Thanksgiving will be different for everyone this year and for us it means celebrating just the two of us and from abroad. As food is a such a focus for Thanksgiving, I wanted to share with all of you what we plan to make for our paired down Thanksgiving. For the menu, we each picked our Thanksgiving must-have dish and then added some other favorites to round out the meal. 

Duck Breasts With Citrus Port Cherry Sauce - While we both like turkey for sandwiches, neither of us really like roast turkey that much and because small turkeys are still quite large, we decided we would change to another poultry option. We thought about doing cornish hens, but as we have never made them at home, we decided we didn't want to make things complicated by adding a new to us main dish. We have made these duck breasts numerous times and find them easy and delicious, so they will be a great poultry alternative to turkey. 

Mashed Potatoes (My Husband's Must-Have) - My husband is a big mashed potatoes fan, so I knew we couldn't pass on having them for our mini Thanksgiving. I do prefer mashed potatoes with skins, so we will be following this recipe. 

Stuffing - Stuffing is my second favorite item for Thanksgiving after pecan pie. I have been having this one at Thanksgiving for the past few years and will be making it again this year. The recipe is so good!

Glazed Carrots - I first made these carrots this past spring and they are delicious! The maple glaze also makes them feel extra festive. 

Green Beans - With everything else on the heavier side, I wanted a green vegetable to cut through all the fat. Ina's recipes are always amazing, so I am sure these will be the perfect addition to our mini Thanksgiving. 

Pecan Pie (My Must-Have) - Pecan pie has been my favorite pie as long as I can remember. I also only have it on Thanksgiving, so it's something I always look forward to on the holiday. 

I took a bit of a break from posting here the last couple weeks to spend time with friends and family while we were in the States. With living in Amsterdam, we had not seen our friends and family in the US since before all the spring lockdowns, so we really tried to maximize our time in the States while being safe and cautious. We are back in Amsterdam for now, and I am excited to be back posting and have lots of fresh content to share with you guys for the holidays! 

With Thanksgiving only a week away, I thought I would start there. Though Thanksgiving will be looking a little different this year, I still plan to dress up for the occasion and as food is a main focus, I also plan to keep things on the dressy but comfortable side. This sweater dress is the ideal piece for the dressy, comfortable look I am looking to achieve. Plus its a-line silhouette is very flattering and the soft cashmere makes it oh so cozy. I love the brown color for a fall vibe, but also think the black is a classic wardrobe piece. And because the dress is on the casual side, I know I will be able to continue to wear it all fall and winter! 

DRESS // BOOTS // BAG // SUNGLASSES (OLD, SIMILAR) // WATCH

With Thanksgiving only three days away and it being a holiday centered around food, I rounded up some of my favorite dishes that would be a great addition to any Thanksgiving meal. For appetizers, you have candied pecans for those who love their sweets and for those who prefer savory options, there’s homemade ricotta and pigs in a blanket. Finally, to accompany all the turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes, and cranberry sauce, you have popovers with their crispy crust and soft inside. Here’s to a holiday filled with friends, family, and lots of delicious food!

Sweater: H&M, Pants: Jcrew, Jacket: H&M, Earrings: Bauble Bar, Watch: Nixon, Nail Polish: Essie, Purse: Zara, Flats: Jcrew

When it comes to dressing for Thanksgiving, I am all about being comfy and cozy. Every year my go to piece is an oversized sweater and when paired with these stretchy ponte pants, it could not be a more ideal combination for a holiday that is centered around food. To finish off the look add some comfy leopard smoking slippers, sparkly earrings, a watch to be punctual, and a wine colored coat, and you will be cozy and stylish for all of your Thanksgiving day festivities.

Yesterday marked a week until Thanksgiving and I am getting really excited to celebrate the holiday! One of my favorite parts of hosting my family’s Thanksgiving celebration is decorating the table. Last year, I kept my table decor more neutral and I knew this year, I wanted to change things up and bring in some color with flowers. For the color palette, I chose to keep it fall appropriate with orange, pink, and cream roses. Then, I added pops of gold with these gold pumpkins, chargers, candle holders, and this placemat. The final touch, was adding some small white pumpkins to tie it all together.

NAPKIN RINGS//SILVERWARE//PLATES//PLACEMATS//RUNNER

For the second year in a row, I will be hosting my Family's Thanksgiving celebration. There is a lot of prep that goes into getting ready for the holiday, so the last thing I want to stress about is how I will decorate the table. So when I was thinking about my table decor, I knew I wanted to keep things simple and easy and chose to keep the over all color palette more natural - white, green, and gray with touches of gold.

Because the holiday is centered around the meal, I chose to incorporate different herbs being used in the kitchen. First, I incorporated thyme as an accent in the napkin rings to bring the green color into the place setting. Next, at the center of the table, I used rosemary to create a wreath around the center candle. On either side of the center candle then, I set my favorite white pumpkins. I had originally thought of incorporating a bouquet of white and green flowers, but opted not to in the end. However, as another option for the center of your table, you could swap the pumpkins for small bouquets of flowers. I finished things off then with my gold silverware and white plates. The end result is a simple, but pretty look that will be easy for me to set up on actual Thanksgiving and leave me with plenty of time to focus on other things.

Image Source: Smitten Kitchen

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Wishing you all a wonderful holiday with family and friends and delicious food! I will be taking the rest of this week off to spend time with my family and enjoy some shopping. I hope you all can find some great deals in your Black Friday shopping adventures.

P.S. If you are still looking for something to make for Thanksgiving, this sweet potato cake with marshmallow frosting looks delicious.

This week has been long, long, long and yet I can't believe how close it is to Christmas. The shorter number of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year is really making the holidays fly by quickly. Leaving you with less time to do everything from shopping for gifts to decorations. One thing I truly miss this holiday season is the scent of a fresh Christmas tree. Growing up, my family always had a freshly cut tree and I loved the pine scent.  It would leave such a wonderful scent all through the house and put me in the Christmas spirit. Since it is difficult to have a Christmas tree when living in a NYC apartment, I have been depending on this pine and eucalyptus candle by Jo Malone to fill the void.  Unlike other pine scented candles, this one has a light aroma that leaves the air with the perfect amount of fragrance. So until I can get the real thing when I go home for Christmas, I will be depending on this candle to put me in the Christmas spirit.

Plaid: Old Navy, Sweater: Target (similar), Pants: Seven For All Mankind, Shoes: Jcrew, Clutch: Old Navy

When it comes to dressing for Thanksgiving, I prefer to keep things more casual and think a cozy plaid is the perfect way to be comfortable and festive. I picked up this one from Old Navy and chose to pair it with a cropped sweater and my favorite leather-like pants for a dressy casual look. I love how the addition of the cropped sweater elevates the look and it has been my new go-to way to add extra layers without feeling bulky.

Happy Black Friday! I hope you all had a magical Thanksgiving and where able to spend time with family whether in person or virtually. With today being Black Friday, I thought I would share some of my favorite sales happening right now along with some of my favorite items from each retailer. Happy Shopping!

It’s crazy to think how quickly the holidays are approaching. Thanksgiving is only a day a way, and Christmas is less than a month away. This all means, it is time to kick it into high gear for holiday gifts. I already shared one holiday gift guide here and today I am sharing gift ideas that are all under $25. It is full of fabulous finds that I am sure any of your loved ones would be more than happy to receive. 

Poncho: Similar, Pants: Jcrew, Boots: Stuart Weitzman, Purse: Old Navy, Necklace: Julie Vos

It’s hard to believe it's already November and Thanksgiving is not too far away. Normally by this time of year, I am all bundled up in my winter coat, but the weather this year has been unseasonably warm. So instead, I’ve been able to manage with just some light layers on most days. This poncho is one of the layers I have been wearing the most and I love that it’s cream color makes it easy to pair with things.