Friendsgiving 101
With Thanksgiving only a month away (can you believe it), it's time to start making some holiday plans! Whether you spend the holiday with family, friends, or maybe even colleagues, it certainly is a day worth celebrating! Michael and I are very fortunate that both of our family's are within ten minutes of each other and we don't have to make the tougher logistic choices. We just get to eat twice!
One thing that I hope to incorporate into our future holiday routine is "Friendsgiving"! Unfortunately, most of our friends live hours away from us at this stage in our lives, but it was so fun getting together with my blogging friends Emily, Jessica, and Madison for this inspirational Friendsgiving shoot this year. Be sure to check out each of their beautiful websites!
Whether you are hosting yourself or are a guest of someone else, we have got you covered with today's post! I'm talking outfits, tablescape, a simple charcuterie board, and a delicious apple stack cake recipe!
How to Set the Table:
Setting a table is such a personal thing - Some like simple and clean, while others like layers upon layers! What I love most about entertaining is that there is no wrong way. If you want to add twenty mini pumpkins, you go for it! Since our location, RT Lodge here in Maryville, was so charming in and of itself we chose to go with a more natural, simple table setting and I LOVE it. There is something so stunning about white dinner plates on a natural wood table! The dinner plates, glasses, and serving pieces from Vietri were the perfect touch to our dark table! We upped the Fall factor with a jewel toned centerpiece (DIY post coming soon), green napkins, and precious mini pinecones. For more table inspiration be sure to check out the Going For Grace Thanksgiving entertaining archives here!
What to Wear:
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays to dress for. To me, it is such a cozy holiday, full of food and nine times out of ten, lounging! If you've followed me for long you've probably already realized that I don't do sweatpants, but what I do do are jeggings! Jeggings are perfect for a food centered holiday. They are tight enough to keep everything looking good, but stretchy enough to still be comfortable when you're on your third dessert! My favorite jeggings are always dark washes like the ones that each of us are wearing in these photos. If you are looking for a new pair, you must try this pair that I have on! Paired with an oversized sweater, boots, and a blazer for extra warmth, you will feel 100% confident when someone inevitably pulls out their camera for group photos! I have linked to each of our outfits below as we each chose a slightly different look to give you all some great inspiration!
What to Make:
I feel like the correct wording here is, what shouldn't you make?!! If there is one holiday that is fair food game, this is it friends! Think charcuterie boards, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, cupcakes, spice cake, apple stack cake, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and more. The world is your oyster friend! For further Thanksgiving recipes be sure to check out the Going For Grace Thanksgiving recipe archives here!
What to Bring:
If you are attending as a guest and wondering what to bring, first make the ask to your host. If they ask you to make a specific dish then you are set, but if they aren't specific or, like many, say not to worry about bringing anything then here are some great ideas! If you truly believe that it would offend them if you brought something then make some easy homemade pumpkin butter or pumpkin bread (or buy it) and package it up as a hostess gift! If you suspect that they actually would love for you to help out, but they don't want you to go out of your way then try suggesting to them that you can make a charcuterie board (or my personal favorite, a dessert charcuterie board!) for people to graze over throughout your time together!
Above all of the tips and recipes, enjoy the time that you get to spend with your loved ones! It can be so easy to fall into the trap of rushing or making everything so perfect that you forget to simply enjoy what matters most... Your people!
A special thank you to Talbots, RT Lodge, Vietri, and Morgan Smythe Photography for making this post possible! As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Going For Grace possible!