6 THANKSGIVING & HOLIDAY TABLESCAPE ESSENTIALS

Whether you apply this checklist to your Thanksgiving tablescape, or any holiday feast in the future, here are the 6 essentials you'll need for your tablesetting... From simple white dishes, layering in some texture, adding a natural element, mixing metals, a centerpiece and personalized place-settings, these tips are sure to make your guests feel special, create less stress for you, and can be applied to either a glamorous or relaxed atmosphere... Just enJOY your day!





1. White Dishes
White dishes are the perfect selection to make food look its best - which everyone wants for all their Instagram shots these days! White dishes also help to create a more relaxed casual setting - or when rimmed in silver / gold, white dishes can create the most glamorous setting. White dishes are easy to replace when chipped or breakage occurs -- Over time, build a unique collection of white on white patterns, great for seasonal changes. Collecting small saucers or decorative dessert plates can also be used for Hors d'oeuvre and a tasting party...





2. Texture 
Texture can be achieved with layered textiles, such as a natural linen place mat layered on a burlap runner or crisp white cloth. Texture can also come from the dishes in the form of embossed prints - like oak leaf dessert plates, hobnail milk glass, or even a simple embossed ribbed plate. When layering plates on your table, think of the immediate ones to use: salad or soup plus a dinner plate. Create a dessert nook or buffet displaying dessert plates stacked to ovoid over layered place-settings...





3. Natural Element
Natural elements work for almost any season - from wicker chargers for Spring and Summer settings, to birch wrapped candles in Fall or Winter. Other natural elements can include: fruit, flowers, gourds, rosemary, branches, pinecones, nuts or leaves. Leaving them in their natural state creates a relaxed setting, while painting any natural element white or dipping in gold can create a more glamorous look.








4. Mix Metals
Just as we include in our home decor now a days, mixed metals on a table setting can create either a relaxed or luxurious look. A perfect example of mixed metals for your table setting can come from the silverware. Whether you purchase a new set from West Elem or HomeGoods -- or create your own... Shop Estate Sales, flea markets, or thrift for silverware and dip handles in gold - mixed metals can help create a feel of a table that has been collected over time. The holidays are a perfect time to experiment with mixed metals on a tablesetting (think of the classic song from Rudolph "Silver and Gold")





5. Centerpiece
3 keys to a successful centerpiece: 1.Keep the centerpiece low profile, to encourage conversation for guests. If table centerpiece is tall, plan on shifting to nearby buffet to still enjoy, but allow food to be the center of attention. 3 If creating a festive trail (for example of leaves and acorns running down center of table) opt for items easy to place serveware on ( winter snowflakes, fall leaves, spring flower petals). Unsented white candles are a simple and elegant go to - either pillar or taper - set in clusters across from guests and will work for either casual or formal table settings...





6. Personalized Place Settings
Placing guest names at each place-setting will help avoid stress when you're trying to serve your meal. It can be a simple as an initial you hand write or press on with decal letters from the craft store. The name card can perform double duty as a tag on a napkin ring, or it can be the tag of a small gift. B&W Photographs are a heartfelt means of personalizing your guests place-setting.



My first Thanksgiving tablescape - November 2006 - when we had just bought our first place in October.



I hope you enjoyed the tips and they are helpful for you to enjoy your holiday season...

Thanks for stopping by...





FABULOUSLY FESTIVE - HOLIDAY VIRTUAL ROOM DESIGNS AT HOMES.COM

It's been a while since I've participated in a challenge at Olioboard -- but, Thursday I created a few Holiday Style boards for a new sponsored challenge! Olioboard teamed up with Homes.com to create the Fabulously Festive - Virtual Room Design Contest! The rules included incorporating at least one decorative item created by the Homes.com blogger network, already pulled together in a set on Olioboard. Designing the boards for the challenge definitely helped to bring on the Christmas spirit. Since I was recently contracted to create a pin profile for a very traditional lifestyle brand Hadley Court (more about that later!) - my virtual room designs are a little more traditional in style, except one: Winter Greetings. Here are the four festive boards I created for the design contest, which you can vote on. Just click the link below the boards you'd like to vote on to visit Olioboard.com...


View and Vote for: Winter Greetings

Winter Greetings is more my personal holiday style I've created here in our Arizona home. Over the weekend, I dismantled my Fall living room and transformed it to a look very similar to this virtual room -- which is one of the great features about using Olioboard to create virtual rooms. You can see our home for the holidays at:  Holiday Home Tour

View and Vote for: Winter Gathering

Although I had created this roomboard last year (See at: Wine & Dine) it was a great starting point to decorate a virtual room for Christmas, just as a real-life home would be. I had fun mixing the buffalo check chairs and other plaid accents, like the scarves tied onto the top hat wreaths - which makes this virtual room fun & festive!

 View and Vote for: Cozy Christmas 

So true - Everything old is new again - Although this room may look like the 90's, the plaid club chairs and sofa are Ralph Lauren, the black shade lamps and gold mirror are from 1stdibs, and the deer antler chandelier is from Lamps Plus...


 View and Vote for: Festive Feast

 The plaid focal point over the fireplace was the perfect choice from the Homes.com blogger network set on Olioboard! I cropped it to be oval & framed it - Lovely virtual space to enjoy an after dinner Port! 



 Your votes count! They help place the Top 50 boards to qualify for an opportunity to win Visa Gift Cards from Homes.com. Guest Judge Courtney Whitmore from Pizzazzerie will select the The Top 3 boards as winners of the contest! Last week I learned the hubs may be getting a new store, and we'd be relocating to North Carolina by January (fingers crossed!)!! Winning a Visa Gift card could sure come in handy for a move - or even now with the holidays!




Thank you for taking the time to view my boards, check out the challenge, and vote for your faves too! You can vote once daily on your favorite room designs (over 144 entries so far!) or create a room of your own by joining Olioboard and creating a free account. The voting period for the Fabulously Festive Virtual Room Challenge is now until December 12!


Thanks for stopping by!




GET HOLIDAY HOMEGOODS HAPPY WITH THESE FINDS!

Never-mind the holidays are coming - THEY'RE HERE! And it's time to decorate and be guest ready for family stay-overs plus get-togethers with friends. If you haven't started any holiday decorating, or you're looking to inject some newness into your traditional decor, HomeGoods can help - Savvy shoppers know: this is source for stylish finds without busting the budget - especially at this time of the year for decorating, entertaining, and gift-giving. From paisley to pinecones, red to get you ready and a refreshing mix of silver and gold - that's new not old, visit the Holiday Decor shop at HomeGoods. I went last weekend to the Chandler and Gilbert locations here in Arizona, and was blown away by the abundance of on-trend assortments... These are some of the finds I saw...

Love the lodge look? You can get it - from red flocked finds to pretty plaids...

Plenty of holiday decor to fit any style home...

... Pretty peppermint palette... with vintage-like-transferware to ticking stripes...

... for entertaining and gifting - tons of extra seating and silver serve + barware to be the hostess with the mostess...

... I even spotted some traditional design finds like these paisley prints and over-sized pinecones... 

... champagne gold finishes pair beautifully with fifty shades of silver and grey...


For ideas on decorating, entertaing and gifting this holiday season, be sure to join Andrea @SavvySassyMoms and Nicole @MomTrends who are hosting some Pinterest fun -- and giving away a $100 TJMaxx / Marshalls / HomeGoods Gift card!!  Every two weeks they select a theme inspired by a letter of the alphabet and invite friends and followers to join the #PinAtoZ extravaganza! Read more and enter at Deck The Halls With Pinterest .


Speaking of Pinterest...


 The HomeGoods - Happy By Design pinning goes on!

Visit, like, and follow the Happy By Design collaborative pinboard hosted by HomeGoods on Pinterest - I'm HomeGoods Happy to be a part of the 10 interior design professionals from across the country sharing how we use HomeGoods finds in our designs! Follow the Happy By Design board to see all of our inspiring pins plus get tips on how you can get the same look for your home!




Now - Go get your shop on and get HomeGoods Happy! 
(I did - just a little - will share shortly!)

Thanks for stopping by!





Note: This post is sponsored by HomeGoods and the Happy By Design project. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

TIS THE SEASON - VINTAGE MARKET EVENT AT SWEET SALVAGE

It's time for the monthly vintage market event of Phoenix's BEST vintage store: Sweet Salvage! And in anticipation for the winter holidays, the Sweets team has once again outdone themselves with all the sights and sounds of the Christmas season you could possibly imagine - a mix of feminine, masculine and whimsical details from weathered leathers & woods, to grey & tea stained linens, crystal chandeliers, gilded delights and patina gems - Sweet Salvage is flowing over with so much vintage goodness for your home decor or gift giving this season -- you won't believe your eyes! If you're in the Phoenix area, be sure to stop by to say Hi, browse, shop, or even go just to be inspired for your own holiday decor. This Sweet bunch has to be the most talented group of individuals pulling together monthly vintage visual delights here in Phoenix - and a peek below will show you why...

 Tis The Season at Sweet Salvage








The event kicked off Wednesday evening with a Pre-View party, and announcement of five winners of VIP Early Entry opening day. When is opening day? The Sweet Salvage vintage market holiday event - perfectly titled "Tis the Season" will open 10 am Thursday, November 21 and run thru Sunday, November 24... Here's a look at three of the vendors vintage market installs at  Sweet Salvage vintage market...













A Seasons Greeting's surprise from the sea...











Love the mix a traditional holiday trimmings paired with the wintery lodge look on display at Sweets...






 

 Look at all those letters to Santa!
Enjoy the holidays with the Sweet Gang and vintage market voted 
BEST OF PHOENIX!



 

Thanks for stopping by,



 All photos by:
Sweet Salvage, Flert, Circa Antiques, and Aquamarine Antiques.

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