Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Pre-giving (friends-giving?)

We still haven't decided on the official title, but the dinner was a success.

I can't get enough Thanksgiving so we invited some friends over for a warm up meal over the weekend. I wouldn't ever want to give up family Thanksgiving but I've always been a little envious of friends who end up doing their own thing to avoid travel. We wanted it to feel relaxed and celebratory and I think it worked. I was busy enjoying myself and only stepped away from the table long enough to snap a single action photo over the course of the six hour meal so that's what we have. We made a turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy and asked everyone to bring their favorite side dish.

pre-giving table
{pre-giving table}

tiny glass turkeys!
{tiny glass turkeys!}

friends
{friends}

Not pictured - several rounds of Pictionary, gin punch, bourbon cocktails, really intense discussions, a few impressions and the most balanced array of side dishes you could imagine given that we gave people NO INSTRUCTIONS on what to bring. People must have had psychic connections going on.

The tiny glass turkeys were an impulse buy from CostPlus on Saturday. I don't know why but I love them inordinately and plan to use them as place card holders, assuming I get myself together and actually make place cards this week. I justified it because I generally spend no money on table decor for this holiday. I collected a few baby pinecones over the last week and D gave them a misting of gold spray paint and then I put out those pomegranates I picked and our collection of honeymoon brass candlesticks. The table looked a bit sparse but my theory is once dinner gets started no one notices. HOT TIP - the dripless unscented candles from Trader Joe's were amazing. Actually dripless, right up until the very end (blow them out when they have about an inch to go and you'll be good, otherwise they do drip when they gutter out), they lasted almost the entire party and they were half the price of most other candles. I'm stocking up today.

Thanksgiving!!! Maybe I will live blog my preparations tomorrow? No, probably not.

20 comments:

  1. Friends-giving is the best! I had mine two weeks ago. I did all the cooking, but I think I might relinquish some control in the future and go your route of pot-luck appetizers.

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    1. It made it so easy! I love the side dishes, but making them all can be exhausting.

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  2. Such a lovely idea- your table looks lovely! I love the chow down napkins!

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  3. I love the idea of a friends-giving. Definitely doing that next year!

    Alyssa
    The Glossy Life

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  4. Rose D. Frenchtown, NJNovember 20, 2012 at 7:31 AM

    Love it! Did you hand stamp the napkins??

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    1. Yep! I made sets of those for the shop and when handstamping I always end up napkins that just aren't perfect, so I keep those for us to use.

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  5. Love the glass turkeys! I saw them a few days ago, but since my mother is doing Thanksgiving this year, I couldn't justify the purchase!

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  6. Thank you for the candle tip!

    You are so inspiring! I love that you planned a thanksgiving for friends!

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  7. Looks like a great evening! I'm heading out to Trader Joe's today so I'll look for the candles.

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  8. Friendsgiving! :) Looks like so much fun. I totally had to stop myself from getting those glass turkeys at Cost Plus last week too! We went straight for Christmas stuff instead. Thanks for the candle tip!

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  9. i would be content with live tweets. listening in on your planning and execution is like watching those tingly-talking videos people swap around on youtube.

    i do not generally spend much on decor either, but i picked up some jonathan adler cat salt and pepper shakers from ebay because they were half off and look like chuck and steve (and i am a hoarder). predictably, i love your turkeys and i hope you name them.

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  10. nice tip about the TJ candles - thanks!

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  11. wierdest thing ever but there is a guy in your photo who looks just like my cousin!! Either my cousin has a twin or you are friends with Colin!!

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    1. We are friends with Colin - what a small world!!!

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  12. we call that our urban family thanksgiving and it's wonderful!

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  13. So lovely. I cannot wait for the day that I have a permanent table that seats more than four. Sure, summers in the Penthouse absolutely ROCK...but when it comes down to it, I still live in a dorm, haha.

    I'm actually in the middle of baking your dutch apple pie - the hall smell heavenly. (yes, I only have a mini oven in my apartment, so I use the one in the floor kitchen. it's worth it, but yeah, can't wait for a real big girl kitchen).

    And I adore the turkeys. My grandmother had these amazing chickens that she'd fill with jelly beans for Easter. Boy, did I ever love them.

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  14. my mom is setting the table for thanksgiving and i'm realizing that she has little amber colored glass turkeys that she puts out every year - so you are in good company.

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  15. We did that too this year, only our Canadian thanksgiving was over a month ago. It's so fun to give thanks with friends, especially given they are such a huge part of our lives!
    www.delolovesdesign.com

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  16. First, the party is a great idea, and looks like it was a smashing success.

    Second, the Trader Joe's candles!! I have a pretty candelabra that takes 9 candles. I also have a chandelier with bulbs and candles (nothing fancy, IKEA). So, with every holiday, I can spend upwards of $40 on pillar candles, which really chaps my frugal hide. I had decided to forgo the candelabra when I stumbled across those candles two weeks ago. I've seen them before, but never looked at the price. $2.99?! I bought two packs thinking it wouldn't hurt to try, and cautioned myself to not put too much stock in the drip-less promise.

    ZOMG, success.

    Bonus: they are the perfect shade of cream. Not bright white, but not sickly yellow, either. Like you, I'm stocking up. I'm now worried about what will happen if they stop manufacturing them, which is what usually happens with all my favorite Trader Joe's products.

    Holy cow, WALL OF WORDS. O_O Sorry. Continue reading the comments from your normal readers.

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  17. I'm so glad you found them too! I bought four packages last week, will probably buy several more this week. I love being able to use our candleholders without worrying about having wax all over the heirloom tablecloth.

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