We usually do at least one edible holiday gift idea video, and I’m sure we will again this year, but in the meantime I thought I’d share this from my friends at Allrecipes.com. This is technically a drinkable holiday gift idea, but as they say, it’s the thought that counts, and I think anyone would enjoy getting a jar of this. You can get the full recipe here. Enjoy!
Fall table ideas
Hello my friends! I’m EXCITED – first of all because this is my first chance to show off some of the Better Homes and Gardens products (a super cool opportunity I told you about here) but also because I finally did some fall decorating!
My mission this month is to show you how to use these pretty products to get your home holiday ready – and I’m focusing on the kitchen table. I’m SO thrilled to have a big beautiful table to sit at for Thanksgiving this year! I showed you the unfinished table we purchased a few weeks ago and asked for your advice on keeping it’s natural beauty. A few folks on Instagram recommended a liming wax – something I had never tried. I looked up examples of it and LOVED the look of it. So I tried it out…and hated it. :) Wah wahhhh.
The table is too light to begin with – it just basically white washed it and I quickly realized that was not the look I was going for. In photos I’ve seen of this wax it really shows off the beauty of the wood, but it made our table look really bland. I was so disappointed.
So I sanded down the section I worked on and just went with a wax – which was my gut reaction to do anyway:
You can see there how it really pulls the grain out and shows it off!
I just used a basic furniture wax – it’s easy to do but it takes some time. I tried two methods – a rag and then this wax brush:
The brush worked much better – it was just easier to get it deep into the wood and I could get plenty on there.
After applying it you’ll want to let it sit for a bit and then wipe/buff it down:
As you buff (this takes some muscle) you’ll see that shine come through – I used the light from the windows to see where I needed to buff some more. It came out SO well and at least for now I love the natural look of the table. What’s great is if I ever change my mind I can sand it down and start over. :)
Because the table is so pretty as is I wanted to go with a simpler, natural fall table setting as well. I picked up these pumpkins at Walmart and gave them a little makeover:
I’ve seen so many chalk paint pumpkins in blogland but man – it was taking FOREVER to paint them. So I went with my trusty spray paint. It never fails me. ;) I sprayed a couple coats of primer and then a very light coat of the Heirloom White color so they weren’t stark white. It warmed them up nicely.
I found this natural runner in the BHG line and knew right away it would be perfect:
I actually layered two on the table since it’s so long – a nice problem to have. :)
I took a picture of the packaging on a couple items since some of them aren’t online yet. This is what you can look for in the store: 
The runner was the perfect backdrop to the more subdued table setting. I’m OBSESSED with the BHG hobnail plates (on the bottom):
I’ve looked at these EVERY year and admired them. They were just starting to stock them in my local store so I grabbed the beige color plates (these are called Arlington) and topped them with bowls I already had. These are really beautiful – I just love them and they are SO much more affordable than the high end versions out there.
I love how BHG incorporated owls and foxes into their fall line this year – the cream owl salt and pepper shakers had to come home with me:
This pumpkin cookie jar matches them perfectly – I used it as a centerpiece to hold my fall hydrangeas:
You can see the cute lid to the left. It’s labeled a cookie jar but I think it would pretty holding rolls or other foods on a Thanksgiving table too.
I sprinkled some pine cones along the runner as well – they smell amazing!:
The bags came with leaves and little bitty pumpkins as well – this is the perfect fall filler:
And it can easily stick around till Christmas! Bonus.
Because I can’t ever resist a cute placemat pillow – I picked up a couple of these and made quick pillows for the parson’s chairs:
These placemats weren’t the kind you can open up and fill so I just sewed some basic muslin I had on the back and then filled them. They were less than $2 each – can you believe that? They’re not just a print either, it’s all woven. I couldn't believe the price.
I LOVE how it all came together! It makes the whole family room and kitchen feel so warm and cozy. I want to bake a turkey right now:
The plates and glasses will be put away till the big dinner but I’m keeping the rest out until then. It’s too pretty not to:
There’s still a lot that will happen in this area – the board and batten will go up on that back wall after the new doors are installed (hopefully by the end of the month?): 
But for now I’ll focus on the pretty, finished parts of the room – like a big table ready for big meals!:
Keep a look out online and in Walmart stores for the fall and Christmas Better Homes and Gardens entertaining items! I was able to find everything I used in my local store. Will you be hosting Thanksgiving this year? The older I get the more I like the holiday – it’s such a fun, relaxing day for us.
I received compensation from BHG at Walmart for my time and participation in the BHG Live Better Network. All experiences and opinions are my own. Follow BHG on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.
Other than art
Hey there! Thanks to all for linking up and visiting the party yesterday – so much inspiration!
Because I’m getting closer to finishing up the family room I’m at the point where I can start hanging some art again – but I think art is hard, always have. Especially with our high board and batten, only certain configurations look good.
But in general I think filling wall space is a difficult aspect of decorating. That and accessorizing – both of those are things that hurt my head and once I figure them out I leave them forevaaaa. I’m always trying to think up ways of making the best use of wall space, sometimes without using actual art and always without breaking the bank. These are some of my favorite projects doing just that.
When I made over my son’s room years ago I had two large walls to figure out. On one side I framed out large art above his bed and on the other side I used trim and paint to make three frames make a bigger impact:
The three frames would have been fine for sure, but I wanted to take up a little more visual space. The molding and white trim do that for sure!
Years back I used some inexpensive canvases (use coupons or wait till they go on sale!) and covered them with wallpaper to fill the large wall over the bedroom fireplace:
You can see how I made the texture of the wallpaper stand out even more in that post. If you have a huge wall you could go way bigger with your canvases! This is a great option for renters as well. (Fabric wrapped around a canvas works well too!)
Our staircase has HUGE, tall walls and I copied an idea I saw in the model home -- using molding of course:
I think that was my first attempt at trim work ever – and you can totally tell when you get up close. ;) I used the decorative squares for the corners so I didn’t have to make any mitered cuts. I painted the insides of them a darker color for even more impact when I installed them all those years ago but lightened that up years back when we had these walls painted.
There are BIG plans cooking up in my head to change up that wall but for now I still love my squares.
I needed something large enough to fill those squares and my DIY wood shim mirrors fit nicely:
They are quite large and crazy cheap to do too.
If you have an odd wall in your house you can always make it more interesting with some chalkboard paint:
I have since taken those frames down and we just use it as a huge chalkboard now. I think every room needs some black in it and a chalkboard wall is a great way to incorporate that! Remember you can do almost any chalkboard color you want now too.
I’m still obsessed with our wood planked wall in the basement stairway too:
It adds a slightly industrial touch and some warmth to the space as well – I LOVE it. And out of all of the things in our house that little wall is the one that gets the most compliments.
Now that I’ve used the underlayment for the new fireplace planked wall I am going to experiment with using stain on that – it would be even cheaper than the tongue and groove pine I used in the stairway!
If you have an IKEA nearby they have HUGE canvases that fill large wall space too. I had always loved this huge map and was excited that we had a perfect spot in the basement for it:
Of course I had to add my own little touch with the frame that matches the wood wall in the background. :)
There you go – a few of my favorite ways to fill large walls. And you can’t find most of them in a store, which I love. Each one is unique to our home and the most expensive one is the store bought map. ;) The rest cost $50 and (way) under.
If you have an awkward wall in your house I think sometimes it’s better to do something dramatic to it instead of trying to make it disappear. Have you done anything different to decorate a wall in your home? If you have feel free to link to it in the comments!
I’ll be back with some fall touches tomorrow!
Crispy Pork Carnitas – These “Little Meats” are Special Treats
I said probably, since these things can be debated forever, and who has that kind of time when there are carnitas to make? This is a very simple recipe to adapt to the home kitchen, and as long as you cook the pork until it’s fork tender before crisping, you’re almost guaranteed a gorgeous pile of memorable meat.
I show how to do a whole pan at once under the broiler, but you can just as easily crisp up small batches in a frying pan set on medium-high heat. Just spoon in some reserved fat, and cook until crisp. Either way, this is a very important step, and not to be skipped.
Mine contained cinnamon, fennel seed, clove, ginger, and star anise; so if you can’t find any, just add a pinch of each of those things instead. It seemed to add a little extra sweetness to the meat, and I may even use more next time. Besides that, oregano and/or thyme are nice additions, as are various chili powders.
If you’ve never tried to make carnitas at home, I really hope this inspires you to try. If you’ve never had carnitas at all, I need you to call in sick tomorrow, and make this recipe immediately. It’s that good. And don’t forget the fire-roasted salsa. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 servings Carnitas:
3 pounds boneless pork butt (shoulder), rind removed, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 tbsp kosher salt (this needs to be salted generously!)
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp Chinese 5-spice
1 orange, peel and juice
8 cloves peeled whole garlic
2 bay leaves, torn in half
1/4 cup olive oil
- Roast at 275 F. for about 3 1/2 hours or until fork tender
October before and after!
Hello everybody! How are you on this fine fall day?
It’s going to be a good week my friends – it’s my birthday week and today is the monthly before and after link up here on the blog. Both equally awesome. :)
As always I picked a few of the beautiful projects shared last month to show you here and then you can take a look at all the new links at the end of this post.
September was the month for pretty rooms for girls, that’s for sure! Anita’s redo is absolutely stunning:
I think the eggplant color is so sophisticated but still pretty – perfect for tween girls. And the origami art on the wall is just the coolest.
Amy also designed a sweet, fun room for her five-year-old:
The paper poofs and the vinyl dots are such inexpensive ways to make a big impact in a room – SO cute. (I shared how to make those poofs yourself here.)
And this gorgeous nursery belongs to Cristina’s niece – her mama is talented, yes?:
There are so many lovely little touches in this room, you have to go check it out. Love it!
Looking at this hutch now you would NEVER guess what it looked like before:
Hayley really did this piece justice – sometimes painting is definitely the right move for older furniture.
Jennifer tried something I’ve never attempted – using dye to change the color of a lampshade:
It came out so well, now my wheels are turning!
With all those girl rooms I couldn’t leave out the boys! I loved the inexpensive and easy touches Tamara added to her boys’ room:
Those headboards only cost $20 each to make – awesome! (You can see my tutorial for a tufted headboard here.)
Nicki’s paper bag floors are so cool looking!:
She shares how they have held up in that post – worth checking out if you are interested in trying this flooring treatment.
I have to say, I think this next makeover may be my favorite for the month! Julie helped out her music teacher friend by making over her room and it is AWESOME:
Well there you go! Now it’s time to see what you’ve all been up to over the past few weeks! If you’d like to be considered for a highlight next month, please link to TDC in your post or include this button:
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/" title="TDC Before and After" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/beforeAndAfterButton_thumb1.gif" alt="TDC Before and After" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
You can link up here for the next week, share away!:
Fire-Roasted Cherry Tomato Salsa – Tastily Teasing Forward
Speaking of which, whether you end up making the carnitas or not, this gorgeous salsa would shine on any big-game snack table. The fire-roasting brings out a tremendous amount of flavor, and provides just the right touch of smoky goodness. I’m sure your friends are more than happy with the jarred stuff, but once in a while it’s nice to see if they’re paying attention.
You’ll want the flame of your broiler (or electric heating element) about 3-4 inches above the food, which may or may not be how far away your top rack is. If it’s too close, just use the next rack down, and use a pan like I did in the video to get it to the correct height.
By the way, I know eating “burned” foods mean ingesting carcinogenic materials, but I don’t care. This is no different than eating grill marks on a steak, or the crispy blackened ends on a brisket, and I’m not about to stop eating those things, so why would a few spoons of this scare me?
Anyway, stay tuned for the pork carnitas video, and in the meantime, I hope you give this fire-roasted cherry tomato salsa a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredient for about 2 cups of salsa:
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp olive oil
1 generous pint cherry tomatoes (Sweet 100’s if you can find them)
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
8 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 jalapenos, sliced
juice of a lime, or to taste
juice of a lime, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
pinch dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried cumin
packed 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
