It’s Dare to Entertain week at the Dare to DIY link party, hosted this week by Michelle at Decor and the Dog! Today you get another post that’s mostly pictures and not nearly as many millions of words as I usually throw in, for three reasons:
1. We were really busy daring to entertain my in-laws all last week
2. I took SO MANY PICTURES
3. Really, this year’s table is not so much different from last year’s. Minor tweaks.
The black and gold animal dessert plates are from Target’s Patch NYC line in 2012. I made the gold dotted glasses last year. We made the wooden box centerpiece last year, too. Last Thanksgiving it had gold pinecones in it; this year I dumped in a bunch of gold ornaments. The only things besides the ornaments I bought new this year were the bamboo placemats
You can get a preview of our dining room chairs here, which are finally (more or less) finished! Sometime I will get around to posting about them. Things are a little crazy around here. I didn’t even get around to doing a Happy Thanksgiving post, so, hey–hope you had a great Thanksgiving (American readers)! We did. Lots of food, family, all that stuff. I’ve got to say, though, I really liked Thanksgiving being so much earlier in November last year. I am not ready for it to be December already, and yet, here it is! Anyway, pictures! Many, many pictures. I bought that little turkey at the thrift store a few weeks ago, incidentally. I never even knew how much I needed a tiny ceramic turkey until I found him. Okay, really this time: pictures!
Ari and Abe were the first ones ready to eat:
And then everyone else showed up, and we lit candles, and ate food, and then the table was EVEN NICER with our whole family around it. And with so many mashed potatoes on it, of course:
Linking up with Dare to Do-It-Yourself….take some time to check out all the other posts over there!
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Those plates are so darling! I like the black / gold combination.
Thanks so much, Antonella!
Another case of awesome animal decor Gretchen. So so pretty
Is there any other kind of decor? 😉
Very nice! I love the woodland creature theme and the colors!
Thanks, Di Linh!
oh my gosh i love it! i know you are shocked. 😉 those plates are amazing! and i feel like your table and my mantle are soul mates.
Thanks, Cassie–we really have to get all our animals together for a party sometime 🙂
WOW I love it Gretchen. Those chairs are amazing! And I love your table. The new bamboo mats are fantastic with your woodland plates. Love your new ceramic turkey. Definitely can’t have too many pictures. What are you talking about 🙂
Thanks, Katja! I have a few more pictures that I could throw in there for good measure 😉
Your chairs are looking mighty fancy! I’m also madly in love with this table. It’s festive but with a nice quirk that I appreciate!
I don’t really know how to do things without quirk 😉
Love it Gretchen! Those plates are awesome! xoxo
Thanks, Kristin!
those plates are FANTASTIC, and I love those salt and pepper shakers every time they pop up 🙂
Thanks, Stephanie! I really need to break those plates out more often–I love them so!
I love all of your little woodland animals–such a beautiful table!
Thanks, Erin! I use woodland animals every chance I get 🙂
Those plates are pretty great! Your table is beautiful. I love all the little animals.
Thanks, Nikki!
What a great table! It’s perfect for Thanksgiving and transitions nicely into Christmas. Smart!
Thanks so much, Danielle!
I love the color scheme and your table is pretty awesome itself!
Thank you! We just painted the table a few months ago, so that it would be extra awesome for this Thanksgiving 🙂
This is so pretty! Love the gold and black.
I adore those squirrels! Too cute. 🙂
Thanks, Whitney! I’m a very big fan of squirrels 🙂
GORG! I love those plates! Everything is so pretty. You sure do know how to set a table! I’m far too lazy for this. Paper plates all the way. One day I hope to be as cool as Gretchen!
It’s taken me frighteningly close to 40 years to get this cool 😉
The table looks amazing Gretchen!!! Love the colors and those plates are ridiculously cool!!! Oh and the turkey hat is perfect! A job well done friend!! Nicole xo
I totally love it!! It’s so fancy and you even had a real entertaining dinner on it too. I’m super impressed.
That is such a cute table setting, but I can’t get over the color of your table. It is so beautiful and such a difference from a wood stain.
Thanks so much, Anne–it’s Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy (the table used to be stained wood, but we painted it a few months ago)
Such a pretty table, Gretchen! I love those animal plates so much!
I really love how it all looks together. I’m especially fond of that wooden squirrel figurine!
Thanks, Corinna! That little squirrels been through a lot; the baby dropped him a few months ago and I just finally got around to gluing him back together 🙂
EEEP! Black, gold and white!! Everything looks so sleek!
Gorgeous table, Gretchen! I love the colors you used, and all the natural elements!