thanksgiving nourishment

A poem from Kay Ryan called “The Best of It”:

However carved up
or pared down we get,
we keep on making
the best of it as though
it doesn’t matter that
our acre’s down to
a square foot. As
though our garden
could be one bean
and we’d rejoice if
it flourishes, as
though one bean
could nourish us.

staying local for thanksgiving

It took a blustery, this-makes-you-feel-alive, post-Thanksgiving weekend walk to find the fall color here in San Francisco. We weren’t looking for it, but happened across this sweep of sea fig showing off its autumn finery along the beach. It almost looks like a tapestry, no? Then we walked up to the Cliff House, where we were thwarted in our attempt to check out the Camera Obscura – apparently the weather was too dicey for it to open. What lightweights. But we were rewarded with warm popovers at the bar (who knew? weekends only during breakfast and lunch) and a thrilling view as the water turned inky-dark before another storm rolled in.

A lovely, welcome-winter weekend.

acorn bling

I had a few extra acorns left over from the napkin ring project, and I have to confess that while I love the whole acorn, the little caps slay me with their cuteness. So I turned a few into rings with a late fall, nature-bling vibe.

You’ll Need:
Acorn caps
1” styrofoam balls
Craft knife
Hot glue gun or white glue
Spray paint or acrylic paint (for solid finish); polyurethane sealer (for natural finish); or glue with brush and   glitter (for glitter version
Decorative paper and scissors (optional)
Adjustable ring blanks with a flat disk (like these or these, or these if you want to step it up)
Bonding cement

How To:

First, twist the acorn caps off to separate from the nut, and make sure the caps are relatively clean.

Cut a slice of a Styrofoam ball to fit inside the acorn top. Place inside the cap so the domed curve of the Styrofoam ball fits against the curved cap and the flat edge is flush with the bottom of the cap. This will give you a flat surface to adhere to the ring. This takes a smidgen of finessing – you want a tight enough fit that the Styrofoam will stay in place. If it’s a little roomy, secure in place with hot glue.

Paint the acorn caps with a thin but thorough coat of spray paint or acrylic paint. Keep it thin enough that you can still see the texture of the acorn cap. If you’re making the glitter version, paint the cap with glue and then sprinkle with glitter to coat. Let dry.
 
To finish, I like to tidy up the base by cutting a small circle of decorative paper to fit inside the cap. Glue in place with hot glue. Then apply bonding cement to the flat disk on ring base, and press acorn cap in place.

Thanks, nature!

And I'm so thankful for all of you. Have a wonderful, cozy, happy Thanksgiving! xo

bring nature to the table

I like to keep Thanksgiving simple and let the natural warmth and atmosphere of the day take center stage. But I do like a little embellishment on the table, and these little acrorn toppers are my new Washington Post project. I love the mix of natural and luxe with the slightly metallic leather and raw acorns, and the pop of the hot-pink braid.

I love working with leather – not just because I love its texture and wamth, but because I also love sourcing it. It might sound expensive and impossible to find, but look in your yellow pages under leather and suppliers are usually happy to offload some of their smaller scraps. The leather supply store I love going to has a whole warehouse of floor to ceiling rolls, and they keep their smaller offcuts upstairs at the top of a narrow wooden staircase. The last piece I bought – probably about a yard – cost me a whopping five dollars.

If leather isn't your thing, wool felt is a great alternative. And here's my project from last year that I still love: customized, sepia photo napkins for a meaningful holiday table.

i changed my mind

Well, hours after writing that last post, I crumbled. I rushed into a new-to-me fabric store just before they closed Wednesday night and bought supplies to sew a new tablecloth and 12 napkins.

I couldn’t help it. I liked the napkin rings I posted about, but they just didn’t cut it for me. Of course, I worked up my math on the fly and consequently under-bought fabric. So the overhang on tablecloth was a little short and the napkins were a little petite. But I learned how to miter a corner and wound up thankful for our dining room’s new look – along with many, many other less superficial things that top this year’s grateful list.

Hope your holiday was wonderful.

thanksgiving eve homework?

I am a deadline girl, and often motivation doesn’t hit until say, the night before the holiday. This can be a little inconvenient. For instance, all of a sudden, I am gripped with a sudden desire to make a new tablecloth and napkins…but we’re hosting tomorrow and hoping to do a lot of pre-cooking tonight. So stitching up a few of these fluffy fringe rings may have to satisfy my sudden crafting desire.

This is the brooch I made for my mom’s poncho – only a little bigger so it fits a napkin. This is a really simple project, but I put together a little photo tutorial over here. I used a fringe called brush fringe that you can find in the upholstery trim section of a fabric or craft store.

I don’t usually use napkin rings, but what can I say? Maybe I’m finally becoming a grown-up. Or a dork. Either way, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
 

new washington post project

For this month’s Washington Post column, I created a project you can customize with images of family, friends, or special places for a meaningful holiday table. Simple materials and the sewing is optional. Check it out over here.