You will LOVE this stuff...

I just discovered this adorable online store, Bombay Duck. If I could register for a house warming party, I think this might be it. If I had a house. Here are some of my favs...

these are tooooo pretty!



really cute shoe boxes


pretty glass knobs


vintage tea accessories!

adorable cupcake shaped trinket boxes


love the flower drawer pulls!
Check out all the goodies on Bombay Duck.

Friday Find: Pretty Smitten Personalized Paper Goods & Giveaway

Love this Friday Find! Pretty Smitten specializes in personalized paper goods. Their signature mini Swarovski crystals adorn invitations, note cards and party items. Love the little bling!

Each item is custom as you get to pick the motif, border, color scheme and font.
Love these geometric prints! Maze, polka dots or Greek key - which one do you like best?

My favorite {at the moment} are the chic Thank You notes in the maze pattern. It also looks great in the fresh poppy & pool color palette as featured above.

The elephant bookplates are darling too.

Pretty Smitten also has a great selection of announcements and party invitations. This darling birthday invite with pirate motif caught my eye.

They also make personalized cupcake toppers to coordinate with your invitation, gift tags and thank you notes!

A big thank you to Project Nursery for sharing this find.

Also, today is the last day to enter to win a chic office-on-the-go Tote - go here to enter the giveaway.

Many thanks for reading and wishing you a wonderful weekend!

*this is not a paid advertisement

Bee is for Baby Shower

Bee is for Baby! How could a bee lover resist this buzzing theme to celebrate a baby-to-be? Here are some pictures of a baby shower I recently hosted for a couple expecting a baby boy, but the theme would work for a girl too. Martha Stewart's bumblebee paper punch from Michael's came in very handy - used on the table, baby sign and bumblebee "chandelier." Also, a big thank you to Lolliblog's B is for Baby Shower for inspiring me!

* images from Simplified Bee

Trimming the Tree: White Christmas Tree Ornaments

Trimming the tree. A white Christmas tree with hints of silver and antique gold is simple, yet quite dramatic. Here are some delightful ornaments you may want to consider if you are trimming your tree in white this year.

Left to Right / Top to Bottom: Anthropologie, Country Living, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel, Nordstroms, Crate & Barrel, Country Living

Thanksgiving - Decorating Ideas for the Kids' Table

Celebrating Thanksgiving with young children is wonderful, but may lead to some challenges. First, do you let them eat at the "adult" table and give them the good china, silverware and crystal glasses? Or will your littlest guests have their own designated table? It might depend on how many kids will be there, how big your main table is and if you think the kids are "ready" for your finest dishes. For me, I prefer the kids to sit at the adult table in the hopes they will learn from their parents, relatives and friends how to behave in a more formal setting. But, when I was growing up I sat at the "kids" table for years. It was always fun when it was decorated in a special way too.

If you do decide to have a kids' table, you may want to decorate it in a festive, but kid-friendly manner. Check out the darling turkey plates and tumblers and festive home decor available at Pottery Barn Kids.

Let them help. Busy Bee Lifestyle also had a great DIY idea for kids - cover the table in brown butcher paper, set out some markers and crayons and let your little artists create their own holiday placesetting.

Leave to Martha Stewart to have another super cute idea! These darling turkey, Pilgrim hat and bonnet felt finger-puppets would make the kids at your Thanksgiving feast grin from ear to ear. Place them atop candy canes to create sweet centerpieces. Here is the "how to".

This yarn turkey with "thankful" feathers would make a darling centerpiece and it's another simple DIY project.

For dessert, how about serving these gobbling-good turkey cupcakes? I know my kids would devour them in a second!

Looking for decorating ideas for your "adult" Thanksgiving table or will you be a dinner guest?

*images from Martha Stewart, Pottery Barn Kids, Parents, Family Fun

Friday Find: At Home Letterpress Machine

I have long been a fan of letterpress stationary. When I got married back in 2001, I hired Dauphine Press to design our wedding invitations. We came up with a design that complimented our Lake Tahoe setting and featured a rustic pinecone motif and vellum pine branch wrap. Today Dauphine Press refers to the design as the "Sierra Classic." I must say, the design still stops my heart today!

Of course nothing can replace talented print designers and the endless range of colors they can offer, but I almost fell out of my desk chair when I read that Paper Source is unveiling a brand new Letterpress Machine you can use at home! This weekend they will be hosting demonstrations in all of their retail stores - go here for the details.

This exciting machine - affordable too at $150 - allows you to make homemade letterpress cards, invitations and tags. Paper Source is one of the only vendors in the country to carry this item. What a great Christmas gift! {hint} Is my hubby or mom reading this? What's on your Christmas list?

Thanksgiving Dinner Guest - Top 10 Hostess Gifts Under $40

Even though hosting Thanksgiving can be a lot of fun, it's also nice to just show up as a guest. If you will be a Thanksgiving dinner guest this year, bringing a special hostess gift is thoughtful and greatly appreciated. A nice bottle of wine, homemade jam or freshly baked bread is always well received. But, if you are running short on time and want to bring something a little different this year, here are my top ten favorite hostess gifts under $40:

One - Personalized Orange Damask Coasters from Red Stamp - go here to receive 10% off.

Two - L.A. Burdick's handmade chocolate turkeys

Three - Branch-to-Bough, robin ornament from Anthropologie

Four - Cardinal Snowglobe from Gump's

Five - Eco-friendly & lead-free Linneas Light Candles {Pumpkin} from Inglenook Decor

Six - Numi flowering tea gift set from Gaiam

Seven - Fleur de Sel French Sea Salt from Williams Sonoma

Eight - Dandelion Wish 4 Bar Letterpress Stationary from Paper Source

Nine - Foglia dishtowel from Crate & Barrel

Ten - Any local honey or Orange Blossom Honey from Olivers & Co.

What's on your top ten favorite hostess gifts?

*this is not a paid advertisement

Thanksgiving Table Setting and Decorating Ideas

Giving thanks. Thanksgiving is a wonderful American holiday, one that I look forward to every year. Because I'm not much of a chef, setting and decorating the family table is typically the task delegated to me. Here are some festive table setting and decorating ideas for your turkey day table.

First, knowing how to set the table is essential. Here is a helpful diagram to follow and links to wonderful articles on setting the table at Laura Casey Interiors and Martha Stewart.

In my home like many others, there are dishes reserved for special occasions and Thanksgiving is one of those occasions. You are off to a good start by simply setting the table with fine dinnerware. Be sure to polish the silver and here's a non-toxic DIY way to clean silver.

Selecting table linens is an important step in decorating your Thanksgiving table and a great way to introduce autumn colors. Bold reds and vivid oranges with a mix of neutral browns and creams can create a dramatic holiday table. For your table you may wish to cover with a tablecloth, runner or keep it bare. If you decide to have a tablecloth or runner, there are plenty of beautiful fall and holiday patterns available. Keeping it simple and versatile, like this two-toned Russian made Cornucopia Jacquard Tablecloth is best if you intend to decorate the rest of the table with lots of smaller items and want to use it through Christmas.

Table runners are also a great look. They give the table some festive color and at the same time show off it's beautiful wood grain or shine. If you are the do-it-your type, check out this post by The Stories A to Z on how to make your own table runner. And remember to always coordinate the colors of your tablecloth to that of your placemats and napkins.

Thanksgiving table centerpieces can be as simple or complex as you'd like. Candles, floral arrangements, leaves, cornucopias, pumpkins, gourds and other seasonal fruit are all good options when it comes to creating a holiday centerpiece.

Filling vases with decorative autumn leaves, acorns or berries and a pillar candle in coordinating colors is a fast and easy way to warm up your table. For visual interest, place three vases in a row down a long table and small pumpkins in between.

These handcrafted grass and wood chip turkeys available at Williams Sonoma would be perfect additions to your Thanksgiving decorations and table setting. The smaller version - sold in pairs - can be used to hold place cards or menus on the holiday table. Regardless of setting - formal or informal - adding menus and place cards is always an elegant touch.

The adorable pinecone turkey place card or menu companion by Martha Stewart is a simple DIY project - here's the how-to. They would make great hostess gifts too!

Naturally elegant. Place cards can be as simple as an autumn pear with guests' names pinned on.

Creating your own place cards or menus with a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner motif is a breeze with this punch by Martha Stewart.

Create a custom napkin holder and place card by stamping a festive design and handwritten message on cardstock. Then punch holes on either side and thread with a decorative ribbon that coordinates with your table's color scheme.

Here is an adorable turkey stamp from Paper Source that would be perfect for the DIY napkin holders above.

Running short on time? These ready-made sweet pilgrim turkey place cards only need you to add your guests' names. Their rope legs are the best!

For more Thanksgiving Table Decorating Ideas {with or without kids!}, go here.


How will you decorate your Thanksgiving table this year?
 

*images from Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Paper Source {Simplified Bee affiliate}, Martha Stewart, Gumps, Simon Says Stamp!, Country Living, Hungry Monster.com, Better Homes and Gardens