A Thanksgiving Setup... — Long Story Short

Thanksgiving is always a bit hectic. The amount of planning that goes into a two hour meal is excessive, but is always worth it. My family tends to focus exclusively on the food and leaves all the other details to chance. Last minute decorations have become a tradition and I've always had to man the ship (ugh.) The challenge of making something out of nothing is one that I love and hate at the same time. This year I wanted to keep it simple and set the table using only things from my parents backyard.

Foraging for a table setting in your backyard is kind of like making dinner from random items you happen to have in your pantry: it either turns out perfectly or horribly. Luckily for me, my mother's home has an abundance of simple plants that can easily be arranged for decorative elements. I focussed on creating a centerpiece that was purely made of greenery. To echo the look of the yard, I decided to use a small boxwood bush and some of the ivy that grows all around the house. I'm not sure if you're familiar with ivy, but its not particularly the easiest plant to trim. After nearly drowning in a bed of it, I finally pulled enough to create a faux version of the planting.

Wrapping the boxwood in the ivy was a process. You have to clip and fill the spaces over and over until you give the appearance of a full and voluminous planter bed. Using single leaves and Reindeer Moss to fill in completed the look. The finished centerpiece brought the outdoors in and relaxed the otherwise stuffy table-scape.

Although I wanted to dress the table down a bit, I couldn't forget that this was Thanksgiving dinner not a picnic. My mother had an extra spool of ribbon that I thought would add enough formality to balance out the centerpiece. Ribbon is usually basic and boring, so I braided three pieces together to add texture. By placing the braid diagonally across the table I emphasized the length of the dining table and tied the corners to the centerpiece. After throwing on my family's flatware and dinnerware everything was complete.

My mom had to teach me how to braid........

All you need to create a visually enticing table-scape is creativity. If you think outside the box and shoot for asymmetry you'll produce a simple look that will make everyone think you're Martha f*$**#* Stewart.