haven't had BBQ meatballs until you've had these. The taste is phenomenal but the smell alone makes me melt. I wish I could just bottle up that scent and spray it around my house like an air freshener. It still smelled amazing when we woke up this morning, which made it even harder than usual to leave the house.

I made these for a special occasion tonight for my sister, Hannah. Ever the free bird, she is moving, yet again, and leaving the rest of us "in the lurch" as her good friend, Paul, would say. In the last 10 years, Hannah has gone from Kansas City (born and raised) to the small college town of Maryville, MO, to Iowa City, IA for graduate school, to the Big Apple (NYC, of course), back to Kansas City for the last few months to grace us with her presence, and now she's on a new mission to "Keep Austin Weird" in Austin, TX. I admire her guts and ambition and live vicariously through her adventures whenever I'm feeling boring. :)

But, back to the meatballs. We're having a going away party for Hannah tonight and these meatballs just insisted on making an appearance. And who was I to argue? Fair warning ahead of time: first of all, this recipe makes a pretty large batch (~80 bite size) so feel free to cut in half if necessary. Second of all, if you're looking for low-calorie meatballs... walk away, you're in the wrong blog. I made the whole batch for the party and took pictures of the process for your viewing pleasure.

Let us begin...

Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza

I love food. It's a curse. I blame my family. I manage to suffer through it. Just as I did at this Build-Your-Own Pizza night we had at my Mom's house:

I suffered through every bite, I tell you. Please, don't pity me. I do what I must.

So, moving on... I love food, like I said, and pizza is definitely not an exception. My favorite is BBQ Chicken Pizza. You can find it at restaurants like Pizza Shoppe or Old Shawnee Pizza (if you live in the KC area). But basically everything is cheaper when made at home. So, that's what we did and it was the best decision we've ever made in our lives, EVER.

Ladies and Gentle-dudes, I give you... BBQ Chicken Pizza

Not-So-Thai Peanut Chicken

My husband and I love Thai food. That is to say, we love the Thai food we've had in America which, I can imagine, hardly counts as authentic Thai. But we love it all the same.

So, that said, there is a dish, originally called "Thai Peanut Chicken" that my mother discovered on www.allrecipes.com several years ago. I believe I was about 18 at the time and only just discovering that vegetables weren't the devil. So, my mom made this dish and, to everyone's shock and amusement, I loved it. I devoured it. 

Over the years, with many opportunities to succeed and fail at cooking, especially after going to college, living on my own, and getting married, I believe I've finally mastered this dish and it is one of my very favorites. I have taken to calling it "Not-So-Thai Peanut Chicken," however. I do not want to humiliate myself by calling it Thai, should I ever happen to make this dish for an actual "Thailander" and they laugh at me and call me "คนโง่" - which is Thai for "fool." 

So, without further ado...

New Kid on the Blog

Hello, World.

I've never been a blogger before, unless you count "xanga" when I was an angsty teenage bitch. I'd like to think I'm none of those things now. :) I'm not sure how to draw an audience to a blog, so I'll just accept the fact that I'll be talking to myself for awhile here.

So, me. I am a happily married wife, currently trying to become a mother. I'm a lover of all things music, food, animals, nature, family, and, as of late, crafts/projects! My husband and I recently became home owners this year and I am just overwhelmed with potential projects. My favorites are turning items that we already own (that I would never have known what to do with until Pinterest) into adorable and useful home decor. Such as an old hutch my dad made for my mom in high school that has circled it's way into my dining room. As cherished as this hutch is, let's face it, it was out of date. So, I asked my dad's permission to spruce it up a bit and he graciously gave me the O.K.

The hutch before updates

The hutch partially complete with a few coats of paint

With new glass knobs!

I also have an old harp chair that was handed down through the family (not even sure where it started). My aunt had painted it years ago but it was just a little outdated. Before owning a home, I would have thought this chair was valueless. But somehow, after buying a house, your creative wheels start turning and suddenly everything has potential! 

The chair before updates

Chair with new paint and a reupholstered seat!

And one more (for now). I bought a sofa table a few years ago, sort of on a whim for no good reason. It was a quality piece at the time, but once I saw the potential for it's ability to be cute and not just useful, it became oh so much more than quality - it became shabby chic! During the move to the new house, my mom accidentally broke one of the glass top pieces, so she kindly offered to buy new glass. :) We took the opportunity to try a different type of glass since we planned on updating the table anyway. The new glass is called "rain" glass. I try to take before and after pictures of all of my re-purposing projects, but my completely useless memory failed me this time. I did take a picture after priming, however. It was originally just the natural wood color and the glass tops were just clear. 

Table after priming

Finished product with new paint and glass!

It's amazing what a little paint and new hardware can do to an older piece. Everything feels brand new and has so much character! And the pride you feel from DIY is quite priceless.

I am a changed woman for I have found the fabulous new art of reduce, reuse, recycle! More to come. :)