2012 has been a year of firsts for me & my family. I quit my full-time job in January, had a beautiful baby girl in february, bought & moved into our first home in June, assisted with the coordination of a large gala in September and began my business in October. So when our families began thinking about Thanksgiving & who would be able to open up their home (and oven!), we thought "why the heck not?". This how the Gailey family became the hosts of Thanksgiving 2012!
While I love to cook & made some pretty delicious dishes, I was more excited to decorate the table! It was the first time we were going to be using our table for something special, so I wanted it to impress our guests but also not spend fortune. It's a time to give thanks for what you have, so I did my best to use what I already had in my home.
I used leftover wheat grass to create a simple centerpiece, mini pumpkins to bring in the fall feeling, mini red carnations in candle holders to give our table a little color and gifted Irish candlesticks to give a little nod to my ancestors.
After spending all day cooking in the kitchen with my mom & mother-in-law, it was time to light the candles and sit down together. I was overwhelmed by how beautiful the table looked and realized it looked perfect because my family was sitting around it.
That evening I realized that the Thanksgiving meal was not what I was most excited about, but the fact that I was opening up my home to my family to share in a tradition that so many before us have celebrated. A day full of giving thanks, love and celebrating how blessed life can truly be should happen more often than once a year. I will try & celebrate these gifts every day, how about you?
