Thanksgiving Tablescape

If I am going to be completely honest, offering to host Thanksgiving actually came about because selfishly I had wanted two additional dining room chairs to complete my table.  I knew that the only way I was going to be able to get those chairs would be by convincing my husband that there was a legitimate need for two additional chairs.  Of course what could be a better business case than volunteering to host Thanksgiving dinner for all of our family members!?!

I did end up getting the chairs, but HOLY MOLY!  I have definitely been earning those chairs over the past few weeks with all of the Thanksgiving prep work.  Seriously, hats off to everyone who is hosting and those who have ever hosted Thanksgiving dinner.  Pulling off a dinner of this magnitude is no easy feat and I have nothing but praise for all of you who have walked this path before me.  I have been planning this dinner for some time now and not kidding, I have needed every bit of that time to get all of my ducks in a row. 

Over the weekend I put the finishing touches on my Thanksgiving Tablescape and am thrilled to not only have this task checked off my to-do list, but also be able to share all of the details with you today!  I am over the moon in love with the way this table has come together.  It speaks to the Fall season and my personal style (elegant but not too stuffy).  Below I have compiled a list of everything I used to "scape" this beautiful setting with sources included for each item.

Tablescape Details:

• Placemats- Pier 1 Dark Brown Round Rattan Placemats
• Chargers- World Market Driftwood Chargers
• Dinner Plates- Pillivuyt Basketweave Dinner Plates
• Accent Plates- Williams-Sonoma Acorn Dinnerware Collection
• Steak Knives- Vagabond House Natural Antler Handle Steak Knife Set (or see here)
• Napkins- CB2 Uno Natural Linen Napkin
• Napkin Rings- Nate Berkus for Target, Gold and Gem Accent Napkin Rings
• Water Glasses- CB2 Marta Olive Green Double Old-Fashioned Glass
• Wine Glasses- William Yeoward Fanny Goblet
• Coasters- Chilewich Dahlia Coasters, Brass
• Candle Holders- CB2 Bronn Candle Holder
• Votives- Tiffany & Co. Rock Cut Votives
• Placecard Holders- Pinecones from Amazon.com
• Place Cards- Caspari Gold Leaf Place Cards
• Glam Pumpkins - See This Post
• Twig Balls- See This Post

For those of you who have been following along as I take you through all of my Thanksgiving preparations, you may have noticed that there are only 6 seats here and wondering where the additional 3 guests will be sitting.  Stay tuned for Wednesday's post!  I will be sharing my mini tablescape addition I will be using to accommodate my remaining 3 guests.  Great ideas to come on creative seating solutions that will still have every guest feeling like they've received the red carpet treatment. 

DIY Pumpkin Votives

Last year my husband and I decided that it would be fun to carve pumpkins together for a date night.  So I set up a carving station on our coffee table complete with wine and a small selection of hors d'oeuvres (aka Halloween candy).  Long story short, our results are pictured above.  I found a cute way to make festive votives from mini pumpkins and my husband seemed to be more interested in the Halloween candy than carving, so his pumpkin remained untouched.

Creating pumpkin votives would have to be one of my favorite ways to carve a pumpkin because they are easy to make and very inexpensive. Whether you choose to use Glam Pumpkins or "Au Natural," the end result is really quite pretty and makes for a unique way to decorate your home and even your dining table for the Fall season. 

What you will need:

• Mini Pumpkins (preferably without stems- Trader Joe's has mini pumpkins for sale at 69cents a piece!)
• Tea Lights- Love these 6hr Tea Lights from World Market
• Carving Knife (Personally, I am a fan of my Victorinox knife)
  • *I tried using the 1.5" fitted drill bit (as suggested by Pinterest), but found that it was difficult to use and significantly messier than just using a simple carving knife.
• Pencil or thin marker

Instructions:

1. Trace a 1.5" circle on the top center of the pumpkin (**Be sure to press down hard if using a pencil)
2. Using a sharp knife, cut along the traced circle
3. Remove the cutout pieces of pumpkin shell (hollowing out the pumpkin isn't necessary since you will be filling the hole with a votive candle)
4. Insert Votive into 1.5" cutout hole
5. If you decide to use glam pumpkins, the paint will crack during the cutting process.  I would recommend touching up the edges with additional paint before inserting the tea lights.
6. Refrigerate until ready to use.  **These pumpkin votives can last for months if kept in the refrigerator in between uses**

Host a Fall Picnic

I recently came across the most fabulous picnic basket from West Elm, complete with wine holder (it was an immediate must buy)!  The moment I spotted this ultra chic picnic basket, I knew I not only needed to buy it, but also began brainstorming different ideas for how I was going to use it/incorporate it into a blog post.  Since I had purchased this picnic basket over the summer, I originally thought that a summer picnic could be a cute idea.  The more I thought about it I realized that the summer was way too hot for dining "Al Fresco."  When it's hot and sticky outside, the last thing I want to do is consume wine and cheese.  

Fast forward to planning for our weeklong trip in the mountains--It wasn't until we started planning the various activities for our North Carolina vacation, the lightbulb went off and I realized that hosting a romantic Fall picnic for two in the mountains would be a perfect way to break in my new picnic basket.  So I immediately got to work mapping out the details of the menu and picnic location prior to our arrival in North Carolina.  Our mountain accommodations are next to a lake and there is a perfect stretch of grass with the most beautiful mountain views in the backdrop.   It is truly picturesque.  

Unfortunately, this initial venue idea was cancelled due to the heavy rain we have been experiencing all week.  Determined not to let a little rain spoil my picnic plans, I found a 2hour window the other day to put out the spread and finally enjoy a little time outside with my husband sipping delicious wine and enjoying a few cocktail nibbles. Below is a breakdown of what I used to create this most delicious spread. 

Picnic Essentials

• West Elm Picnic Basket (Currently on Sale!)
• World Market Olive Wood Cheese Cutting Board
• Caspari Albemarle Hall Paper Cocktail Napkins
• Waiter's Corkscew
• Sur la Table Classic Soft Cheese Knife
• World Market Hammered Metal Tiffin Lunch Box
• World Market Mini White Ceramic Jar with Spoon
• Govino Shatter Proof Recyclable Wine Tumblers
• Rustic Picnic Blanket

The Menu

• Black Creek Sharp Cheddar Cheese Aged 9 months
• Cypress Grove Sgt. Pepper Chèvre Cheese
• Fresh Thyme (garnish)
• Pepita/Pumpkin Seeds, Roasted and Salted
• Somersaults, Sea Salt
• Dried Tart Cherries
• 34 Degrees Crisps, Rosemary
• Simple and Crisp, Pear
• Phantom by Bogle Wine, Red Blend

It was so nice to finally have a moment to enjoy the gorgeous scenery of the mountains (even if it was from our back porch, with the rain threatening to start up again at any second).  Whether you are looking to set up a romantic party for two or entertain a large group, I love the idea of hosting a picnic during the Fall. The weather during this season really can't be beat and throwing together a delicious spread like the one pictured in this post is relatively easy (i.e. no cooking required!).  So if you are looking for a fun way to entertain this Fall season, I highly recommend hosting a Fall picnic.  

Fall Entertaining Essentials

Over Labor Day Weekend, I decided to get a jump start on "Fallifying"(a word I've made up, meaning to prep for fall) my home.  Since it is only the beginning of September, I didn't think it would be appropriate to have my entire house decked out in fall decor just yet.  Instead, I spent the weekend looking for those items that would become the staple entertaining pieces for me throughout the Fall season.  While there are certainly more than just the 5 items listed below that will be part of my Fall entertaining repertoire, these 5 essentials are great ways to start incorporating small and festive fall accents into your home.  

Geometric Lanterns

Geometric lanterns are a trend that I am noticing in an array of home stores this season, so of course I have immediately jumped on the bandwagon.  I love the fact that these lanterns are a hybrid between a hurricane and a traditional lantern with modern/rustic flare.  You can find these lanterns with closed peaked tops or open hurricane style in copper, brass or zinc, like the ones I have featured above from World Market.  In addition to the fabulous look of these hurricanes, they retail for anywhere between $9.99 and $29.99!  Love that!  With that said, my favorite feature would have to be the fact that the base of these lanterns is nonstick.  Meaning that when the candles melt down into the base, don't worry about it!  Just wait for the wax to harden and then it will lift right out of the lantern.  Great price, chic look and easy care, makes these lanterns a must-have for this fall season.  

Cocktail Napkins

I love a good cocktail napkin and have a bit of a cocktail napkin habit (similar to my pillow, flower and cooking tool habits).   With all of the decorating and redecorating I have been doing lately, I have been a huge fan of prints from various fabric designers like Schumacher, Lee Jofa and Scalamandre.  As it turns out, Scalamandre has collaborated with my favorite paper cocktail company, Caspari, to come up with the most fabulous line of products featuring the famous Scalamandre Zebra and Arrows.  I am in love with these orange zebra cocktail napkins for the Fall season, because they give you that autumn feel without being too kitchy.  These napkins are definitely a chic and updated accessory that I highly recommend adding to your entertaining repertoire this season.   

Wood Slice Serving Board

I have a serious weakness for anything rustic chic and this serving board definitely fits the bill!  Not only is it rustic and very reminiscent of Autumn, it is also extremely versatile.  Whether I am crafting  a new fall cheesescape, serving up delicious sugar cookies or even using it as a base for  a fall centerpiece, this board adapts to an array of situations.   I have seen all sorts of variations on this board in a number of stores, but ended up purchasing mine from Sur la Table, because the care for their board is super easy and it gives off the most wonderful smokey cedar fragrance.  Love love love this board!

Copper Wine Coaster

I love a splash of copper. Well, if we are being honest, I really would love a whole sea of copper.  The reality- not in my budget, so I am sticking with loving a splash of copper.  Most home good stores are chock full of copper accessories right now.  My favorite piece at the moment would have to be this Copper Wine Coaster from Williams Sonoma.  With the chic style of the rustic brass handles and the warmth of the coaster's color palette, this is the perfect accent to any autumn table setting.    

Phantom Wine by Bogle

There is no question that I enjoy a nice bottle of wine on occasion. Sometimes to a fault.  Recently, I was talking about wine with a friend of mine and she asked if I had tried Phantom by Bogle.  Bogle has been known to produce wines that are great for everyday drinking, so naturally I was a little confused when she emphatically recommended this particular label.  It still peaked my interest, so I purchased a bottle to share with my husband over the weekend.  Let me just say…I totally understand now why my friend was raving about Phantom by: Bogle.  This wine is FABULOUS!!!!  OMG so delicious and instantly became worthy of my Fall entertaining essentials, because in addition to this wine being very delicious, it is only offered seasonally (in the Fall).   If you are looking for a great bottle of wine to try this fall, I highly highly recommend picking up a bottle of Phantom by Bogle.  I promise, you most certainly will not be disappointed!

This happens to be my favorite time of year, so of course I have wasted no time with starting to transition my home from Summer to Fall.  I absolutely love these entertaining pieces mentioned in today's post as well as other items that I will be sharing in the upcoming weeks/months.  Now if only the Fall weather would get the memo that it is time to start cooling off our 90+ degree city!