New Etsy Listing: Custom Initial Heart Ornaments, perfect for gifts or wedding favors!

Meet our latest edition to the Etsy Shop, Custom Initial Heart Ornaments in Birch!  These make a great gift for your favorite couple or a keepsake for you and your significant other.  The wood-burned design is reminiscent of initials carved in a tree.  
And if you're thinking of having these as wedding favors, please make sure to send me a custom order request as bulk discounts are available.  

Lots of GIVEAWAYS Coming Your Way!

I've teamed up with some great bloggers and shops to bring some amazing GIVEAWAYS over the next couple weeks.  Keep an eye out, they're not to be missed! 

They include:  Thistle and Oak, Seacoast Lately, Nûby USA, Mainely Mama, Life on the Shady Grove, Mariner Lines, and In The Morning Co...Whew, I think that's everyone!  

Thank a Veteran

Thank a Veteran, today and every day. Veterans don't get nearly enough credit for the sacrifices they gave and still give for us to have the freedoms we do.  

For those of you who haven't seen "Honor Flight" yet, watch it tonight. It's a documentary about a volunteer group who's mission is to honor the Greatest Generation by flying them to see their WWII Memorial in Washington, DC.  It's such a beautiful, moving documentary and the inspiring stories it tells will make you shed a tear.  

I've included the link to "Honor Flight" below or you can request it from your local library.  It will certainly move you and remind you of how lucky we are to have such brave men and women come before us.   

Featured on Life on the Shady Grove

Wendy from Life on the Shady Grove will be sharing her Christmas home tour and hosting a HUGE series of giveaways in December featuring 32 crafters, including Birch Landing Home!  She's just posted a little introduction to some of the participants on her blog so you can get a preview of some of the makers and items involved.  

I can't wait to see how she styles our hand-etched ornaments in her home and I'm looking forward to sending the lucky winner their own set of ornaments to use this Christmas!  

Don't worry, I'll let you know when Wendy's gorgeous home tour is up on her blog and when her 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways begin!  But in the meantime, don't forget to follow her on Instagram (@lifeontheshadygrove) so you don't miss another inspiring home decor post.  

Harvest Side Dish Recipe

This is one of my favorite hearty side dishes for anytime of year, though it probably is best suited for Fall.  Very quick and easy to put together too!  | This post contains affiliate links |

I call it my Harvest Side Dish because it's basis is Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend.  I'm a huge fan of this mix, even on it's own.  It makes a great side to dinner any night of the week and adding some of my favorite fall foods in there just makes it even more harvest-y (that's a word, right?).  

Harvest Side Dish

Prep time 10 mins  |  Cook time 25 mins  | Serves up to 8

Ingredients

• 1/2 a package of Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend (if not available you can substitute a mix of Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa, totaling 1 1/4 cups)

• 1 small onion

• 1 apple

• 1 package of apple chicken sausage

• 1/2 tsp sage

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook Harvest Grains Blend (or your substitution) according to package directions.

2. While that's cooking, cut up sausage and onion and saute in pan until cooked through, seasoning with sage, salt, and pepper. Add in chopped apples towards the end (I like them soft but not mushy).

3. Once all your cooked ingredients are finished, mix together in a large bowl and serve hot.

4. Enjoy - told you that was easy!

Handpainted Gold Acorns

I've just listed these adorable gold-painted acorns in my Etsy Shop!  These fallen New England acorns have been washed and oven dried before being painted a luxe gold.  They come as a set of a dozen and the possibilities are endless with what you can do with them - vase fillers, adding finishing touches to centerpieces, place settings, crafts, and more!  

I think they will look perfect on our Thanksgiving table!  What would you use them for?  

New Etsy Listings: Hand-Etched Arrow Ornaments

It's been awhile since I've had arrow ornaments available but I thought I'd bring them back because they're so fun and, well, arrows are big right now!  I have them listed in the Etsy shop in both birch and maple with your choice of ribbon.  

|  Arrow Hand-Etched Ornament in Birch  |

|  Arrow Hand-Etched Ornament in Maple  |

New Etsy Listing: Set of Rustic Square Pumpkins

Just added on Etsy - Rustic Square Pumpkins!  Perfect for Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.  These come as a set of two and are made to order.