Thanksgiving at Our House

It's become a tradition that we host Thanksgiving at our place and I just love it. Our guest list has grown over the years and this year we welcomed 16! In addition to my family and David's mom, we loved hosting our friends Gina, Bill, Jo and also our long time family friends that we used to do holidays with in Massachusetts when I was in 4th grade. We had a kid table for the first time and it was so cute to see the bigger kids play with our baby boy!

Since we added a few guests and needed to expand the table at the last minute I didn't use the tablecloth I was originally planning. Instead, I threw this on as a base and used two tartan blankets on the diagonal to add color and festive flair. I love using tartan blankets as tablecloths and the oils in wool are naturally stain repellant so it is easier to clean than you might expect! I added layers and texture with wicker chargers, leather napkin rings, and nubby linen napkins. Lots of candlelight made for a cozy glow, and I loved using these crystal table lamps which bounced light off these colorful coupes.

All our flowers came from Trader Joes and we massively lucked out with gorgeous peonies! Since the day after Thanksgiving we dive straight into Christmas decorating I opted for flowers that will look great paired with my Christmas decor as well, including rich burgundy flowers paired with eucalyptus and thistles to pick up on the teal and blue in the tablecloth. (These are my favorite vases, and a great size for table arrangements! Add one to your Christmas list, you'll use it year round.) I played up the color with my beloved Raynaud dinner plates (a pattern I started collecting after seeing it on a trip through the Loire Valley). I also love using these colorful coupes for parties as their varied colors feel instantly festive. On the whole this table would work beautifully for a holiday dinner party as well!

As everyone started to arrive my friend Lydia made delicious nutmeg spiced cocktails called the Rachel Wall (named for the female American pirate!) to kick off the party. Each guest brought something delicious. My Dad smoked the turkey and my mom made her insanely good cranberry sauce, and we started with my favorite deviled eggs and ending with Gina's amazing apple pies and my pumpkin pies!

I hope you all had the happiest Thanksgivings, and I look forward to sharing lots of Christmas and holiday cheer with you all in the coming weeks! xx

OUR TABLE: