Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is over and we are hurtling headlong toward Christmas!  I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving.  There were so many beautiful tables and warm sentiments posted that I'm sure you did!

Our family is very small.  There were just four of us for dinner.  I don't know how you ladies with HUGE guest lists do it all!!  We did have a wonderful meal and family time.  My husband is from England so Thanksgiving was new to him when he first came here, but even though it's not a traditional holiday for him...he enjoys it!

So here is our quiet Thanksgiving for four...
I love autumnal colors and mixed as many as I could ... lots of rust, orange, red, brown, and yellow
I love the little turkeys (there is one on the other side)...my mother had turkey candles that looked just like this.  We didn't ever burn them...they were decorative and appeared on the table year to year.  I also love the leaf-shaped butter dish.  It's really a jam dish from my mother-in-law.  
Dinnerware for all the courses...square soup bowl and underplate, salad plate and dinner plate.  I found oak leaf place card holders and made place cards on the computer.  I know...there were only four of us, but I think they are so pretty.  Dinner was butternut squash soup, tossed salad, and the usual turkey and gravy, dressing, sweet and mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, peas, homemade cranberry sauce, rolls and desserts!!!  Sound familiar? ;-)
I guess my "leaf motif" is pretty obvious!  Not a very good picture of the maple leaf napkin rings, but they are so autumnal...I've seen some beautiful leaf plates on several tablescapes this holiday and love them all!!  The flowers I picked up at the grocery store when shopping for dinner
Desserts were served from the buffet...Unfortunately, the other two desserts were in the refridgerator so it looks a little bare.  This is the apple pie but we also had pumpkin pie and a chocolate trifle.  My hubby loves whipped cream so we had home-made whipped cream to go with the pies (or by itself for whipped cream lovers!!!)

Pssst...by the way, I don't know if you noticed the placemats. I really do have four matching placemats and went crazy looking for the fourth one.  I could NOT find it so I mixed two patterns in the same color family.  Not ideal, but I think it worked out fine!

Sorry the pics aren't better...it seems that photos always happen at the last minute!!  I have to really spend some time working on my blog...but I am so busy with our new computer system at work and the holidays coming that it won't happen for a while!

Now for the dish on the dishes:
  • Dinner plates are Royal Albert "English Garden"
  • Salad plates are from Big Lots
  • Square soup bowls are Temp-tations "Old World" cranberry with Wedgwood underplates
  • Hemstitched orange napkins, napkins rings, and place card holders are from different vendors on  ebay
  • Butter dish, again, from England (thanks to my mother-in-law)
  • Placemats (both styles) are from TJ Maxx
  • Yellow leaf plates were a find at TJ Maxx and there were only four of them
  • Square floral dessert plates from TJ Maxx
  • All of the crystal is Waterford Marquis in the Brookfield pattern from TJ Maxx
  • The silverplate is a variety of companies and patterns
Thank you all for stopping by...I hope you enjoyed our small Thanksgiving.  Be sure to hop over to Between Naps where Susan is hosting Tablescape Thursday...she hosts an great party(her link is above right)


28 comments:

  1. Tess, you did a great job improvising on the placemats! I love your autumnal tablescape, and the pieces from your English mother-in-law. Did you get the information I sent you about the Goodwill in Herkimer?

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  2. Tess, I think all of those dishes for 4 is probably as much or more work than if you had a bunch of people coming and bringing things. You even served 3 desserts (plus the whipped cream, which could be counted as a 4th!!!) Your table is beautiful and I love the little turkeys too. We would do the same, have adorable candles and never burn them. That brings back memories.

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  3. Gorgeous table and very warm colours.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Hope to see you on my blog::)

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  4. The colors of your table are so rich and inviting! I love the leaf theme, and, I did not notice. But doesn't it drive you crazy when you can't find something? I'm trying to be better at organizing, but it takes time and energy, too things I'm lacking lol! Your table for four is beautiful, I love the leaf plates. Sometimes it's better to have a smaller crowd, but I do enjoy re-connecting with my family over the holidays. Thanks, also, for your visit with me and your kind comments!

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  5. So pretty. That pie's sure making me hungry. Yum.
    Thank you for sharing.

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  6. Hi lovely lady.
    Your table is so beautiful for the Holidays. You did a lovely job putting it all together for your family, the colors are so inviting. I hope you have a wonderful week, and Thanks so much for your sweet comments on my Christmas Tablescape.
    XXOO Diane

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  7. What rich, vibrant colors! Great shots!
    Thank you for popping by my place!
    Kerry at HouseTalkN

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  8. Tess, your Thanksgiving table was lovely. I love the turkeys. Thank you for stopping by my blog. I will be your newest follower. I'd be honered if you wanted to follow mine. Pat

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  9. Really pretty table! Looks so welcoming. Love your kitty!

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  10. Hi Tess! You put together a beautiful table! Those are very pretty flowered plates. Thanks for your visit! You know your silver patterns! You're right about my Wallace pattern.

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  11. Love yourtable! Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!Joann

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  12. Beautiful table, Tess! Love all the rich warm colors. I have the same little dessert plates.

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  13. PS. I'm excited about a giveaway I'm having. If you'd like, come by and enter!
    www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com

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  14. We had those turkey candles when I was growing up too, I'd forgotten all about them. I think your table looks beautiful. We had several Thanksgivings with just 3 or 4 of us. I admire you for cooking the entire meal...when we were down to 3, I started getting mine at Cracker Barrel. Spending Thanksgiving at my sister's this year was quite a change for us. Your dishes are beautiful and I'd love a little chocolate trifle right now!

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  15. Thanks for stopping by -- I appreciate it when we're all so busy right now. Looks like a wonderful Thanksgiving -- I love your Autumn colors.

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  16. It warms the cockles of my heart that you couldn't find that fourth placemat. I do things like that all the time! Lovely blend of items for a beautiful tablescape. I have candles that I never burn, too. I keep thinking that I'll do a controlled burn on some of them, just to the point where I could place a tea candle down in the hole, and continue to use them forever from that point....but I never get around to it. Thank you for inviting us for a peak at your celebration. Cherry Kay

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  17. What a beautiful, cozy and warm table you've set for Thanksgiving dear Tess. I know, it makes me sick when you can find something of a set, it just happened to me just with a placemat, hand made and embroidered from my mil...they were six, and now they're only five! You did a great job blending. I'm late visiting, but with lots of hugs. Merry Christmas. FABBY

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  18. Such a pretty table. I love the square bowls! and your turkeys are adorable! thanks for dropping in.. xo marlis

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  19. I know I'm late to the party, but I wanted to comment on the comment you left me, but your email came up as "no-reply."

    Anyway, let me first say your Thanksgiving table looked beautiful! I used the same tablecloth. I love the square soup bowls and the leaf butter plate is so pretty as well.

    Why is it that we grew up in houses that never burned candles? I even remember as a kid ours still wrapped in the cellophane type wrappers. Weird.

    Thanks for the sweet comments you left me and yes, PLEASE, we need some snow!!!

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  20. It looks lovely and there were just five of us for our Thanksgiving dinner this year. That's okay, small is nice too.

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  21. Thanks so much for visiting -- we haven't seen each other in a while. I really appreciate your kinds comments. Your table is a knockout! I think I am going to have to give in to those leafy plates I have been seeing -- just resisted so far!

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  22. So pretty and festive! Love the colors! Happy week!...hugs...Debbie

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  23. How pretty. I love the salad plates, who knew Big Lots.

    Thank you for your kind comments on my blog. I really appreciate it.

    Cynthia

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  24. What a great table. I love those leaf plates. I've always wanted a set of these, but somehow just never pursued it. Probably because this place is already bursting at the seams. At least I can enjoy them on your table. Happy Holidays!

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  25. Tess, Hi! I think that if you have a Carson's it's the one that's in Indiana too. They have the matching tablecloth and placemats and napkins. You have some very pretty china. Pat

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  26. Hi Tess, first I have to say I love your banner! All those wreaths hanging waiting to grace someone's front door. I hope you will post a Christmas table setting because your Thanksgiving was so delightful and the menu......goodness....I want to be invited to the next meal. Love your black print salad plates too. Thank you for coming by the Vintage Nest and leaving such a thoughtful comment. Hope you will be back often. ~ Miles of Smiles ~ Lynn

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  27. Hi Tess,
    Your table is lovely! Have a very Merry Christmas!
    Sherry

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