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Giving thanks

All in all a lovely Thanksgiving

The napkins got sewn late and the turkey got done early but it all came together by the time everyone was ready to eat.

Here's a place setting before everyone sat down. The rock name cards were a last minute addition--couldn't find any pretty leaves.

Here's what Thanksgiving really looks like with four kids 5 and under.  Biscuit insisted Grammy read her favorite book, Pooh and TIgger during the salad course.

We walked off dinner and came home at dark for dessert.

A few people had too much turkey

And that was it.  Lots of cooking followed by a wonderful day with family.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving (if you're in the US that is).

Glitter gourds

Eleven people who don't normally live here will be showing up in less than a week expecting a meal. And possibly expecting a clean house. I'm hoping a beautiful centerpiece will distract them from the dust and cobwebs and clutter around here.

I frequently see glittered fruit for a Christmas display but glittered gourds for Thanksgiving? Haven't seen that. Until today!

I'm hoping these will look great scattered on the Thanksgiving table interspersed with tea lights for extra sparkle. 

Want to make some?

Supplies: assorted gourds and squash, mod podge (or watered down school glue), glue brush, newspaper, clear glitter. Note: glitter was on sale at JoAnn's yesterday. I bought the cheapest stuff I could find and it worked fine.

I left the stems unglittered. So, for small gourds, hold the stem and brush on a thin, even layer of mod podge (or glue). The trick is the keep in nice and even and thin.

For larger stuff (like pumpkins) I found it easiest to spread glue on the bottom 2/3 of the gourd. Then glitter. Then set down and glue/glitter the top 1/3.  Be sure your gourds are resting on newspaper and go crazy with the glitter pouring on way more than you need.

Once glittered, allow your gourds to dry for a few hours and then brush off extra glitter. I had to be rather vigorous with the brushing (using my hand to brush with) since I got too much glue on the gourd and the glitter was thicker than I wanted.

Once you've brushed off the excess, fold the newspaper and pour the extra glitter back into the jar.

That's it. I think this project is especially cool because after the holiday I can wash off the glitter and water based glue and bake my squash for soup!  The pumpkins can be washed and composted. Very little waste.

A little context for the photo shoot. You can see the brown sheet I'm going to spruce up and use as a table cloth. I dyed a pale yellow thrift store sheet using two packages of Rit Dye and the washing machine. My washing machine is partially broken so using it for dark brown dye was it's punishment of sorts. Like most punishments, it didn't fix the problem. We're going to have to call a repair service :(

Biscuit is asleep so I need to get back to painting the kitchen and stair rail so it's dry when she wakes up. Tune in tomorrow for photos of the painted backsplash.

Gift guide manifesto

I've mentioned here before I want to do an alternative gift guide and I'm very excited about it but also very slow. And very tired. So tonight I will post my gift guide manifesto and hopefully tomorrow I will start posting the gift guide.

In the meantime, be sure to check out Handmade Parade. Also be sure to check out these upcoming shopping events in Sacramento--Get Made Holiday THIS WEEKEND and Indie Sacramento on December 1.

So why an alternative gift guide? Three reasons:

1. I am cheap
2. I think most Americans have enough crap already, particularly enough crap of the plastic and imported from China variety
3. I was raised by a mom who is a preschool teacher and whose approach to creativity and children can be summed up by her feelings on coloring books: coloring books with lines=stifled creativity=evil. 

So I'm trying to create a list of fun, cheap, creative gift ideas for kids and their adult friends alike. Suggestions still welcome. Yes, there will be puppets!

It may be Halloween but I'm thinking about Christmas

Right after I got home from work I realized that tomorrow is Halloween and if we were going to carve the pumpkins, tonight would be a good time.

In case you couldn't tell, that's a "big spider pumpkin" on the right and a "baby pumpkin" on the left. Requested by Biscuit, interpreted and created by mom.  Not bad for 30 minutes before dinner.

Actually, getting the pumpkins was more fun then carving them. This was Biscuit's third visit to this pumpkin patch. We took her at 10 days old dressed as a pumpkin for a photo shoot ;)

This year she wore a dress that I *think* my grandma made but I'm not sure if I ever wore it or just my sister.  There's a homemade, ruffly, orange blouse too but we opted for the t-shirt underneath.

It doesn't look like she's enjoying it but apparently the hay ride was a hit. We were there over a week ago and everyday since she's told me about the "pumpkin catch" and, "my ride tractor." Which translates to, "I went to the pumpkin patch and I rode on a hay ride pulled by a tractor."

She also fed a goat.

Tomorrow, she'll be dressed as a chicken for trick-or-treating. I'll try to snap a photo.

And, about Christmas, I was reading Parent's magazine yesterday and found their holiday gift guide slightly annoying. So I'm planning my own little alternative gift guide to be posted on this here site (you know, once I transfer it from my brain and a collection of sticky notes to an actual, organized format!).

If you have ideas for gifts for children (or parents) let me know. I'm trying to focus on creative play toys and activities that can be made from recycled or common materials. Also toys/gifts from small producers (like folks on Etsy). I have a good list going and would love your ideas: mdhaworth at gmail dot com.

Merry Christmas! Happy Halloween!