Welcome Wednesday :: Warm Wishes for a Happy, Relaxing Thanksgiving

Warm wishes to you all for a wonderful, Thanksgiving, wherever you are. If you are hosting at your home this year, we hope you’ll take the time to relax and enjoy the day, your friends, family and food. We hope you’ll not worry too much about how everything looks – don’t sweat the small stuff… The only one who notices the tiny detail is you. Your guests won’t – they’re happy to be in your presence and with loved ones. Don’t worry about being perfect… Don’t worry about trying to have the prettiest, most glamourous table setting… don’t worry that each piece of crystal on the chandelier isn’t quite as sparkly as it should be… Don’t worry that the silver isn’t quite as shiny as you’d like it to be… If the stuffing got left in too long and is a bit too brown on top, don’t worry. It will still taste delicious. Don’t worry is your souffle has flattened, if the mashed potatoes need a bit more salt… we can add that ourselves. Don’t worry if they’re lumpy. We like them that way!

Whether your style is high glamour or casual elegance, you don’t have to have a table that looks like it’s being featured in a photoshoot for the latest issue of House Beautiful. Don’t set your sights too high… we are all perfectly imperfect – and it’s those very imperfections that will make your table, your meal and your day as memorable as they can be. Keep everything as simple as possible so that you can take the time to enjoy your home, your company, and your food. If you can’t cook, ask your guests to contribute a dish or look into having your meal catered. If you’re a gourmet chef but need help with the decor, there’s nothing wrong with asking a friend to help out.

You’d like flowers as centerpieces but you don’t know the first thing in flower arranging, a dozen cut white tulips in a silver or glass vase look as elegant as any fancy arrangement. Or grab a can of gold spray paint and paint some pumpkins, arrange some oranges, pears, or apples in glass bowls, then place a piece of fruit on each plate with a name tag to use as a place card holder. Place some tall branches with leaves and fruit in a vase in the center of your table. Your table needn’t be fancy – and sometimes the simplest of ideas are the prettiest. Are you worried about not having enough matching plates? Mix them up to create a unique and layered effect. What’s important is that you look at the big picture, not the small one, and that you allow yourself relax and enjoy the day, you’ll be thankful, really you will!