Pendleton

I had a dream last night that I went to visit my mom at her house in Big Sur (no, she doesn't really live there). Her house looked like something out of an Apartment Therapy post: sky sweeping views, sunlit nooks, a loft filled with cozy neutral furniture with bursts of color. And I found treasures: bags stuffed with jewel toned Pendleton blankets and duvets. Now I'm on the hunt.

 

OMG Yum

from Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

(I love her whole site)

Super Yum - especially with ginger

(and the best "I'm staving off a cold" remedy)

It's November!

It's November! Which means that it's time to start thinking of cozy Thanksgiving recipes and making gifts for friends and potlucks and fuzzy socks and steely skies and crunching leaves and tea.

I found a fun project that I want to do for Thanksgiving table setting and that would also make a really great host gift for a friend: pulled fringe napkins found via http://www.purlbee.com/pulled-fringe-napkins/

Maybe it's the bread and butter on an antique table, but these napkins remind me of eating warm, candlelit dinners in a wood heated farm house. Making these same napkins in a fun color would be perfect for taking along on a spring picnic, too. There's nothing like the comfort of a set table, simple surroundings, and everyone you love being near.

I'm so excited to have Thanksgiving at my mom's house this season! I think we've got a running count of around 30 people, most of them excellent cooks, all of them a little zany and a lot of fun. There's so much to look forward to about this holiday, and I'm bouncing in my office chair a little bit just thinking about it. Get ready for more posts to come about recipes and fun holiday musings...