Holiday Shopping with Parrot Uncle

(Post sponsored by Parrot Uncle)

Have you begun your holiday shopping yet? As the mom of adult children, and not yet a grandma, my gift preparations consist mainly of purchasing assorted gift cards and wrapping cash in small, pretty boxes ;) At the risk of sounding self-indulgent, though, I now consider the holiday sales a great time to stock up on bargains for myself! It probably doesn't come as much of a surprise that one of my favorite things to spend money on is home décor.

Whether you're shopping for yourself or someone else, I think you'll love the unique lamps and lighting at Parrot Uncle, and their Big Holiday Sale (up to 50% off!) runs through Christmas.

The collections of Parrot Uncle Wooden Lamps and Chic Wooden Floor Lamps are definitely some of my favorites...they are like pieces of art and would really add personality to a room. Take a look at just a few here, and click on the links for more information...

Modern Style Floral Wooden Pendant Light

2 Lights Rustic Wooden Table Lamp with Twisty Wood Piece Decoration

8 Lights Rubber Wood Chandelier with Smoky Gray Transparent Glass Shades

Drum Shape Wooden Pendant Light in Nut-Brown Color

Modern Style Adjustable Paper Glass Shade Floor Lamp

Modern Style Wave Shape Wooden Pendant Light

220V Bean Pods Shaped Natural Wood Table Lamp

Aren't these beautiful? And this is just a small sampling of a really wide selection. In addition to these great pieces, Parrot Uncle also offers art glass lamps, novelty lamps (think fun animal shapes...perfect for kids' spaces), outdoor lighting, and ceiling fans. All products are 20-50% off, and they offer free shipping/free returns on orders over $50. Go check them out...you won't be disappointed!

Thank you, Parrot Uncle, for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed here are my own.


Sharing with: Shabby Art Boutique, Share Your Cup, The Charm of Home, Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Cozy Little House

November Meditations

Today I'm sharing my Thanksgiving tablescape and the poem I am using in quotes at each place setting (see my previous post, Personalized Placesettings for the Thanksgiving Table.)

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.
Author Unknown

I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving and pray that you have peace and serenity.

-Julie


Sharing with: Between Naps on the Porch
, Dwellings the Heart of Your Home, Cozy Little House, StoneGable, A Stroll Thru Life, The Dedicated House, Domestically Speaking, Elizabeth and Co, Ivy and Elephants, Share Your Cup, Northern Nesting, A Delightsome Life, The Charm of Home, French Country Cottage, Pieced Pastimes, Interior Frugalista, Reinvented

Personalized Place Settings for the Thanksgiving Table

If you visited my blog last year at this time, you may remember my post about using quotes at our Thanksgiving table (Thanksgiving Blessings Place Cards.) This year, I'm taking the idea one step further...

I found a poem online by an unknown author, entitled "Be Thankful". By taking the verses apart, I was able to match them nicely with the circumstances of each of my family members.

After working a little bit of simple Photoshop magic, I used each quote and an oak leaf design and framed them individually. Our tradition has been to go around the holiday table and read them aloud in lieu of saying a prayer...it works for us :)

Since I am using the framed quotes this year, it gave me the opportunity to create different place cards as well. To make these, I traced pre-cut leaf shapes (purchased at Michael's) onto perforated cross-stitch paper, and then painted them with copper craft paint. Next, I stitched each person's name on a leaf and glued it to the wooden shape for stability.

You could easily use the wooden shapes and a sharpie for a quicker and simpler project. I just so happen to love to cross stitch...and I tend to love to make projects more labor-intensive than need be whenever I can...haha!

At any rate, this is a very inexpensive and creative way to personalize a holiday table. I hope you'll join me later this month as I create my full Thanksgiving tablescape for "November Meditations."

-Julie


Sharing with: Rustic & Refined, 2 Bees in a Pod, Between Naps on the Porch, Dwellings the Heart of Your Home, Cozy Little House, A Stroll Thru Life, StoneGable, Domestically Speaking, The Dedicated House, Elizabeth & Co, Share Your Cup, A Delightsome Life, Dwell Beautiful, The Charm of Home, Shabby Art Boutique, French Country Cottage

Fall Into Thanksgiving - Cornucopias

cor*nu*co*pi*a (noun)
a symbol of plenty consisting of a goat's horn overflowing with flowers, fruit, and corn
an abundant supply of good things of a specified kind

November. The month of gratitude for our blessings. Thanksgiving is upon us and I, for one, prefer to give the holiday its due justice (in between the buzz of Halloween and the bustle of Christmas.)

The cornucopia is an important symbol of this season. It reminds us not only of our own blessings, but also of the gratitude which was felt by the Pilgrims on that first Thanksgiving.

Here, I share an upright, iron horn of plenty which I have filled with dried hydrangeas and faux leaves and picks. I worked in shades of greens, soft oranges, and creams for a hint of seasonal color.

This cornucopia is one I made years ago and still enjoy. It incorporates rich, jewel-toned reds, golds, purples, and greens into an open-weave grapevine horn.

It would be beautiful to do a tablescape using a cornucopia overflowing with fresh fruits, gourds, pumpkins, corn, leaves, flowers, etc. for an even more natural display. Mother Nature gives us so much to work with in the Autumn. I hope you'll enjoy the bounty of this beautiful month.

Happy November.

-Julie


Sharing with: Natasha in Oz, Between Naps on the Porch, Dwellings the Heart of Your Home,, A Stroll Thru Life, Domestically Speaking, StoneGable, Cozy Little House, The Dedicated House, Elizabeth and Co, Ivy and Elephants, Share Your Cup, I Gotta Create, A Delightsome Life, Shabby Art Boutique, French Country Cottage, The Charm of Home