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holiday gift guide : for your dad
OK THANKSGIVING IS OVER GUYS. That means it’s time to start buying presents! First up – one of the hardest people to buy for is your dad and you know it.
most dads love baseball and really long ken burns DVDS always seem like a good choice so here is the baseball: a film by ken burns dvd / a super nice dopp kit like this one from banana republic any dad would like filling with nose hair trimmers / a classy tie they wouldn’t pick out for themselves like the augusta stripe tie from jack spade / also from jack spade, i love these good grief cocktail glasses / for the dad that cooks or bbqs or just loves meat, lobel’s meat bible will teach him everything he doesn’t know / a slick huntsman swiss army knife could never go wrong / very handsome playing cards from best made co. / this wooden miniot ipad case works super well and looks super good too (the boyfriend has it).
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black friday at almost makes perfect!
You shopping today? Well I’d love it if you’d shop with me! I’m offering 15% OFF ALL ITEMS for my lovely blog readers. SALE ENDS SUNDAY AT 10PM. GO BUY STUFF!!!!!
(use promo code ONYXFRIDAY at checkout for 15% off!)
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diy gold leaf cocktail napkins
The last of the super easy and free(ish) thanksgiving DIYs – add a little personality to your cocktail napkins!
I saw these napkins from Crate and Barrel, and was like what – those would look BETTER if they were homemade. And in my opinion – they do!
If you have a gold leaf pen and some white (or any color) paper napkins, you’re ready to go. If you don’t have a gold leaf pen, you can use any paint marker. I tried it with a silver sharpie one and it worked just fine.
I didn’t include any step by step shots. Because all you do is write on the napkins. I went with one saying “super thankful”, but using multiple could be fun too.
I made sure to keep a magazine between each napkin while I wrote. And I went SLOWLY for best quality.
YAY! Your very own custom set of cocktail napkins.
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setting the holiday table
You can really never have enough pretty dining ware, right?
one acacia wood oval tray from fishs eddy / two this mercury glass serveware set from world market is so pretty and affordable / three i love the masculine lines of the astilla glassware from cb2 / four vintage brass candlesticks from… almost makes perfect. you know these are super pretty / five these acacia wood napkin rings are on sale right now from crate and barrel / six loving this art deco looking flatware set from target / seven not sure if i’d get tired of looking at these, but the watercolor petals dinnerware from anthropologie is maybe the prettiest set of all time / eight herringbone linen napkins from burkedecor oh my / nine i love love love this blue nautical runner from target / ten how special is this large pink lotus plate from burkedecor, you could serve rotten vegetables in it they’d still look beautiful / eleven this oblong platter from anthropologie is a real show stopper / twelve love these super modern salad servers from woon winkel
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diy twig and twine place cards
So here’s another super easy, quick and hopefully FREE thanksgiving DIY – twig and twine name cards. If you own twine and you can gather some sticks, you’re solid. Each name card should take about 5 minutes so you’ll have plenty of time while the food is in the oven to set these guys up.
Hot glue is preferable because you don’t have to wait for it to dry too long, but any glue would work I’m sure. Gather some similarly sized twigs, a roll of twine, some index cards or paper (you’ll cut to size), a pen and a razor blade.
step one – cut up pairs of twigs. mine are pretty close in size but NOT perfect and I cut them roughly with jagged edges, you know – for that super extra rustic touch. also cut off any of those knuckles that will get in the way of sitting right.
step two – add just a few dollops of hot glue (leaving the center unglued) to the edges and stick them together however they fit best. make sure they sit without wobbling. hold them tight for a minute until they feel sturdy.
step three – write your names on your cards and place the card between the sticks. you may have to cut down the edges to fit them perfectly inside.
step four – cut pieces of twine and wrap them around the twigs. hold tightly and glue in place on the bottom (the bottom can look ugly – no one will see!)
Voila! You have some pretty cute little name cards, and your guests will be so impressed by how green you’re being this year.
And you don’t even have to mention they took you less time than the potatoes.
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our weekend news
I spent half of last week in bed with a stomach flu of some kind. I had a couple of thanksgiving things to post and now they’re going to be a little rushed but who doesn’t like last minute thanksgiving planning anyway?! And in personal news – we decided we wanted a change and found a new apartment. We have a neighbor from hell and this place is way cheaper! We’re moving to a new area with new restaurants to try and we’re really excited.
We have a month until we move. LOTS of DIYS in the near future. LOTS.
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our weekend news
I spent half of last week in bed with a stomach flu of some kind. I had a couple of thanksgiving things to post and now they’re going to be a little rushed but who doesn’t like last minute thanksgiving planning anyway?! And in personal news – we decided we wanted a change and found a new apartment. We have a neighbor from hell and this place is way cheaper! We’re moving to a new area with new restaurants to try and we’re really excited.
We have a month until we move. LOTS of DIYS in the near future. LOTS.
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eyes + ears // 4
a little mid week mellow…
click the song title to listen.
top image source unknown (help me?) / little joy image via
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diy turkey feather place cards
In honor of one of my favorite holidays (ok maybe my all time favorite – I love dinner parties and stuffing!), I’m going to create a couple really simple, really cheap ways to create unique items for your thanksgiving table. Hopefully using mostly items you already have at home.
The first diy is inspired by a turkey, I’m not really sure it came out looking turkey-esque, but it’s a quirky little place setting to add some color and fun to the table.
Everything you need you hopefully have already. You obviously don’t need index cards. I have index cards. You can just cut paper.
Loosely draw a small circle with pencil. Around the circle, draw the shapes of your tail feathers. You can obviously do it rough and quick like I did, or you can do it precisely. If you like that sort of thing.
Using a few different colors of your choice, color in each feather. Again, this doesn’t have to be perfect because you’re cutting them out.
I cut around each wing to make sure I knew the other they were in, otherwise I probably would have gotten confused and it would have been a whole thing. You can see I wasn’t too worried about pencil lines and marker mistakes, it kind of adds to the charm in my opinion.
Carve an opening into the top of the cork, I’ve found a knife is way easier to do this with than a razor blade. But you know, howevs.
Now you can start lodging in the feathers one by one. Swap some around, cut a couple more, the possibilities are endless.
Make a little sign with your guest name and tape it onto a toothpick. Lodge the toothpick into the top of the cork until it feels stable.
And now you have a little cuteness on your table! A perfect easy DIY to do with your kids, or if you don’t have kids, your friends can ask what kid you hired to come do your place settings!
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diy turkey feather place cards
In honor of one of my favorite holidays (ok maybe my all time favorite – I love dinner parties and stuffing!), I’m going to create a couple really simple, really cheap ways to create unique items for your thanksgiving table. Hopefully using mostly items you already have at home.
The first diy is inspired by a turkey, I’m not really sure it came out looking turkey-esque, but it’s a quirky little place setting to add some color and fun to the table.
Everything you need you hopefully have already. You obviously don’t need index cards. I have index cards. You can just cut paper.
Loosely draw a small circle with pencil. Around the circle, draw the shapes of your tail feathers. You can obviously do it rough and quick like I did, or you can do it precisely. If you like that sort of thing.
Using a few different colors of your choice, color in each feather. Again, this doesn’t have to be perfect because you’re cutting them out.
I cut around each wing to make sure I knew the other they were in, otherwise I probably would have gotten confused and it would have been a whole thing. You can see I wasn’t too worried about pencil lines and marker mistakes, it kind of adds to the charm in my opinion.
Carve an opening into the top of the cork, I’ve found a knife is way easier to do this with than a razor blade. But you know, howevs.
Now you can start lodging in the feathers one by one. Swap some around, cut a couple more, the possibilities are endless.
Make a little sign with your guest name and tape it onto a toothpick. Lodge the toothpick into the top of the cork until it feels stable.
And now you have a little cuteness on your table! A perfect easy DIY to do with your kids, or if you don’t have kids, your friends can ask what kid you hired to come do your place settings!
