My friend, Able Baker Dana, and I had a spur-of-the-moment play day a week ago.
We went out in the drizzling rain and collected some fall leaves.
We came home and put some beeswax on the stove to melt...
...while we dried the leaves...
...and ran a drying line.
Then we dipped the leaves in the wax and hung them to dry...
...just because we could.
I thought I might like to use leaves on the Thanksgiving tables this year, but I didn't want a bunch of crunched pieces.
The wax preserves them and restores their pliablility, plus it was just plain fun to dip them.
We felt kind of like school-kids again.
Since we're having twenty-three (23!) people-we-love here for Thanksgiving dinner this year...
And since I'm going to be having an injection of anesthetic+steroid into my ball and joint socket (European vacation injury), with instructions to "take it easy" afterward...
But, mostly, since I just plain enjoy it...
I've already been playing around with decorations and place settings for the holiday tables.
I piled a lot of the tablecloths, napkins, runners, napkin rings, dishes - and even a bolt of fabric - on the kitchen table to see what I could pull together for 23 (!) place settings.
We had enough of the black plates and gold napkins for twelve places, but needed something more for the others.
I'm thanking my Father for the leftover black fabric, which got transformed into additional napkins, and the (also leftover!) lovely rust-colored ribbon.
I pulled out our black napkin rings...
...tied a pretty ribbon on them...
...and tucked the napkin and one of those waxed leaves into it.
I think they'll do for the black and white plates.
The party room floor has been spit polished...
The tables have been set up and some of the folding chairs have been dressed...
And I am finding it difficult to stop doing recipe searches for side dishes.
Do you have a favorite you'd like to share with me?