Use foliage and local plants & flowers as decor. A simple addition of the foliage in the above setting, took the simple cutlery and napkin to a whole new 'hostess with the mostess' level
Invest in the season's hearty vegetables for robust and delicious recipes - The picture shows a Butternut squash carrot recipe via
With Style and Grace
Go traditional and rustic by using baskets, and tin buckets for vases and décor elements.
Use floral décor that 1. are in season, so it can reflect the festivities accurately, and 2. in the color scheme of the season, e.g. sunflowers
Or, you can stay modern - in terms of décor style - and incorporate the season by it's colors, such as appropriately colored candle sticks (e.g. green, orange, yellow), and other decorative elements. A few well chosen items can go a long way and bring the whole look together! (especially if you already have brown furniture - for thanksgiving at least!)
Make your party a little bit more special by adding fancier elements such as tags for place settings and/or as thank you notes for a giveaway goodie as the guests leave.
Use what you have around, especially whatever reflects the current weather and festivities. Gather some acorns from around your house or at your local park. You can even use leaves or branches, which are more 'globally' available...Im not so sure it's that easy to find acorns here and there in Dubai!...and still very much reflect the season and thanksgiving
Here's another great idea that is so easy and something you most probably won't have to leave the house for: lentils. Use the lentils from your pantry, and spread it out as a 'background' or decorative element to place your place cards, or name cards for your dishes, or just put in some candle stands. You can play around with the idea and make it personal to your party. (Do not waste the lentils - gather them and reuse them another time, you can rinse them before using, and of course the cooking process will kill any dirt - if any)
Don't have lentils or don't want to use them, use the concept and change it up. Maybe spread out some seeds, or nuts. If you're using nuts, it can be interactive - depending on it's placement. The guests that stand closest to it to talk with other guests can dig in and keep them selves busy with the peanuts you spread out as décor. You can really personalize this idea, and the others too of course, to make it suitable for you!
Again, a little can go a long way. Make your food even more relevant that the traditional turkey, etc. etc. Make your party punch and orangey color. If you're not adding any natural orange-ish ingredients, add a few drops of food coloring.
- Use orange plastic spoons, napkins, straws.
- As giveaway goodies, leave your guests with a sweet treat such as a mini pumpkin pie, or a mini cookie prep ingredient cookie jar.
- Don't have the time, or are on a tighter budget..that's fine, you can let your guests leave with a decorative thank you card, or even pack your local bakery's great tasting cookies in goodie bag or even just a simple last serving of pumpkin spice latté as an alternative to coffee.
Party Outfits - Plan ahead and keep the outfit aside. We love the above outfit...maybe not so much the shoes
For the Dubian readers - Candy corn is available at Candylicious in Dubai Mall. That's the only place I've found it so far. Have you guys found it anywhere else?
Overall, it's key to keep in mind the season, the celebration of the day that celebrates fall as a season and the bountiful harvest that comes along, as well as the colors - greens, browns, oranges and yellow primarily - and after that you can use what ever is around and stick to one to three concepts and create a great dinner party!
