Place Cards to be Thankful For

 By Megan Kramer

For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite parts of the holidays has been setting the table.  It has always been my job, and each year I try to do something special to make a memorable tablescape.  I love when guests are greeted by a beautiful table; I feel like the little personal touches let them know that you are happy to have them, and that they are welcome at your table.  This year I wanted to do something different with the place cards.  I made these leaf cards to go on the wine glasses.  This way, if you are going for a less formal setting, they can act as wine glass markers.  If you want a more formal atmosphere with assigned seating, you can have the glasses set at the table with their place cards attached before your guests arrive.  Along with that, I thought that everyone could use a refresher on how to properly set a table.  I know that even though I have done it countless times, I still forget some of the details and always wind up winging it.  So when I came across this great visual from Be Festive, I thought I would pass it along.  It shows how to set both formal and informal table, so you're covered no matter what!

What you need:             

• fresh leaves from the yard
• card stock
• scissors
• crayons
• glitter paint
• paint brush
• a marker- or nail polish

What you do:

Gather leaves from outside.  It's better if they are fresh and not too dried out.  Now remember leaf rubbing when you were a kid?  That's what we're doing.  Unwrap your crayon.  I used an orange crayon and cream colored card stock.  Place your leaf under the card stock.  With the side of your crayon, gently color the card stock over the leaf.  The veins will come up darker and make your place card more realistic.  Now place the leaf on top of the card stock.  Try and line it up with the outline, but it doesn't have to match up perfectly.  Now trace the leaf and cut it out. Next paint the leaf with your glitter paint.  I used orange acrylic, and got it at Michaels.  I used glitter paint as opposed to plain glitter because I liked that it gave it an extra touch of color, and since it would be on a glass, I didn't want the glitter to drop in.  Let it dry and then write your guest's name.  You can use a marker, but I actually used nail polish.  I used a deep wine color (turns out I have more nail polish colors than I have markers...) and I liked the texture the nail polish gave me.  Last, cut a slit where the stem meets the leaf and attach it to a glass. 

Photo: Be Festive

Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Xo,

Megan

Something Blue 

 By Megan Kramer

Oh cobalt blue, how I love you.  I have always been a fan of this jewel toned hue, but this season it seems that everyone else has joined in my adornment.  It's no wonder; cobalt blue is a shade that looks great on so many complexions.  It's been everywhere this season, from tops, to pants, to bags, even... dare I say, eyeshadow?  It's true. When you think of blue eyeshadow, there is an immediate cringe and a flashback to horrible 80's photos that everyone swore they would never do again.  To try an updated blue eye look, follow Maria Menounos's lead.  The key is not to go overboard.  She lined her upper and lower lash line with a bright blue, and then she has blue shadow outlining the outer corner and middle to the end of the crease of the eyelid.  You can achieve this with an angled eyeshadow brush.  Then use a neutral shadow on the rest of the eyelid and blend it into the blue.  Top everything off with black or brown mascara on both top and bottom lashes. That will tone down the blue a bit and bring everything together.  You also want to leave the rest of your makeup very neutral.  That saying about either doing a bold eye or a bold lip, but not both, definitely applies here.  If you do it well, a blue look can really be gorgeous and is sure to make your eyes pop!

 Photo: Realbeauty.com

Just for a little extra dose of cobalt, here is a cute little bow I made out of felt.  I decided to put it right below a high bun for a kind of retro schoolgirl look.  So cute, right?  I also think that it would be adorable to put on top of a gift... Christmas is coming.   

What you need:             

• 2 felt rectangles- 1 about 3" long, the other a strip about 1/4- 1/2" long
• glue gun
• bobby pin
  
  

What you do:

Pinch the middle of the larger rectangle and use your glue gun to hold it in place.  Then glue one end of the smaller strip to the back of the bow.  Wrap the strip around the bow, but don't glue the other end yet.  Attach the bobby pin (to the end not glued), then glue the underside of the strip down.  That's it- no sewing!

Xo,

Megan