Thanksgiving is rich in pageantry, traditions, rituals, favorite family recipes, and seasonal decor.
Four more days, and then we feast. For many families, this is the most important meal of the year.
When I was growing up, we had far more food and guests than there was room for at the table. In those days, the turkey WAS the centerpiece, just like a Norman Rockwell painting. The only decorative items on the table were a pair of candlesticks, squeezed in between the bowls and platters.
Times change, styles change, and gurus like Martha Stewart -- or Miss Lee, my 7th grade home economics teacher -- tell us the table is not complete without a centerpiece. Some people make their own; other people turn to florists, Pottery Barn, Michael's, or Walmart.
Whatever your taste and budget, I think you'll enjoy the following pictures, and maybe find something here that sparks an idea of your own, to make a truly personal decorating statement for this year's family feast.
I love the texture of the urn in this arrangement. It's a bit too tall for a dining table, but would be a marvelous focal point on a buffet table, sideboard, or in the entry hall.
Simple, sweet, and all-natural in autumn colors.
Look twice at the chrysanthemums in this photo ... they're silk flowers inserted on Styrofoam balls, making a globe of flowers. You can make several of these in complimentary colors, and display them in a bowl or hurricane chimney, or hand them from ribbons or gold thread in a window or from a chandelier.
Pheasant feathers casually arrayed in a tall vase. I bought some of these at Michael's last weekend, and have plans to use them in several projects.
This is so pretty! Fresh orange and lemon slices are held in place by a block of floral foam.
Very traditional looking fall centerpiece, with pumpkins, pears, gourds, colorful leaves, and dried corn arranged in the center of a rectangular wreath made of pine cones.
This is the "back side" of the arrangement shown in the top photo, absolutely gorgeous with dried hydrangeas, roses, and a pomegranate.
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