Expressing our gratitude regardless of our circumstances leaves no room for self-pity and selfishness, so let’s practice this discipline of being thankful this Thanksgiving Day and beyond.

Enjoy time with family and friends cooking up a storm, and of course enjoying the delicious turkey dinner. Mine will be spent with my good friend Aimee and my children and mostly relaxing with a glass…or two of organic wine

My dinner will look more like this, so no all day cooking for me and the family. I am a mostly-raw vegan and I eat wild salmon occasionally. My side dishes will be baked sweet potatoes, kale salad with fresh organic fruits and for dessert my famous homemade nutty balls treats. Simple ingredients – raw cashews and organic medjool dates with a tiny bit of water mixed in a food processor until mushy and then rolled into balls…..delicious!! Still working out a good name for these sweet treats

www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com

Here’s one of my biggest blessings who I will always be thankful for…..My son Joshua. He turns 12 today, November 27. They grow up so fast! :-) We will spend the day doing whatever his little heart desires……within reason of course. I’m pretty sure we will be going to GameStop

Help Josh celebrate his 12th Birthday!!

Happy Thanksgiving Day everyone! May your day be filled with family, friends, food, fun and wine!

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Be Inspired!

Here are a few tips to consider for a beautiful Thanksgiving table setting:

• Select items for the table top based loosely on a theme. Don’t get too literal with a theme, but establishing a loose theme will make for a more cohesive look. Example – A nature inspired theme could include dried branches, florals and real fruits (No fake fruits please )

Source: Rugdots.com

• Choose a consistent color scheme. Whether you like monochromatic or bold colors, keep colors consistent throughout your tablescape.

Source: Countryliving.com

•  Try personalized place settings to help welcome your guests and encourage conversations. This is great especially when there are a lot of guests. A large banquet table usually has several small conversations going, so by personalizing place settings, it helps seat people where conversations and socializing will flow easily.

Source: topinspired.com

• Layer the centerpiece with varying heights and textures. Don’t make it so high that guests have a difficult time seeing and communicating with the person across from them. Make it interesting and visually appealing.

Source: stagetecture.com

• Keeping it neutral and simple is sometimes the best thing to do. There’s nothing wrong with allowing the food and family to be the focus instead of the decor

Source: MTDNY.com

•  Allow your personality to shine through. Your home decor in general is a great way for your guests to get to know you. Your Thanksgiving tablescape helps to do the same. Example – if you like peacocks (like I do ) incorporate it somehow without going overboard.

Source: DesignedToTheNines.com

• Making your tablescape consistent with your style of decor will make it less overwhelming to put together. It is great to seek inspiration outside of what you would normally do, but being true to your decorating style goes a long way, especially with the pressure of preparing dinner. This one is my favorite because it speaks to my current but ever changing design style

Source: eugeniamariaefendy.blogspot.com

•  Keep the focus on the food and wine, and of course family and friends. Make it so guests will linger long after the food has been  consumed. It helps to have great lighting including candlelight, comfortable chairs and lots of wine

Source: CentsationalGirl.com

Creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere will keep your guests lingering and definitely makes your Thanksgiving feast a memorable occasion.

The most important thing is remember to be THANKFUL for everything. This is the season to pause and take a moment to count your blessings and just be thankful for the great things…..and even the challenges in your life. Spending time with family and friends is also the best thing about this time. I love that Thanksgiving seems to bring out the best in people, and the feasts and atmosphere definitely adds to that!

For my fellow raw vegans, here’s a link to some great raw vegan recipes perfect for the Holidays from Pretty Smart Raw Food Ideas blog. Click here

For wine lovers, Whole Foods has a great selection of organic wines. Click here

Wishing you all a lovely Thanksgiving feast and a great time with family and friends.

If you need help with decorating your home or table top for the holidays, or for more information about my design services, please contact me here.

You can shop my online store for designer bedding, custom drapery panels, pillows, rugs and doggy styles. Click here to go shopping

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Happy Monday!

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon