Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, like, in 24 hours. We’ve been busy around the house getting ready to host Thanksgiving dinner over here this year (yay!) but I wanted to pop in and share a super simple, quick, ultra easy project I whipped up this morning.

It seems like every time I dust the coffee table, I rearrange it while I’m at it. Since we’re already in Christmas mode, the last rendition included a stack of books with our silver and sold wise men / shepherd tic tac toe (it looks a lot classier than it sounds, haha) along with… nothing. There was a big empty space that needed to be filled. I wanted something wintery (that would be deemed as either Thanksgiving or Christmas) but nothing too colorful or bold, since it would take away from the tree that’s only three feet away. I love candles year round, but this time of year, I like to amp up the coziness by adding a few more here and there. So a candle it was!

I took a small hurricane that I picked up from Crate and Barrel a few years back and placed a small white pillar candle inside. Obviously, I wasn’t going to leave it like this. I needed something to fill the empty space. I actually ending up leaving it empty for about an hour or until something came to mind. Then, it dawned on me… I remembered we had some whole walnuts in the pantry. Score! Sure, the medium tones of the shell would be a nice contrast to the dark coffee table, right? But it’s the Christmas season (well, in 48 hours it will be). At Christmas time, everything is better with a little bit of glimmer.

Before I move on… I can’t mention walnuts without referencing the Dick Van Dyke Show episode “It May Look Like a Walnut”. It’s one of my top 5 Dick Van Dyke Show episodes. I remember when I was a kid, this episode would always scare me but it’s really so, so funny! If you haven’t seen it, you must watch it. You can watch the full episode here on Hulu.

I broke out a sponge brush (which when I took the photo already had paint on it because I forgot to take a photo before I started painting) and the Martha Stewart craft paints we had left over from another project we worked on a few weeks ago (which we’ll be dishing out on next week!). I had two shades of gold (Vintage Gold and Golden Pearl). Btw, you can find these specific craft paints at Home Depot but they have smaller versions of the same colors (though they might be a different name) over at Michaels. 

I thought the painting projects were behind us for a while, so I bit the bullet and got my nails done for the holidays. I should have known better. To protect my newly manicured nails, I put my hand in a plastic bag and held the walnut with the “bagged” hand while I painted it. When I was finished, I just turned the bag inside out. No mess!

One episode of Big Bang Theory later, all of the walnuts were shimmery gold. I ended up skipping the glitter and alternated the two shades of gold. I put them on paper plates to allow them to dry for a few hours. I think I’ve said this before, but one thing I love about metallic paint is how fast it dries! After ironing a table cloth, answering a few emails and taking Bentley for a walk, the walnuts were all dry and ready to show off.

 I really love the subtle statement it brings to the coffee table. It ties in with the gold ornaments on the tree as well as the tic tac toe over on the stack of books.

The difference in shades of gold is super subtle. Even so, I think it makes a bit of difference and helps bring out the texture differences of the walnut shells. I love how the nooks and crannies help the metallic paint catch the light given off by the Christmas tree.

While we’re at it, here’s a little peek of the Christmas tree. We’re planning on doing a post on the details in the next week or so. On that note, I’ve got to get back to my pumpkin pie baking session! We hope all of you are having fun getting geared up for Thanksgiving tomorrow!

We’ve got some fun and exciting news to share with you guys today! We’ve been so anxious (anxious in a good way!) about this bit of news and the fact that we can finally share it with you all today, makes Greg and I super happy. So, here goes nothin… A little over two months ago, we were contacted by the powers that be at Target. (I know, right?! Target!) After I gathered my composure (aka scanned the email really fast to see if it was an automated press release or something), I carefully read the entire email, trying to contain my excitement. In a nutshell, they asked Greg and I to join Target’s Inner Circle, a small group of social influencers who get to bring our readers the inside scoop and exclusive access to all things Target. This is when Greg and I looked at each other and said, “Are they sure they have the right bloggers?”

Target is a big part of our everyday lives, and as corny as it may sound, making our house a home. That being the case, after talking more with the folks at Target and taking everything into consideration, we felt this would be a fun and natural partnership. As a part of the Target Inner Circle, Target has designed unique experiences tailored to our content here on the blog (decorating, home life and such). We’ll also be participating in some pretty awesome activities with some pretty fabulous people and designers (who shall be named later!) and sharing some of our experiences over on Target’s online magazine, A Bullseye View. Our first post over there will be up in a few days or so – we’ll be sure to let you guys know when!

We’re so thankful to Target for putting their trust in us as bloggers, Target-lovers, and “social influencers”. (Honestly, though, that phrase makes us very uncomfortable – we’re just normal people in a sea of bloggers!) We’re super excited about what’s to come and the experiences we’ll be taking part in. At the risk of getting sappy (but it’s oh-so-true!), we wouldn’t be given opportunities like this if it weren’t for awesome readers like you guys. Annnnnd… we’re super-excited that Target is going to be throwing some love your way from time to time, as well…. and today is one of those times! To celebrate our announcement, Target is giving one lucky reader a $100 Target gift card! Seriously, who wouldn’t love a Target gift card, right?!

Here’s how to enter… Scroll down to the giveaway widget below and log in with your Facebook account or enter your email address. (As always, your information is kept private.) Once you’ve done that, you’ll be shown the entry requirements set by yours truly. Click the “Do it!” button, type the required phrase in the blank in the widget, then click “Enter!”. Now that you’ve entered, you’ll see some optional entry options. To gain additional entries and increase your chances of winning the prize, you can do one or all of them. If you already follow Target (or us!), go ahead and enter your Facebook or Twitter info, and you’ll be automatically given the extra entries. As usual, the winner will be chosen using Random.org. Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PS On Friday, we’ll be joining in on the Target Inner Circle Black Friday Scavenger Hunt. (Have I mentioned before how much I love scavenger hunts?!) Check out Instagram (@7thHouseBlog), Twitter and Pinterest as we brave the crowds and scout out some awesome deals!

Today’s post is going to be short and sweet because we’re working on a bunch of loose ends around the house before we host Thanksgiving this week. Stuff like, a bit of touch up paint here and there in the dining room, officially recover the carport from our Home Depot Challenge (which is finished and we can’t wait to share with you once it’s posted over on HomeDepot.com!), grocery shopping, early table prepping, etc.

Earlier this week, our barstools arrived! I felt like a kid on Christmas. Seriously, we’ve been waiting so long to buy barstools because we couldn’t commit to a style. Now that’s we’ve completely committed to the modern/rustic/hint of quirky vintage look, it finally feels like everything is falling into place (in our heads anyway). I was so excited and anxious about the barstools that I left the room while Greg put them together and didn’t come back in the room until he was done. Is that weird? I’m sure it is, haha. Enough chat, here are the new pretty beauties…

We love them. Love, love. They are the perfect touch of warmth the kitchen needed. The dark metal legs tie in with the ORB hardware throughout the kitchen and helps make the whole look come together.

Since they are in the sunlight in this photo, they look kinda red (especially the one on the right). In person, they are a rich medium/dark brown – which we really love. They are also really comfortable. I was kind of hesitant about the solid wood seat because I wanted them to be comfortable enough for people to be able to sit and chat for hours on end. We could easily fit three stools under the ledge, but I think that would make things too crowded and busy. Two is perfect for us.

The shade for the kitchen window hasn’t come in yet. I have my fingers crossed hoping it will get here before Thanksgiving rolls around. BUT, just in time for Thanksgiving, we have comfy, stylish seating for people to chill out at during the cooking and baking festivities. Yay for semi-impulsive buying!

If you’re in the mood for a fun and yummy turkey-related “edible craft”, be sure to click on over to iHeart Organizing to check out my family’s Little Gobblers!

FYI We have a fun announcement and a giveaway we’re positive all of you will love coming up on Monday!