Giving Thanks

First let me share a bit of background. My first memorable first impression of working closely with luxury goods came at the age of 22. I'd been brought in to Waterford/Wedgwood to focus on window displays and in-store merchandising. In a store filled with beautiful things, it was my job to find my favorites and feature them artfully. Dreamy, right? I knew at the time that this was a special privilege... and to this day I still look back fondly on that opportunity.

And so... my secret love of all things Wedgwood continues. I adore to my prized collection of demitasse cups and saucers (which I've now promised myself I'll continue to grow), but it's high time I focused on developing my "adult" tabletop.

Thanksgiving has given me the impetus (excuse?) to spend days scouring the neighboring shops for just the right set of white dinnerware. Will I do bone china or French porcelain? I can't decide. And then there's the issue of color and pattern. We all know white is the best color for actually presenting food, as it allows you to focus freely and completely on the ingredients on the plate. So why, oh why, are these stunning patterns so pretty and tempting? My absolute favorite of the moment is called Dynasty. (Lucky me, they have a demitasse cup I'll be adding to the mix!)

But during my hunt I took a step back and realized... no one cares about my place settings. No one is looking at the plates themselves but me. Thanksgiving is all about the guests, the food, the conversations, the company... your hosting skills. The most important guideline of successful hosting: be relaxed. And so it's time I focused on who is at the table rather than what is on the table. At least as much as a visually oriented person like myself can.

If those early days at Wedgwood taught me anything, it's that the only one truly focused on those gorgeous place settings is you. Don't delude yourself into thinking that your guests will turn up their nose to a great meal if you're dining on mismatched pieces or uber-affordable Ikea dinnerware. The point of quality tabletop goods is to make the hostess feel good. To help her relax and entertain with ease.

The rules of engagement for hosting are easy: prepare as much as you can before they arrive, then relax once the first guest steps into the house. That's it. Don't strive for perfection, don't try to orchestrate the movements of others. Just let it all happen. Enjoy the moment and stop to say thanks for the great life you live, the great company you keep and the miracle of life itself. (And if you must, say thanks for the lovely tabletop that you set before they all arrived.)

So I'll do what any good hostess would do: obsess about these dishes until the moment I open the door to greet my first guest. This gives me one final day, today, to search for those "perfect" place settings. Once the door opens to company on Thursday I must just let it go and focus on the task at hand: being gracious.

Here's wishing each of you a fabulous holiday meal and an even better holiday season. (And if you're still shopping for food and serving pieces, I wish you my best today. You can do it!) Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Featured: Wedgwood "Dynasty" Place Setting, Pearson 1408 Dining Chair, Georg Jensen Bernadotte Pitcher