a burlap & silver tablescape

Since Marissa and Dave’s mom fly back home today and Connor heads back to school, Thanksgiving is officially over at the Hopkins’ home. Let’s take one last glance back before the Christmas holiday crush begins.

My 2012 Thanksgiving tablescape and buffets were a lovely mix of pumpkins, silver, and burlap, vintage and new.

To begin, I laid my burlap runner diagonally down the center of the table and placed a burlap placemat on the seat.

I hollowed out one of the blue-green Jarrahdale pumpkins and used it as the container for the central floral part of the centerpiece. Originally I planned to set it atop a Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage Leaf pedestal plate, but it was too high and would have prevented guests from seeing each other.

It was the perfect height on an oval maroon Bordallo Pinheiro grape leaf platter.

A silver charger was set down at each place and then every other place setting received either this vintage Johnson Brothers Native American Wild Turkey dinner plate or…

… this is Johnson Brothers’ “Wild Turkeys” dinner plate.

More Johnson Brothers plates were added next – a Friendly Village bowl went atop the dinner plate and the Johnson Brothers Friendly Village square salad plate was placed at the top left as a bread plate. Mixed pattern flatware and a stag horn steak knife were set in their proper places.

To fill in the rest of the runner centerpiece, I used my burlap pumpkins, two of the faux mercury-glass pumpkins, gourds, mini-pumpkins, herbs, walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts in their shells, and naturally shed deer antlers.

On either side of the floral centerpiece, I placed a stag head taper hurricane candle lamp which I found in October at Sweet Salvage.

To finish it all off, the green and orange Williams-Sonoma lidded pumpkin soup bowls alternated between each setting. Pottery Barn pine cone napkins, Waterford wine glasses, and Lenox crystal in the Allure pattern water goblets (our wedding crystal) completed each festive place setting.

Two of the four dining room china cupboards were put into use as buffets. To protect the wood on the antique cupboards, I used a couple of the vintage French linens I purchased at the Rose Bowl Flea Market.

I pulled various real pumpkins from around the house to act as decor and as elevated plate holders.

My dad, Dave, and his mom began to pass the turkey platter…

… while the kids and I plated the remaining dishes and carried them in.

The centerpiece remains on the table today.

The china, silver, and crystal are all put away now.

Time to start dreaming up my Christmas tablescape. It’s only 30 days away!