thanksgiving

i confess. too often i find myself day dreaming about the things i do not have, coveting the possessions, talents, opportunities and lifestyles of those that seem to be better off.  too quickly i become envious, forgetting all of the incredible blessings that fill my life on a daily basis.  truth be told, God has richly and generously filled my life with more than i could have ever asked, and i have so much to be thankful for.  it shames me to think how i could possibly want for any additional thing, when i live such an abundant life filled with unimaginable treasures . . .

such as a business i never planned on having, but has provided me an outlet to use my passions, talents and gifts to serve people . . .

a mother who provided me with opportunities and possibilities paid for with her selfless, unending sacrifices . . .

my best friend, ryan, who although living in england, communicates with me daily to encourage me and support me through life . . .

a group of young guys that not only work with me, but make me laugh incredibly hard and keep me young and experiencing new things i would never do otherwise, like skydiving and snow boarding . . .

unexpected new friendships that have already impacted my life greatly and that i feel deeply connected to. . .

and Jamie, the most patient, loving, supportive, encouraging, kind, compassionate, fun and amazingly beautiful girlfriend a guy could ask for, and who came packaged with the most incredible family ever . . . wow . . . i am such a lucky guy . . .

strong community, good health, wonderful clients, a job i get excited about doing, a beautiful studio, a warm house, plenty of food to eat and laughter to share. . . so much to celebrate and be thankful for.  and although i at times quickly forget, when i come to my senses and realize that the blessings in my life are extravagant, the abundance lavished upon me overwhelms me to a point where my response can be none other than that of appreciation and thanksgiving. 

as jamie and i spent our first thanksgiving together, we wanted the celebration we hosted for our families to reflect the extravagant blessings our lives are filled with.  i loved putting thanksgiving together this year and working alongside jamie to create a special dinner for our families.  these images will give you a little glimpse into our holiday. 

i always love compiling all of the different elements, layers and textures that i am going to implement, and then taking those elements to craft a beautiful table. 

vintage mercury glass, potted sage, fall foliage, tarnished silver platers, babies breath, various candles and loads of pears. a few of the ingredients for our thanksgiving table. 

and although it snowed heavily the morning of thanksgiving, and we almost had to postpone our celebration, our families decided to make the trek up to bellingham and so dinner preparation continued as planned.

we hosted the dinner at my design studio.  i live just a minute away, and so we were able to conveniently cook the dinner at my house yet eat at the studio.

here are a few before and after pictures for you.

the dining table . . .

the buffet table . . .

and of course, the turkey. . .

i love using my space for all kinds of parties and events. although it is my place of work, i try to make it warm and inviting for anyone that comes in the door.  

we served a very traditional thanksgiving meal . . . you can never go wrong with the basics.

jamie made these gorgeous pies. they were as delicious as they were beautiful.

my best friend spent his first thanksgiving away from family this year, as he and his wife are in england. he sent me a note that day that said, "You can have the greatest spread and the greatest food but if you're not surrounded by those you love, it's just not the same."  i am so fortunate that i was not only able to spend the day growing closer to jamie as we cooked for our families, but that we then got to sit with the people we love the most, and share our lives and hearts of gratitude with them.

the food has now been eaten, the table torn apart, the china cleaned and the stemware returned to their rack. although thanksgiving may officially be over, we are still filled with joy considering the wealth of blessings that shape our lives, and choose to continue living with a thankful heart. we hope you will join us in this sentiment as you enter into this holiday season.

Comments

[ryan]

Beautiful words, beautiful spread, my friend. Thank you for reminding me, and the rest of us, what Thanksgiving is all about. So glad you were able to share all of this with some incredible people.

May God continue to richly bless your life so that your cup will continue to overflow into the lives of those He places in your path.

Ryan

[SMD]

Thanks Ryan for your words and your friendship. I did get to spend the holiday with incredible people, I just wish you could have been there too! So thankful I'll be seeing you soon enough though!

[Empire State Building Timi]

OK, you are out of control...your spread looked incredible, the table so elegant and your writings very touching....and I know why you liked me instantly...I look like your mom. btw...you'll never see my humble Thanksgiving day table :)

[steve]

Timi, as always, you make me laugh so hard! Thank you for that. And yes, perhaps your resemblance to my mother is why your motherly advice was so easy to accept! So glad we met you up on top of the Empire State Building. Hope your Thanksgiving was also fantastic, and I look forward to seeing those pictures on your Facebook page soon.

[Michelle Engvall]

Steve, what a beautiful post. I am so happy for you and Jamie and what a wonderful holiday you created for your families. The food looked amazing and the decor stunning as always. Happy holidays! :)

[Mari]

Steve, so beautiful! Thanks for sharing such an awesome day. Hope I get to meet Jamie soon :)