#tablescapes Archives - Northern California Style

While everyone seems to be full stop headed for Christmas, I am still in a Thanksgiving mindset and thought I’d share here some of the cutest finds I’ve seen for your Thanksgiving table. I also found some adorable dresses and tops if you’re looking for something to wear whether you’re hosting or a guest.

Let’s begin with tabletop shall we? This is always my favorite part of Thanksgiving hosting. I came from a mom and grandmother who both loved creating a unique table. My grandmother, (dad’s mom), was very old school in her love of classic tables with china, silver and all the special pieces. My mom was more of a casual elegant type, using a lot of natural materials and plants always in her tablescapes. I appreciate both approaches and love beautiful plates and glasses and also adding in natural elements to give a California vibe to our table.

Below a few of the tables over the years..

I think it’s good to forage through your cabinets and see what you can pull together for your Thanksgiving table a few weeks prior. That way you can see what looks good, what has seen better days and can be pitched, and also what vintage things from family can be mixed in with the newer. I did this one year with silver flatware from my grandmother and modern white plates and glasses. Pears and olive branch clippings were my natural bit that year.

Other times we have just foraged the yard for clippings and water tumblers have often made the best vases like these tortoiseshell ones with yard berries and mums, we used one year.

Another year short clear glasses worked well with small hydrangea clippings.

Another thing you can do is try throws, quilts and fabric remnants as tablecloths. I can’t sew well, but I know how to go to the fabric store and make a piece of cloth work on the table. Many times I’ve just folded the ends or ironed them down and it looks great. The important thing is to get creative and find what inspires you.

The tablecloth below was an old remnant of my grandmother’s. I saved it because she made herself a dress of this same fabric in the 70’s that I remember her wearing. It was a last minute idea for a tablecloth and it worked! Grandma would have loved it.

I love pulling a fresh mix of plates and glasses together each year and usually add one new element of some kind. Last year it was water glasses, which are no longer available, but I am obsessed with these beauties from William-Sonoma. These Vintage Etched Water Goblets come in sets of four and are a very good price. They have four colorways, but I am loving the clear and the pink especially. These would be a gorgeous addition to anyone’s tabletop collection!

I do appreciate good flatware. A few years ago, we finally got a new set after 25 years of living with the wedding service that was looking pretty beat. With boys doing the dishes and spoons going in lunch bags that never made their way home again, it was time. A year later, I bought another set. The cost of a flatware set is pennies if you think about all the days, and years they are used! Currently, I am obsessed with the brand Fortessa which seems to have the perfect weight and feel to their pieces and modern styles. I have had the bamboo looking Royal Pacific set on my radar for a while..

I also love the classically mod Arezzo Pattern in a chic black, a burnished gold, or silver.

Don’t you like the fun way these napkins are tied with the flatware above? Another idea!

If you need a whole lot more flatware- Williams-Sonoma also has this pretty set for 12 with a caddy at a good price.

How’s your plate game? Mine consists of a mix of stoneware and my original English pattern strawberry white that is no longer made. I’ve loved this Glenna Pattern that my stylish friend Cindy Hattersley has and it’s been discontinued until recently when it miraculously showed up again at Anthropologie. It’s in my cart as we speak. It’s simply lovely and has an organic feel and look that I really like.

Anthro also has some nice napkin sets that aren’t crazy expensive.. I like this Crossweave Napkin that comes in sets of four, in rust and this olive green which strikes an elegant, but Boho feel..

This is a pretty jacquard Target offering..

Serena & Lily has some of the nicest linen napkins and the price is good for linen, at about $11 a napkin if you buy in multiples. Love the color choices..

Serena & Lily are having their Tent Sale on now with a lot of good things like linen sheets, my favorite linen pjs, the cute wooden step stools, and so much more good things marked down! its a great time to get a few home items.

Target also has a new Stoneware Glazed Plate in their Magnolia collection..

Are you looking for fun plates? I love this stoneware by Jen Hewett Brown at World Market. You can use them all year and they would be perfect with a natural table look.

These Buffalo Check Napkins at WM would be pretty on a white plate or a black dish. Lot’s of options with it.

I dig a cotton smock and this is perfect for over your nice clothes on cooking day and comes in many colors. I can see customizing this with some trim and gifting it to all those cooking that day.. or for a hostess gift!

While we are talking about World Market, I love this dining chair, so stinking cute and has good reviews too. Sometimes all you need is new chairs to freshen things up, not a whole new dining set.

Another find is this Aldo Napkin with colorful gourds by Pottery Barn and it is on sale now..

The Braided Charger/placemat is also cool and would add texture to your table.

Crate & Barrel has much for Thanksgiving and I really these Mercer Dinner Plates that come in sets of eight. A good buy at $45.

And how about these Grateful Napkin Rings? I’d add a little sprig of some greenery like a cutting from an olive tree or rosemary tucked in with it.

These Forest Walk Plates by Juliska are the thing if you want something fun and fall feeling. I can see layering these with some other plates for an eclectic mix!

And these pheasant salad plates would give a Ralph Lauren look on top of a vintage larger plate…

The Cane Napkin Ring is a good choice for Thanksgiving and all year..

Now let’s talk Thanksgiving day outfits. Some people like a relaxed Thanksgiving, and other dress up..I like something that looks nice and feels comfortable.

I like this Mocha Stripe Dress, which can be dressed up or down and would be cute with boots.

This Tiger Mod Dress is fab and has a retro feel..

This Frances Dress from Tuckernuck is another great one in the olive color!

Hosting at home? This J. Crew Relaxed Sweater Dress is adorable and Iooks so comfortable. That’s my kind of Thanksgiving look. And it’s on sale now with code FRIENDS.

They have this version of a sweater dress too.. Both are highly rated and are a nice choice for casual chic holidays.

Other options.. This tiered mini dress.. It could do double duty as a tunic.

This is a great patchwork maxi dress..

Target also has a version of the sweater dress in cream, grey and this autumn color…

This maxi dress with owls and fall florals is lovely!

A few cute tops that could work on Thanksgiving…

This poncho is so cool and I love how they mixed it here with a lace t shirt.

This Fringe Sweater is a fun one for the season..

I just think this Reindeer knit is adorable.

And lastly this Tinsel cardigan is a fun piece that could be worn many ways- and comes in a dark navy also.

Hope this gave you a few ideas to run with!

I love Thanksgiving. Enjoy November and this season.

Kim

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P.s. This Burnt Bamboo Flatware, I have had for years and use in the summer and in winter, is on sale now at Horchow at a great price. Another one to consider..

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Today I’m joining a group of bloggers to share uplifting tables for springtime. Though we may be sheltering at home, people will still be having Easter, Passover, birthdays and anniversaries while inside. Why not try and make the time we have at meals with each other a little bit special? I have been adding a few votives each night to the dinner table since we all are together once again and cooking. A candle or two and even a little flower in a small cup can elevate the mood. A pretty table is always cheering and who couldn’t use a little uplifting about now?

I did not have any flowers at home, and was obviously not able to get to my usual haunts for blooms, so I thought I’d use what was on hand for my table, in this time of making do. I did though, have many small green plants throughout the house so they were my starting point for my spring table.

My table is black, so that this image from my Pinterest was my inspiration. I loved the green plants and the mix of gold, black and rattan. Mostly it was the colors here that inspired me, but also the mood.

I have beautiful cream linen napkins from Williams-Sonoma that I haven’t yet used and I thought they’d brighten up my black table. I added some creme napkin rings, white plates, woven mats and gold flatware.

The plants needed a little something more so I searched about the house and found a a few books for height, a rustic wooden bowl and some glass beads. (Another option would be filling the bowl with natural moss and colored eggs for a modern Easter basket.)

This table is a California casual look. This is about as fancy as we get. The linens aren’t ironed and I left out a tablecloth so it would feel modern unfussy, but still luxe thanks to the materials. The pops of gold dress it up a bit and the water jug is a bottle green which keeps the color story going. I went simple with the plates and glasses so the focus would be on the plants. I especially love the Chinese Money Plant, with its round leaves I found at Trader Joe’s a month ago.

I think it’s a fun challenge to use what we have at home with this pandemic happening. Go through your home and see what you have in the yard, or lurking in cabinets that can create your own unique spring tablescape!

Sources for my table – Grey woven placemats, Jasper gold flatware. –linen napkins. woven carafe, decorative beads also here, rustic wooden bowl (similar)

Please visit my friends and talented bloggers in our roundup for more uplifting ideas you can use to bring spring inside while we are sheltering at home right now.