Dress Rehearsal

"Seriously...cooking that huge meal isn't enough?  Now you're telling me I have to practice setting my table!"  Now don't get me wrong.  I thoroughly enjoy preparing Thanksgiving dinner, but as you all know, my true passion is setting the table.  So I take my time, I play around with this and that, and most importantly, I have fun.  Oh, where will I begin?  On the actual day, I'll be setting one very long "Pilgrim-style" table for 22, but today I'm working out my plan on my dining room table.  Rather than renting linens for the big table,

I stumbled across these plaid tablecloths at Home Goods...reasonably priced, pretty, seasonal...they'll do just fine.  Last year I purchased these "Gobble, Wish, Give, Thanks" salad plates at West Elm.

Not your traditional turkey plates...I just love them and am happy to get to use them again.  The turkey plate season is unfortunately quite short!

It is really nice to have a large stack of plain white plates for an occasion such as this one.  While at Home Goods, I also pick up these golden napkins, and figured out a new way to display them...quite by accident.

I rather like how they look, simply gathered up on one side with these cute...

...Ravi pewter napkin rings from Crate & Barrel. I wanted my table to have a natural look, so I chose some jute placemats, but my white plates initially looked so dull on them.  Maybe this table needed a bit of glamour.  Yes...I like these shimmery red beaded mats (Pottery Barn, many years ago)...

...and I like them even better layered along with the jute mats! 

 We'll be sipping from my gorgeous brown Lennox water and wine goblets.

I still cannot believe these were a resale shop find.  I think creating a centerpiece for an autumn table is really rather simple.

I found this very interesting grape vine garland at Hobby Lobby and just kept building upon it...my favorite oh-so-versatile candle holder,

this time entwined with red berries, 

followed by mini pumpkins and gourds

and acorns and dried oranges and colorful leaves.  While I will most likely need to modify and simplify my "Pilgrim-style" table, I hope it still retains the look I have achieved here today.

So go ahead...play with your dishes...those turkey plates only come out once a year after all!  Need more ideas?  Check out the following parties for Thanksgiving ideas galore...

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

Like my turkey plates?  Please take another look..."Gobble, Wish, Give, Thanks".