Thanksgiving 2024 Recap
Is it just me or is there something about a hard deadline (i.e. your family showing up) that one, either prompts a project or two, ensures you get said project done?! It’s always both for me even if means working until midnight the night before. I wouldn’t call the dining room refresh “done” by any means but we were functional! And although I didn’t have time to get blinds or decor on the built-ins you better believe I still wanted a pretty table.
I’ve been very inspired by nature lately and have a rule of no fake plants in my house. I used to be the queen of fake topiaries (also had a fake olive tree at one point) so this is not to knock it but just to say I’ve evolved past it. That being said, I challenged myself to get creative with my Thanksgiving centerpiece and tablescape. I also didn’t want to buy anything new that would inevitably end up in the donate pile. While I was grocery shopping for Thanksgiving, I saw the mandarins with leaves and stems at Whole Foods and they always remind me of the holidays! I think they are so pretty and I knew I wanted to incorporate them. Plus we can eat them afterwards so nothing goes to waste!
If you have been following me on insta, you know I realllly wanted a red dining room. Still upset about it but that’s a post for another day ;). I still keep gravitating towards that color so I added some pomegranates for a deep maroon pop and then found a red cheesecloth runner I bough for my wedding that I didn’t end up using. I love layering these over another table runner for that gauzy, dreamy look. To round out the nature forward look I found some real white mini pumpkins at Verdant, along with picking up two gorgeous bouquets that felt like fall for the finished look.
When I create a holiday or dinner party table I love to have height and texture. I staggered some candlesticks (of course) and called it a day! This is honestly probably my favorite table yet and was so low-waste and inexpensive!
It was the best weekend of family time, no plans and aaaaamzing food. I seriously think Thanksgiving dinner is one of my favorite meals of all time. Maybe because we really only get it once a year? Per Parker/Dreiling tradition, we kicked off the weekend with Plaza lights which I have to say is getting semi-lackluster? It seems like a smaller and smaller crowd every year which makes me sad. Hoping the new owners of the Plaza can revitalize it! But Row got to see fireworks so all in all worth it and it is still the official kickoff to Christmas in my eyes. Since Plaza lights are on Thanksgiving night we ended up cooking all day Friday since it is a full day of prep. Nick and I were in charge of the turkey this year, which was actually terrifying to me since I’ve never cooked a turkey before. I turned to trusty Half Baked Harvest for a recipe and she did not steer me wrong! It turned out PERFECT. So if you need a turkey recipe for next year this is what I used! I think the only modification was adding more butter over the top after we added the cheesecloth. https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/herb-and-butter-roasted-turkey-with-white-wine-pan-gravy/
Hope everyone had the best holiday and more to come on the dining room!