Thanksgiving Archives | Alexandra Adams

November 25, 2015 — 1 Comment

Giving Thanks

I usually try and post something on Thursdays, but since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I knew I didn’t want to try and interrupt my family time that day, and I knew none of you would want to read anything I wrote until the next day anyway! So enjoy your day tomorrow, spending quality time with your loved ones. Here are some of the things I’m most thankful for this year.

My family

This is an obvious one, of course, but that doesn’t make it any less true. My parents are incredible, and I’ve loved living at home with them again during this transitional time in my life. My dad is the greatest; he’s always so supportive of my work and loves to remind me that he loves me best. I love having him on my side. My mom and I are very alike, which is great, because we tend to agree on most things. And we share the same shoe size, so that’s definitely an advantage to living at home. My brother’s been at home too recently, due to an ACL tear, which has made it feel a little like high school all over again, but it’s been good. I also appreciate that he enjoys some Taylor Swift as much as I do. And my sister’s at school in Florida and I miss her a ton, but we still talk every day (and have over 130 day snap streak going strong!). She’s my best friend, and I love that we’ve gotten closer as we’ve gotten older. Of course, my dogs are up there with making me happy, and I love spending time with our extended family over the holidays as well.

My faith

During this time in my life, I'm encountering a lot of uncertainty and doubt, and it's so comforting to know that God is there for me through all of it. I recently joined a small group with some other women at my church, and they've been so supportive and great to me. I love meeting up with them every week.

Netflix

I’ve had a lot of time on my hands the past couple months in between sending out applications and writing cover letters, searching for a full-time position. I’ve discovered a bunch of new shows via the “Recommended for you” feature, and the lack of commercials makes me happy. I also love rewatching shows I’ve seen countless times before, like Gilmore Girls, FRIENDS, and Gossip Girl. This might be a silly thing to be thankful for, but I love it all the same.

Light

Now that Daylight Savings has come around again, natural light is limited during the day, which makes those few hours of sun that much more precious to me. I love using natural light for photos, so I have that much less time to photograph my projects. As soon as it gets dark it feels like it’s 10 pm to me and I lose some of my motivation that I have during the lighter hours, so I try to take advantage of the time as best I can.

Good Books

I recently read The Martian and it was excellent; I highly recommend it. I love books that really make me think; I don't find the same kind of prompt from other mediums the way I do books. I love feeling the suspense and tension and anticipation all from the comfort of my couch. I also have put a couple books on my Christmas list that I'm looking forward to reading (Mindy Kaling's Why Not Me? being at the top of that list).

What are some things you're thankful for this year?

Published by Alexandra Adams in Holiday, Thanksgiving

November 24, 2015 — No Comments

Completed Thanksgiving Tablescape

Today's the day we pull all of last week's DIY projects together and show you the finished tablescape! You can definitely see how all the pieces come together to create a cohesive look. Check out all the posts from last week below:

The pink placemats really help bring out the rose tones in the rose gold spray painted items.

I added a gold candle to the center in addition to the two leafed candles I made earlier. It really helps bring out the gold in the chargers and the pinecones.

What do you think? Will you use any of the DIYs for your table?

And don't forget to download the thankful printable from last week!

Published by Alexandra Adams in Entertaining, Holiday, Thanksgiving

November 19, 2015 — 1 Comment

DIY: Rose Gold Leaf Candles

Just one more DIY with the rose gold spray paint I've absolutely fallen in love with! This gold leafing is super easy and way cheaper than actual gold leaf. The texture really adds a nice element to the table too. This post is similar to the way I dipped gold pinecones in Tuesday's post, so it's easy to do two-for-one projects with this technique!

Supplies:

Container that can hold water (that doesn't matter if it gets painted)
Candles
Rose gold spray paint

To Make:

Fill the container with water.
Spray the water with your spray paint–the color will float on the surface.
Dip the candles in the water deep enough to reach the height of coverage you want.

Dip the candles more than once to get more paint in different areas. Pull them out at an angle to get more paint on the sides.

I told you it was easy. Also, a helpful hint: if you plan on using candles in your centerpiece, make sure they're unscented. If your candles have a strong smell, it can be irritating and interfere with the delicious smells from the food you're about to eat!

Published by Alexandra Adams in DIY, Holiday, Thanksgiving

November 18, 2015 — No Comments

DIY: Rose Gold Napkin Rings

Today's post is all about napkin rings, an essential for any holiday table. Plus, I get to break out the rose gold spray paint again which is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I already want to turn everything in sight this color!

Supplies:

Oven bake clay
Cookie cutters
Spray paint

To Make:

Roll out your clay until it's about 1/4" thick.
Cut out the shape of your napkin ring using a knife or a cookie cutter. I used one of the leftover tiles from my marble place cards as my hexagonal guide.
Cut a circle out of the center using a smaller cookie cutter.
Bake at 275° for 15 minutes. Let cool.
Spray paint and let dry before using.

Easy peasy. This idea can be used for so many occasions, depending on the shape of the cookie cutter you use or the color you spray paint them. Let me know if you're going to make these for your turkey table this year!

Published by Alexandra Adams in DIY, Holiday, Thanksgiving

November 17, 2015 — No Comments

DIY: Painted Branches and Dipped Pinecones

I found this rose gold spray paint at Michael's and obviously had to get it. I figured out a couple ways to use for it for our Thanksgiving table, and this is the first! I'm doing a sort of mixed-metallics look, based on things I already had for the table (gold chargers for the plates, silver flatware), so adding rose gold to the mix worked out great. I used rose gold for the branches and regular gold for the pinecones.

Okay, so this is probably the easiest post of the whole week. I almost feel bad even calling this a DIY, because I'm pretty sure you can figure it out from the pictures. As far as the branches go, just spray paint them and let them dry before putting them on your table. Obviously, make sure you're in a well ventilated area (like outside) and have some sort of drop cloth or newspaper underneath them.

The pinecones are a little more complicated. You'll need a bucket or container that can hold water that you don't care about getting painted. Fill it with enough water to submerge your pinecones. Spray the surface of the water; the spray paint will float on the surface. Dip your pinecones into the water, and as you pull them out, the paint will drape itself over the parts of the pinecone that break the surface first. You can dip them multiple times if you want a more solid look. Keep respraying the surface of the water when the paint starts to get thin or goes away.

It works best if you dip the pinecones within the first 30 seconds or so of the paint being sprayed. Too long, and the paint starts to solidify a little bit and clumps together. You'll end up pulling it all out as one big sheet and it'll look all clumpy/webby on your pinecone.

I wanted some of the pinecone's actual color to show, which is why I did it this way, but if you want your pinecones to be solid, obviously it's easy to just spray paint those solid too!

This is also a great way to incorporate elements of fall into your centerpiece without having to adhere to a strict fall color scheme. Paint the branches, pinecones, and even leaves a color that goes with the rest of your decorations, and you're golden. Or should I say rose golden?

Published by Alexandra Adams in DIY, Holiday, Thanksgiving