Thanksgiving Advent Calendar

This idea from Store & Style is perfect. Create a Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar much like an Advent calendar during the Christmas season. And on each day, write something your family is thankful for.

A fun way to remember what Thanksgiving is really about.

Acorn-y Cute!

I love these Acorn Place Cards from Paper Source. My family hasn't used place cards maybe ever, but it looks like it's time to start a fun tradition. :)

Kentucky in Pictures

This weekend I went to see my college roommate Claire in Lexington, KY. Her friend Laura drove up from Atlanta as well. It was a wonderful girls' weekend! We had a blast, saw some amazing places, tasted some interesting things, and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was only too short.

Here, my weekend in pictures:

Maker's Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY -- Every drip is different. Every drop is the same.

Herb, our tour guide.

Not the best bottle dipper.

A Kentucky Hot Brown

Bourbon Cherries from Old Kentucky Chocolates

Wildside Winery in Versailles, KY

Baby Bites and Flags

The highlight of the evening: baby bites from Pastry Art Bake Shoppe and cupcake flags from Laurenmakes.



Baby bites are little pieces of heaven. Small bites of cake wrapped in layers of decadent icing. Possible flavors: red velvet, chocolate, turtle, vanilla, strawberry, caramel, espresso, german chocolate, and many others. I dare you to only eat one.

Laurenmakes is a co-worker who makes amazing little flags for foods and cupcakes. She worked with me to match the purple on these mini flags to the purple I was using for the party.

Cocktail Napkins

Because I used crystal plates, I wanted a little color in the napkins. I went to a few local stores, but most of the offerings were limited. Online I found a plethora of cocktail napkins.

I landed at ShopCocktailNapkins.com. I know, the name seems a little, "This can't be for real," but it is. It's part of a larger entertaining supply company called Giftaria. They have web sites that are very specific to certain party needs, like baseball and elections, and in this case, cocktail napkins.



To keep the theme of the black/white damask, I found the Damask Black & White Beverage Napkin. And for the purple color, I found some Aubergine napkins. (They have since sold out.)

A Table Setting

It's simple to put all your food out on a table and call it done. It's not so easy to arrange everything and present the table in an interesting manner. I just don't have an eye for that sort of thing. Thankfully, my friend Eric came to my rescue. This table arrangement is quite possibly the easiest thing to set up. And in the end, the results are amazing.



First things first, clear the table.

Then, take bowls (I used mixing bowls and a stray pot or two) and turn them upside down.

Next, take a fitted bed sheet (yes, you heard me right--a fitted bed sheet) and cover all the bowls and most of the table top. Make sure the elastic is tucked gently under. (You don't want to give away your secret.)

Then take the flat sheet and rope it through your bowls. This is where your artistic eye gets a jump start. It really doesn't have to be anything grand. You're just adding volume.

If you happen to have other pieces of material (I had some black squares from an earlier party), scatter those around the table. Again, it's really only volume and a splash of color, not the focus.

Then, take your serving platters and perch them on top of the upside-down bowls. The varying heights of the bowls add the dimension to your platter arrangements. I gathered all the crystal serving pieces from family members. I also served on crystal salad plates to keep the theme going.

I found a few candles at the dollar store and positioned them here and there. The white roses were added for a bit of freshness, and to help party guests identify the foods, I made labels from left over invitation paper.

And that's it!

It really was one of the easiest things I've done. So thanks to Eric, I am no longer intimidated by table settings. I received quite a few compliments on the table. (And they had no idea it was my queen-sized bed sheets!)

Bucket o' Soda

In my post yesterday, I chose a cream and black damask pattern as my decorative paper for the invitations. I tried to run the damask pattern, as well as the colors of cream, purple, and black, throughout the party.

I wanted a bucket in which to corral drinks to keep people from opening the fridge numerous times. (Plus, my fridge is in a back corner of my kitchen, and the flow of traffic would cease if multiple people needed to sneak back there for a beverage.) And because it was super chilly the night of the party, I put the bucket outside where the cold air helped keep the drinks cool.

So, this was my solution:



I found the bucket at a costume supply store for $1.99. The buckets only came in Halloween colors (black, purple, and orange), but seeing as two of my colors were black and purple, I was in luck. Next, I went to a craft store and dug in the fabric and ribbon section until I found a one-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon with damask patten. It was 50-percent off that day, so I got one three-yard spool for $1.50. Finally, all I needed was some double-sided tape to help the ribbon stay in place.

I tied the ribbon around the bucket very haphazardly, just enough to keep it on while I worked. Then I began on one side, worked my way around taping the ribbon to the bucket. You'll have to do minor tucks and folds since the side of the bucket is sloped. When I got to the bow, I tied a square knot, taped the bow loops up just a bit, and I was ready to ice down my drinks.

For less than $5, it was a simple project with great results. Even better - it's completely reusable. And if the damask pattern doesn't match my next party, all I have to do is take it off and tape on another ribbon.

Here's a close-up of the bow.



I'm sharing this post...