Random thoughts on the first weekend in NOVEMBER:

1. I wish I could invite every single one of you over for coffee to say THANK YOU for your support of Westleigh’s painted ornament collection in the shop (you can see it here).

You sold us OUT.

In amazing news? We are working on a hand-painted blue and white ornament collection that releases at the end of next week.

If that’s something you might be interested in? Just leave a comment below and say “Interested” and we’ll send you an email FIRST, so you’ll be the first to shop in case they sell out, too.

2. This is Baylor Homecoming weekend. Did you know that Baylor has the oldest homecoming tradition in Texas? There’s a parade and a bonfire and all kinds of fun homecoming activities.

Our football team isn’t doing that well, so hopefully this will give us something to cheer about.

3. It was a merry-making week on the blog. This week we talked about:

4. I spent yesterday creating the cutest velvet ornament idea that you can make for a fraction of the price from higher-end ornaments. I’m sharing it on Monday.

5. Get ready—because it’s NOVEMBER we are going to be all-Christmas all the time around here. 🙂

6. Have any of you read The Silent Patient? I just started it and I couldn’t put it down. The book is a mystery about a patient who has never spoken since she created her crime and her psycho therapist who is determined to solve the mystery of how everything happened.

You can see it here.

You can see my top 50 books list here.

And now?

Let’s see what I found to share this week.

A decorated Christmas tree adorned with woven baskets, white ornaments, and ribbons stands next to a staircase draped with green garland in a cozy, well-lit home. More baskets are arranged at the base of the tree.

Isn’t this the cutest idea for a tree?

Just add baskets.

Loved this post about these 7 different Christmas styles (this is the cozy Cottage Christmas style).

A festive scene with wrapped gifts, string lights, and ornaments on a richly patterned rug. A basket holds golden baubles, and a dark red cloth is decorated with dried flowers and orange slices, creating a cozy holiday atmosphere.

This is the cutest idea to transform a garland.

I wish I would have thought of this.

Brilliant my friends, brilliant.

You can see the DIY here.

This bottle brush wreath.

Isn’t it the cutest? I saw it last year and bookmarked it to make it this year.

You can see the DIY here.

You know how all about gingerbread I am.

Look at this tree.

See all the how-tos here.

 

And in random news this week:

This before-and-after ranch makeover (WOW)

These pine cone decorating ideas

Stress-free Thanksgiving tips

This clever idea with frozen pancakes

These beautiful handmade garlands

5-ingredient pumpkin pie

12 decorating rules you should never break (or almost never)

This will make your Thanksgiving so much cuter

How to make cold-brew coffee at home

These Thanksgiving treats

6 things to clean this fall

The sweetest little cabin in the woods

10 fall projects to tackle right now

And this

Have you heard about whimsy pieces in puzzles (my sister told me about this)

And one more for the road

This was my favorite Christmas post this year.

I hope it inspires you, too.

You can see it here.

A bundt cake dusted with powdered sugar sits on a white pedestal cake stand, reminiscent of the easiest gingerbread house recipe. Greenery decorates the base of the stand, adding a festive touch to the presentation.

// this gingerbread house pan //

Easy Thanksgiving (and Christmas) dessert idea

This was the hit of the holidays last year.

It’s so easy to make and I sprinkled powdered sugar on the top to resemble snow.

The pan is so well-made and sturdy and comes with a brush to clean out the tiny little corners of the pan.

You can see the gingerbread house pan.

You can see the gingerbread house village here.

Three wooden ornaments shaped like buildings: a white house with a red door and chimney, a white church with a blue door, and a red barn with a white X on the doors. All have small windows and gold hanging loops.

// these wooden house ornaments//

Top Seller From Thistlewood & Co

This little set of handmade house ornaments is the CUTEST (and one of our top sellers).

It comes in a set of three and they are perfect to decorate around the house (and on the tree).

You can see the set of houses here.

Happy NOVEMBER to you

disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post

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Posted On: November 1, 2025

Written By: KariAnne Wood

Comments

  1. Image for Peggy Peggy

    Interested. I am incorporating blue to my christmas tree ornaments this year. Excited to see your pieces. Have a great weekend.

    Reply
  4. Image for Mary Beth Crook Mary Beth Crook

    Interested! would love to receive email about blue and white ornaments. I loved Westleigh's painted ornaments and ordered 5!

    Reply
  12. Image for Yvonne @ StoneGable Yvonne @ StoneGable

    Thank you, sweet friend, for featuring 12 Decorating Tips You Should Never Break. So kind! I love your Thistlekeeping posts. They are packed full of so many ideas and lots of inspiration! Have a beautiful weekend! xo

    Reply
  15. Image for Debbie Debbie

    Very interested, dear KariAnne! Love all of your sweet holiday ideas!! You’ve got me amped up!! My family is coming for a visit from Chicago to SC the week before Thanksgiving. Since we haven’t spent Christmas with them for several years…multiple family obligations, little kids should spend Christmas in their own house with Elf on the Shelf, etc. You have inspired me once again. I am thinking of putting our Christmas tree and decorations up to celebrate Thanksgiving/pre-Christmas with them. Am I crazy? I am so excited!!!! 🎄🎅🏻

    Reply
    1. Image for Lee Stearns Lee Stearns

      Go for it! My tree is up already so we can have time to enjoy it!! We’ve never done presents for Christmas! We take a whole family trip somewhere- everyone votes so the locations are random and wonderful! We don’t need stuff, we need time together! And hubby/I going on a cruise BEFORE we meet up with the other 18 so we leave December 9- so enjoying the tree now and celebrating early with friends/neighbors!! Y’all should try the “ no gifts Christmas” sometime!! This is our 14th year and trust me, it puts the joy back in Christmas!! Cheers!!

      Reply
  16. Image for Kris Kris

    I got pulled into so many Thistles this week! My daughter and I went to an art exhibition years ago which featured antique puzzles with whimsy pieces, and were immediately charmed by them. I could only afford the pocket versions of the ones that you featured, but it would make a special gift for someone. Is there anything that rub n buff can't transform?? What a great idea. As an owner of an older ranch home, I greatly appreciated the post on the updated ranch house. It looks marvelous. I'm bookmarking the pine cone ideas--I help run a young adult group and I like to gift them with something small at Christmas--there were a few great (inexpensive!) ideas here. And you know how I love the Scandinavian Homes! :)

    Reply
  33. Image for Monica Monica

    Karianne, Alex Michaelides also wrote “The Maidens”. It is a must read after you finish The Silent Patient. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

    Reply

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