Retro Ranch Reno: Thanksgiving Tablescape & Dish It Girl Food!

I love this time of year. It's all about gathering with loved ones, and celebrating all we have to be thankful for. Unfortunately, the stress of planning a gathering can occasionally get in the way of the enjoyment it should bring us. So to keep things simple, just remember there are two key components for a successful celebration: 1) good food and 2) fun decor. The good company you keep is just a given in this equation. ;)

Hubby and I hosted a little "Friendsgiving" dinner this past weekend. I supplied the decor, and thankfully (for this not-so-skilled cook), my good friend Dina from Dish It Girl, brought the good food along!!

When it comes to dinner parties or hosted holidays, I like to keep things relaxed and casual. I don't worry about proper place settings...making sure my water glass is properly spaced from my plate, if my silverware is appropriately laid out, etc. Instead, I focus on creating a table that is practical, comfortable and pretty to look at. :)

In the past, I used traditional colors at my Thanksgiving table, but this year I wanted to continue the colorful and playful theme I already used in the rest of our great room.

Like most projects I complete, I did this tablescape on a budget and even included a few DIYs in the mix.

My runner was a simple strip of fabric I carefully cut, making sure to remove any rogue strings from the edges. The acorns were a past project that I updated this year to match my color scheme.

I found the faux pumpkins and pine cones at Michael's. I updated them with some brightly colored spray paint and acrylic paint. The wooden candle sticks were a beat up clearance find from Target that I gave new life to with, what else, but more spray paint!

I found the tea light holders and mason jars (just remove the lids) at Michael's during a 50% off sale, and the coordinating cloth napkins were only a few dollars from Home Goods.

I know it's not a typical Thanksgiving table you'd see every day, but that was my intention. I really wanted to step outside my comfort zone and try to put a colorful spin on the holiday. :)

You know what else wasn't typical?!? Dina's food!! It. Was. So. Good. She spoiled us with herbed turkey breast, sausage stuffing mushrooms and fig and Cabernet cranberry sauce.