Setting the Table for Thanksgiving Three Ways

I love to set the table for Thanksgiving. I thought it would be fun for you to decide which of the three I styled you most think I should use for my dinner table this year.  Most all of the pieces came from my party pantry and are either vintage or not new to me. The only purchase I made to put these place settings together were the flowers from WholeFoods – other than Trader Joe’s one of my favorite places for unexpected varieties and colors of flowers.

First – Very Vintage

This is Mother’s wedding china. Mother and Daddy’s wedding anniversary is in November so I think this is a special way to honor my parents during the holiday.  I paired it with Cherry Brandy roses in a fluted vintage vase. The linen placemat and napkin are vintage, but new to me. My friend Mary Lane from TCU messaged me one day and said she had a collection of linens – placemats, napkins, and table runners purchased in British-owned Hong Kong in the 70s while she and her husband lived in Japan. The embroidery is exquisite. I am so thankful Mary gift me with such treasures. The crystal glassware is also from my mother’s wedding registry. The pattern is so delicate.  The silver pieces were from my mother’s friend Marion whom she knew since my mother was a young girl. I am not sure where the hobnail pitcher came from but I love it and I thought it would be perfect for a personal iced tea serving or creamer for the china cups and saucers. I picked up a set of place card bud vases at Magnolia Home in Waco. Here is something similar. I found a place card with mother’s name on it – a sentimental touch.

Place setting two – Mood in Blue

I love blue, so I had to find some way to do a classic and sophisticated setting. I used my white everyday dinner plate and topped with a piece of bavarian handpainted china that belonged to Mr. Bee’s mother. I added blue glassware I purchased several years ago during a visit to Sister’s house in New Mexico.

I purchased two small topiaries from Amazon here and placed them in a blue and white cachepot topped with reindeer moss. I placed a velvet pumpkin in the center for contrast against the blue border of the accent plate. It adds personality. I added a vintage linen white napkin folded in a triangle and topped with the same silver from the Very Vintage photo. I think it would be fun to collect vintage salt and pepper shakers so each guest can have their own set, like the cream and gold birds in the photo.

For a place card consider using childhood photos of your guests. I bet you can’t guess who is in this frame? I like how the gold roses on the frame highlight the golden edges of the plates.

Finally, we have Textures of Fall.

This place setting features my collection of Johnson Brother’s Friendly Village. Mother already had a set and she inherited her mother-in-law’s collection, so I have a pantry full of these cherished dishes. When I was little I used to stare at the images on the plate and imagine riding on a wagon through the snow.

Don’t be afraid to mix your plates. You can see I have a green glass plate on the bottom, then a square salad plate, topped with a small fruit dish. I tucked the golden linen napkin under the dish holding the oranges. Of course, I had to add whole cloves to the oranges – remember when we used to do this when we were little? It made the table smell just like fall. And I love the pop of orange. The eucalyptus sprig came from the flowers. I filled a vintage green drinking glass with flowers – which you could do for each guest. I used my Pioneer Woman flatware. It all sits atop water hyacinth placemats. This place setting brings in color, texture, and scent.

What is your favorite of the three? I hope this inspires you to bring color, nature, and vintage touches to your Thanksgiving table this year for #HolidayswithaTwist.