Bring the outside in for your Thanksgiving Dinner Table!

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner involves a lot of details. The more you can acheive before the actual day the easier it is for you to enjoy the meal along with your family and friends.

I own up to the fact that my sister Leslie makes the best turkey in our family. I am happy to grant her that official honour every year. :)

I on the other hand I love setting the table and making the gravy.

After years of collecting navy and white dishes I have embraced the combination as my signature table setting. Instead of using the the colours of the holiday for my tablecloth I match the cloth to my dishes and add colour with napkins and flowers.

As a side note to anyone looking for the perfect tabelcoth. I suggest checking out your local fabric store. Drapey fabric comes in 54-60 inch widths. It hangs over the sides just enough that it does not get pulled off when someone tries to stand up. We have all witness this I'm sure :)

Next my much loved crystal candle sticks are placed down the center. If you do not have candle sticks you can use wine glasses or vases in various sizes with votive candles.

Now the fun starts! If at all possible my practice is to use fresh greenery from my garden such as boxwood or evergreen branches. I spread them out around the base of the candle sticks. The branches act as a base to slide the flowers into. My garden still has hydrangea bushes in flower so I made use of these before the snow falls. I also found a few coloured branches and fall sunflowers that had poked up around the back yard. The little pumpkins add a bit of fall colour. Kids like to draw faces on them once dinner is over.

What makes me most happy is I used what was on hand and in season. Everything in the center piece can be composted. My addiction for navy and white can still be accessorized for Thanksgiving. Wait until you see my Christmas table!! I'll post them early in December to give you some ideas.

Setting the table can be fun and it can be set up the day before.

I wish you all an enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend and hope that you are embracing all that is near and dear to you!

A good cook knows that it's not what is on the table that matters, it's who is in the chairs!

Leigh Standley 2009