Citrus and Cream's Thanksgiving + 5 Tips for a Festive Fall Table

We all know how busy this time of year can get. Soon enough every evening and weekend is booked with dinners, parties, and other festivities. We're not complaining––we love the stretch from Thanksgiving to New Year's! But we've learned that the earlier you plan, the better.

And so we had our Citrus and Cream Thanksgiving two weeks before the actual day. We gathered together--Steph, myself, our hubbies and her kids--and enjoyed a delicious meal in our cool Fall weather.

Usually, setting the table or creating a centerpiece is the last item on my list. But this time, I started with it. The combination of not being rushed and having so many beautiful pumpkins on hand helped create a lovely table. Here are a few tips I learned along the way:

• Tip #1: Keep it bright and white. When you think about the most beautiful dinners or parties you've attended, chances are they had crisp white linens. Go with the classic and choose a solid white or light colored tablecloth to create a blank canvas for your table scape. The reds, oranges, and golds will pop!
• Tip #2: Be fruity. In addition to flowers and branches, use seasonal fruit! Pumpkins and gourds (of course), red pears, pomegranates--all of these are beautiful pieces to bring in. 
• Tip #3: Go for the gold! (Or any metal, for that matter!) We had large gold confetti left over from a wedding, and this created the perfect table runner. Metallics reflect light and make things feel festive. And don't be afraid to mix gold and silver hues...that's totally okay.
• Tip #4: Use clear glass vases. Like metallics, the glass vases can help reflect light, and their transparency creates an open feel. Use one main vase for the center (not too tall), two to three shorter vases, and another four or five small vases. Make the biggest one the show-stopper and mimic the look on a smaller scale in the other vases.
• Tip #5: Less is not best. Often when my centerpieces don't work out, it's simply because I didn't have enough going on. Plan on more––you can always take away if it feels too busy.

I used: about ten pumpkins of various small sizes and colors; a few dwarf pomegranates; iceberg roses, gardenias, white clematis blooms, white potato vine flowers; dwarf pomegranate blooms, red salvia, red nandina branches and berries; crape myrtle branches; red Boston ivy leaves; and silver-sheen pittosporum for greenery and filling. It's amazing what can grow here in the Valley even when our temps begin to drop! In addition, I had about 8 clear glass vases, a few votives, and tons of gold confetti.

Once the table was set, I began cooking our Thanksgiving in a Pumpkin dinner (whole roasted baby pumpkins filled with all kinds of goodness)...which turned out deliciously. Steph came with drinks and desserts (we'll be sharing those recipes soon!), and the thankfulness began!

We really have so much to be grateful for, and this month is the perfect time to stop and consider all of our blessings...and then give thanks for them.