Thanksgiving Table Design

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Getting to spend time with family, digging in to some of the foods I like best and thinking about all the things I’m thankful for, make Thanksgiving one of the all time greats! I also love to host holiday dinners and having the house full of friends and family. A tradition I’ve created for myself that really adds to the holiday fun is to shop for a few new decorative items each year to spice up my Thanksgiving table so it’s not a carbon copy of last year’s. Here are a few of the items from QVC that I hope will be making it to my table this year!

One of the secret ingredients that I’m convinced makes our Thanksgiving the best each year is honey. We add it to our roasted parsnips and sweet potatoes, and spread it on our cornbread and herb rolls. It even makes a good addition to the turkey (especially if it’s a little on the dry side…not that that’s ever happened!) So when I came across this Le Creuset 16-oz Honey Pot – Dijon ($25), boy was I excited! I love pretty much everything Le Creuset makes, and this honey pot is no exception. Plus, the stout ceramic pot comes with a silicone honey dipper that allows you to handle your sweet delicacy without dripping it everywhere, as is known to happen with honey.

Nice linen napkins are a lovely touch to your table, but securing them with a Set of 6 Carrot or Asparagus Napkin Rings by Valerie ($19), is even better. (Asparagus are my favorite!) These veggie-inspired ceramic rings are cute as buttons and dishwasher safe to boot.

While the main meal is surely one of the major highlights of the day, a not to be forgotten gem is cocktail hour. Even though you know that in no time you’ll be stuffing yourself silly with turkey and mashed potatoes, before you get to that, there’s cheese to be had. And what better to serve it on than the C. Wonder Monogram Cheese Board with Spreader & Wine Stopper ($44)? Get an initial of your choice embossed at the center of the board, spreader, and wine stopper! And if you’re not the one hosting Thanksgiving this year and you’re looking for a gift to bring to your sister-in-law’s, this is the perfect thing. (Hint, hint if anyone in my family is reading this!)

Once cheese is in the mix, we all know there’s no better counterpart than wine. And fine, aged wine tastes its absolute best when served in festive glasses, like the Lenox Tuscany Harvest Simply Red - Assorted Colors - Set of 4 ($39.95). These glasses are stemless, chic, and come in bright colors that will surely light up any room they enter. And for all you wine connoisseurs out there, in case you were wondering, the shape of the glass is wide enough to allow for the wine to get the right amount of oxygen it needs, so don’t hesitate to get the good stuff this year!

Lastly, no table is ever complete without the right salt and pepper shakers. The ones I’ve got my eye on this year are the William Bounds 5-3/4" American Cherry Mushroom Salt Mill ($34.32) and its partner in crime, the William Bounds 5 3/4" American Cherry Mushroom Pepper Mill ($34.32). Designed to look like mushrooms (which is, yes, another reminder of the amazing mushroom stuffing to come at dinner time!) and with a classic wood décor, these mills grind your salt and pepper extra-course or extra-fine, whichever way you like it.

So, as you prepare this year’s Thanksgiving meal, don’t forget all the things that add that special bit of pizazz to your dinner table and make eating that much more fun!

Dana Holmes is a lifestyle, gift & etiquette expert who is the editor-in-chief of Gifts.com(www.gifts.com) and the Gift Rap Blog (http://blog.gifts.com). She has worked in buying & trend forecasting for 10 years and has an expert eye for finding the perfect gift, every time. Along with the other gift gurus, Dana is constantly sifting through literally millions of products to find the few most fabulous gifts. She loves helping make every occasion unique with her handy tips & special touches. She has appeared on Fox & Friends, TODAY in NY and been interviewed by The New York Times, RedBook, and Real Simple to name a few. The best gift that she ever received was her engagement ring.