Be Thankful

We are hosting Thanksgiving at our house for our friends that don't have family in the area.  It's turning out to be quite a big group!  Last year we had about 8 and this year we are up to 12.  I've been working on a few Thanksgiving crafts over the last few days.  My first project was to make a sign for the Fireplace.  I considered the phrase "give thanks" but decided I liked "be thankful" better.  It serves as a reminder to all of us to BE THANKFUL not just this week, but every single day!!

I decided on the size I wanted my letters (400pt) and printed them off on my home computer.  I cut them out and planned to use them, but decided I wanted thicker paper, so these letters ended up being used as stencils.

Here are the letters before adding the finishing touches...

 

Here is the finished project.  I'm happy with the results!

And here is our Thanksgiving table setting.  I'm thankful for warm food and good friends!

At Home for Christmas

This is my 4th year in Portland and it's the first time I've been here for Christmas.  While it's going be hard to be away from my immediate family this year, it's exciting to spend it with Aaron in our new home.

We went to a tree farm to hand pick and cut down our tree.  It's a beautiful Nobel Pine and it's over 7 feet tall.  I can see how going to the same tree farm every year could easily become a family tradition.  It was a fun day.

Cinnamon scented pinecones add a little extra holiday warmth

Thankful Board

I put together a Thanksgiving board for our buffet table.  All of our guests wrote what they were thankful for on the leaves.  I'll use the leaves as Christmas ornaments next month.