I must say I love summer and hate to see it go but I do like fall and welcoming the holiday season. Infact Thanksgiving, which falls on the last Thursday of November is one of my favorite holidays! Many of us think of harvest, family reunions, cold weather, celebrations…and even football here in America. I love how it brings family and friends together! It is a time to remember our blessings and to thank God for each other. I look forward to the turkey, pies, sweet potatoes, the smell of cinnamon and apples and all the comfort foods I love to cook!
Burlap runner , pumpkins, votives and florals before the individual settings
As you may or may not know we moved into this current house a few months ago back in July. I was excited to have the new space although I was not impressed by the size of the dining room. I wasn’t going to furnish the formal dining space because we already had a round table that seated about 5 in the breakfast area; however the closer it got to Thanksgiving the more excited I get about the prospect of hosting a large family dinner especially since my mother and brother are coming up from New York. So we bought a table that can sit up to 8-10 people and thankfully it fits into the room- even if it is rather snug. Below is the link to the blog post regarding setting up the dining room https://www.habibatunaumd.com/healthfoodinspiration/glam-boho-eclectic-afrocentric-dining-room-whatever-own-your-style/
Setting up my tablescape in early November is pretty early but as a blogger and youtuber seasonal content is often shared weeks and sometimes months in advance. It used to irritate me to see Christmas decor in stores in late August but now I understand. It is nice to be inspired early so we can prepare in advance . I still prefer to celebrate one holiday at a time and don’t think I will have a Christmas tree up until after Thanksgiving……but we will see. Do you usually decorate for Christmas in November or do you wait till December ?
Ok can we talk about my table setting! Is it not beautiful ? This year I thought I would challenge myself to use colors I would not normally choose. The plan was to use muted colors and not the typical orange pumpkins on the table. The first item I purchased was the burlap long table runner which felt “modern country” to me . I also chose to use individual flowers at each table setting instead of a centrally located floral bouquet. Having candles in votives and beautiful goblets gave the table some glam.
It was definitely worth it to start planning well in advance. I had no idea how many missing forks and spoons I would need to replace until I set it all out. Also it was helpful to write out a menu and then decide what serving dishes would be used for each entree and lay out where you will place them. I realized that because the center of my table would be occupied by decoration I would need to place the food on a buffet table or kitchen island.
Another tip to decorating your dining room for the fall is to use fruit! Apples, oranges, pears and grapes make for a beautiful and edible display.
Every family is different and for most Thanksgiving is not as formal as Christmas. Some people may prefer a more informal buffet style set up or a cozy family style eating at a table. What family traditions do you have when it comes to set up? What is your favorite thing to eat? By the way do you call it “stuffing” or “dressing” ?
To watch me decorate in detail and hear where all of the items are from here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6QF4SqFWiU&t=259s
