THANKSGIVING DECOR

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to participate on time in the first of six link parties over at NewlyWoodwards this week because I've been down for the count with a bug or virus or something that keeps morphing into a new version of yuck. It started off a couple of weeks ago when we both came down with the stomach flu. The week following that I was constantly nauseated, but never actually sick. And always cold. So, so cold. Then, on Saturday when I started painting the living room, I got hot, sweaty, and very dizzy. It was so bad, in fact, that I only managed to get one coat on 1/4 of the room. It's stayed that way since Saturday afternoon while I've spent time in bed or on the couch vegging out. (I'm happy to report though that the part of the room that is painted looks fabulous - even if the color isn't the same as the paint sample Home Depot gave us before.)

I haven't been TERRIBLE, per se, just not great. One of the best things about working from home is that since I don't have to look great for anyone and I don't have to perform all day, I can still get my work done even if I don't feel particularly great. Unfortunately yesterday it was so bad, and I was so exhausted, that I told my boss I was calling it a day and then I slept for hours. Unfortunately I was awoken in the afternoon by the sound of multiple helicopters hovering directly over my house. It appears the Occupy movement in Oakland decided to march to Berkeley on the main street above my house and this required several helicopters. Alan cooked dinner for us last night and I went to bed at 10 p.m., sleeping until 8:30 this morning. I'm currently sitting at my desk hoping the caffeine kicks in soon because otherwise this is going to be a very long day. 

Because I couldn't participate, I thought I'd share with you a couple of my favorite projects from the first party. First there's Kim's project which I absolutely adore. The yellow pops so well against the brown walls and the white wainscoting. 

I also really liked the metallic pine cones found over at Design Build Love. I think this is a quick & easy way to add a pop of sparkle without going overboard. Also, so inexpensive for people looking to decorate on a budget.

While technically I'm late to the party, I wanted to post my own small contribution. It's not much, but it's a quick & easy - and cheap - project that ties in well with autumnal decorations. You'll probably see it show up around our house until at least after Christmas. 

A couple of months ago I bought two glass vases at Ikea for $9.99. This one originally had our succulent terrarium in it, but I killed the plants, so it was just sitting around in our kitchen taking up space. We also have a box of wine corks we've been saving for several years because I'm convinced that at some point I'll make a wine cork wreath (riiiiiight). Playing around one day I decided to throw together a candle holder and see how it turned out. It's likely a very impractical decor item as I'm sure once the candle gets below the cork line there's a definitive fire hazard going on, so it's not exactly functional. Oh well. Pretty serves its purpose in life, right?