All posts in thanksgiving

thanks!

by Megan on November 21, 2012 in celebrate, personal, thanksgiving with No comments

Thanksgiving is mere hours away and I wanted to take a step away from the kitchen (where I’m cooking a 100% from scratch feast for four!) and reflect on the things I couldn’t live without. In all honesty, I have a wonderful and very fortunate life with a great husband, nice apartment, a job and though I take these things for granted all the time, I will always take this time of year to reflect on how lucky I am to be me.

image via

My husband, obviously. Without whom, I would be a very unbalanced individual. Josh is great at a lot of things. He’s a super analytical-thinker but he also has an amazing creative side. He broadens my scope to include things that I normally wouldn’t care about but should, like politics and how to pack things in the most efficient way. He also saves me from myself a lot. There is so much I want to do in life. I have about a million projects on an ever-lengthening to do list; I want to grow this blog, open a business, make our apartment perfect and so many times, I try to do these things all at once and burn out. Josh is amazing at reminding me that it takes time to do these things and that the people I admire in these areas didn’t become a success over-night. He’s my soul-matey and I don’t know where I’d be without him… but my best guess in institutionalized.

My family. It almost feels a little generic to just write “my family” but I think it’s important to take some time to reflect on the impact they’ve had on my life. Like my mom, she is one of the most hilarious people I know and she works so hard to be an amazing parent. My grandpa has been one of the biggest motivational forces in my life. He’s always pushing for me to reach my full potential. One of the reasons I always knew I was going to attend college is because he talked it up all my life. My Uncle Scott and Aunt Brandi are the most amazing family model. I was a flower girl at their wedding in 1995 and I’ve never seen anything but love emanating from their relationship. They got married young, they’ve taken chances, and, together, they built this amazing life. I have so many wonderful family members, each as unique and amazing as the next. Though I probably don’t call as much as I should, I love them all.

This blog. An ever-growing, never ending, creative project that I love working on. I’ve been blogging for almost three years and I’ve recently decided to really commit and try to turn Two Live Colorfully into something awesome. This means more frequent posts, more DIY projects and tutorials, better interaction with the blogging community, and a lot more. I’m in the perfect time in my life to pursue something like becoming a professional blogger so why shouldn’t I? It’s something that I love doing and I’m going for it.

It would take me forever to write out everything I’m thankful for (because there is a whole lot!) but these are the big three. What are you thankful for this holiday season?

diy: falling leaves installation

by Megan on November 7, 2012 in celebrate, do it yourself, make this, on a budget, recycle & repurpose, thanksgiving with 1 Comment

Yesterday, I shared our fresh take on fall décor and now we’re back to share the tutorial on the amazing Falling Leaf installation we created to celebrate the autumn months! Seriously, this is probably my favorite holiday project to date.

Here’s what you’ll need to create a similar version!

  • Dollar store silk leaves (Since you’re painting them, they don’t have to be high quality. I just looked for a shape that I liked.)
  • Craft paint (I used a plum and burgundy color)
  • Paint brushes
  • Mod podge
  • Glitter
  • Fishing line
  • A cool looking branch (You could probably get a nice, smooth decorative one from a craft store, but I just tracked mine down from outside. You can’t beat 100% free.)

The first thing I did was paint the leaves. Most have two coats so they show a solid color but I did leave a few the prettier ones with just one coat to get that marble-y colored goodness.

 For the glittery ones, I used a foam brush to apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the leaf and then pressed it into a plate full of glitter. With this, you’ll want to make sure to push all of the edges into the glitter to make sure everything is covered. I stopped here, but if you wanted to add a layer of anti-glitter rain protection, you could use a clear spray sealant to keep the glitter in place.

After all my leaves had dried, I used a needle to thread a length of fishing line through the leaves. I tried to mix up the location of the string so that the leaves would be ‘falling’ in a more whimsical fashion (not just all point straight down).

 Once you finished stringing your leaves, you can start tying them to your branch. The easiest way to do this is to hang the branch somewhere temporarily and then add the leaves. Less tangling and it’s easier to see make sure your leaves are spread out.

Now, it’s time to hang! We used our track lighting to our benefit and hung the branch from there using more fishing line and binder rings! They just slip right over the light. You could also use ceiling hooks to create the same affect. The whole project weighs less than a pound so it’s not creating a huge strain on the light fixture and it can easily be removed after the season ends.

 Isn’t it lovely? The leaves sway lazily in the breeze from our AC and the colors just scream autumn!

The only purchase I made for this project was the leaves which I snagged from the Dollar Tree for $2.00. Everything else I had on hand. It took a few hours total and, since I’m pretty lacking in the height department, my super awesome husband helped me with the hanging steps.

 And it’s done. A pretty easy project with a huge payoff.

 Do you ever use outdoor materials like branches, leaves, or maybe pine cones in your home for decoration? What are some big impact projects you’ve done with tiny price tag? I’d love to see them!

a fresh take on fall decor

by Megan on November 6, 2012 in celebrate, do it yourself, on a budget, our home, thanksgiving with No comments

I am wasting no time getting into the spirit of fall and Thanksgiving. Of course, for me, the hour after Thanksgiving dinner is when Christmas decorations start being flung all over the place, so if I don’t get moving on fall themed decorations, they won’t stand a chance.

Fall has always been the hardest season for me to decorate around. It’s by far my favorite time of year but I’ve always had a hard time finding a style that I liked. Usually, I stay away from the muted and/or dusty colors but this year I was determined to find something I liked. In the past, Josh and I have always stayed in our home for Thanksgiving because the holiday is too short for us to justify traveling. So, I cook up a scaled down meal and we spend the evening together, but, for the first time since we’ve lived on our own, Josh and I will be having guests this Thanksgiving! Josh’s sister, Rachel, and her boyfriend will be joining us and that really put a fire under me to get moving on the decorating front.

Using Pinterest as my most-trusted ally, I found some color combos that I loved and some projects that I could easily adapt for the season and, well, I think I’ve found a Fall look that I really love!

I think the end result is a very modern take on the traditional colors and themes.

Our rotating empty frame now houses a super fun garland using different shapes to keep it interesting. And, I made the garland using the same method I used on the paper strip mobiles that usually hang in the dining room!  Next to that I put an adorable print in a surprisingly nice $5.00 Wal-Mart frame.

And, without a doubt, the main feature of this room now is this falling leaves installation that I DIY’d for $2.00. Yes, two measly dollars turned into something so awesome I can’t help but smile! Cranberry, plum, and gold glittered leaves are falling in the dining room and they just make the whole space feel more festive!

Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing the full tutorial for this project, and it is so simple so be sure to stop back by! All together, I spent under $5.00 for all of my fall decor. Seems like that home spending embargo kind of stuck!

What’s your favorite holiday to decorate for? Is there any holiday that you have a hard time finding styles you like! I’m curious! Share below.

make this: apple cider hostess gift

by Megan on September 24, 2012 in celebrate, do it yourself, make this, thanksgiving with 1 Comment

Today I’m sharing a fun and easy gift, that you could have on hand to give the host or hostess of those wonderful holiday parties you attend! I often find pictures of beautiful things on Pinterest that either don’t link to a tutorial or I have no idea where to even get the supplies to create the thing. So, I thought it might be fun to create short, sweet little breakdowns of some of my favorite pins. I’ll try to hunt down the resources and include a quick how-to so we can make more things we pin actually happen!

Let’s start with the inspiration picture:

via Dreamy Whites

Isn’t that so gorgeous! Simple but charming. And I’m quickly realizing that “simple but charming” is my exact gift giving philosophy. Now, let’s break it down into resources and steps! This one should be easy-peasy!

1. Glass Jug. I love the classic shape used in the inspiration photo, so I hunted down some 1/2 gallon and whole gallon glass jugs from Specialty Bottle. At$2.86 each, they definitely wouldn’t break the bank!

2. Neutral napkins. I only suggest neutral colors and patterns because I think it would let the apple cider stand out the most. The inspiration shows plain, white linen but these napkins from World Market would be just as pretty. You can purchase these in a set of 4 for just under $20.00. Use one per gift and you’re getting your money’s worth.

3. Twine & Tag. To hold the napkin around the bottle, stick with a rustic material like twine or jute. Keeps it cohesive and charming! If you’re lucky enough to find a few of those gorgeous colored fall leaves around (or even an inexpensive branch of faux leaves), by all means, tuck them in, but be sure to also include a simple tag to share your message.

4. And most importantly, you’ll need apple cider to fill the jugs with! Chaos in the Kitchen has a great homemade apple cider recipe here but you could just as easily pick up some good quality apple cider from the grocery store and pour into your bottles.

And you’re done! I hope to share a lot more projects in the “make this” series before the holidays for those who love to DIY holiday gifts! So stay tuned!

DIY Holiday Wreath – Inspired by Pinterest

by Megan on November 8, 2011 in are we wed yet archives, celebrate, christmas, do it yourself, thanksgiving with 2 Comments

So, I finally joined the Pinterest train, and I am in love! It is so much fun. There is so much inspiration for DIY projects, crafts, parties, and home design. Seriously, it’s heaven.

But, like many bloggers, I don’t want to pin stuff and never actually create anything. So I set out to create a few of my favorites and first up, I made a holiday wreath. Usually, I’m not really really a fan of traditional fall decor. My home design preferences are usually brighter and color colors like blue and greens and the warm tones of fall doesn’t really fit, in my opinion. But these two wreaths below, I love!


From Here


From Here

I love the berries and deep reds of the first wreath and, of course, the flower rosettes of the second. So here’s my combination.

I picked up an inexpensive wreath from Wal-Mart and some clearance fabric scraps from Hobby Lobby to make fabric rosettes. A few episodes of “The Office” later, I had enough to cover about half of the wreath and start hot gluing them on. The berries were already owned from last Christmas so I threaded them in. I also used a left over shred to make a rustic bow for the top.

I used some left over cream ribbon to hang the wreath on an upside down 3M hook. Removable and I already had it in the house! (I also learned this trick on Pinterest!)

I think I’ve found my ideal fall decor. Deep wine reds with neutrals tied in. Gorgeous! And not only does this wreath look great for fall, but it could also easily transition into a Christmas wreath with a few tweaks like more metallic accents and a bunting message like in the second inspiration picture. I love it!

All together, I spent about $8.00 total. Yes! Tutorials for both inspriation pictures can be found in their links. Check back later this week for some more Pinterest inspired craft projects!