Fall Settings
BY Teresa Kramer
With regard to the holidays our focus seems to jump straight from pumpkin carving tools and scary costumes to glittering Christmas ornaments and twinkling lights … but what happened to Thanksgiving? This is the holiday for reflecting on all the things we love and cherish expressing gratitude for our many blessings and sitting down with family and friends for the most revered meal of the year. Leave those Christmas trees in the attic for just a few more weeks please and use these fabulous ideas to decorate your home and table making this years Thanksgiving as beautiful as it is memorable. The Great Outdoors Thanksgiving day is traditionally warm on Wrightsville Beach. (Maybe its all the ovens fired up at once.) Its the perfect time to dine alfresco just as they did on Plymouth Rock. Use throw pillows to warm up the space and make things more comfortable for your guests. Get this look Acorns Natures bounty Get this look Adoorned Inside out Dried flowers Placecards Candles Get this look Its about family Dont hide it Shortcuts 
Salt Harbor Designs created this gorgeous table design at Orton Plantation using baskets fresh fruit acorns and layered chargers and plates. For a really special touch lanterns were hung from the overhead tree limb and pillows were placed on old trunks and an antique bench.
www.saltharbor.com
(910) 524-0081
Baskets
Everyones got a collection of miscellaneous baskets hanging around the house. This is an opportunity to use them and add texture to your table. Fill them with fresh fruits and vegetables and arrange them on the table placing the largest one in the center and working out from there ending with the smallest.
Theyre everywhere this time of year and perfect for decorating. However you should prepare them before bringing them into your home. Acorns tend to host grubs and other creatures. Once youve gathered them leave them on an old sheet in the sun to dry out for a day or two. Place them on cookie sheets in a 175-degree oven for a couple of hours to ensure a grub-free decor. After they have cooled fill candle holders hurricane lamps wine glasses and any other vessel you can find for the ultimate beautiful … and free … decoration.
The colors we think of when we think “fall” come from Mother Nature and man she gets it right! Follow her lead by using seasonal fruits vegetables lentils beans and nuts in your decorating. Choose pears with stems so you can tie ribbons around them. Kim Fisher layered Brussels sprouts and turnips in a glass vase for a vibrant pop of color.
No turkeys were harmed 
Fiore Fine Flowers creatively assembled this dried flower wreath cute floral turkey and dining room cornucopia.
www.fioreflorist.com
(910) 791-6770
Fiore Fine Flowers created an adorable turkey centerpiece that you can make too! They formed a base of leaves and placed an arrangement of mums and daisies to form the body. The face and neck are cut from Styrofoam and spray-painted brown. Add a red balloon for the turkey gobbler raisins for the eyes and a candy corn for the nose. A palm leaf forms the tail feathers.
A wreath on the front door is the first thing your guests will see. Welcome them to your home with a dried flower wreath like this one created by Fiore Fine Flowers. Using a wreath grapevine frame that you can get from the craft store affix leaves to form a base and then add your dried flowers using a hot glue gun. This wreath has salal leaves sunflowers billy balls hydrangea cox comb trumpet lilies straw flower cattails roses and berries. Using florist wire attach the bow.
Wreaths arent just for the outside of the home! Hang a wreath on the inside of the door so you can enjoy it while youre home.
Just before live flowers start to wilt hang them upside down and leave them for 2 weeks. They will be perfect to use in arrangements and for creating wreaths.
Get crafty! The local craft store has aisles of scrapbooking materials that you can use to create adorable placecards. Layer two types of scrapbooking papers and create a Thanksgiving motif… a great craft to keep the kids busy. Also let them arrange the seating at the table. You might be surprised where you end up.
Candles are a necessity for the Thanksgiving table. Their golden glow warms up any room.
Serving from a buffet never looked so lovely. Kim Fisher Designs set an indulgent scene using potted plants fruits vegetables … even red lentils form the base of the centerpiece.
www.kimfisherdesigns.com
(910) 279-5530
Lentils
Kim Fisher used organic lentils to form the base for her buffet center piece (above). She recommends using organic because they tend to have better colors.
Dont be afraid to mix Aunt Bettys cake plate with Moms serving platter. Its all about the mix and tying patterns together with flowers and other decorations. Place violas and violets in Grandmothers hand-me-down flower pots.
If you love your table dont cover it. Let the gorgeous rich browns of fall show through.
Even the cook deserves a holiday! Take shortcuts by ordering sweet treats and fresh baked breads from local bakeries.