giving thanks: decor + outfit + cards + recipes for thanksgiving day

these are some thanksgiving ideas that i wanted to share with you all… some of my inspirations for the upcoming holiday. growing up, our traditions for thanksgiving were to get up early and watch the macy’s thanksgiving day parade – sitting close to the television… determining our favorite balloons, looking for santa, and beginning to smell the aroma of my mom’s cooking. i am fortunate to have a mom who cooks better than any other cooking i have yet to experience- and i am not just saying this because she’s my mom – she’s known for this in our hometown/extended family. that’s over thirty years of delicious meals. and it’s not just cooking- the woman can bake as well. just ask our hometown football and baseball team- they still receive ‘sandy’s delicious cookies’ prior to games. my mom was the oldest girl growing up on a farm so there were two choices- go outside and work or stay in and cook. we all know what she decided on – and i am forever grateful. our other family traditions include: our annual wolf family turkey trot through the woods {last year we all received long sleeved t-shirts from my parents, had a shotgun start, and sang the star spangled banner before- followed by a bloody mary bar} … we watch lots of football, my dad makes his famous omelets, we hang out with our aunts, uncles, cousins, and sweet grandma {along with a few spontaneous visitors/neighbors} and then hours of playing games/building puzzles. i am grateful to have been able to grow up so close to my extended family- we have all become so close. the next day we usually browse boutiques in a nearby town, talk over coffee, and end the day with a mexican fiesta while watching elf, our favorite, to kick off the holiday season. ‘it’s nice to meet other humans who share my affinity for elf culture.” – buddy the elf. saturday is usually a day for gathering with family and friends and watching the ohio state/michigan game together with yummy football food and more family games! how stereotypical midwest are we?