Friendsgiving

November 19, 2015
Entertaining,Gatherings

For me, the holidays are all about celebration and spending lots of quality time with the ones you love, but over the long Thanksgiving weekend, I usually spend all my time with my family. I don’t get to see my friends for very long around Thanksgiving, especially ones that are in from out of town, so I love the idea of hosting a special dinner just for your best pals. (Plus, I’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving this year in New Orleans!). I’ve teamed up with Pottery Barn to host my Friendsgiving dinner and I’ve got some great tips on how to pull off a simple but elegant dinner without getting host burn-out before Thanksgiving day!

  • Do a pot luck: Unless you’re an over-achiever in the kitchen, save yourself the energy and do a pot luck. Have each person sign up for a side dish and make yourself responsible for the turkey (since it’s the hardest to transport).
  • Keep the table simple: It’s easy to get carried away with self-imposed rules about hosting a proper dinner, but keep it simple with the flowers and decor. I just used a few long-stemmed fall colored flowers, like thistle and marigolds, and placed them in tall simple vases. Because the tablescape is so simple, I used plates and cups that were a little more feminine. I just love this Napoli dinnerware set, the ruffled edges of these linen napkins and these vintage Victorian tumblers!
  • DIY it: For the runner, I simply used a long piece of kraft paper and a white chalk pen to write everyone’s names. Instead of a menu, the dish name was written on the kraft paper.
  • Add color: Incorporate natural fall fruits where you can for color. I added pears, persimmons and pomegranates to each place setting and sliced persimmons and pomegranate seeds to a clear pitcher of sparkling water.
  • Last but not least, make sure to have lots of alcohol and cheese– it’s always a safe bet for a hungry crowd!

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Shop our Pottery Barn Friendsgiving:

(This post is sponsored by Pottery Barn. Opinions are our own. Images by Ivan Solis, calligraphy by Chelsea Cho and flowers from Twig and Twine)

Conversation

So much fun, so much food. Can’t wait for Thanksgiving (again) next week!

I love all the pomegranates and persimmons as decor – and the idea that you don’t need a super elaborate table to have a good one. Besides, if you put on a ton of decor, where are you going to put the food?

I really like the idea of a Friendsgiving celebration! I live pretty far away from my extended family, so our Thanksgiving often ends up including a group of great friends. While I always cherish time with my family, there is also something so special about sharing a Thanksgiving dinner with close friends! 🙂

Dani | http://www.styledvariety.com

Thank you for all these good ideas, it’s gonna be my first Thanksgiving (I just moved in NY from Switzerland) and I am looking forward to it!

Amy