guest post :: mkdesign & decor

Hello there, Be merry, Kate fans! I am so pleased to have the chance to blog swap with Kate. If you are wondering where she is, you can find her over at my blog, MKDesign & Decor. If you read her post over there, you'll find out that Kate and I are old friends from our college days (not that it was all that long ago that we tromped around campus). After seeing each other about a week ago (the first time since both of us have had blogs), I tossed out the idea of guest posting. And she liked it!

So here I am today to share with you what is my "ideal" Thanksgiving tablescape. Before I begin, a little prelude is in order: I am a tad eclectic in my tastes. Because I am not typically drawn to dark-hued colors, what I think of as a perfectly ideal tablescape for Thanksgiving isn't necessarily comprised of a palette of browns, maroons, oranges and beiges in large scales.

Very pretty, just not "me" {photo}

Now that you know where I am NOT going with this tablescape, then where AM I going? Oh, I am so glad that you asked! To begin, since we are giving thanks to God for all of our blessings, we need to be concerned with what is above our heads, and what is giving us the light to feast upon the food in front of us:

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Down on the table canvas, I don't want to clutter too much with decor because there needs to be room not only for serving platters, but also I do not want guests to feel too overcrowded by what is going on in front of them on the table. Having a couple of good statements on the table is much better than a heap full of little things.

Because one large centerpiece could block people from seeing who is seated across from them, I like to create a "multi-faceted" centerpiece, using a couple of simple objects that together create a statement.

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Place settings are a perfect point in your tablescape to highlight how really special of an occasion it is. I love this picture because of the gilded silverware, laid across the china place with a rose and cloth napkin (cloth napkins always signal something special!). 

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As for place settings, I might also be tempted to let my eclectic side come out and choose to use a delightful painted plate...also with the cloth napkin :)

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If you have a lot of guests joining you for the holiday, whether it because you come from a large family or you just have a ton of friends (either option is quite fun!), guide people right to the food with some beautiful, cute, and fun place cards.

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If you think (like I may) that place cards are trouble, yet you still want something to draw people to their seats, I would be a big fan of whipping together something a-la this chair dressing (sans the pumpkins...no one wants pumpkin mash on the pants).

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I believe you must have multiple dessert options for any holiday, therefore I would need a dessert "buffet" to be spread across my sideboard for my dear guests to visit after they joined the Clean Plate Club. To make the dessert a little extra special, I love to treat my guests to little accents sprinkled through my buffet lines. Not too much to overwhelm, just enough for them to say, "Oh, that is so pretty!" as they put another cookie on their plate.

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I hope that my ideal Thanksgiving tablescape gets you excited for tomorrow and gives you a little inspiration for dressing up your table as you dress up your turkey. Have a very merry holiday!