Not a Creature Was Stirring...

Ok Ya'll, Christmas has officially begun at the Pickle House. I'm having out of state family, daughters and boyfriends for Thanksgiving dinner.

 So in between scrubbing bathrooms, changing sheets, making special ordered gifts and buying turkey I managed to get the family room decorating started!

Before you start thinking I'm superwoman, I cheated and took a day off of work yesterday!

Oops, no skirt!

Football is the real centerpiece of this room.

You know, the whole Maryland Crabs thing!

My baby with his baby! He's nibbling it's ear...his favorite thing to do!

I want to post about an awesome Christmas Giveaway over at Tater Tots and Jello.

In fact, there are so many awesome giveaways lately I'm just going to start linking them all through the candle photo at the top right corner of this blog.

One stop shopping for all of your giveaway contest entries!

But first here is Jen's giveaway at Tater Tots and Jello!

Hop on over there and enter to win!

Dena

And The Winner Is...

Happy Monday Ya'll!

At the risk of becoming an unworthy copy of the Oscars, LOL! There are several people I wish to thank for helping to make this possible.

I want to thank everyone that entered to win the giveaway.
It did my heart good to read all of the sweet comments!

Thank you to a few friends that went above and beyond to also post the giveaway on their own blogs:

Kim at Cheap Chic Home
Jeanette at Sweet Jeanette
Cheri at It's So Very Cheri
Aik at Friends and Family

A special thank you to Cheri at It's So Very Cheri for
Featuring my blog in the midst of the giveaway! 
A double delight!

Thank you to Dollar Tree and Liquid Nails, just for being you!

And on to the disclaimer:

We asked the most impartial member of the family,
Jack the Jack Russell, to draw the 2 winners from the 108 entries!

As long as no food is involved he is the most trusted member of the family. (All rules are broken for food!)

And the winners are...

Fawnda at Fireflies and Jellybeans

AND

Tara at Just Devine Style

Congratulations!

I will be contacting you about your choice of

styles and your mailing address!

Have a great Day!

Dena

Pilgrim Hat Place Holders and a GIVEAWAY!

Happy Friday!
A GIVEAWAY AND Links to MORE Giveaways!

Please enter my "Thanksgiving" giveaway by clicking the link to the right. I want to give 2 lucky ladies 2 festive candle holders before Thanksgiving! And there are more Giveaways listed for you to win even more goodies!


Here are some Thanksgiving Goodies to DIY:
I saw this cute idea on Party Blog

but it originated from

Better Homes and Gardens.

It was just tooo cute not to share with you too!

What You Need: 
                                                                         
3-inch terra-cotta flowerpot
Crafting foam in black, yellow, green, and purple
Scissors
Acrylic paints in black, white, red, green, and blue
Thick white crafts glue
Black fabric paint pen


Instructions:

1. Paint the entire pot black and allow it to dry. Choose a color to paint the band around the top of the pot. Let it dry. Make white dots on the rest of the pot by dipping the handle of a paintbrush in white paint and dotting onto the surface.

2. Cut a circle from black foam. Cut it about 1/2 inch wider all around than the pot opening. Use an appropriate size dish, cup, or lid to trace. Place a small amount of glue on the rim of the pot and glue onto the black foam circle.

3. To make the buckle, measure the width of the band of the pot (the portion painted a different color). Cut a rectangle out of foam that measures about 1/8 inch deeper than the band on the pot. Glue it to the band. Let the glue dry.

4. Use a black paint pen to write the guest's name on the colored band. Allow it to dry before using.

I can almost smell the turkey cooking!

Happy Crafting Everyone! Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY contest before midnight Sunday - Winners announced Monday morning!

GOOD LUCK!

Dena

Giveways!

GIVEAWAYS! GIVEAWAYS! GIVEAWAYS!

Kim at Cheap Chic Home is offering this.

Hop on over there and sign up to win this beautiful book!

The Giveaway book is entitled:

Entertaining With Longaberger Celebrating the Seasons.

It is a brand new book still in shrink wrap.
Hurry! Ends Friday Nov 27th

My new sweet friend at Sweet Jeanette is celebrating 100 followers by giving away this awesome quilt and tote!
Don't miss out on this one.

Last chance to enter, Friday Nov 27th!

And you simply must try to win this lovely basket

of goodies offered by Leann at The Old Parsonage !

Enter by Friday Nov 27th!

What about this awesome Cookie sheet Calendar that

Jen at Tater Tots and Jello

is offering?

Ends Thanksgiving night at midnight!

What A Beautiful Day!

Guest Blogger?!?!

I guess you could say I'm having a guest blogger today-in photos and work effort. My guest today is my husband, Steve. He does all of the "yard" work and I handle the flower beds.

Well, Saturday while I was at a Craft Fair selling my wares and after several blustery days of leaf accumulation, I came home to this beauty!

How wonderful to come home!

Thank you hubby-for the work, the lovely yard and the wonderful photos!

Thank you soooo much to my guest blogger today! I hope you'll come again soon...I'm a big fan of your work!

Have an Awesome Day Ya'll!

Dena

Met Monday : Farmhouse Sink

Thank you Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting Met Monday today!

I'm sharing another part of our kitchen remodel:

The farmhouse sink.

We bought the sink from IKEA for $300. We drove to Charlotte to get it and also bought solid oak countertops while we were there.

Before: The pennisula had just been removed from the left side of the old sink and old countertop area.

Old and tired!

The new sink. We had to modify the existing cabinet. We cut off the top portion of the cabinet where the false drawer fronts were so the sink could be recessed. We built supports inside the cabinet to support the sink weight, which if I remember correctly was 100 lbs on it's own, add a couple gallons of water and you'll need some extra support!

Side view. We put the new dishwasher here...it was on the right side of the sink before beside the stove and I wanted to seperate the two appliances.

The new dishwasher and oak countertops where the penninsula used to be.

I love the width and depth of this sink.

It has been awesome!

And I shouldn't tell,

but I spent as much on the faucet as I did on the sink,

cherry on top-LOL!

Primping the sink for it's close-up!

Life is good!

Thank you for visiting me in my new and improved kitchen-come again soon!

I'm off to be inspired by all of the Met Monday posts today!

Happy Monday~

Dena