Roundup: The Best Colorful Thanksgiving Printables

Thanksgiving is this week and I am so freakin excited!! I have so many amazing memories relating to Thanksgiving, so that makes this a super nostalgic time of year for me. Also, the weather is just starting to get slightly cool, the leaves are falling, and I finally get to wear my collection of cute and colorful sweaters. I truly love Thanksgiving, the fall and being with family. And eating. I love food! Haha. Since there isn't tons of time left for setup, I wanted to create a roundup of the very best, most colorful printables and paper crafts for your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving dinner. These are quickly and easy to create- most projects require only a printer, or items you're likely to have on-hand!

Easy Colorful Thanksgiving Place Cards

If you've got only a few minutes, you have enough time to make these place cards from Party HarDIY! They're perfect for seat assignments and labeling the food.

Thanksgiving Parade Balloon Centerpiece

Being in NYC, I get to experience the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade preparations firsthand, which is a Thanksgiving tradition for me as I walk to the train from work. I love seeing them putting up the bleachers, adding the decal to the street, and adding those police barriers. This table from Oh Happy Day highlights everyone's favorite part- the balloons!

Macy's Day Parade Tablescape 

Not one, but two Parade printables! This table by The House That Lars Built features the city streets down below. I mean...how cute are the taxi cab place cards?

DIY Printable Thanksgiving Food Label Cards

Want to prevent everyone from asking you what each item is all night? Use these printables from Lovely Indeed! They're super simple and cute, so they'll match with any colorful tablescape. 

Printable Thanksgiving Place Cards, Menus and Food Signs

If you're looking for a cute and colorful way to spice up your table, check out this set from Sarah Hearts! All you need are some coordinating Avery labels and a printer, and you're ready to go!

Wise Words Placemat

I find the holidays to be a very inspiring time of year, so I think these placemat printables from Oh Joy! would be a perfect addition to your table. They feature quotes from Roald Dahl, who wrote books such as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Matilda.

Pie Box Place Cards

We all know the best part of any meal is dessert! With these mini pie boxes from The Happy Scraps, you can have "dessert" before dinner!

Printable Conversation Starters

Looking to break the ice at a family gathering or Friendsgiving? Well, you'll need these cute and colorful conversation starters from Studio DIY! They feature some interesting (but probably safe) chat topics so that people can get to know each other, and like each other!

Printable Thanksgiving Tote, Table Runner, and Placemat

Featuring a pop of deep purple, this trio of fun and adorable printables from Damask Love is just what you need to add a twist to the traditional Thanksgiving colors!

Free Printable Thanksgiving Invitation

While it may be a tad bit late to mail these out, these invitations from Eighteen25 are perfectly colorful, and feature a section to add what you'd like each guest to bring! Plus they come in both Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving versions, plus 2 different color choices!

Thanksgiving Place Card Printables

Let all your guests know how special they are to you with these place cards from Printable Crush. They look adorable tied onto a white pumpkin!

Printable Thanksgiving Banner

Add some simple decor to your home by hanging up this banner from Daisy Cottage Designs! I love the stripe and polka dot combo, and the colors are just perfect! 

Thanksgiving Coloring Pages

And finally, let's not forget the reason that we all come together! These printables from Thirty Handmade Days will help you to remember all the things in your life you have to be thankful for. it comes in 2 versions, colored and blank, so you can decide whether you want a fun coloring activity to do, or only to focus on gratefulness. It works for both kids and adults!

DIY No Sew Embellished T-Shirt

Happy fall, y'all! Ok, being from NY I don't say normally say "y'all", but this seemed like the perfect time to try it out. Fall is my favorite season. I love the leaves changing colors, the weather getting slightly cooler, and the amazing roundup of holidays in such a short timeframe!

With the busy hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I don't have time to construct a perfect outfit. I've gotta be comfy and ready for anything! T-shirts are my go-to fashion choice, because of how easy and versatile they are. You can wear them to work, to dinner & drinks, and to go shopping. But wouldn't it be nice if you could give your t-shirt an upgrade so you're not wearing the same thing over and over again, without having to bust out a sewing machine? Well friends, look no further! This no-sew embellished t-shirt features some of our favorite things- tees, tassels, and pom pom trim! Plus, two of my fave colors- pink and turquoise! And, it's all thanks to this Peel n Stick Fabric Fuse.

You will need:

T-shirt (here)
Peel N Stick Fabric Fuse (here) 
Fringe Trim (here or similar here)
Pink Pom Pom Trim (here or similar here)
Scissors (here)

Directions:

• Measure your fringe trim so that it goes along the entire collar of your shirt

• Add a little extra and cut the trim. I found that I had just enough to go around with the extra, so I guess the collar somehow got smaller being laid down!

• Measure your Pom Pom trim to the same length, and cut.

• Roll out some small pieces of the adhesive, and cut it into narrower strips. I cut each strip into thirds vertically.

• Place it along your tassel trim. I didn't put it along the entire length, but every inch or so I stuck a piece down.

• Once all your adhesive has been placed down, go piece by piece, removing the wax liner and pressing down the Pom Pom trim to adhere the two trims together.

• Cut pieces of adhesive in half lengthwise and place them end to end along the collar of your shirt. I didn't leave any gaps here so that the trim wouldn't fall off the shirt.

• Once all your adhesive has been placed down, starting at the front, peel off the wax liner and start pressing down your trim. Repeat until the whole collar is covered. (Note: for a v-neck, I started front and center, since that's where the seam is. For a crew neck, you can probably start in the back and wrap around to create a smooth, seam free "necklace" of trim).

Sources: Cactus Cup

And that's all there is to it! It's seriously fun to spruce up any article of clothing, and then you get to proudly tell people "I made it!" when they ask where it's from. I think these would also make a great gift for a friend- matching BFF tees! Or, it would be perfect for a craft night. If the whole collar is a bit much for you, try getting a pocket tee and adding the trim along the top of the pocket for a little bit of POP. 

What's your favorite item to spruce up? Tees? Jeans? Shoes? Let me know in the comments below!

Easy Colorful Thanksgiving Place Cards

You guys... Thanksgiving is next week!! I truly can't believe how quickly the months have flown by this year. It feels like just yesterday we rang in the new year, and we're about to celebrate another one! While I'm especially excited for the upcoming holiday season (and busy prepping those blog posts!) I'm featuring the one, lonely Thanksgiving craft I did this year haha. These place cards are super quick and easy to make, so you can get back to cooking everyone's favorites and setting that table.

These are perfect because you can whip them up quickly with just a glue gun! There's practically no dry time, so you can even make them in the morning while you're watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Head on over to Giggles Galore for the full post!

I think these glitter scallop trim ones are my favorite! My husband also liked them best. Um, he liked something with glitter? WHAT?! You can even mix and match the different designs as long as you pick a similar color palette. You can keep the colors very traditional, or go a little bit funky like I did.

Either way, your guests are sure to love them! So what are you waiting for? Head over to Giggles Galore for the full post!

DIY Christmas Drink Stirrers

ok, I know I'm a little ahead of the game here, but I'm just too dang excited. IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMASSSSSSSS. I've been waiting all year for the holiday season to roll around again, partly because I have all these great Christmas DIY projects I've been wanting to show you. I figured we'd start it off easy with these Christmas drink stirrers so that we can start swizzling those Christmas cocktails and get in the holiday spirit, amiright? 

These Christmas stirrers are super easy and super affordable. You can make them in your choice of colors, but I'm always a fan of pink so I chose a more modern color palette. I had actually made these last year for the blog, but the photos came out SO BAD that I couldn't bring myself to post them (see them here). So, I knew they had to be my first project this year. I gave them a slight makeover and a new color scheme, and voila! Ready to go.

You will need:

Wooden stirrers (here)
Assorted rhinestones (similar here and here)
Assorted sparkly pom poms (from Michaels, similar here)
Glue gun (similar here)
Toothpick

Rhinestone Stirrers:

Directions: Take your wooden stirrer and put a dab of glue on the end. If your glue gun puts out a thick dollop, use a toothpick to put a small amount of glue on the back of the rhinestone or onto the stirrer. Place your large rhinestone at the top. Then, put 2 more of the small rhinestones underneath it. If you want it to look less home made, flip it over and repeat for the other side.

Mini PomPom Stirrers:

Directions: Put a dab of glue on one end of the stirrer, and pop on your pompom. Hold in place until it dries, then repeat for the other 2 pom poms. Easy peasy!

Snowman Stirrers:

Directions: Glue the pompoms onto the stirrer in size order from smallest to largest. You can also glue your pompoms in the other direction if you want it to be festive instead of snowman.

And there you have it! 3 easy ways to get festive with your drink stirrers for coffee, hot cocoa, and cocktails. These are perfect for any age, and they're disposable! You could even use them as drink markers, depending on how many people you have since each one can be different. And, since you can mix and match the colors, you can make these to match any holiday or event.

I'm SO excited for all the posts coming to the blog in the next few weeks. There are some really good ones headed your way!!

So, which drink stirrer would you grab for your drink? And what drink would it be? Let me know in the comments below!

The Truth About Planning a Wedding

Wedding planning seems quite glamorous. You get to try on gorgeous wedding dresses, you get to pick flowers, look at beautiful venues, create a stellar guest list, be the center of attention. There are so many little, amazing details, and as an added bonus, you get to tell the person you love that you want to be with them forever and ever. It's going to be the greatest day of your life. No pressure. 

However, no one expects how unbelievably stressful wedding planning can be. I sure as heck didn't expect it. I love planning parties. A wedding is basically just the biggest, greatest party ever, right? Riiiiight. 

The truth is that there's a reason why so many couples say they're happy it's over. While most engaged couples start out with a dream in their heart and a twinkle in their eyes, they quickly realize they are in over their heads. And guess what- it's ok! So whether you are currently planning, already had your wedding, or still willing your boyfriend to ask, here's the truth about wedding planning. 

Your budget will double and it'll make you want to cry.

They always say, take your budget and double it. And people scoff. I know I did. "No way," I thought. "I can't even afford to double my budget." Next thing you know, you're eating ramen and walking 5 miles to work because you had to invite your college friends, wanted the better photographer, or just underestimated how much everything would cost. Hint: it's probably almost double what you think it'll cost. 

Your family members will have their own expectations for the day.

Although it's your wedding, everyone thinks it's their wedding. But remember this: unless they're willing to pay for it, they don't have a say. That means that if your parents think you should get a nicer venue for your rehearsal dinner, they need to pay for it. If your grandmother wants a church wedding in addition to your outdoor ceremony, she needs to fund it. Or, if your mother in law thinks that each person needs an invitation with hand calligraphy instead of printed, she needs to pony up the cash. If you did what everyone wanted, you'd go crazy, broke, or both. So choose your battles and what you'll allow other people to dictate for you. Chances are, when you ask them for for the $1k or $7k to fulfill their request, it won't be quite so important to them. 

Your partner might not care about the little details and it'll make you want to cry.

Even though it's so important to you that you decide between satin or linen napkins, your partner might not care, at all. Same goes for picking individual flowers for the centerpieces, whether the women should get corsages or pins, and if the bridal party should wear open or closed toe shoes. And at some point, the unreasonable bridezilla in you will rear her ugly head and make you want to cry. You might even actually cry, and say things like "do you even care about this wedding?!" The truth is that with all the tiny decisions you're faced with (that seem monumental to you) there's a great chance you'll get overwhelmed. And your partner may get overstimulated and give up on decisions. It's all normal, it's all ok, and it'll all get figured out. 

You won't be able to find your dream dress, or be able afford it, and that'll make you want to cry.

There are so many gorgeous dresses out there. There's one for you. And that's what makes it even harder. There are SO MANY dresses and you can only choose one. It's ok. Try on as many as you want, but create a deadline for making a decision. The only thing worse than wearing the "wrong" dress is wearing no dress, or wearing the only last-minute choice you could find. Don't do that to yourself. You might be in the bridal salon, or watching Say Yes To the Dress, near tears. It's a stressful thing, and those gorgeous dresses change from something so fun to those mean biotches in high school that made you second guess yourself. Don't give the dresses that power. You'll find the right one for you. Finding a great guy you want to spend your life with is even harder, and you found that, right? And I bet he thinks you're beautiful no matter what.  

Did I mention you'll want to cry?

Because you will. Over napkins, over your dress, over your mom hurting your feelings. You name it, it'll make you want to cry. Movies, touching photos, videos of a puppy getting rescued. It'll all bring you to tears. So go ahead and cry. Or eat a bowl of ice cream. You'll get over it. And it's ok to cry. Wedding planning is emotional! 

Your wedding isn't as important to everyone else as it is to you.

There will be people that you really thought would be there. And they won't. And you'll definitely be mad, and you'll definitely judge them. But that's ok, you can decide whether or not to go to their wedding. Kidding! Kinda... Just know that just because people don't make it doesn't mean they don't care about you, no matter how much it'll feel that way. And the truth is that you'll be so busy on that day, you probably won't realize. Plus they'll see photos of what they missed out on and they'll have serious FOMO from then on. 

Time is a tricky little thing.

It's constant, and yet it seems like it can go quicker or slower. Waiting for your fiancé to ask you to marry him for 12 months? Brutal. Planning your wedding in 12 months? Where did the time go! You'll think you have so much time to plan, until you suddenly realize you don't have nearly enough time. Print out one of those timelines and check things off as you go. And also know that there will be things you do in an opposite order. That's ok too. We picked out our rings before we picked out our wedding song. So be it. As long as it gets done, that's all that matters. 

The little details will kill your budget.

Favors, wedding programs, calligraphy, tips for the staff. These are all things that'll throw your budget off track. Create a list of things you need to pay (like tips) and the things you want to add on (like wedding programs) in order of cost and/or importance. Then, add them in as you go along and see what budget you have left. Or, just throw caution to the wind and keep buying until you empty your bank account. That's an option too. 

Everyone and their mother will ask how the planning is going.

And they don't really care that much, so don't start ranting to them about the florist picking lilies when you told her how much you hate them, and did you mention how the venue changed their carpeting and now it doesn't match the table linens anymore? How could they do such a terrible thing to you on this most important of days?! Instead, be prepared to answer with some generic cheerful but funny stuff, like"it's going well. Luckily we can agree on what to watch on tv even though we can't agree on which color linens to get." This way, people aren't afraid to get married, or to ever ask you anything again. 

Don't sweat the small stuff.

"What do you mean blush pink and carnation pink look the same," you'll wail. But your partner won't know what to say. And your mom might not, or your sister, or your friends. And that can get stressful when you're trying to make a decision. So, if you find that everyone is baffled and doesn't know which pink to go with, or they all say "I don't know, it looks the same to me," chances are your guests will feel exactly the same way. So, seriously... don't sweat the small stuff. There are so many parts to a wedding and in the end it'll all fit together beautifully. No one will notice and if they do notice and have the gall to point it out to you, eff em. Someday they'll get married, or their kids will, and they'll see how hard it is. With so many big decions to make, don't make yourself crazy (or broke) over the small ones. 

You'll want to elope about 17 times.

You'll joke at first like, "wow, we could have eloped and gone to Europe for a month with all this money." Then you'll get stressed and say, "if we had eloped we wouldn't have had to deal with this stress." Then it'll turn into "hey if we elope now this will all be over and we don't need to worry about Aunt Tricia arguing with Uncle Hank and if grandad's allergies will act up in our outdoor ceremony or if it's ok that your mom wants to wear off-white. Let's just run away, ok?!" Somehow you'll power through it all and enjoy your wedding day. And you'll agree that it was all worth it. 

Pinterest is a trap.

I love Pinterest just as much (or more) than the next gal. It's great for finding ideas and inspiration. However, it's also a perfect way to feel inadequate with your wedding choices, find unnecessary ideas that'll blow your budget, and cause you to pick out trends that you actually don't even like. So, use Pinterest wth caution. Remember that most events you see on there were done by a professional, and even though something might not look expensive, it very well could be. So do your best, use it for inspiration, and don't let Pinterest bully you. 

Phew, that's a lot! I hope you're all laughing and nodding in agreement right now. Or, thanking your lucky stars that you're still single or that your wedding planning nightmare is over. The truth is that although it's stressful, you've got to find the fun in it. This is your wedding. Make the planning process fun. You'll (hopefully) only do it once. And if you have to do it twice? That's ok too. You're better prepared the next time around ;)

What's one thing you didn't realize about wedding planning until you were too far into it? Was there anything you'd do differently? Any advice for couples in the midst of wedding planning? Let me know in the comments below!