Thanksgiving Vintage Banner

I just finished this Thanksgiving banner and thought I would share. I didn't want anything over the top for Thanksgiving decorations. I love all the natural elements (pumpkins, fall leaves, nuts, pinecones, burlap etc) that make Thanksgiving so simple and beautiful.

I printed off vintage Thanksgiving postcard images from The Graphics Fairy. Then I used some Martha Stewart glitter (the best) and glittered some paper clips. I clipped the images to a piece of jute and called it good.

A prepared home

I wanted to touch on a different aspect of the home--- a prepared home!! As the economy, government, and society becomes more and more unstable there is an ever pressing need to get our houses in order and be prepared for whatever is to come be it natural disaster, pandemics, financial difficulties, etc....

1. Food storage (long term and short term)
2. Water storage
3. Financial reserve
4. Medical/First Aid
5. Toiletries

There are several websites with tools to help you assess your needs and get you on your way to being prepared. Here are a few of my favorite-

provident living.org- Food & water storage techniques, food storage calculator, etc.

Costco.com- they are now selling long term foodstorage items at a great value

Emergency Essentials- Food Storage Analyzer- create a printer friendly inventory of your food storage that includes a breakdown of nutritional value & calculates the number of days your food supply would last. This is a great tool to help you ensure that you not only have food, but that is nutritionally balanced! Plus if you tyr out their food storage anyalyzer and write a review you get a free $10 gift card to use on their products.

Fall Decor!

Just some quick pics of activities and fall decorations that can be found at our house.

This was make with a cut up 2x4, paint and vinyl writing. I am sure stamps would be great too. Normally it sits outside, but I brought it in from the rain. In the basket there are pine cones, gourds, and Indian corn, and a string of leaves around the handle.

Luminary bags that line our walk. Brown paper bag, red tissue paper and card stock that I cut leaf designs from. Drop in beans to weigh it down, a battery run tea light to give it life and TA-DA!

I turned my kids loose with paints and pumpkins. They are quite the artists! They had no shirts and big smocks to protect their clothes.

These are little scrap blocks of wood I sanded and painted in a pretty pallet of fall colors. Then I added vinyl lettering. If you can't tell, they say, "pumpkin patch."

Happy decorating!