A Classic Blue and White Table for a Traditional Thanksgiving

Halloween is only a week away, Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, and Christmas planning has been in the works for a while now. Aside from passing out candy, I am ready to move beyond October 31 and officially start preparing for the holidays. Thanksgiving is where most of my family memories live. Because it is the one time of year my side of the family comes together, tradition plays an even more important role in the day. We prepare the same menu each year, the same people are responsible for the same dishes, and Uncle Jack will undoubtedly be manning the Bloody Mary bar. While my day-of table will be a bit different, I have several practice rounds I will be posting, starting today. But, the good news is that beyond my tables and entertaining posts, I have partnered with a talented group to bring 30 holiday entertaining ideas With the Styled-Set Holiday Entertaining Blog Tour, hosted by Lory of Designthusiasm. (You can check out my first fall table HERE, and, if you missed it and just in time for Halloween, my Gothic Halloween dinner party HERE.) This week, the group will be sharing a plethora of Thanksgiving tables and then in a few weeks, we will be gearing up and sharing again for Christmas.

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You may not necessarily think of blue and white for Thanksgiving, but this time of year is when I tend to think of it most. My grandmother used to host the annual Thanksgiving feast and her home is where I was first exposed to the classic color palette. Because the memories of my grandmother and Thanksgiving go hand in hand, I thought it would be the perfect way to pay homage to her.

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Your Thanksgiving table is an awesome place to infuse a theme/elements which evoke memories with the ones you are with. While I have taken my own modern spin on tradition, I used family heirlooms throughout. *A full list of sources is provided at the bottom of the post*

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Creating a simple menu at each place setting is a special touch I will be incorporating this year. You can display name cards separately, or, customize each menu to serve as place cards at each seat.

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Because our dining room is the first space you see when you come through the door, I love creating BIG, elaborate centerpieces as a statement. For the dinner, the large center arrangement would be moved to the buffet to allow everyone to see each other across the table.

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Before creating this table concept, I thought sunflowers were “cute”. After mixing them with the blue and white, they skyrocketed to the top of my list of fav flowers. They have proven their versatility – suitable for a casual or elegant setting.

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I added a few baby white pumpkins and pears to establish the fall vibe; you can head to your local grocery store and scan the produce for a TON of different combinations.

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I folded the napkins into little pockets to hold the menu, but this style of napkin folding would also be great for silverware, goodies, favors, or, a special “I am thankful for…” card for everyone to share.

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I am high on brass and gold and don’t see that changing any time soon. As the holidays approach, I gravitate towards anything that can bring a sense of warmth to my parties so my new pillar candle holders (HERE), tapered candle holders (HERE), and gold flatware (HERE) definitely fit the bill.

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A FEW THANKSGIVING HOSTING TIPS

  1. Set out serving pieces and stage them the day before to ensure the proper placement and vessels for dishes
  2. Set up a dedicated beverage station away from the food
  3. Delegate small tasks to involve everyone (filling water glasses, asking the blessing, etc.)
  4. Start a new tradition – we keep a book in which we each write what we are thankful for each year
  5. No cans/bottles allowed on the table- use glasses for all beverages
  6. Assign seats and use place cards ahead of time
  7. Opt for soft music in lieu of football during dinner
  8. Prepare more food than you think you need
  9. Serve light, easy appetizers to buy time for meal prep
  10. Keep a pitcher of water close-by for refills (I love my newest gold pitcher HERE)

 

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I would love to hear your Thanksgiving traditions; have you started planning yet? Let me know in the comments below! To help prepare, you won’t want to miss any of the blogs on the tour. Here’s a peek at the full lineup:

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Starting today, you can check out the following awesome inspiration:

Designthusiasm

A Soft Vintage Thanksgiving Table | Designthusiasm.com

French Country Cottage

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Cedar Hill Farmhouse

thanksgiving-entertaining-with-simple-recipes

Kelley Nan (me)

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Bless’er House

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Maison de Pax

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And you’ll definitely want to check back in the rest of the week as each day, new Thanksgiving tables, traditions, and recipes will be posted. Here’s what’s to come:

Coming Tuesday:

Sand & Sisal | Design, Dining and Diapers | CitrineLiving
Zevy Joy | Town and Country Living | Life On Virginia Street

Coming Wednesday:

Decor Gold Designs | So Much Better With Age | My Soulful Home
ZDesign At Home | Randi Garrett Design | Ella Claire

Coming Thursday:

StoneGable | The Enchanted Home | Savvy Southern Style
Shabbyfufu | On Sutton Place | Maison Decor

Coming Friday:

Sunny Side Up | Finding Home Farms | The Wood Grain Cottage
Setting for Four | Becky Cunningham

SHOP THE TABLE

SHOP THE ROOM

THE SOURCES & ROOM DETAILS
*affiliate links used*

Gold FlatwareNapkins | Chargers- (SIMILARChairs – Linen | Bar Cart12-Light Chandelier | Pillar Candle Holders | Tapered Candle Holders | Blue & White Jars: HomeGoods | Mirror: Homegoods – (SIMILAR) | Dining Table:  (84″ in Salvaged Brown) | Buffet: (72″ in Distressed White) | Curtain Panels: (98″ in White) | Rug: HomeGoods- Calvin Klein wool (SIMILAR) | Lamps: HomeGoods – (SIMILAR) | Blue & White China – Family Heirloom | Turkeys: No Longer Available | Garland- (SIMILAR) | Cream Table Runners |  Blue & White Table Runners: Market on Main in Daphne, AL (SIMILARWaterford Padova China | Pillows: HomeGoods Church Painting | Water Lillies Art | Paint: Lauren’s Surprise by Sherwin Williams | Flooring: Nottaway Hickory in Weathered Saddle

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80 Comments

  1. 10.24.16

    Absolutely gorgeous table, Kelley! I’m a huge fan of warm brass and gold too and the blue and white is classic and stunning. As a former calligrapher, I also love that you incorporated menus… 🙂 Fun reading about your holiday traditions, too!! Oh, and I also appreciate that you create a large impactful statement centerpiece that can be moved to the sideboard later. It’s exquisite!!

    • 10.24.16

      Lory, thank you and thank you so much for including me in this awesome group! Can’t wait to check out your gorgeous entertaining post!

  2. 10.24.16

    What a gorgeous dining room you have, Kelley! LOVE your chandie! Your table setting is really pretty – I love the addition of the sunflowers to add a shot of yellow.

    • 10.24.16

      Jennifer, thank you so much! Love getting into the Thanksgiving spirit early! Looking forward to yours!

  3. 10.24.16
    Tamara said:

    This is gorgeous!! I love the sunflowers with the blue and white! And of course blue and white and gold is my fav combo of all time! Spectacular table Kel! xo

    • 10.24.16

      Tam, thank you!! I can’t wait to see yours this week!

      • 10.24.16
        Randi said:

        Kelley I love your beautiful table and hostess tips! Your grandma would be so proud! Blue and white reminds me of my mother. Her China is blue and white. My wedding China is blue and white. It is so timeless! Love it all!

        • 10.24.16

          Randi, thank you! I think of my grandmother every single time. Can’t wait to see yours this week!

  4. 10.24.16
    Annie said:

    Kelley this is gorgeous!! I loved your added touch of pretty menus… The sunflowers mixed with the blue and white is a beautiful combo too! I loved it all~

    • 10.24.16

      Annie, thank you so much. Can’t wait to see yours!

  5. 10.24.16

    Stunning Kelley! Love the unconventional color palette.

  6. 10.24.16
    Bree said:

    Kel! Love your gorgeous blue and white scheme, with a pop of yellow in those yummy sun flowers!!! I also love the menu and love hearing about your traditions!! Fabulous as always my friend!!!

    • 10.27.16

      Bree, thank you so much! I’m heading over to yours shortly- the peeks were amazing!

  7. 10.24.16
    Summer said:

    Kelley, there’s not one thing you forgot! It’s all perfect and that blue and white also reminds me of my grandmother (miss her so much). She and my grandfather traveled all over the world their whole lives and since Europe was their fave, she would bring home lots of blue and white and decorate her entire kitchen and nook in it. Lovely, my friend! ?????

    • 10.27.16

      Summer, your grandparents sound so similar to mine! They loved traveling until they passed away, bringing home goodies from all their trips. Thank you for visiting with me xoxo

  8. 10.25.16
    Jennifer said:

    Love it Kel!! The tips are fabulous….I’ll be showing Tony the one about soft music instead of football. Hopefully he will mind you better than he minds me!

    • 10.27.16

      Jen! hahaha Football before and after but NOT during 😉 Tony, give Jen a nice surprise this Thanksgiving!

  9. 10.25.16
    Lauren said:

    This could no be more perfect, Kelley! I absolutely love the sunflowers with the blue.

    • 10.25.16

      Lauren, thank you so much! I still need to make time to head over to your gorgeous table!

  10. 10.25.16
    Charley said:

    Lovely! Always love blue and white, the sunflowers really perk it up.

    • 10.27.16

      Charley, thank you! I agree- I will have to use them more!

  11. 10.25.16

    Incredible! I love seeing your artistry in the dining room.
    It’s sensational.
    Sharing today. Happy Fall!

    • 10.27.16

      Shannon, thank you so much! I loved creating this one!

  12. 10.25.16
    Dolores Haley said:

    I’m a huge fan of blue and white but never thought to use it at Thanksgiving!
    Thank you for the idea! Dolores

    • 10.27.16

      Dolores, thank you so much! So traditional but not a color you often see for the holiday… it was fun to interpret it this way.

    • 10.28.16
      Hassie said:

      Dear Kelley,
      I am soooooo enjoying following your blog. Everything you share is so very beautiful and elegant and INSPIRING!!! You are so gifted and blessed: )
      Your dining room chairs…are they white or more linen colored?? I may look into these for my dining room eventually. THanks so much sweetie!!
      Love and peace,
      hassie

      • 10.28.16

        Hassie, what a sweet note! Thank you! The color is “linen” so… like an ivory. If you do go for it, wait until they have a sale. They are always running sales on their chairs. Right now, you can get them for 25% off for their furniture sale 😉 Good luck!

  13. 10.27.16

    Wow this is gorgeous…..from a fellow lover of blue and white. This proves that blue and white has a place in every season! Bravo:)

  14. 10.27.16

    oh my god! Your table is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I am just following along on the blog tour and I love your blog!

    • 10.28.16

      Angelina, thank you so so much!! I loved creating this one! xoxo Happy Friday!

  15. 10.28.16
    Janet said:

    I feel like this could be at the most intimate and elegant restaurant overseas Kelley. So stunning friend! xo

    • 10.28.16

      Janet, I love that! Thank you so much- I can’t wait to set a date with your blog this weekend!

  16. 10.29.16
    Ann said:

    The blue and white is perfection. You definitely have “the touch” with table settings…beautiful and fresh!

    • 10.31.16

      Ann, thank you! They are my fav to create 😉

  17. 10.29.16

    WOW! Super pretty and unique! Lovely photos too. Glad I found your blog by way of The Enchanted Home. I’ll be following you. Happy holidays!

    • 10.31.16

      Celia, thank you so so much!! Happy Monday!

  18. 10.31.16
    Kate said:

    Kelley, I love this recipe and your bar cart styling tips! Shared! Happy Halloween!

  19. 10.31.16

    Kelly – Fabulous in every way! I am not even a “blue” girl & I am hooked on your look. I also love the word “plethora” . Glad to be touring with you!

    • 11.1.16

      Kelly, thank you!! I can’t stop the blue and white haha- most is in storage right now but I’ll be looking for opportunities to bring it out 😉