Along the Journey Shopping with Friends

Is your turkey in the oven yet? Just kidding, I know it’s too early for that!

brine your turkey

But it’s not too early to brine your turkey. I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now. Have you tried it? I use a combination of water, sea salt, brown sugar, and the usual spices like rosemary, thyme, and sage. Garlic and onion powders are optional.

I make a big batch and then add it to a clean cooler filled with ice water, put the turkey in, and fill it to the brim with more water to cover the turkey.

Then I keep putting ice on it to make sure it stays icing cold until Thanksgiving morning. This makes for a tender, flavor-filled turkey that we love!

spatchcock your turkey

I’m also going to Spatchcock our turkey this year! I’ve used this method when roasting a chicken but this will be a first for the turkey. It should roast quicker and get an evenly browned outer skin. Fingers crossed! I’ll try to share a picture of the bird next week.

However you cook your turkey, I hope you have the best Thanksgiving celebration yet! Give your family big hugs and enjoy your time together this Thanksgiving! 🦃 🥰

freebie library goodies!

Have you checked out the freebie library lately? This week, I added all sorts of Christmas designs for you. Phone wallpapers, printable gift tags and artwork, and several greeting card designs. Get the cards printed and you could start on that Christmas card list this weekend!

If you plan on printing the greeting cards and the gift tags, use heavy card stock for a professional look. Grab some cute brown craft paper envelopes for a special touch!

Don’t you just love this simple phone wallpaper design? They are so easy to put on your phone!

Head over to the freebie library and scroll down to the phone wallpaper section. I have this design and five more you will enjoy!

Download the image to your phone and add it as your background.

Change it out to the other designs anytime you need a change.

recent projects

This weekend, I will be out thrift shopping for a couple of old wool sweaters to make my annual sweater snowman. I’ve made one of these snowmen for the last 20 years! I’m excited to see what I come up with this year.

If you need a quick pumpkin centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table, grab a couple of cloth napkins and throw these sweet pumpkins together in no time! Make 3 or 4 and that should be plenty for a sweet table decoration!

Tap the images below for the tutorials!

recent YouTube video

I took the week off from YouTube. In fact, I might take a couple of weeks off! Some time away might be refreshing 🙂

Here is a fun video from last year that I am sure you will enjoy watching! In it, I will show you how to make a back wrap apron. This would be a great Christmas gift idea. It’s soooo easy to make and inexpensive especially if you use dropcloth!

Tap the image below to watch! You can also read the blog post How to Make a Back Wrap Apron.

Saturday shopping

Some of my blogging friends and I are getting together and sharing our recent finds while shopping online.

You can check the links below for our faves and be sure to pop over to visit their blogs. Each of these ladies has a beautiful vintage-loving and repurposing style like you and I do. I’m sure you will enjoy reading their posts!

Reinvented Delaware – Cindy

• Have you decided what to wear for Thanksgiving dinner? I’m hosting so I like to have something I can quickly throw on before the meal. A green corduroy dress and camel boots are perfect! Or I might pick a beautiful blue sweater and jeans with my favorite slip on leather shoes! We’ll see what I pick on Thursday! haha!
• I’ve also started thinking about what to wear for Christmas morning. We often have a houseful with our kids, their spouses and now our grandkids for breakfast. Joyspun pj’s from Walmart will be perfect! I’ll be comfy in a gorgeous red velour lounge set or an adorable plaid top and bottom while still feeling ‘dressed.’
• We are getting a small whole turkey and a turkey breast this year. My non-stick roasting pan will hold both perfectly! I’ll be using Pyrex storage containers for the leftovers. An 18-piece set will hold a ton of leftovers. And a 10-piece set will keep individual servings in my freezer. The Pyrex dishes are also great to send leftovers for your guests.
• Confession – I’ve put up some of my Christmas decorations! I haven’t pulled down the Christmas bins from the attic yet, but my bedroom has been fully decorated with just one new item this year! Our King Noble Fir 4-piece set includes a wreath, garland and two small trees. The Red Berry Collection set is gorgeous too! I love that I have the option to use battery power or plug each piece into the wall separately!

WM Design House – Wendy

‘Tis the season for decking the halls with boughs of holly and hustling to complete our shopping lists. I’ve recently completed my decorating spree and am eager to share some of my cherished discoveries with you.

• I put two Nobel Fir Faux trees up in my family room this year and decorated them with a woodland theme full of darling critters from the forest. These trees are my absolute favorite. They look so natural and have over 600 lights on them.
• Next, I added these wood jingle bells; they are amazing! And they come in large and small.
• If you love the natural look for Christmas, you will love all of these great choices to make your holiday extra special.

Living Large in a Small House – Lynn

I was busy all week turning my house into a White Christmas. Which is my theme for this year. I’m pretty happy with how it has turned out.

• I love the tree that I got from King of Christmas. It’s the 7′ King Noble Flocked Pre-Lit Christmas Tree. It definitely is giving me the White Christmas Look that is my theme this year.
• The White Snowflakes that I bought years ago are always on my trees.
• You just can’t beat Target’s prices for Twinkle Lights. They are less than $2 for a 100-light string.
• I use Colonial Candle Taper Candles during the holidays. It’s such a steal to buy them buy the box

South House Designs – Diane

Are you expecting house guests over the holidays?

I love having house guests, even with just a two bedroom home, we make it work. Starting with the bed. Every guest appreciates a comfy bed, even when you can’t offer a full bedroom.

• Have you seen these beds in a wheeled case? Just unzip the case, plug it in and these beds self-inflate and the frames unfold. Amazing! Add this pillow-top mattress pad cover and your guests will feel spoiled and well-rested. (our guests have all approved!)
• Since no one wants to dig through their bag on the floor, a folding luggage rack is a must. Make sure it’s handsome and sturdy with good reviews, like this one.
• A well-curated night stand is always appreciated. Start with a simple water carafe and glass set , and a small dish to corral jewelry and such like this one is a thoughtful touch.
• Motion-activated nightlights are also appreciated as well as simple robes, especially if they don’t have an ensuite.

Happy Thanksgiving To All!

one for the road

If you are looking for a great way to make stock from your leftover turkey bones, use this recipe. If takes no time to make, it’s a healthy bone broth and it goes perfectly in the freezer for any time you need stock for soup! Winter is coming and you are going to love this stock on a cold day!

Tap the image for my easy chicken stock method that you can use for your Thanksgiving turkey!

Until next time…

Cindy Rust

Cindy has been decorating her home with thrift store finds for 40 years. She is an avid thrift store shopper who loves to makeover the items she finds into vintage-inspired home decor and furniture. When she isn’t thrift shopping or painting a piece of furniture, you can find her making homemade butter, working in her garden, or painting with watercolors.

click here for my story!