( all photos by Southern Living/Laurey W. Glenn)

This Thanksgiving table scape photo shoot that we did with Southern Living Magazine a few years back is one of my favorites. I host Thanksgiving every year at our family’s cottage at Flat Rock in the NC Mountains so it was even more special this year as my family got to enjoy our photo shoot set up! I pulled some of my favorite shots, but you can see all of the details on Southern Living. The china is from my husband’s family so I went somewhat unexpectedly with the pink and gold color theme from the china’s pattern.

I had a yummy suede linen made to fit our dining room table with a large cabled piping in the pale pink.  And these “petal pink” taper candles from Creative Candles were the perfect added touch of color to offset not having any flowers in the centerpiece.

There are fabulous antique markets and thrift stores up in the Hendersonville/Asheville area near where we are in Flat Rock. I found old clear glass candlesticks and painted them gold with craft paint.  The apples are fall harvest NC apples that were so lovely on their own, I hated to paint them, but they sure did turn out beautifully. All SO easy to DIY and inexpensive!

I love my etched glassware, which doubles as a perfect place card and surcie.  I also believe you can never have enough embroidered napkins! These are from Lettered Olive and Elizabeth Joyce Monograms.

Because it happens to work well in our space, and makes it easier for me as the hostess finishing up a large dinner, I always set up a self serve bar. I stock it with the cocktails, proper glassware needed, and cocktail napkins or any other tools needed to properly mix and serve.

Another inexpensive DIY trick that we did here,  is to get affordable cotton cocktail napkins (like these from CB2.com) and iron on monogram letters (available online and at most fabric and craft stores).