Gather for a simple Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving!

 I love to host holiday dinners, not everyone does, I knowww! But if you ARE hosting, why not have a little fun with the table? You can set it, or at least most of it, the day before and check it off your list. It doesn’t have to be elaborate to be elegant, warm and inviting!

I like the juxtaposition of the burlap runner and wicker and wood chargers against the glass and china. In the middle of the table, put a couple of your pretty pumpkins that you have around the house, add some candles, and there you go! So simple!

Another idea- do you have a blue fabric piece laying around? Make a blue table with orange pumpkins, it’ll be so lovely with the contrast of the blue and orange- opposites on the color wheel is always a win, right? At least that’s what my junior high art teacher told me!

Want to keep to traditional fall colors and themes?

This one has that same burlap runner, flowers from Costco (gotta love Costco flowers!) and vintage napkins that were my mom’s. The edges had a scalloped design stitch that was fraying on some of them, so I just cut them all off and frayed it even more for a simpler edge. The gold silverware is also my mom’s. So I really love this table!

These grasses (they look like wheat, right?) are planted in clumps around our yard, the hubs cuts them down and throws them away every fall, so I thought I’d use them this year! Use what you have! (Stay tuned for a fall wreath coming up in another post using them!) My only regret this year is not having any candles on the table, but we ate at noon, so kind of pointless, but I do love the ambiance of candles, even in the middle of the day!

Don’t forget the Littles!

Lots of color and plastic make for a fun table- all the plates, some cups and napkins bought at the dollar store. Under each place setting is an “Activity Page” with coloring, mazes, crosswords, etc. printed out on paper. Hence the cup of crayons in the middle. I’m usually not ready exactly on time, so it gives the kids something to do! We’ve also covered the whole kids table with butcher or brown wrapping paper and then the kids can go crazy with markers (washable of course! lol).

Last, but not least, here’s a stunning fruit dish idea with “Winter Citrus Fruit” of the season- ruby red grapefruit (remove the pith- it’s bitter), navel oranges, blood oranges, clementine’s, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and POMEGRANATES, because it’s like a sprinkling of love!! Add some mint leaves for color. These can be pretty tart fruits, so serve with a sweet fruit dip like: 1 jar of Marshmallow Cream mixed with a half or full block of cream cheese (your choice). Mix it until it’s smooth, you can add some lime juice or lime zest if you want to be fancy! OR pour a warm syrup over it like: Start with a cup of water in a small pan on medium heat, stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar until the sugar is dissolved, take off of the heat and add 1 tsp vanilla or more to taste. Stir until incorporated and serve on the side or pour over the top.

I hope your gathering is the most lovely ever and you feel all the love of friends and family!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Patrice