There is always, always something to be thankful for, especially sweet friends! Are you getting ready to host family and friends yet? I know sometimes preparing for all the holiday events and preparing for thanksgiving it can get overwhelming. So I hope I can alleviate some of that stress with some simple ideas and unique inspiration. All through the holiday season I’ll be sharing tips and tricks for you so I hope you’ll follow along for the fun!

I love the idea of taking some time to share a meal with close friends and hosting a “Friendsgiving” gathering was the perfect way for me to say thank you for your friendship. Sometimes it’s hard to get together with all the holiday busyness so I thought this would be a great way to catch up and share some time together. This was so much fun to put together. I hope you will find some fun ideas for your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving get togethers….

 

 

Theme & Color Scheme

 

When I’m putting an event together, I always start with a theme and color scheme. It helps me create a cohesive and fun look when everything goes together and I think it adds a special touch for my guests.

To get inspired for trends and color options I usually visit craft stores for inspiration. This year I knew I wanted to use my basic cremes and Burlap tones with wood tones to give warmth. However, I wanted to add pops of fun color. I found some beautiful leaves at Michaels Stores and used that to guide me through the design process. 

I always like to give a little something special when I have get togethers. Adding a fun goody bag embellished to match the table is a great way to add more texture to the table.

 

 

 

Party Favors/Small Gifts

 

I made some homemade soaps as the party favor and for details on how I made them you can go to this post here How To Make Homemade Soaps

I also share fun ways to wrap your soaps. These would make great Christmas gifts as well. Since this is a fall gathering, I wanted something to go with that so I made a fall spice blend to give. I think the presentation of the gifts is always fun to and makes the gift feel more personalized and special. I coordinated these little bags to the table decor so they could serve as part of the decor as well

 

 

To make the party favors, I used brown paper sacks for the soap, punched holes in the top and tied with a string. Then I placed this bag in the burlap gift bag along with some homemade caramels. This is a simple, yet elegant small gift of appreciation and the presentation shows that it was made with love and intention.

 

 

I love how the decorated bags fit in seamlessly with the table and tie in with the rest of the decor. It’s just another element and texture for the table setting.

 

 

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Menu

I really wanted to make this a simple menu and keep it low key. I wanted us to spend as much time visiting and enjoying our time rather than food prep in the kitchen. So I kept the menus simple and cozy:

• Fall Wild Rice Soup
• Fresh Bread
• Side dishes from the guests
• Mini Pumpkin Pies for dessert

To make the mini pumpkin pies I used a store bought pie crust and cut small circles as the crusts & baked them in muffin tins. I made the filling from the recipe on the pumpkin can and then made cute little leaves from the extra pie dough to embellish on the top of the pies.

 

 

 

 

 

I lined a cake plate with parchment paper and embellished with left over leaves from the table decor and placed the pies on top to display. I served fresh whipping cream on the side when it was time for dessert.

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Tablesetting

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For the table I wanted a festive, cozy feel that was warm and welcoming. I went with a cream and brown color scheme adding fall color and pretty greenery.  To create the centerpiece, I used a textured cable knit creme runner, then I stacked 2 pumpkins nestled in some greenery and soft flowers. Tall wooden candle holders provide ambience and a warm glow to the table. To bring in some of the color I added extra leaves for additional texture and a little pop. For more ideas to set a Thanksgiving table you can visit this post Easy Thanksgiving Place Settings 4 Ways

For the place settings, I started with a pretty ruffled placemat  added a scalloped charger and a beautiful pumpkin accent plate for some color and pattern. Mini wooden boards are a perfect spot to place homemade bread loaves to serve with dinner.

 

 

I folded the napkin into a fun pocket fold and printed a card with a sweet saying tucked inside to give a special touch to the table. For the name cards, I wrapped a pretty ribbon around the napkin fold and made a name card on the computer. To finish it off I embellished the ribbon with a pretty leaf to coordinate with the rest of the table.

 

 

 

 

This was such a fun event for me to plan and I enjoyed that special time with my friends so much. I love hosting friends and family and we had such a great time catching up and having that much needed girl time together. It’s so important to plan those times to be together, even if only a few times a year. Nourishing those relationships is so good for your soul.

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and it inspires you to host your own Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving gathering. Any time of year is perfect for a friendsgiving gathering. I hope you were inspired and found some great ideas for your own get togethers. I appreciate your feedback and thanks for following along.

Wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season.

 

Happy Entertaining

 

 

 

 

 

PREPARING FOR THANKSGIVING