DIY Glitter J O Y Letters

I recently made a new holiday piece for my mantel using items from JoAnn's. 

Using a foam brush I spread a thin layer of Mod Podge on the front of the wooden letters, then sprinkled with glitter, shaking off any excess. You can use any color glitter. I used Martha Stewart glitter in Smokey Quartz to match the rest of my decor. These are super easy to make and make a big impact. 

Friendsgiving 2016

               

Dishes & Napkins: Home Goods

Utensils: Pottery Barn

Placemats & Greenery: IKEA 

Mercury glass votives: Target & Joanns 

Maple Sweet Potatoes

The Thanksgiving prep is in full swing over here. My son loves sweet potatoes so we make a lot of them. This recipe is one of our favorites! Hope it becomes one of yours too!

Peel and dice (into bite size pieces) 4 med to large sweet potatoes. 

In a bowl combine the following:

1/2 cup of maple syrup

1/3 cup of packed brown sugar

1tsp cinnamon 

3/4 tsp table salt

Toss the diced sweet potatoes in the above mixture. 

Transfer to a greased baking dish and bake at 370 for 25-30 min. Until the potatoes are cooked through. 

Fall leaf place cards

This week I'm getting a jump on making place cards for Thanksgiving! Check it out:

I used brown card stock from Michaels and traced a leaf pattern on my phone. If you do a search on google or Pinterest they're are a lot of free leaf templates to choose from.

I then used a fine tip black marker to free hand the names. (I thicken the down pen strokes to get this look) Poked a hole in the end of the leaf using a safety pin, and used embroidery thread to fasten the leaf to the pumpkin stem. 

Plates are from Home Goods, napkin from West Elm, and the placemat I DIY'd using garden sisal rope from Home Depot and a glue gun!  

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with dried Cranberries

Working on a few side dish ideas for Thanksgiving. This brussel sprout one made the cut. It's super easy and really delicious (and kid approved!)

FYI 1lb of brussel sprouts serves about 4-5 people as a side. 

I first boil the sprouts whole for 8 min. This not only soften them for roasting but also helps them retain their gorgeous green color. 

Remove the brussel sprouts and let cool. Then cut them in half, trimming off the ends in the process. 

Arrange the sprouts on a greased baking sheet and drizzle with oil. (Approx. 1-2tbls. Per pound) 

Sprinkle with salt, pepper & a little garlic powder. Toss. 

Cook at 425 for 20-25 min. Stirring the spouts halfway through. 

Plate the cooked brussel sprouts and sprinkle with dried cranberries. 

It's that easy! :)