Welcome to the 897th Tablescape Thursday! A couple of weeks back, I shared a 1940s-style, traditional Thanksgiving tablescape Elena created, inspired by a suggestion from her dear hubby. This was the table Elena shared with the dinner plates neatly stacked at the head of the table. In Elena’s research on 1940s table, she learned that the turkey would have been served on a platter ready for carving. The turkey would have been carved and added to each of the dinner plates, which would have then been passed around the table.
For her actual Thanksgiving table, Elena decided to change things up a bit. Elena said, “So I could not stand the idea of using my Enoch Woods servers and having to hand-wash them all, so I switched out some of the table. I wanted to leave all the linens, but I could not do anything with the napkins. Everything I tried, from fancy folds to napkin rings, looked awful. They were too big and too soft!”
I love Elena’s honesty because we have all been there, haven’t we?! I’ve started a table before and changed my mind 3 or 4 times before I finally hit upon the right pieces that worked. Elena updated her table, saying, “First, I added the Bordallo Pinheiro Turkey chargers, kept the Enoch Woods Turkey plates, and instead of matching bread plates, I used colorful leaf plates for the bread plates.”
Sooo pretty! I love the red and white Enoch Woods Turkey plates paired with the gold Bordallo Pinheiro charger plates and the amber depression glass works so beautiful with the gold chargers!
Elena shared that she found her napkins and napkin rings on Amazon. (Gold napkin rings are available here: Gold Napkin Rings for Fall.)
Elena had to keep her wonderful Cornucopia in the center of her Thanksgiving table, and I’m so glad she did! It’s so perfect for a Thanksgiving feast! For flatware, Elena initially tried her Bamboo flatware but decided on a different flatware in the end. (Bamboo Flatware is available here: Bamboo Flatware.) Elena said, “I absolutely LOVE the Bamboo flatware, but this was a less expensive set for summertime. I just can’t use it in my dining room, LOL! I’m thinking I need a real bamboo set or maybe something with wooden handles.” I remember sharing a few months back a real bamboo flatware set that was on sale for the best price I had ever seen. Usually, real bamboo flatware is quite expensive, and I was surprised by how affordable that set was. I can’t remember now who had it on sale. Does anyone remember? Just wondering if it’s on sale again now. Wish I could remember where I saw that.
In the end, Elena chose this pretty Hampton San Remo flatware for her Thanksgiving table. I used to find/purchase San Remo on Amazon, but now I only see it available on resale sites like eBay and Etsy.
A view from overhead…
Beautiful Thanksgiving table!
Thanks so much to Elena for sharing her updated Thanksgiving table! I so enjoyed hearing her thought process for creating this beautiful tablescape. Setting a special table for family and friends truly is a labor of love. It’s one of the many ways we try to make every gathering extra special for those we love.
Bonus Idea: Elena has a special way of serving butter for her holiday meals that I am definitely going to copy in the future. Elena said, “I use older Wilton lollipop and candy molds for the butter pats for every holiday. The ones for Thanksgiving are leaf and pumpkin shaped.”
Elena lets the butter soften to room temperature, smooths it into the molds, then freezes it.
Elena said, “They look great on the butter plate! There are tons of silicone molds available that would work as well.” Love this idea so much! Def hope to try it in the future. Have you ever done this with butter for special holiday meals or dinner parties?
Looking forward to the beautiful tables linked for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!
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Instead of molds I have the curved tool that you scrape across a stick of butter to make butter shells. It’s easy, effective and takes no time at all.
I HAVE seen butter done that way but never knew that there was a specific tool for it, I will have to look for that one!!! Thank you for the info!
I love hearing the thought process too – I always learn something. And I love the molded butter! I’ve done something similar, but it’s a great idea to use the candy molds. Thanks to both of you for all the inspiration and tips! And thanks as always for hosting, Susan. I really love Thursdays!
Thank you Barbara! There are always the ones you think will be great and turn out awful! I guess we learn from those as well! Somewhere I have a picture of a table I did before table scaping was big and I found Between Naps on the Porch. When I look at it all that comes to mind is “What was I THINKING and WHY did I take a photo of it?” Live and learn!!!!
lol. 😀 That’s very funny, Elena.
I love your tablescape, Elena. The leaf plates are adorable! Wonderful tablescape! I have to try the shaped butter pats! Fantastic idea!
Thank you Linda!! I got into Wilton products when my kids were little………..all those shaped character pans were all the rage. Unfortunately a lot of the lollipop molds are beginning to crack. I need to try the new silicone molds!!!
The table is lovely Elena. I love the way the amber stemware picks up the gold in the chargers and the Enoch Woods turkey plates on top are beautiful! The cornucopia is fabulous. I actually didn’t mind the bamboo flatware but the Sam Remo looks great too. The leaf plates are adorable. Thanks Elena and Susan for sharing, and thanks Susan, as always, for hosting. Happy Thursday!
Thank you Kim!!!! I think it was the lack of color that wade me change up the table for our actual Thanksgiving dinner. Now that I think about it, always viewing the past through black and white photos probably changes our perception of what it was like! Glad you liked it!
Susan, I did make these butter turkey molds one Thanksgiving. Living in Southern California during the holidays can be very warm sometimes hot. Those cute butter pats melted into a shape that didn’t resemble a Turkey, hahaha! even though I put them in the freezer and tried to get them out on the table at the last minute.
That is so funny Kathie!!! We are in upstate NY so not a problem here but I feel ya!!!!
Elena’s table is beautiful, in a most unexpected way! I do love those butter molds. This time of year, I’m having a lot of fun with Christmas tablescapes. It’s one of the first things I do toward Christmas decor. I’m sharing an O Christmas Tree tablescape, but also had too much fun making a Santa table for two for my 4 yo granddaughter and me to have tea when she comes over. Merry December, Susan!
Beautiful table…and LOVE the butter mold idea. I always make little butter balls with my mini scooper, but this would really be a nice touch. Thank you for sharing the idea!
OK, second person to let me know about scoops I never knew existed! I HAVE to find one as I often forget to fill the little molds, remember at the last minute and have to put out squares of butter because it’s too late !!!! TY!!!!!
Pretty table setting! I love using the leaf plates for the bread and love even more the butter pats. They look so pretty on the plate.