Big Ideas for Small Tables - A Thanksgiving Tablescape

I was so thrilled to be asked by Chick-fil-A to create a Thanksgiving Tablescape for their wonderful website. Not only do we eat a lot of Chick-fil-A at our house but I love the family values that they hold as a company.  When they asked me for ideas for a Thanksgiving Children's table I knew exactly what I wanted to do!  I wanted to style a table that would inspire the children seated at it to really reflect on what they are grateful for this Thanksgiving season.  I hope you like these little "sneak peek" photos and will take a look at the TheChickenWire blog to see the entire story and find step by step directions for the DIY elements included!

photos by Jersean Golatt

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi there!  Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

I rounded up a few of my favorite Thanksgiving tips, pins, and links to help you have the best and most beautiful holiday ever.

I hope you know that I am so grateful for you and all of your support this year.

Enjoy!

Southern Living's Splurge Worthy Desserts

Flashback to Thanksgiving on the TODAY show with Kathie Lee and Hoda

Perfect for carving your turkey or as a gift for your host.

The perfect Thanksgiving Playlist.

Best Fall candle ever!

I just loved being featured in Box Nine Magazine with my Thanksgiving Table.

My favorite cocktail glasses in a fantastic Fall color.

and finally...

If you haven't ordered your Christmas Cards yet, you should!  I'm ordering mine today!

Yumology 101: Fabulous Fowl Edition

Have you been to PIRCH yet?  One word:  AMAZING.

I can't wait for you to check it out and preparing for your Thanksgiving meals is the perfect excuse. 

Check out this list of class offerings (no reservation required!)

Saturday, November 8th and Sunday, November 9th
"A Throwback Thanksgiving" | 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Take a tasty trip down memory lane as we bring Thanksgiving back to its roots, using our hearth to roast a bird, and a legendary La Cornue for sides, desserts & more.

Saturday, November 15th and Sunday, November 16th
"Happy ThanksGrilling: An Encore Performance!" | 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm 
Learn the secrets to grilling your bird to perfection, and witness EVO's prowess with side dishes of every stripe.

Saturday, November 22nd and Sunday, November 23rd
"Thanksgivings of Future Past" | 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Join our culinary experts as they use cooking methods ranging from ultra-modern to ultra-traditional. The result? A timeless feast specially made for the present.

Saturday, November 29th and Sunday, November 30th
"Elevating the Lowly Leftover" | 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Leftovers need not be lackluster — and our team of chefs can't wait to show you how. Join us on this final demo of the month when we turn tired into terrific!

Tablescape Tuesday - Thanksgiving Edition

Are you starting to plan your Thanksgiving tables?  It is never to early!
Kathie Lee and Hoda and I were chatting about it last year and I thought you might find inspiration in the segment if I pulled it out again.  Enjoy!

Click here to watch!

And of course, I want to know how you set your Thanksgiving table.  I would be so grateful if you would leave your ideas and inspiration in the comments.

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving- filled with family, friends, and of course, great food! 

If your like us, you have LOTS of leftovers. Luckily, Southern Living has given us some great new ideas to make the most of our Thanksgiving leftovers. BON APPÉTIT!

Friday Favorites

It's Friday!  Can you believe that Thanksgiving is next week? 

We had a full week at Whitman Media.  It started out at the Dallas Art and Antique Fair.  Look at the 

amazing pen and ink drawing of Maria Antoinette one of the dealers was presenting.  She was in her early 20s when this was done.  The script reminds me of the work of my favorite calligraphy artist, Bernard Maisner who created the artwork for my websites.  

Also at the art fair, I found a few things my husband really ought to buy for me.  Wink! Wink! The list includes this Gorham Silver 258 pc set circa 1897.  The photo doesn't do it justice.  It is unreal!

We were all about getting ready for the biggest holidays of the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas, at the Texas Living studios this week! 

• Click here to check out D Moms Magazine Executive Editor's ideas for the perfect kids table for your big family meals.  Her ideas were awesome and she put it all together for under $20!

• This tablescape by Todd Events featured on Texas Living, is big on impact and easy on execution! 

• Incredible ginger bread house. Four Seasons made it and it will be auctioned off at the GingerBread Stroll in Highland Park Village to benefit Community Foundations.

• Chi O Christmas' gingerbread house. Roofing made out of frosted mini wheats- brilliant! 

• I loved this segment with Christy Rost.  Her recipe for a cranberry tart seems like something even I could do!

• I also learned how to make a Strawberry Jalapeno Glaze for the Turkey that I know you would love!

• Today on Texas Living, Chef Dean Fearing showed us how to make amazing tortilla dressing for Thanksgiving. You can get the recipe here. 

• Lastly, I am SO thrilled to share with you a sneak peak at the Neiman Marcus Christmas window! They don't open until tomorrow, but you can watch the exclusive reveal here!

I'd love to know what you have planned for your Thanksgiving.  Do you have some holiday traditions you look forward to year after year?  Are you trying something new this year?

Do share! 

Tablescape Tuesday: DIY Thanksgiving Placemat

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I wanted to share this DIY thanksgiving placemat I found on Oh My Deer. The DIY details look like the perfect, not to mention very original, way to express what you are most thankful for this year.

You can find the step-by-step tutorial here

Speaking of tablescapes, we were so lucky to have entertaining expert and author, Danielle Rollins, in the Texas Living Studio this week!
 Click here to see her gorgeous tablescape. 

5 Reasons to use your good dishes:

-They can bring a little smile everyday!  Add little luxuries into your every day life and treat yourself!  Find joy in the simple things like setting a beautiful table, whether it is for two or twenty!

-Although I am a big advocate of using the good things everyday, there is no better time to start the habit than the holidays.  Check out my Thanksgiving Tablescape on The Today Show and see how I incorporated Blue and China into a Harvest Table.  Using your best china, crystal and silver will make your guests feel even more special.

-These beautiful things were meant to be used.  Don't you think the designers and artists behind the hand-painted china would be sad if they knew it wasn't really being used?

-Coffee tastes better out of a beautiful porcelain cup than an old souvenir mug.

-The number one reason people give me for not using their fine china is that they fear it will chip or break.  I have squashed that excuse by telling them about Replacements, Ltd.  They have a warehouse the size of seven football fields that houses replacements pieces for over 350,000 patterns!  So, you don't need to worry!  If something breaks, Replacements, Ltd. can send find you a new one!

Thanksgiving on The Today Show!

Did you catch me sharing Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas on the The Today Show yesterday?  I hope they helped you with your weeks celebrations.  Please send me photos of your table this year!

Tablescape Tuesday: Harvest Heaven

Seating Arrangement Tips!

I love these wonderful tips for seating arrangements from HousewifeBliss.com! Working out a seating arrangement can be one of the hardest parts for entertaining but it is also one of the most important!  I hope they help you with your Thanksgiving and Holiday seating arrangements! Click here to read the article.

Turkey Time for the Tots!

My crafty and talented friend Heather Centurioni just invited my son, JR, and I over for a play date that promises to knock the task of finding a meaningful gift for my Thanksgiving Hosts off of my list.  I absolutely love her party concept so just had to share it with you!  Heather is inviting a group of friends over to make Turkey Aprons with our little ones!  Here are her steps and suggestions:
1. Invite your friends for a playdate and ask each to bring an apron or two.  She suggests shopping for light colored aprons in both adult and child sizes at craft stores.  In other words, the party is BYOA!
2. Ask each person to sign up to bring a color of fabric craft paint.  Heather is going to provide the brown paint for the "turkey" but the feather colors will be brought by each of the guests.  Her guests will bring red, yellow, orange or any other colors that they feel should be added to the turkey!
3.  Heather has a "craft room" at her home so her party will take place there but you might want to clear a spot in your kitchen or rec-room to host your friends. Heather is also going to provide the "puffy paints" needed to accent the apron.
4. Here are the steps to make the apron:
-Lay out the aprons
-paint the palm and thumb of your tot with brown paint using a sponge or paint brush (this will be the body, head and neck of the turkey).
- paint each finger a different color (these will be the feathers!)
-press your childs hand down on the apron so that it "stamps" the apron.
-using puff paint, draw stick legs, beak, and wattle on the turkey.
-glue a "googly eye" onto the turkey.
-using puff paint, write the name of the "artist" and the date and any other you might want to include such as the recipient of your wonderful gift!

While the aprons are drying, you can have a cookie decorating party too!  Check out these amazing cookies that Heather shared with me.  She came up with the idea because she had so many candy corns left over from Halloween! For more of Heather's ideas and inspirations, check out her blog.

A Personalized Thanksgiving

The amazing gals that make up Anders Ruff are at it again! This time they have mastered a thanksgiving get-together and their designs are going to make you feel even more grateful than you already are!  

Every family celebrates Thanksgiving in their own special way but these tips from Anders Ruff are sure to make your meal more memorable:

Pick a few elements to carry out throughout the entire event.  Whether it be a particular harvest or a strict color scheme.  In this setup, they carries "harvest" tones throughout.

Dressing up your everyday dishes with a custom fabric charger gives a dramatic effect with out breaking the bank.  We used cardboard cake rounds to measure perfect circles and placed them on the table to add dimension.  

To create dimension, wrap carious sized boxes to co-ordinate.  Anders Ruff used simple craft paper to cover the boxes and made a corresponding table runner. 

Backdrops are a great way to transform your room for a thanksgiving feast.  Find fabric at a local fabric store and cover a large canvas or duct board to create a dessert or food buffet backdrop. Ask your guests to fill out "I am Thankful" cards and clip them on to twine using clothespins to add to the display. 

Wrap traditional canning jars in the drink wrap from the Anders Ruff Collection.  Use them as drinking glasses and they will be "kid-safe" too!

Think of new ways to display your place cards at the table.  We utilized sugarcane because it fit within our color and harvest scheme and made the perfect card holder from the Anders Ruff collection!

Line your basic white serving trays with pantry items such as coffee beans, split peas, black eyed peas and pinto beans.  

Be sure to order your Harvest Printable Design Collection to help orchestrate a beautiful and memorable fall table.  The Printable Design Collection includes:

- 2 Sheets of Square or Circle party Logos (15 logo designs)

- 2 Sheets of Square “Thank You” Tags

- 1 Sheet of Flag Labels (4 designs)

- 2 Wine Bottle Wraps

- 1 Sheet of Drink Wraps (3 designs)

- 2 Sheets of Menu Cards (One blank design and one personalized design)

- 5 Sheets of Blank Folding Placecards/Labels (5 designed colorschemes)

- 4 Sheets of Blank folding Food Tent Labels (4 color schemes)

- 4 Sheets of Personalized Food Tent Labels (4 color schemes)

- 1 Sheet of “I am Thankful for” Cards

- 9 Sheets of Patterned Papers

Here are Anders Ruff suggestions for using the graphics:

The folding label designs can be used for place cards, name tags, food labels, beverage description labels. They are an excellent way to make your dessert or food buffet stand out. Flag labels are great for toothpicks for food, straws and cinnamon sticks. Wrap designs are wonderful to dress up any sauce, glass, water bottle wrap or adult beverage glass. Our 2" party logos are great for everything from cupcake toppers, toothpick toppers, labels, stickers, lunch bag seals, treat bag seals, favor tags, napkin ring stickers.  "I am thankful for" cards are great for the guests to personalize. Patterned papers can be used like scrapbook paper for wrapping small favors, lining trays and serving dishes, decorating, banners and the list goes on!

Winner of Tablescapes Thanksgiving Table contest!

Congratulations to Amy Wood who is the winner of Tablescapes! I got a lot of photos of incredibly beautiful tablescapes but this one was so clever and I just had to select it as the winner! I love the mini-feast being re-enacted by playmobile charachters but I also love that she still added her crystal place card holders and beautiful linens. I don't think that the "First Thanksgiving" has ever looked so good!

I must give honorable mention to Allday Cakes who sent me an image of this fantastic Turkey Cake! Isn't it amazing!!?!!

I had so much fun seeing all of your photos so I want to do this again for the holidays! Snap images of your favorite Christmas decorations and this time you will win a copy of The Pleasure of Your Company! I can't wait to see your wonderful entertaining ideas!