Sweet Nothings

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

It's in the Details: How to Stage a Unique Thanksgiving Bash

Last week, I shared some Thanksgiving tablescape ideas. Today, I want to share some unique ideas that can be used to inspire your overall Thanksgiving occasion. I've included some DIY crafts, extraordinary design inspiration, and a few desserts to add your personal touch to the typical Thanksgiving dinner.

Let me know your own special ideas, traditions, and inspirations for your Thanksgiving in the comments below! Gobble gobble.

something different...

photos | When Pigs Fly Events

Keep it light! Instead of the usual indoor traditional spread, you could opt for a fun cocktail party. Utilize the formal Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkins, but add more color, pizzaz, and fun!

photos | Loralee Lewis Event Paper & Fine Stationary

A fun and woodsy dinner setting, accented with cleverly themed banners and labels for food and event.

something tasty...

photo | Local Milk blog

Add a little color to your dessert table by including a gorgeous Apple Rose Frangipane Tart. Find the recipe it here.

photo | One Acre Farm

Sweet potato ice cream with fresh ginger would pair perfectly with all typical Thanksgiving desserts.

photo | Your Cup of Cake

Making a pie this Thanksgiving? Make it extra cute with these crust ideas by Martha Stewart.

photo | Wilton

Autumn Acorn Harvest cookies. Fun for young and the old!

photo | Southern Living

This Hot Cider Nog combines the creaminess of egg-nog and the spiced fruitiness of apple cider, which is perfectly dressed with a cinnamon stick or apple slice. If this doesn't warm your guests' hearts, I don't know what will!

something thoughtful...

photo | Eclectically Vintage

'Thankful Pumpkins' allow guests to participate in sharing and declaring what they are grateful for this year. It's also a great keepsake for guests to take home along with their leftovers!

photo | Lasso The Moon

'A Thankful Heart' is an idea that urges all members of the family to give a handmade stuffed heart to someone special for whom they are grateful for. Katie from Live Craft Eat shared her idea here and says she makes the hearts using scrap fabric and fiberfill. You can find out how to make these cuties here.

photo | etsy

Why not say 'thanks' to someone special in a pumpkin spiced themed card?

I dig it.

photo | Lia Griffith

Using decorative labels on take-away containers can add a personal touch for guests' left-overs or for care boxes of food. Lia Griffith has lots of ideas that can make any container extra special.

photo | Frugal Mom Eh!

Another lovely and thoughtful gift for the Thanksgiving dinner hostess...Pumpkin Latte sugar scrub for a fall-time facial! A simple DIY that tastes as good as it works!

something cute...

photo | piebox.com

Bringing a pie to the party? Why don't you bring it in style with the pie box?

photo | Tell Love and Party

This handmade banner will brighten up your Thanksgiving season!

photo | Martha Stewart

Painting pumpkins to match your party's color scheme can add a fun artsy touch to the party.

photo | Martha Stewart

Originality is awarded to this DIY painted wishbones.

photo | West Elm

Copper is a popular accent color right now, and what better way then to use it in your Thanksgiving dining experience?

photo | Pottery Barn

Add an accent pillow to your autumn decor.

something to set your eyes on...

photo | Bird is the Word

Shabby chic dessert table is stunning.

photo | The Tom Kat Studio

Banner with sweet bows makes this buffet table perfectly arranged for a Thanksgiving dessert feast.

photo | Bloom Designs by Jenny Raulli

Be thankful for desserts!

photo | B Lovely Events

Welcome to pie town!

photo | Green Wedding Shoes

Check out this wedding dessert buffet! Cut tree trunks hold a variety of pies in this rustic dessert display, which would be an awesome touch at any Thanksgiving dinner.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Tablescapes and Centerpieces: This Year's Thanksgiving Ideas

Celebrating Thanksgiving in a Middle Eastern country for what will be the fifth year in a row still just doesn't hit the spot like celebrating in the crisp Autumn air with family and friends back home. But we have slowly adjusted to a different kind of Thanksgiving; one that involves more friends than family (or our "Framily"), and often reflects a larger variety of cuisines quite different than the typical spread.

My husband and I don't even know who's table we will be at this year, let alone the next. But since we have lived abroad, I can recall all four of our Thanksgiving experiences, in which few of the memories revolved solely around the food. I remember the people we had dinner with, those who opened their homes to us and the people who put time and effort in bringing a dish to share with everyone, many of whom are not American and have never celebrated Thanksgiving before. I can recall where we sat, what the table looked like, and the events that followed the dinner itself. In fact, there were a couple of Thanksgiving potluck style dinners that were followed by sitting around a campfire set up in the middle of the sandy outdoor space, talking with friends and singing along with someone who brought a guitar. Talk about cinematic perfection! It's no NFL game, but it was awesome!

Clearly, the Thanksgiving meal is whatever you make it. Growing up, Thanksgiving was always fun for the kids, but a lot of work for the ladies who cleaned the house for guests, and prepared the huge spread of food including entrees, side dishes, and deserts. It was also a time to break out the special flatware for it's tri-annual appearance (the others being Christmas and Easter meals), and create some sort of Thanksgiving themed centerpiece. In a perfect Martha Stewart ran world, our tablescapes for every holiday would be immaculate and perfect. But in my real world, tablescaping by my relatives had always been made up of candlesticks and the occasional cornucopia or flower arrangement. Now I don't think a lot of pressure needs to be put on the tablescaping, but it only takes a little bit to make a table memorable. The tablescape can be the ambience that adds to the memory-making cuisine, or it might even be so amazing that it is the thing that guests remember for years to come.

Thanksgiving does not require orange and earth tones to be the color scheme. Decor can be as modern or contemporary as you wish. I just think it's important to consider how food will be served before you decide on tablescaping. If it is a buffet style dinner, then you should be able to use the center of the table for decor without issues. But if you plan on setting the table with food dishes and having guests pass the courses and serve themselves, then clearly, center pieces will need to be a minimal size.