We are Thankful

{photo ops in Sunriver and Multnomah Falls, OR...November 2010}

Anne: What I'm feeling most grateful for this weekend is appropriate. It's my marriage to Taylor--the anniversary of which we also celebrate this weekend. We had our first date twelve years ago and I have been in deep smit ever since. But the amazing thing is that lately I feel like we're even more united and deeply in love than ever. It's magical how that can happen, and as we embark on the adventure of yet another son, it's a blessing I really hold tightly to.

Em: I seem to have a little case of writer's block, but not for a lack of things to say, it's the abundance that's making this difficult. I've always been a homebody - hopelessly so. There aren't many things I feel more tender about/thankful for than my family, our home, the small world of trust and togetherness we've created. Really, the best thing I could wish for is that the years ahead of us look a lot like the ones we've already had.

They give me every reason to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving.

On The Eve...

Just a few things that we've seen and loved lately:

This beautiful "I am Thankful" printable from SilverBox Creative. Wouldn't it be lovely to sit around the table and enumerate blessings with loved ones and then have a visual reminder hanging up afterward?

Thinking ahead to Christmas (are you decorating this weekend?) Loving the concept of "organic" decor this Holiday season. Kind of a fun challenge to arrange things in your fridge, pantry, backyard, etc. in a festive, beautiful way. And so many options: fruit, pine cones, berries, mistletoe, nuts, pine boughs, blossoms (don't you love the poinsettia blooms cut and displayed in bud vases?)

And finally, loving Sarah's idea of 52 Thankful Letters. She's inspired me to come up with something specific and purposeful in my own life to cultivate more gratitude - I've been feeling a need for this lately.

How are you counting blessings and cultivating gratitude?

Simple, Festive, Delicious Thanksgiving Table

I (Em) recently helped put on an evening for the teenage girls at church. We decided to go with an autumnal theme for the decor and I just wanted to share what lovely centerpieces the girls came up with - and on a shoestring budget, too! Would be a fun Thanksgiving morning activity to send the kids out to forage for the table decor, no?

Autumn leaves and branches, acorns, pine cones, fruit, ornamental gourds, a spool of discount ribbon or some organic twine, a can of gold spray paint and a few glass jars from the recycle bin and you've got the makings for some lovely centerpieces!

Also love this variation on a similar autumn theme that Saran Nielsen featured last Fall.

I (Anne) really loved the T-day decor we used last year, and will probably do a similar thing this time around. I dismantled my mantle display and used it for our table decor. Pots and squash--simple as that.
On this one we also used these wheat topiaries. I love wheat at Thanksgiving--so symbolic of bounty. (Tie wheat with ribbon, place in florist foam in pots, cover foam with moss.)

The kids' table was an enormous hit and we are sure to repeat it every year. I covered the table with paper, drew place mats with crayon, made each child a simple name card, and placed crayons in mini pots around the table. They were entertained for hours. Perfect.

And now for some recipes to top your festive table:

This wild rice and creamy goat cheese stuffing from Mel's Kitchen Cafe looks fantastic.

This Broccoli Gruyere Gratin is to die for.

And for rolls, you can't go wrong with this delish recipe:

Combine 2 cups warm water (about 104 deg.), 2 tablespoons yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit 5 minutes. Add 2 sticks butter (melted and cooled--again about 104 deg.), 3 beaten eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 8 cups flour. Mix and knead dough. Let sit until doubled. Punch down. (I let mine rise in the fridge overnight. If you do this, you have to get the dough to warm up a bit before rolling it out or it is too difficult to work with.)

Take a grapefruit-sized wad of dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a circle that is 1/4-inch thick. With a pizza cutter, cut the circle into 12 triangles. (You'll do this 4 times, making 48 rolls total.) Roll triangles up from wide end. Place point down onto a greased baking sheet. (You've practiced this technique with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, right?!) Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes, until golden.

What do you have planned?
xo,
em and anne

Grateful Tree

It's a misty Monday morning and I'm enjoying looking at the grateful tree we made last week on family night.

It used to be a spooky tree. See?

And soon it will be adorned with sparkly, glittery ornaments and ribbon. But for now it's covered in "I am grateful for" leaves.

{Grown up version, 4 1/2 year old version, 2 1/2 year old version}

Last year it was a paper chain, and maybe next year it will be something different. I don't care what shape it takes; I just want to remember this tradition every year. It makes us stop and consider all we have to be exceedingly grateful for. And it is SO.MUCH.

What are you doing this year to celebrate gratitude?
--anne

I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains. Go outside into the fields, nature and the sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God. Think of the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without you and be happy.

-Anne Frank

Happy Thanksgiving!
-Em & Anne

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Don't forget about the auction for Benson & Claire. If you have a few idle hours over the holiday weekend, get creative and whip up something to donate - not a better way to bring Holiday Cheer than with some charitable crafting, I say.

We're super excited about what we've received so far.
Thank you! Thank you!

Thanksgiving Recipes

My favorite holiday to do with the in-laws? THANKSGIVING. And I'll tell you why. Because they are seriously passionate about food. (I fit in quite nicely.) We're not food snobs. We just really love to eat. And we love the process. So for us, Thanksgiving looks like this:

*Wake up
*Cook together all morning (Every family member has an assignment and we're all stuffed (see below!) into the kitchen together. So fun!)
*Get out for a hike or a game of ultimate frisbee
*Get prettied up (the people and the tables)
*Eat
*Lie around and chat
(Did you notice the lack of televised football? Do you love my in-laws or what?!)

Usually I sign up for roll and pie duty. But this year I'm ready to add some side dishes to my repertoire. I've spent some time tearing pages out of my November magazines, and here is what I'm going to try this year...

This Broccoli and Gruyere Gratin from Real Simple
and
These Chardonnay Glazed Carrots from Better Homes and Gardens

And for pies this year I'm deciding between...

This Chocolate-Pecan Tart from Martha Stewart
and
This Maple Pumpkin Pie from Real Simple

Links to recipes you're making this year? Please share!
-Anne

My favorite rolls

A couple of years ago, I set forth on a mission to find the perfect roll recipe. I was disappointed by several (even Martha's! For shame!) before my friend, Wendy, invited me (OK, so I invited myself) to her home to make rolls with her. And? Mission accomplished! These are now my go-to rolls for Thanksgiving and any other roll occasion.

The recipe:

Combine 2 cups warm water (about 104 deg.), 2 tablespoons yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit 5 minutes. Add 2 sticks butter (melted and cooled--again about 104 deg.), 3 beaten eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 8 cups flour. Mix and knead dough. Let sit until doubled. Punch down.

(I let mine rise in the fridge overnight. If you do this, you have to get the dough to warm up a bit before rolling it out or it is too difficult to work with.)

Take a grapefruit-sized wad of dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a circle that is 1/4-inch thick. With a pizza cutter, cut the circle into 12 triangles. (You'll do this 4 times, making 48 rolls total.) Roll triangles up from wide end. Place point down onto a greased baking sheet. (You've practiced this technique with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, right?!) Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes, until golden.

Enjoy! Savor! Eat as many as you want--it's the holidays!
-Anne

A Holiday Wreath with Bloom Guest Dana

Friends! We could not be more thrilled to have Dana with us today! We are in love with all of the fabulous (and resourceful!) sewing creations she shares on her blog, MADE. Today she shares with us her crafty side...

Sewing is a love to me. In fact, it may be addiction. But crafting is a new-found interest. Until we moved into a house two months ago, I had kept the crafts at a minimum. Our old 2-bedroom apartment felt like piles of projects were caving in on me. The last thing I needed was more decor. But now that I have bare walls that can breathe, I'm exploring all those wonderful craft projects I've admired from afar in the blogging world. And this one caught my eye.

I love the simplicity of it and monochromatic color. And better yet, it was made from acorns!....something the kids and I see everywhere at the park. So last week, with empty bread bags (from feeding the ducks) the kids and I loaded our bags as full as we could with brown acorns. I felt like one of my toddlers, gathering treasures, slightly giddy with craft excitement. And I loved that we were working on a project together.
Though my acorns are not as cool looking as hers, I hope you enjoy my acorn wreath adventure. Here's how you make one:

1. Gather acorns. If you can find the ones with the little hats on top, totally cool. I just had these to work with. But in the end I still liked the result. If you don't have acorns in your area, you might try what the woman in the above link did. She posted on her blog, asking readers to send her some and four boxes showed up on her doorstep! What an amazing network this blogging place is.

2. Clean and BAKE your acorns. Oh my, this is an important step. At first we brought the acorns home and since they had been outside, I washed them and just laid them on a towel to dry. Then I read the post above in thorough detail. And when I got to the part about her dormant box of acorns festering with little maggots, I freaked out and threw my acorns in the oven for 15 min at 350 degrees to make sure any little creatures living within had croaked. (for more info read here).
3. Gather a wreath and glue gun. I purchased one of these very inexpensive straw wreaths (only because we were at the end of our budget for the month and I was trying to be a responsible wife). You can also use floral or wooden wreaths.
4. Start glue-ing! I chose to do mine in a diagonal wrap-around pattern. So first I drew one line with a marker around the wreath, put some hot glue on that line and laid the acorns on top.
5. Glue acorns all around the wreath (except for the back. No one will see it and it will lay flatter on your wall or door. ) As you go around the wreath, it may be hard to keep each line curving with the same degree as the previous one. I continually adjusted here and there as I went.
6. Add a ribbon, admire your (tedious but exciting) work, and hang it up.
Total cost for the project:
Wreath: $2.50
Spray Paint: $1
Acorns: FREE!
This ribbon was made of braiding three strips of white gauze fabric together:
Of course, if you're anything like me, it's hard to decide which color you like best. So, I spray painted it white. And I love this version even better. Jordan Almonds anyone?
Next to the charcoal gray door, white adds perfect contrast. And it works for most seasons! When Thanksgiving is over, tie a red, green, or gold ribbon on there.
A simple touch, but a huge way to say Welcome Home.
Thank you BLOOM for chance to post on your beautiful blog. I love the concept, your design, and the wonderful variety of info shared.

Thank you, Dana! We hope you'll come back soon! (Can't wait, readers? Don't forget to catch Dana at MADE.)

Letters to Each Other

Friends, we are so excited to have Amanda Stringham blooming with us today. When we heard the premise behind her romantic new blog, we asked if she would share it with all of you. We can't think of a better time of year to rekindle the expression of love and gratitude in a marriage!


When my hubby and I were first married, we lived in perpetual bliss! (As I assume most newlyweds do.) We loved being together and dreaded spending time apart, especially as we headed off to work each morning. I remember very early on, having to leave early one day, and not wanting to wake him, I left a little note on a Post-It on the steering wheel of his truck.

And so it began.

We started a note-writing love affair. You know, notes left on the kitchen counter, in a lunch box, on the white board or on the bathroom mirror. It was always such a pick-me-up to get a little love note written by my sweetie, and I found myself looking forward to coming home and discovering yet another scribble.

Then...

Somewhere between Mike running his business, our other part-time job, our church responsibilities, the (never-ending) housework, and our five children (and everything that comes along with them), we stopped being note writers.

It's so easy to lose yourself to all your responsibilities and have nothing left at the end of the day to give your spouse. It's so easy to forget how you once waited with baited breath for your deary to come walking through the door at the end of the day. It's so easy to give yourself so fully to your precious little children that your emotional reserves are all but depleted.

Just recently, I recognized that I was in one of these slumps, and quite frankly, had been for a while. I started thinking about all those notes that had meant so much to me before.

I loved those notes. I missed those notes.
I wanted those notes again.

That's when what I can only call pure inspiration came and I decided to start yet another blog. Yes, really. This one's entitled, Letters To Each Other, and that's exactly what it is. A blog completely privatized, just for Mike and I to leave notes to each other on. It's not a Post-It on the steering wheel , or an "I *heart* U" drawn on the fogged up bathroom mirror. It's better that that, because one day when Mike and I have passed on, our children will have a record of their mom & dad's love affair. What better legacy to leave to your children than for them to know the depth of love and gratitude their parents had for each other?

I can't think of anything sweeter.

Holiday Traditions with Bloom guest Jeanine

Today we welcome Jeanine from Serving Pink Lemonade, where she and her sister, Amy, post oodles of fun activities you can do with your children. We are tickled to have Jeanine here today!

First I’d like to say I’m so excited for the chance to post hear at Bloom! Thanks ladies!

I grew up in a house full of tradition, especially around the Holidays. Even after being married and having children of our own, my sisters and I have clung to many of the traditions begun by our parents. I’ve tried to come up with a reason of why that is and I think it comes from, in part, the fact that we moved frequently as children. Family and traditions were constants in our lives. No matter where or what the circumstances were, we could always count on these traditions. It reminds me of Tevye from Fiddler On The Roof when he declares, “Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions our lives would be as shaky as, as... as a fiddler on the roof!”

Of course, some traditions have to be adjusted according to the ages of your children and some just don’t work for you after some time and yet others will stand the test of time.

Today I’d love to share some of my favorite traditions. Many are traditions I grew up with while others I created with my boys. Some I observed happen in friends’ homes and thought were noteworthy. (Sometimes I take those and tweak for my own!)

Thanksgiving:

**Last week Anne shared with us her Gratitude chain. I love the idea of physically seeing a representation of our blessings—and taking time to remember them. In college we had a grateful list (that got so long it covered 2 doors!) on which we wrote what we were grateful for. I still have a copy of it in my journal. When my oldest was two-years-old we started a “grateful jar.” At the beginning of November we pull out our jar and start filling it. We keep slips of paper near the jar and daily (unless we forget) we draw a picture of something we’re grateful for. Pictures mean more than words to little ones so it’s a good way for them to express their gratitude in a visual way.

**Last year we wrote thank you’s to family, friends, teachers, etc. Since our oldest wasn’t in school yet he drew pictures and dictated to us a letter for his teachers at church. I’d like to make this a Thanksgiving tradition in our home.

**As we grew older and moved near my mom’s family we had big Thanksgiving gatherings at our home with all of the aunts and uncles and cousins. With that many people you can just imagine the chaos! Before dinner would start and the prayer was said, my dad would always find some kind of Thanksgiving message for my grandpa (who was the patriarch—and a theater major) to read aloud. Even though the message wasn’t the same every year, it was tradition to gather around and listen to my grandpa.

Christmas:

**For as far back as I can remember we had a little wooden manger with a bundle of straw tie up near it. For every good deed we did we were allowed to put a straw in the manger. "Originating in France, this custom has children contributing wisps of straw to the manger each night. Each wisp represents that day's prayers or good deeds. The point, of course, is to creating soft bedding for the coming Christ Child with these soulish gifts. (The Catholic Home by Meredith Gould, p. 22)"

**Kids (and adults!) love advent calendars. I've included the links to several you could make here, here, and here.

**What fills your stocking could be a tradition… in my husband’s family it was full to the top with candy. My parents weren’t big candy eaters so we always found practical things like floss or razors (when we were teens) but one thing we could always count on was an orange in the toe, a banana hanging out the top, and a big jar of dry roasted peanuts stuffed inside.

**Going to look at Christmas lights all bundled in your jammies and listening to Christmas music. My husband and I always pack a thermos or two of hot chocolate or apple cider for ourselves (our kids aren’t old enough to be trusted yet with hot beverages in the car.)

**Read holiday stories by the fireplace. My Dad used to read us The Forgotten Carols (over the course of several days). If you have little ones, read your favorite Christmas picture books. When my boys are older I’d love to read A Christmas Carol with them.

**Be a “Secret Santa” for someone in need. I remember as a girl the rush of bringing a big box of food and gifts to the door, ringing the bell, and running as fast as my feet could carry me.

**Leave treats for Santa (and don’t forget a carrot for the reindeer!) with a note. Remember to have Santa write a quick reply! We did this even after we stopped “believing” and still anticipated what “Santa” would write back.

**Tell the Christmas story on Christmas Eve (act it out if you’d like!). Christmas was always so much fun with opening presents and having family over that we always took time to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas the night before. This was also when we had our nice Christmas dinner.

**I have a friend who takes a family picture in their new Christmas jammies in front of the Christmas tree every year… it’s fun to see how their family changes from year to year.

**Holiday baking. It’s just not Christmas without certain special treats. My favorites are Oatmeal Carmelitas.

**A friend of mine has pillowcases for every holiday—her kids love it!

**You could collect ornaments from places you vacation. Or if you move often collect them from every place you live.

**Another friend would wake up on Christmas morning with soot on her nose—a tell-tale sign that Santa had stopped by.

**Sometime when I was in elementary school my parents decided we needed to focus more on giving than receiving. To achieve this, we started my favorite tradition. When divvying up the gifts on Christmas morning, in addition to the gifts from mom and dad or grandparents, our pile also includes the gifts that we are giving. When it is our turn we get to pick a gift to give someone. It’s so much fun to decide who gets to open a gift and see their reaction when they open it.

**Have a special Christmas breakfast. It can be anything as long as you do it year after year. In our family we had cinnamon rolls, eggnog, and oranges.

New Year’s:

**Have a “Noon” Year’s Eve party. When I was in 8th grade New Year’s Eve fell on a Saturday. My parents didn’t want us staying up past midnight with early morning church the next day so we celebrated at 12:00 p.m. instead of 12:00 a.m. This might even be a good idea if you have little kids and don’t want them up all night (regardless of what day it falls!)

As you can see, even the smallest things can become traditions if you do them consistently. (One year, when I was in college, I was shopping with my mom for last minute Christmas things. As we were talking I discovered that she wasn’t planning on putting peanuts in our stockings that year. I could hardly believe my ears! After expressing my disbelief she had me run to get a few jars. I’m sure she never would have guessed that something so seemingly insignificant could have made any kind of impact on our Christmas.)

I hope this gives you some ideas. I’d love to hear yours!

Thanksgiving Decor

Only about two weeks until Thanksgiving! Here's a bit of inspiration for decorating your home and making your feast beautiful.

For fun home decor all month long--

We think this banner from Cozy Rosies is just darling, and would look great on a mantle or along an inside window frame.

Sometimes really simple, organic things (popcorn kernels, acorns, nuts, whole cranberries) can quickly and inexpensively be turned into a classy accent. We liked this idea from PB and these from BHG:

...if only those lovely silver serving pieces were easier to come by...

For your table on Thanksgiving Day--

We love these Turkey Day table decoration ideas from Real Simple, which were designed with a small budget in mind.

We also love Martha's suggestions for table settings, which are here.

Or take a walk, gather bits of autumn around your neighborhood and make your own centerpiece.

Don't you just love this time of year?
-Em & Anne