It’s been awhile since I last posted a DIY project of my own, so over the weekend I put together some cute place card holders that would be perfect for Thanksgiving or any party you’re planning to throw. I love place cards--they alleviate that awkward moment when you don’t where to sit, and they look super cute while they’re at it.  I think this idea is fun because it uses an item you already have in your house, but in an unexpected way: drawer knobs! I absolutely love cute, decorative knobs, and I always want to buy more when I see them on sale…but it feels kind of silly to buy knobs without a piece of furniture to use them on. Now, I have a reason!! Alternatively, if you don’t want an excuse to go out and buy a bunch of cute knobs, you could take some off the dresser in your bedroom (or any piece of furniture that won’t be seen during the party) and just replace them afterward. Then you literally wouldn’t have to buy a thing!

Here’s what you will need (it’s pretty much the easiest DIY ever): a hole punch, knobs, and cardstock.

Cut the cardstock to the desired size (I made mine 3 x 3.5”). Punch a hole at the bottom and write the names on each card.

Slip the drawer knob’s post through the hole, then screw the nut in place so it holds the card tight.

Voila! Now your place cards can stand upright and they look all fancy. 5 minutes, and with supplies that I bet you already have at home. If you don’t already have a collection of cute knobs, you can find tons of options at Anthropologie, World Market, or even Hobby Lobby.

Oh, and the cute napkins in these photos? They were sent to my by Artsy Modern. If you’ve never checked out their shop before, you’ve got to head over there. So much cute stuff, I want it all!!

Do you use place cards for dinner parties? Are you a knob-a-holic like myself? And how was your weekend? I have so many questions for you...

I first saw this quote from Vivienne Westwood here, and it really struck a chord with me. I have a tendency to buy things because the are cheap or a “good deal”--even if they aren’t what I really want. Then I end up with a bunch of clutter--stuff that I don’t really love and don’t feel particularly attached to--and guess what? I still have my eye on the things that I wanted to begin with! So I’m making it my new motto to buy less but choose well. It’s actually perfect timing, because Ben and I have started watching Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (have any of you guys done this?). We’ve made ourselves a budget and a plan for our money! This is only our first month of it, but so far I feel really good about it. I find myself being more critical and intentional about my purchases instead of just swiping the card whenever I see something that catches my eye. And less impulse buys means more money saved towards the big things that I’ve been wanting!

There are several things that I’ve been wanting to buy for awhile, but I always find it hard to drop such a big amount on one item. Now I’m realizing that I drop that same amount of money all the time--just spread out over lots of small treats that are soon forgotten. My plan is to be more intentional and selective with what I buy, so I’ll actually be able to get some of the big things that have been on my wish list for a long time. We’re already planning to buy the camera lens on Black Friday and I could not be more excited!!! (although that means this month we’ve been pinching our pennies majorly--we made a big pot of minestrone soup on Monday and have been eating it every day since).

Black Hunter boots: I’ve been wanting these forever! I bought some different rain boots because they were cheaper, but I still want the Hunters… / Wacom Intuos Tablet: So I can add my own handwriting and sketches to posts! / West Elm Kasbah Wool Rug: Our living room floor is still bare. I was going to buy a similar rug that I posted about here, but then it sold out :( I think a rug will make our home 110% cozier this winter, don’t you agree?? / Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L Lens: We are planning to buy this lens this month--it’s a big purchase so obviously all the other items on this list are on hold for at least another month. I think it will make a huge difference in being able to take photos inside our house, candid shots of people, scenery, and well…just about everything! We like the lens we have but it really crops everything in so it’s hard to get anything besides close-ups. I also want a wide-angle lens eventually, but for now it works to rent one when I need it.

Those are the main items on my “big stuff” wish list. This isn’t to say we aren’t going to eat out anymore or that I’m not going to buy little things ever again (because that would be super lame and not fun at all!), but we feel really good about deciding where we want our money to go and telling it what to do--instead of wondering where it all went at the end of the month. What about you? Do you make a budget every month or do you fly by the seat of your pants? Tell me about it--I’d love to hear what works for you!

According to your answers in the survey I did (which is still open, if you'd like to add your two cents), the majority of you are interested in seeing more giveaways. Well, this post is for you! With Halloween over and Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's time to start thinking about gifts! In my opinion, gifts needn't be expensive to show that you care. In fact, I think fun, inexpensive gifts are the best--that way, no one feels bad if they can't afford to get you something fancy in return, and no one feels obligated to hang onto a gift they don't really like just because it was expensive. Handmade gifts are always a good way to go if the project is simple (like these wood round coasters I made)...but 20 hand-knitted wine cozies for all your co-workers? Ain't nobody got time for that! So I rounded up some super fun and quirky items from Uncommon Goods that would make great gifts or stocking stuffers for anyone on your list--and they're all $30 or less! In case you can't tell, I really like clever, tongue-in-cheek designs like the toast coasters and the glass milk carton (this pick punch would also be cute for your guitar-playing friend). And how hilarious is that door mat? That would make me smile every time I came home.

Update: The winner of this giveaway is Kim Winnubst. Yay! Congrats, Kim.

1. Hidden animal mug - $21 / 2. Clever creamer carton - $14 / 3. Cardboard taxidermy - $30 (I have one just like that in my living room) / 4. Cheeky doormat - $24 / 5. Sputnik vase - $15 / 6. Toast coasters - $10 / 7. Glasses stand - $18

Today, I'm giving away a $30 gift card to Uncommon Goods so you can cross a gift or two off your list--or give yourself a little treat! Enter the giveaway below (it's my first time using Rafflecopter so let me know if you have any issues). Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is sponsored by Uncommon Goods--a Brooklyn, NY based company that features unique designs and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people. Most of their products are created here in the US, and about a third are made of recycled or upcycled materials!

Happy Friday!! Today I'm sharing the second half of the photos from my Southern road trip. Looking through these makes me wish we were still on vacation (I miss it!!)...but at least the weekend is within grasp. I'll take what I can get!

In case you haven't heard me gushing about it yet, Charleston is my new favorite city in the whole wide world. It's so charming! There's a law that no building downtown can be higher than the tallest church steeple, so there are no big high-rises or anything. It has a small-town feel, but with tons of great restaurants and things to do. And all the houses are so cuuuute!

We were in Charleston for several days, so we also had time to do some day trips from there. We went to see Boone Hall Plantation and the Angel Oak Tree. I don't have any good pictures of the tree, because our camera lens crops everything so tightly (I'm going to get a new lens this month because we both realized on this trip that our lens is so limiting--it's frustrating!). These photos are from Boone Hall. It was both incredibly beautiful to see the plantation and home, and sobering to learn more about it's history of slavery.

If you remember from this post, I had been excited to see Rainbow Row in Charleston. All the different colored houses were so cute--and that pink one was for sale! It's fun to look back at the post I wrote about all the things I wanted to do, now that we've actually gone and done them. I think we did a pretty good job of seeing what I hoped for (and then some) and eating Southern food til we could burst!

For some reason, I didn't take a whole lot of photos in Savannah. This one was right by our hotel, where they were filming a movie with Antonio Banderas. Some of our favorite things we did around there were Tybee Island and just walking around the downtown area. We also had the best barbecue of the trip (and possibly my life) at Wiley's. Ben had looked it up, and I was skeptical when we pulled up (on our way out to Tybee). But it was reeeeaaaally good. We also ate at Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons, but I was less than impressed with that one.

And this is Pensacola! It was really beautiful there, and the water was so blue and warm. Once again, Ben was the one who planned this part of the trip (he's always wanted to go to the Gulf coast), and I had been kind of indifferent about it. But once we got there, I was really blown away and so glad we made it one of our stops. It was by far the best beach I've ever been to.

Our last stop before we headed back to Nashville was New Orleans. The first day we got there, we went straight to the French Quarter...but honestly it wasn't as great as I had expected. The buildings were really cool, but the city itself was pretty grungy and just not really my style. But the things we did outside of the city were amazing! I loooved Oak Alley Plantation (absolute dream house, and can you imagine coming home down that oak-lined drive every day?). We got to tour the inside as well, and we ate at the restaurant on the property--I got gumbo and Ben had crawfish etouffee and red beans and rice.

Of course, while in New Orleans we knew we had to get some beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde! We ate at the French Quarter location one morning, and we also ate at another (less crowded) location a few times. We've been craving beignets ever since we got back! We found a food truck near our work that sells them, and we've bought them a few times already. They're pretty good--the best we've found in Seattle so far--but they're not quite Cafe du Monde. I actually think we might try to make our own homemade beignets this weekend! Ben's dad has a family recipe that we've made a few times...they are really good and have a little bit of spice in them.

We also did a swamp tour one of the days we were in New Orleans. It was actually one of my favorite things we did on our trip! The swamp itself was so unique and beautiful--way different from what we're used to--and we saw so many alligators.

Lastly, we looped back up to Nashville and hung out there a few more days before we returned our rental car and flew home. It was bittersweet coming back to the same city we started in, and knowing the trip was almost over. We were glad we got the chance to see Mammoth Cave (we had planned to go there when we first got to Nashville, but it was closed due to the government shutdown). It's worth the drive to get there--I thought it was really cool to see, and part of the drive we did through Kentucky was absolutely beautiful, with the cutest farmhouses on either side of the road, and lots of antique stores that were calling my name! Our last night in Nashville, we treated ourselves to some Jeni's ice cream, which was pretty darn delicious. I thought their shop was adorable too, with those Tolix stools and tissue paper garlands!

So that's it! Our trip in a nutshell. It was probably my favorite vacation that I've ever done...we were really happy with all the places we chose to see, and all the activities we did. If you are planning a similar trip and want some more specific suggestions, just shoot me an email! And if you missed it, you can see part one of my photos here.

Do you guys have any fun plans this weekend? I'm going to this Etsy pop up at West Elm tomorrow with some girlfriends. If you're in Seattle, you should go too!