2025 Green and Pink Thanksgiving

The magical Dining Room Makeover has culminated into this beautiful day! You know I love to host Thanksgiving, so what better way to show her off than with a spatchcocked turkey and all the trimmings.

I scoured the internet for the perfect (and affordable, let’s be reasonable here), tablecloth to set the stage but not overshadow. When I stumble into blue and green, something comes over me. I’ve decided that this year calls for Dopamine Dressing – wearing things that make you happy! Blue and green and pink. Always. Forever.

I love a patterned tablecloth! I try, oh how I try, to love a solid. I add table runners, placemats, flowers, and still? It feels so sad. Patterned it must be. I decided on this block print beauty from Amazon. I was torn between this and the purple (more fuchsia-ish), but this felt right.

I wanted sparkle, I wanted glam! This is a debut, after all. Champagne beaded placemats. Is that a question? Not here!

I’ve been drooling over this Ikat print from Pottery Barn since it came out and was able to snag the napkins on clearance! I love the burgundy and pink as well.

Last minute, I decided to make place cards since our group grew overnight! Using Canva, I found this turkey graphic and adjusted the colors to coordinate with my table. They are such a cute, unique touch.

I wanted to use my new ivory basketweave dishes, but it was feeling flat. The moment my Old Havana plate hit the table, all hopes for restraint were lost. I immediately grabbed some pink gross grain ribbon to tie off the napkins and leapt with delight! Restraint? I don’t know her.

Was it relief? Was it a flood of dopamine? Was it all a dream? I don’t really care what it was, I’m just thrilled to step back and see the fruit of so much work. And I can’t wait to share it with the people I love.

In addition to smoked turkey and my usual casseroles (sweet potato and sinful potato), I added a Maple Dijon salad with butternut squash and candied pecans, homemade cultured butter, and did a punch in coupe glasses to dress up the table. It was a hit! We made a sample glass the night before to be sure it was a good choice, and Austin raved all night. Safe to say, we’ll be making more!

I hope you and yours had a blessed and happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are.

xo, Amanda

P.S. Tutorial for these custom china plate ornaments coming soon!

A Jewel Tone Thanksgiving 2023

I love to host Thanksgiving! I love the planning, the prep, and most of all: the table scape! When planning for this year’s table, I could not get the brown zebra tablecloth from Mrs. Alice out of my head. The second it went on sale I snatched it up! Who even am I?

That tablecloth has sold out, but here are some similar options.


My “wedding china,” if you will, is the mint Old Havana line from Anthropologie. I say that because Anthro started doing wedding registries a month after I got married… So I would buy myself a few plates during sales or with extra money I had saved, and now have enough dinner and salad plates for 14! I love how the mint goes with so many color schemes. Mint and Lime, Mint and Red, Mint and… Fuchsia!


Bam! There it was, the most gorgeous combo for a fall table: Brown, Mint and Fuchsia. I immediately began the search for napkins. I love World Market napkins, so that’s where I went first. They had the fuchsia I was looking for. I linked a few different options, including disposable if that’s your flavor, below.

While looking around, I saw these adorable Table Dare cards from Anthropologie. I loved this idea! Since I had more guests than cards, I opted to make my own. I scoured the internet for appropriate, and non-humiliating dares (which was a little hard to find) and came up with the rest.

“Recite a Haiku about your favorite Thanksgiving side dish”

“Place a roll in your mouth and let Finn [my dog] take a bite.”

“Draw a turkey using either your teeth or your toes.”

We had so much fun with these!

I attached them to place cards made from marbled paper and dispersed them randomly (making sure that the ones for guests or older family members were the easiest and least humiliating, of course). Then I made sure no one peeked before it was time to play. I love the way the marbled paper adds a little more texture to the table.

I added little coupe glasses, also from Mrs. Alice, with little stars etched on them. They are so adorable pared with my favorite goblets from Belk. And how perfect are these dessert plates from Anthropologie!? They have long since been discontinued, but I’ve found some on FB Marketplace and eBay over the years. You can collect the whole alphabet!

My coworker was kind enough to make the floral arraignment for me. Thanks, Katie! It was so good until I had to rush home for an emergency, causing the flowers to dump over in my car… While cleaning my car, I sat the container on the floor and my dog Daisy ATE MY HYDRANGEAS. Well, didn’t eat them, per se, but they were shredded. Why?? So I had to adjust them the next day sans the hydrangeas.

It was certainly an… eventful Thanksgiving Eve. But Thanksgiving Day went off without a hitch. I desperately needed fun, laid back family time this year and that’s exactly what it was! Beauty can always be found in the midst of suffering, and somehow it’s always sweeter.

xo, Amanda

Thanksgiving 2024: Turquoise, Peach and Brown

During our trip to London, we stopped at Fortnum & Mason, where I fell in love with the Camellia White tea ware. I could not get it out of my head! Just like the cabbage ware for my brother’s baby shower, it was just meant to be. I love the way it plays with my “fancy” china – Anthropologie’s Old Havana line in mint. Perfection.

I started with my favorite, Microsoft Word, and laid out my ideas. The teal glasses are from Walmart’s line with Drew Barrymore, which are sadly out of stock. There are always options for teal/blue goblets online, or in my favorite place to search: Facebook Marketplace.

These placemats from World Market always help keep the place settings from feeling too feminine. I love a girly table, but just like in decor, there should be balance. The tablecloths are courtesy of TJ Maxx, and they have a subtle gold shimmer.

As you can see, my plan included white florals. But, alas, I could only get my hands on peach. That’s okay! Short of ordering in flowers online or from a florist, you just have to get what works the best. I used similar cut glass vases from Amazon.

The napkins are old Hobby Lobby, but these would be beautiful as well! I chose the darker teal napkin rings to compliment the goblets.

We had 14 for Thanksgiving last year, so we had two tables. I love hosting Thanksgiving, and am so grateful for time with family. And pumpkin pie 🙂

xo, Amanda