• Boiled, dyed eggs for Easter make for a perfect brunch companion and can be done 1-2 days in advance. 
• You can also make baked goods and cookies the night before (or even buy them pre-made! Shh...I won't tell!). 
• Cut up a fruit plate the day before and squeeze lemon juice over it before covering it, to keep it fresh. 
• Drinks: Prep your coffee grounds and filters the night before and mix juices in pitchers for mimosas ahead of time. ANYTHING you can do to give yourself time back the day of your event...DO! 

• Tie a ribbon around the silverware
• Personalized their eggs by writing their names with a gold sharpie 
• Hand painted menu (okay, this last one may not be the easiest if you're not artistic...BUT you can always just print one off of the internet if you can't paint.) 

• Centerpiece: Use potted spring plants (such as this lavender I got from Trader Joe's for $6) over a bouquet. (Saves time, money, and you can easily give it as a gift or continue to grow it long afterwards and enjoy the herbs!)
• Candles: Save time and use pillar candles or tea lights in glass cups, rather than get out and polish your candlesticks. 
• Use What You Have: I spread out the eggs and colorful meringues I had to decorate the runner. 

Get the Look: 
1. Pink Glass Plates (Similar 1) (Similar 2)  // 2. Pink Clay Bowls // 3. Turquoise Plates (Similar 1) (Similar 2) (Similar 3) // 4. Grey Napkins // 5. Pink Glassware (Similar 1) (Similar 2) // 6. Green Glassware (Similar 1) (Similar 2) // 7. Copper or Gold Flatware // 8. Bunny Salt + Pepper Shakers // 9. Ceramic Egg Crate // 10. Wood Tier Stand //

How do you like to celebrate Easter or Passover? 
Are you usually the host? Or the guest? 
What tips do you have for pulling off simple, yet charming, entertaining? 

• Option #1 - Produce: Pass on the floral arrangements and make a bold statement with bowls/platters/dishes of fresh fruits or vegetables (no creative skills required to fill a bowl with produce, unlike artfully arranging bouquets!). You may already have them on hand for cooking around the holidays and-unlike flowers-you can eat them afterwards! I use pomegranates as the giving of pomegranates, persimmons, or citrus is a Christmas tradition in Mediterranean culture, like my family's.
• How - Color Palette: The closer you can stick to a color palette the bolder your styling will look. Learn more about picking a palette from this color wheel tutorial. 
• Analogous: For our holiday tablescape we used harmonious analogous and almost monochromatic color palette ranging from rich pomegranate reds to deep eggplant purples with merlot grapes, plums, avocado, and figs in between.
  
  
• Complimentary/Contrasting: The most popular example of contrasting colors is Christmas' red and green (think red and green apples). This sort of palette is vibrant and dramatic.
  
  
• Neutrals: Think soft colors from nature with shelled brown nuts, cotton white, and muted green artichokes.
  
  
• How - Uniform: You don't need your grandmother's fine china to achieve this table decoration. Find uniformity with your centerpiece dishes (that doesn't mean that they need to be a part of a set or match). Ours are all from different sets but tie together with the white. You could also experiment with dishes that are different colors but the same size, or different colors and sizes but the same pattern/style. One example: different colored bowls/platters/plates of depression glass.
• Option #2 - Candles: Never underestimate the drama of a candlelit dinner. 
• How - Types / Sizes: You can simply have 2-3 tapered candlesticks standing tall in the center in holders or a candelabra. Or group together several pillar candles of varying heights on a plate. Or go smaller in scale and use wine glasses or small glass containers to house votives or tealights.
• How - Color: White is always the most classic candle wax color and ensures that if you have different kinds of candles they all go together, as opposed to discrepancies of hues with colored wax for candles from different brands or stores. If you do want to use colorful candles and have different colors group them together on a plate and tie a ribbon around them or create balance with each candle having the same uniform holder.
• Option #3 - Nature: Greenery, leaves, feathers, pinecones, twigs/braches...the list goes on and on for what is available this time of year. Bonus: it is often free!
• How - Balance + Display: Don't let nature take over your table. You can put pinecones or leaves in a clear vase or bowl. Branches or greenery can go in a tall vase or be laid down the center of the table with pinecones or leaves singularly spread throughout. Find balance and keep it minimal. It's meant to be easy!

With my dairy and wheat allergies I often miss out on some of the best holiday dishes-especially dessert. This year I decided I wasn't going to settle for cranberry sauce and fruit as my dessert yet again for Thanksgiving. I created a gluten free, dairy free chocolate bourbon pecan pie recipe that tastes like I'm not missing out on a thing. It's so good I might not even share.

Pie Ingredients

• 1 Wholly Wholesome Gluten Free / Dairy Free Pie Shell - 9" 
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup 
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs, room temperature 
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 4 oz dairy free dark chocolate chips (Ex: Enjoy Life)
• 1 cup pecans (1/2 cup chopped, 1/2 whole for the top) 

Bourbon Whipped Cream Ingredients (Optional)

• 1 can (14 oz) coconut cream, chilled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 tbsp agave
• 1 tsp bourbon

Pie Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Take GF pie out of freezer and cover outer crust with aluminum foil. Poke bottom of pie shell and sides with fork. 
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and vegan butter in sauce pan on medium heat until butter melts. Take off the burner and allow to cool to just warm or room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together vanilla, salt, eggs, and bourbon. 
4. With your slightly cooled sugar syrup, slowly pour into your egg mixture-constantly whisking so it doesn't cook the eggs. Mix well. 
5. Mix in the chocolate and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. Pour into pie shell, leaving a tiny bit of room at the top. Arrange whole pecans on the surface in whatever design brings you joy (I went classic). 
6. With outer crust still covered in aluminum, bake pie for 45 minutes before taking the foil off. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until set and golden on top. 
7. Cool and cover in plastic wrap. This pie is best made the day before so it has time to set after cooling (plus it makes the holidays that much less stressful if you have one less thing you have to make the day of). 
8. Serve with dairy free whipped cream (Optional)

Tell a "Story": Are you bright, bold, and festive? Glamorous, sparkly, and fun? Or natural, minimal, and subtle? Pick a color scheme and incorporate seasonal elements that shows what story you are trying to tell. I chose to heirloom pumpkins' muted oranges, grays, and yellows as my color scheme and incorporated organic wood tones, clean whites, and copper. I repeated my "story" with in the serveware, food, and flowers.

Variety in Height: Think vertical as well as horizontal! Tiered serveware conserves space while moving the eye easily around the sideboard. Cake stands show off elegant desserts while allowing shallower dishes park below. Keep the eye moving across the table with variation.

Practical(ish): While it might be tempting to go all out, think [somewhat] practically. For example-I prefer to use flameless candles, if any, where serving food. I hate anyone to have to worry about catching their sleeve on fire or knocking it over while grabbing seconds of mashed potatoes. Additionally, allowing your serveware to step up as part of your decor saves room and makes it festive. I love my ceramic pumpkins that serve as decor AND soup or casserole dishes.

Decor: Know your theme and stick with it! If it's plaid and bright colors then go all out and sprinkle in festive orange pumpkins everywhere. If you're glamorous and sparkly put a glittered table cloth over your sideboard and cover the stop with dark, dramatic dishes. I chose a more muted, subtle scheme and wanted organic elements such as pinecones, antlers, and heirloom pumpkins. Also: it never hurts to add some flowers if you have the room. It instantly makes a space feel celebratory.

Planning: Round up your serveware, dishes, utensils, and little kitchen goods the day before or morning of. Lay out your sideboard's plan early in the day before guests arrive. Make sure you have enough space for all the dishes. If someone is bringing a dish always think about where you will save them a spot on the buffet.

Create Order: While life is short and I never object to eating dessert first, not everyone agrees. Think about the natural progression of making a plate of food and the flow of traffic. Which side should the buffet line start? Do you start with salads and work you way to the main course? etc...

Labels: While not necessary for small groups, if you have a large group you can save the trouble of answering "What is this?" thirty times with dish labels. This is also really considerate for people with food allergies / concerns.


How do you plan for serving your Thanksgiving food? 
What would be the "story" you'd like to tell with your color scheme and decor? 
How would you describe your Thanksgiving style? 
Do you prefer buffet style, pre-plated, or on the table? 

• 1 Daiya Chocolate Cheezecake OR their New York Cheezecake (Your Choice! I found mine in the freezer aisle at Whole Foods). 
• 1 container of Sunshine Raspberries, washed and dried. (I like Sunshine for Thanksgiving due to their golden-orange color and tartness, but you can substitute regular raspberries too). 
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp coconut oil 
• 1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract 
• 1/2 bar dairy free dark chocolate bar, (optional)

What is your favorite, easy recipe? 
Do you ever potluck your Thanksgivings or do you love to do it alone? 
What's your favorite recipe / dish? 

 Get the Look: 

• World Market's Ivory Ceramic Pumpkin Casserole Baker (Was $20, on sale now $10). 
• Martha Stewart Collection Harvest Collection - Lidded Harvest Pumpkin Soup Tureen (Was $109, on sale now $43)

• Clothes 
• Accessories (jewelry, shoes, scarves, purses, hats, bags, belts, sunglasses, gloves, etc)
• Make Up (if it's in really nice condition or new) 
• Board Games
• Books/Cookbooks 
• Decor/Home Goods 
• Plants/Gardening Tools/Pots
• Holiday Decor
• Craft Supplies
• Art
• Kitchen Supplies (Dishes, flatware, glasses, pitchers, teapots, blenders, etc) 
• Bedding/Linens

1. Put numbers in a hat and have each guest pick one to determine the order
2. Guests can pick three items per turn to keep the swap moving 
3. After a certain max number of items you'd like to set for the swap (we chose 6-9) all the leftovers can be bagged for donation.*