Building A Better Nightstand: Decor Ideas To Try Today

embroidered tissue box cover

There is no question that your external environment affects your internal environment. When your bedroom is neat, comfortable, and decorated well, you are more likely to feel rested while inside. And a beautiful nightstand is part of all of this. While you are lounging in your Victorian pajamas, you will have everything you need for true relaxation right next to you.

Why does nightstand decor matter?
In the grand scheme of bedroom decor, the nightstand may not be the central focus. And for a good night’s sleep, your bed, mattress, and pajamas matter more. But the items on your nightstand can make or break your relaxation. Your bed and the surrounding area is your sanctuary, so you want it to look as luxurious as you feel. High quality decor items and other useful objects can help you sleep and feel rejuvenated every morning. 

What should I include on my new nightstand?

The following items will make your nightstand perfectly complete.

      • Embroidered Tissue Box Cover: A tissue box can be a true eye sore in even the most beautiful bedrooms. An embroidered cover will make it blend in perfectly to the rest of your decor.

     

      • Books: Reading before bed is certainly a good habit to form, and a good book can also make your nightstand look that much more charming.

     

      • Scent Sprays: About three-quarters of people say that they sleep better on sheets that smell of fresh linen. Keep a spray bottle next to your bed to give your sheets that extra boost of freshness. A hint of lavender can also boost your rest.

     

      • Flowers: A vase of fresh flowers will tie a traditional decor scheme together perfectly. Whether you have a favorite or change the flowers with the season, these buds are sure to lift your mood. They might even match your boudoir pillow cases.

     

    • Vintage Alarm Clock: A classic alarm clock is much more charming than a cell phone. And it will help you keep technology away from your bed.

    Curl up in your white cotton nightgown and get ready for a cozy night at home. With embroidered tissue box cover and other sweet decor by your side, you are sure to wake up in the morning feeling well rested and luxurious. Sniff the flowers and reach for your book. You don’t have to get out of bed just yet.

The Ultimate Summer Gift Guide for the Host or Hostess

Summer is upon us and there is no better way to spend your weekends than on a beach with your friends. If you are planning to visit a friend’s beach house this summer for a dinner party or a long weekend, be sure to bring a few nautical-inspired beach products to thank your host or hostess and leave them with something beautiful that they can add to their home. Below is a list of a few of my favorite gifts from Jacaranda Living that are sure to make you look good in the eyes of your host and hostess this summer.

Cocktail Napkins197548f92de6c8dc8c304667a23d3034.jpg

How divine are these Lighthouse embroidered cocktail napkins? They are great to have as decor and for guests to use at their next cocktail party this summer.

Bed Sheets

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These lovely blue sea shell embroidered pillows and matching sheets will look beautiful in a guest room. Every host or hostess would love to have this bed set at their beach home.

Tissue Box Covers

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Freshen up your bathroom or living room with these gorgeous embroidered tissue box covers from Jacaranda Living. They make the perfect host gifts for any room in the house!

Cosmetic Bag

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Help your host stay organized with this cosmetic bag so fishing for their lipsticks, lotions and shades will be less of a pain. Choose your favorite style today.

Embroidered Guest Towels

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Your friend will love these embroidered hand towels for their home’s guest bathroom. They are easy to wash and pretty to look at.

Slippers

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The perfect seaside slip on! Comfortable for you, an appreciated gift for someone special!

Embroidered Pillow

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A crab, starfish and sand dollar embroidered Boudoir Pillow – give to a friend so they can use it for a shady rest in a hammock!
So with these beautiful gifts, you really can’t go wrong! Shop the beachy collection at jacarandaliving.com today.
Have a great Monday and enjoy this (finally) sunny weather.

New Year’s Resolutions – Renew You with a Home Spa

A Home Spa – Incentive to Stick to Those Resolutions

The big new year’s celebration is over, and for some those resolutions have already been forgotten, but for many a resolution to get healthier is a very real, and very attainable goal. If you’ve vowed to run more, walk regularly or renew that gym membership and really use it, read on! Consider creating a home spa to relax and rejuvenate after your workout. It’s a definite motivator, and It’s easy with these 4 simple steps!

Create a Home Spa Environment

When you go to the spa, what do you notice first? The scent of eucalyptus? The soothing music? The soft, fluffy towels? These are easy to recreate in your home spa!

create a home spa
Create a home spa you’ll look forward to coming home to

Spa Scents Made Easy

From aromatherapy candles, to essential oils and room sprays, the scent of a spa is an immediate signal to your brain that its time to relax and revitalize. ScratchMommy recommends the following to ease you into a relaxed state of mind:

  • Jasmine, rose, chamomile, or ylang-ylang for frustrations with loved ones
  • Citrus, lavender, sandalwood or sage if dark days have you feeling down.
  • Oregano, peppermint, eucalyptus, pine or rosemary can help with a stuffy head
scented candles for relaxation
Scented candles bring a relaxing glow

ScratchMommy also has a great candle recipe using beeswax or soy to create a soothing scent to turn your bath into a sweet space to rediscover your sanity.

Music to Relax and Inspire

Relaxing in a warm bath with soft music in the background is a great way to end a busy day, or soak away tightness in tired muscles. Kohler has some great tips for adding music to your bathroom to help create that spa environment. The Moxie Showerhead and wireless speaker is an easy addition to make your favorite music a part of your Home Spa. The speaker just pops into the showerhead, and is interchangeable so each family member can have their own.

Or if you’re into a bit more immersive experience, consider the VibrAcoustic Hydrotherapy system which works with your smartphone, tablet or MP3 player to send vibrations pulsing above and below the waterline!

Look for appropriate spa music on iTunes, Pandora, or even your Amazon Echo Dot and you’ll be ready to sit back and relax.

Fluffy Towels, Robes, and Slippers Complete the Sensory Experience of a Home Spa

We can’t forget the luxurious feeling of fluffy towels for drying, slipping your feet into linen slippers and wrapping yourself in a luxurious robe after your home spa experience. Quality cotton like that used in products offered by Jacaranda Living can give you that spa at home feeling every day!

Generous bath sheets – 35” x 70” are large enough to wrap you up after a hot shower, or a warm bubble bath. Choose from white or ivory to give that clean, uncluttered spa look to a bathroom. If you want to give your home spa a personal touch, why not choose embroidered designs drawn from the sea, or our popular Bee Wreath design.

Sweet Accessories Amp Up the Home Spa Feeling

Looking to really transform your bath to give it that home spa feeling? Consider adding a fluffy terry robe, an elegant shower curtain, and even slippers and a shower cap all embroidered with the same design. With 100% cotton, you’ll have the soft, super absorbent accessories you love at the spa, right in your own home! What a great way to reward yourself after a long run, or a yoga class. It’ll keep you on track and be an incentive to continue to treat yourself throughout the year. Why not? You deserve it!

Pure cotton, embroidery and fine details make your home spa an oasis
Quality cotton, delicate embroidery and attention to detail create the perfect home spa

A Few Additional Touches

With just a few more simple touches, your bath will really stand out as a home spa! Add fresh cut flowers in a pretty vase to a small table in the bath. Consider adding a dimmer switch to your bathroom lighting. Add a small table for candles, a favorite book, hand-made sugar scrubs, or a glass of wine. With just a few simple steps your family bathroom becomes a home spa you’ll look forward to using every day!

Resources

www.popsugar.com

www.scratchmommy.com

ideas.kohler.com

Enjoy your Home Spa and Happy New Year from Jacaranda Living!

Duvet or Comforter, What’s the Difference?

As we get ready for winter weather, we start thinking about cozy warm bedding for ourselves and our family. But you may be asking yourself, what’s a duvet? Do I need a duvet cover? Or maybe a comforter would be better.  Are they the same? If you’re shopping for bedding it’s a good idea to understand the difference.

Classic sheets and pillowcases from Jacaranda Living
A bolster pillow and sheets from Jacaranda Living

When is a Duvet Cover Not a Duvet

It’s not a trick question! A duvet is not the same thing as a duvet cover. Duvets are a wonderful way to stay warm and make the whole task of making a bed easier, but it is important to understand how they work together. Houzz.com explains a duvet as “a soft flat bag filled with down, feathers or a synthetic alternative.”

In most cases, you’ll want to use a duvet cover with your duvet. You can wash the cover, and it allows you to include color in the room’s look since most duvets actually come in plain white or beige. With a colored, embroidered or patterned duvet cover, you can match a bedroom’s décor. Duvets are made to be used without a top or flat sheet, or blankets/quilts. This is why you want to make certain your duvet cover is washable. Jacaranda Living sells a beautiful line of simple, elegant duvet covers to match any décor.

The simplicity of duvets with beautiful duvet covers from Jacaranda Living.
Beautiful, embroidered duvet covers from Jacaranda Living. 6 – 8 weeks delivery

Another added benefit to duvets is that you can use them without sheets. Without sheets to worry about, making the bed is so much easier! Perfect for a child’s room, and wonderful for a guest room too, since when your guests leave, you just have the duvet cover to wash up.

So Why Use a Comforter?

Comforters are sometimes less expensive, usually come in patterns and multi-color without embroidery. They are filled with layers of insulating material (polyester batting is common in the less expensive ones), or down feathers, wool or silk. Comforters are always stitched to secure the filling, unlike duvets which can sometimes be just a loose sack of feathers. Comforters also fill double duty, acting as both a bedspread and something to keep you warm, so no need for an additional bedspread on top of a comforter.

DG117 Euro 27" x 27" (Satin Stitch)

A nice lower loft (thickness) comforter is a great option for a guest room. It’s easy to add when a guest is cold, but remove if the weather warms up or you have a guest who doesn’t want that extra warmth. It’s easy to throw on or off the bed, and a simple way to also change up the look of a room since many comforters are reversible.

While We’re at It, What About Quilts and Coverlets?

Quilts are made of three layers of fiber/fabric: a cloth top, a layer of batting, and a woven cloth back. All three pieces are stitched together using decorative designs, and patterns, and sometimes embroidery is also used to add a personalized touch. Most quilts are also made of multiple pieces of cloth, all different designs, either placed together randomly (a crazy quilt), or using very specific color schemes, patterns, and designs. Today quilts are also used as wall hangings or to commemorate a special occasion, with wedding guests signing a quilt being given as a wedding gift, or family and friends signing a quilt being given to a high school graduate as a gift to take with them for their first year of college. Looking for new quilt block patterns? Try JinnyBeyer.com for free block pattern downloads.

A coverlet is more like a bedspread. The difference here, according to Cuddledown, is the actual size of the piece. “A bedspread is usually designed to cover the entire bed, up over the pillows, and down to the floor. Whereas a coverlet is smaller, designed to just cover the top of the bed and barely past the box springs, and is accompanied by matching decorative pillow shams and often a bed skirt.” Jacaranda offers a range of embroidered diamond pique coverlets for twin, queen and king size beds. You can choose from the starfish or scallop design in pure cotton and in beige or blue.

purchase coverlets from Jacaranda Living
Beautiful embroidered diamond pique coverlets from Jacaranda Living

The Choice is Yours – What Type of Bedding Do You Prefer?

Today, home decor leaves decisions up to the individual. You decide whether to go with a comforter, a duvet, a blanket or all three! You may live in Florida and choose  lighter weight but lofty comforters to make a bedroom look luxurious and welcoming. Or you may live in a New England home with modern linen sheets, a duvet and an antique quilt to give some character to a room. It’s up to you and your taste and desires. From modern to classic to antique to a mix of them all, whichever you choose, we wish you sweet dreams, and hope you choose bedding from Jacaranda Living.

Sources

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1084803/list/coverlet-duvet-quilt-comforter-whats-the-difference

https://www.jinnybeyer.com/quilting-with-jinny/design-board.cfm

https://www.cuddledown.com/ResourceCenter.aspx?article=66

 

 

 

Celebrating 1,000+ Saves on Houzz.com

In August, Jacaranda Living was thrilled to receive notification that over 1,000 photos of our products had been saved to ideabooks in the Houzz.com community. We are honored that so many people see us as inspiration for so many dreams, ideas, and remodeling/interior design plans. Not sure what Houzz.com is? If you’re into remodeling, interior design, or just decorating the home you have, (or even dreaming of a future home), Houzz.com and many other sites can be inspirational.

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Inspirational Home Décor Sites You Need to See

While we love Houzz.com, there are many other sites that are similar in nature, whether you need full step-by-step articles on decorating, photos to inspire, or blogs and communities of like-minded people to connect with online and get your design habit satisfied. moreofit.com suggests the following sites:

Dragonfly bath accessories
Inspired by dragonflies? Use them as a theme in your bathroom.
  • Remodelista – From storage ideas to fabrics, and garden design trends, this is a great site to shop, dream and explore
  • Apartment Therapy – House tours, design ideas, and great tips for organizing and cleaning
  • Design Milk – Architecture, art, technology, and some great regularly columns on all of it
  • The Style Files – A daily weblog from Danielle de Lange with a bit of design, craft and interiors to inspire
  • Trendir – The latest trends in modern house design and decorating

And those are just five of the many sites out there with endless ideas to help you create the home you and your family will love. While Houzz.com is a favorite of ours, we’d love to hear about your favorites. Feel free to share in the comments.

How to Start an Interior Design Dream Book

When it comes to interior design, we know doing it yourself can take time. Whether you’ve purchased a fixer upper, have an apartment that needs refreshing, or you want to give your new home a personal touch, its a process for some and a hobby for others. To get started, set up an online file of websites, images, and ideas that inspire. Not sure of your style? Consider taking an online quiz on decorating like the decorating style quiz offered at Houzz.com. Once you know what style you’re most attracted to, start visiting blogs, decorating sites, Houzz.com, and some of those listed above to find items and looks you’d love to include in your newly designed home.

Not sure how to start? Take a look around your home. Select one or two items that you really love or feel drawn to; maybe a beautiful antique vase from a relative, or a child’s drawing that holds special memories, and don’t overlook that collection of seaglass from a favorite vacation. Whatever it is, use that as your inspiration, for color, for mood, for style. Then build your palette around that item. You may find the rooms design themselves once you’ve found the right piece that really speaks to you.

Cotton pillow case embroidered with images from the sea
Pillowcases inspired by a summer vacation or a dream destination

Start with Home Decor Designs from Jacaranda Living

We’d love to be a part of your home’s décor. At Jacaranda Living, we can help personalize your bedroom, or bath. Our beautiful cotton sheets and pillowcases feature 200 or 400 thread count options. We also have euro, boudoir, and bolster pillow cases, all of which can be custom embroidered with your choice of over 25 different designs.  Sheets can also be embroidered to match. For the bath we offer towels, shower curtains, and even embroidered tissue box covers to give your home a clean, pure cotton look of elegance. Shower curtains come in a choice of cotton percale, or pure cotton diamond pique, and you can order them with or without embroidery.

You'll love our Turkish Towels
Thick terry bath towels make any bath seem more inviting.

The Important Thing in Decorating Is to Get Started

Dreaming about a beautiful home is nice, but actually having that home is even better. Don’t put off having the house or apartment of your dreams, but don’t feel bad about starting small. For most of us, taking that first step is the important part. If budget is tight, take one room at a time. Select one or two items for inspiration and design around those. One beautiful change can make such a difference. A new shower curtain in the bath can brighten up the room and get you thinking about the next step. Fresh cotton sheets on a bed can give you a better night’s sleep and maybe get you thinking about a bold new paint color or moving some furniture around to free up some space.

Create an idea book today and get started on redecorating your home. It’s invigorating, and fun. We’re happy that we’ve been a part of so many people’s dreams on Houzz.com. Hope to see you there!

Sources

  • Remodelista
  • Apartment Therapy
  • Design Milk
  • The Style Files
  • Trendir
  • Houzz.com!

 

 

5 easy ways to care for your bedroom

We all spend a lot of time in our bedrooms, be it sleeping or checking Facebook on our phones in the dark. That’s why it’s important to know exactly how to care for and maintain your nest. Here are five pro tips to keep your bedroom clean and fresh.

 

1. Wash your sheets the right way

Bed linens need to be pulled off and washed every one or two week. With cotton sheets, it’s important to use warm water when cleaning, as hot water could shrink some of the fibers. If you have any special embroidery or other delicate flourishes, such as some of our sheets, make sure to read the care instructions.

Some embroidery requires gentle hand washing. In those cases, don’t scrub with a brush or rub parts of the sheets together. Instead soak the material to loosen stains and unwanted smudges.

Chlorine bleach may be too gruff for most bed linens. Instead try an oxygenated bleach for white sheets. Gentleness is the main idea to keep sheets in tip-top shape as long as possible.

 

2. Seal it up

Make sure to use a vinyl mattress cover to protect against spills or leaks. If given the chance, mattresses will sponge up any mess, including ones from human bodies. These are extremely difficult to clean and it’s much easier to prevent the problem in the first place. The vinyl cover will act as a barrier to keep the mattress unsoiled.

 

3. Vacuum the bed

You have probably heard from time to time that skin cells and dust mites build up inside the mattress and will double the weight over a decade. That’s actually an urban legend, but even though the dramatic scale is wrong, there is still a real problem with shed skin and dust mites. To help combat the menace, every time you strip or rotate the mattress, pull all materials off the bed and use your vacuum cleaner’s upholstery to clean the top and sides of the mattress.

 

4. Use a duvet

Comforters are difficult to clean, and their bulk requires a commercial-grade washing machine to avoid compressing the item and leaving pockets unwashed. The comforter will still need to be cleaned now and then, but wrapping it in a duvet cover will keep it much cleaner during the stretches of time between cleanings. Duvets should be cleaned in a similar manner to bed sheets.

 

5. No plants and animals

Constant contact with human bodies already presents a large amount of exposure to bed linens. There’s no need to add on additional problems with animal contact. Cats and dogs leave dander behind, so if you want a clean bed then you need to banish your pets from the bedroom. Even having plants in the bedroom can create some airborne debris, so keep them out of the room too.

7 Tips to put the “Spring” into your home!

Spring is just around the corner (we hope) and that urge to do some Spring redecorating is starting to tug at you.

Here are 8 simple ways to put the “Spring” back into your home, even before the green grass starts to pop through!

  1. Declutter!
    Yes, that traditional Spring cleanup is underway and it’s time to put away that Winter clutter!Take the weekend to clean-out drawers, papers, donate clothes and household items you are no longer using. You will feel like the roof has been lifted and that decluttered  living space will help you start the Spring off with an extra hop in your step.
  2. Spring Cleaning.
    We know you don’t want to hear it, but Winter can leave you feeling, ugh well, a tad dirty!Windows, floors, under couches, dust and dirt buildup after Winter with snowy boots and lunch crumbs being dragged across the house daily (well that is if you have kids or a really messy spouse!)It’s time to lift the cushions, pull out those couches and clean those windows. If you don’ t have time, hire a cleaning company or your kids.
  3. Dismantle the mantle.
    Take down any decorations or themed items that even remind you that Winter once existed. Yes, that picture of a snowy barn, Take it down! Christmas cactuses, dark pillows or any winter themed gadgets you have laying around to accessorize, put them into a storage container and forget about them until October.
  4. Re-accessorize.
    Yes you have a bit of a reason to go shopping, Homegoods, One Kings Lane, a Local recycled shop, whatever you like to shop for, find  a few spring items to accessorize with and redecorate those spaces that used to remind you of Winter.
  5. Pop of Color.
    Add a pop of color to your home with just a few pillows, a bright colored peice of furniture or a new throw. Great colors to pop with are lavenders, greens and yellows along with robin’s egg type blues.
  6. Paint.
    If your really energetic and want to step outside of the box, grab a paint can and paint a room that will leave you feeling of Spring clean. It could just be a front door, a small room or even just an accent wall.
  7. Bring in the Living Spring.
    Buy a few great Spring plants for in the home. Some tulips, herbs or anything green. If things can’t grow outside yet, no reason they can’t grow indoors.

Make Your Home to Look Like Downton Abbey

Are you a fan of Downton Abbey?  Maybe you dream of being Lady Grantham.  Mahogany walls, crystal glassware, silver platters and the like.

downton abbey decor - downton abbey house - decorate like downton - downton abbey home - downton abbey dining room - downton abbey library Here’s a few touches to easily add to your home to get that Downton feel.

1-Incorporate a few nice china pieces.
You don’t need to display and use all your fine china set (think of all that washing by hand!)  But use a few pieces from your set for things, such as the sugar bowl, teapot or serving platters.<a href="http://blog prix viagra pharmacie.jacarandaliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/china.png”>Downton Abbey Dining Room - Downton Abbey China - Downton Abbey Dinner - Downton Place Setting - Gold and White China - pressed napkins - linen napkins - embroidered napkins - luxurious napkins

2-Make use of trays
Whether it’s a small silver valet tray, a wooden tray for serving or a large silver platter, using things like this will give that luxurious feel.

silver tray - valet tray - silver serving tray - downton abbey trays - downton abbey silver - downton decor - downton dining room3-Mood lighting
Try using candles and dimmable lights.  If you’re not a fan of the open flames, try this battery operated candelabra for the same effect.candelabra - silver candelabra - downton abbey candelabra - downton abbey candles - downton abbey decor - downton abbey dining room - downton abbey table

5-Enjoy the Fire.
Light up that fire place of yours for the ultimate ambiance.  Enjoy your time there with a cup of tea or glass of scotch.

fireplace at downton abbey - fire downton abbey - sitting room downton abbey - downton abbey drawing room - downton abbey after dinner - downton house - downton castle

6-Set a perfect table
Use this guide to help you with place settings.  Accent with charger plates or a nice table cloth and pressed white napkins.Downton Abbey Dining Room - Downton Abbey China - Downton Abbey Dinner - Downton Place Setting - Gold and White China - pressed napkins - linen napkins - embroidered napkins - luxurious napkins

7-Buy an antique or two
Buy an antique piece to put on display, like a sofa table, cast iron bell, or writing desk.

antique desk - writing desk - downton abbey desk - downton abbey girls writing desk - downton abbey library - downton abbey house - downton abbey decor

8-Create a library
While you may not have a large room dedicated to books, consider putting in a bookshelf.  Don’t have many books or want that antique book look?  Use these “book fronts” that look like old time hardcovers.fake book fronts - downton abbey library - downton abbey books - downton abbey decor - decorate your house like downton

 9-Nice Flatware
No, you don’t need silver, but having a nice flatware set that matches and has a classic look will do the trick!  If you really want to have some silver, seek some out at a consignment shop.  Usually it just needs a good polish to get it looking new.flatware - silverware - downton abbey silverware - downton abbey style silverware - downton abbey flatware - classic flatware - classic silverware

10-Chaise or Chair?
Seek out a nice tufted chaise or leather tufted arm chair.  This can be a comfortable place to unwind or read like Lord and Lady Grantham.  This leather chaise is perfect for enjoying your fireplace. leather couch - leather chaise - downton abbey leather couch - downton abbey furniture - downton abbey couches - downton abbey living room - downton abbey library - downton abbey decor

NY NOW!

Come see us at NY Now from January 31-February 4th!

We will be showcasing our most popular products and some of our newest products, including terry cloth towels, new embroidery designs, and more!

Stop by booth 2753 in the Home Section of the show to come see us!
Use this map to help you navigate all the vendors.  

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-223" src="http://blog indian viagra generic.jacarandaliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/jacaranda-new-flyer-with-dates.jpg” alt=”jacaranda NY NOW – America’s Mart – Shows – New Products – Embroidered Linens – Customized Terry Cloth Towels” width=”600″ height=”900″ />

Creating a Simple, Elegant Tablescape

Thanksgiving is almost here.  Families will be joining together around a table to share in a meal and that table will be the focal point for the entire day.  Here’s some tips on how to make your holiday table beautiful and functional:

1-Linens:
Fresh, clean linens create a beautiful canvas for your tablescape.  Keep it elegant by using white table cloths and beautifully embroidered napkins like the ones from Jacaranda Living.
White linens can be multi – use as you can use them over and over again throughout the year for other holidays and celebrations.napkins linen embroidered jacaranda living

2-Charger Plates
Use a Charger Plate instead of a place mat like this glittery orange one from Pier 1 Imports.  This will help to protect your white linen tablecloth, but also provides a pop of color.  The glimmer in this charger makes it look subtly elegance and reflects a bit of that table ambient lighting.charger plate from pier 1

3-Candles
Candle lit dinners aren’t just for romantics.  They make everyone at the table relax and who doesn’t look great in candle light!  Use these silver plated candle stick holders from Pottery Barn with simple, white candles to create an luxurious look that you can reuse throughout the year.  silver candle sticks

4-Centerpiece
Create a centerpiece with natural elements.  Seasonal flowers or even fruits and vegetables (like the persimmons in the photo below) or in our previous blog post about a DIY Centerpiece here.  
Make sure your centerpieces are kept away from flames and are low enough so that your guests can see each other from across the table.  season flowers and vegetables

4-Proper place settings
Nothing completes a table more than a proper place setting.  Can’t figure out which fork goes where?  Use Pure Wow’s guide to place setting here.

5-Napkin rings and place cards
Use natural elements like wheat stalks and a pendant to create pretty and reusable napkin right that can also help your guests find their seats.  pendant napkin rings and placecard

6-Leave room
Be sure to leave plenty of room on the table for platters of all that delicious food you slaved away making!

7-Use a Sideboard
There’s a reason why many dining room sets come with a sideboard.  This can be used as a buffet, to stow dirty plates, or display your desserts.  If you don’t have a sideboard, use a simple pop up banquet table and place a nice matching table cloth over it.

8-Have your cleaning kit nearby
Spills happen, but don’t fret!  When you set your table, create a bin full of fabric stain remover, carpet cleaner, and plenty of paper towels nearby.

cleaning kit

9-Use a Chalkboard for a Menu
Display your menu to guests by using a simple chalk board or vintage sign.  This will help them prepare by not over indulging on apps while they wait for the star of the show.  Check out this DIY Chalkboard Menu from House on the Way’s Blog.chalkboard menu diy for thanksgiving

10-Enjoy yourself!
As a host, you need to make sure you enjoy yourself as well.   Your guests aren’t there just for your catering, they want to enjoy some time with you as well.  The dishes can wait, relax and have fun!