Cheers to the Week: Hello, Thanksgiving! Edition

Hello friends! Popping in for a pre-Thanksgiving check-in to share a little of what we've been up to as we dive headfirst into the holiday season! Kicking things off with...

Grandparent weekend at Rocky Knob Retreat! (I know, I know. I still haven't written an actual post about our new mountain home, but I swear I will, soon). ANYWHO. Our vacation rental home continues to be one of our favorite places on the planet, and we love reserving a weekend here or there to share it with those we love. The last said trip happened a couple weeks ago, when we took both sets of our parents up there, along with my Lu Crew, for a weekend of family fun, and we had such a special, such a fun time! We cozied in and cooked, we hiked and shopped, we enjoyed the views and each other. We loved it. <3

Meanwhile, back at home, we've been making some fun interior updates! We had several rooms painted last week, including the master bedroom and the girls' room, and I changed out some furniture and finally (i.e., 8 years later) added some art to our walls in our dining room (I specifally chose a triptych world map because I wanted to be able to see both China and the USA on our walls #bringinghomeBella). I love a good before/after; so...here are some before/afters: 

Before:

After:

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Amidst the Thanksgiving prep (see: hosting Thanksgiving for the first time this year!), we have gotten in plenty of great friend time, including: 

A cooking class with fun friends at The Foodie School: 

Happy Hours for the adults and movie snuggles for the kids with friends of all ages:

Charcuterie-board-making-class with gal pals: 

Plenty of friend time for my little Lus, who I see less and less of these days (tear for my momma heart; joy for their happy, social hearts) : 

Gatherings with my hub's LifeGroup and their families at the Greenway: 

Clemson game watching poolside, thanks to dear friends/hosts who also throw the most fun shindigs:

And of course, some lovely family time: 

And a little goodness if you are looking for beautiful, personal holiday gifts: First, my super talented friend, Molly, created these special tea towels for my mom and mom "in law" for their birthdays, each showcasing handwritten recipes in their mom's handwriting. There were tears over the sentimentality, and I loved how they turned out. She can create just about anything! Check her out: 

Another special gift idea? My incredibly talented artist friend, Melissa, created this custom art for us that I love, love, love and have proudly hanging in our family room. She has all kinds of beautiful pieces on her website, too, if that is your preference over creating a customized piece. Check her out, too! 

Let's see: a little more randomness? I got into the crafting spirit the other night and created this custom book stack similar to one I've been ogling for some time on etsy. The cost = the price of the white wrapping paper I bought from HomeGoods. Then, just wrap three books already on hand, print out our name on vinyl using my Silhouette, and tie them together with twine for a simple, but pretty, piece of decor: 

Annnnnd throw in a My Favorite Things party; a near broken arm by yours truly; tennis lessons and matches; Barre3; doctor appointments; and the aforementioned Thanksgiving prep, and things have been joyfully crazy and joyfully fun this month! 

I am so thankful for so many things, one of which being this little space of mine. Thank you for reading and following along as we Lus make our way through this little life of ours. Wishing you and yours the grateful-est of Thanksgivings during this crazy, unpredictable year. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! Back soon!