Thanksgiving is the Best

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I can’t pinpoint exactly why – I love the meal of course, but it’s more than that. I think there’s so much to look forward to (Christmas parties and traditions + the school break & New Years), but it is also just a nice long weekend with guilt free lounging and catching up on sleep and shows and movies. I am hosting this year (14 people!) and am so excited about it – I’ve been planning my table(s) with my mom for weeks and can’t wait to have so many family members around. And then on Friday, I have a list of shows to watch, I will be decorating for Christmas and half-watching football games that will be on in every room in my house.

Here are a few things to help you prepare for a perfect Thanksgiving break – the best turkey recipe of all time, beautiful things for your table, a few fun things to wear, shows to watch (and comfortable clothes to watch them in), with a couple of Christmas odds and ends to get you in the spirit. Happy Thanksgiving!

Easy Roasted Dry Brined Turkey – I have been making this dry-brined turkey for 14 years – starting back in my little 700 square foot basement apartment on Corcoran Street in Washington, D.C. I learned how to do it by watching the Martha Stewart show (the post-prison one) and it has never failed me. You start by brining it with kosher salt and bay leaves 48 hours prior to baking it and the result is the most delicious tender turkey you’ve ever tasted. I also make her Simple Turkey Gravy which might be even better than the turkey. The secret is the dry white wine along with (lots) of butter. I went back and found the video and linked it below.

One departure from Martha: Because I am from the South, we don’t say “stuffing” and we certainly don’t put it inside the turkey – ours is made with cornbread, we serve it on the side, and we call it dressing…as the Pilgrims intended.

Video of Martha Stewart dry brined turkey – Martha is her usual bossy-self in this video but that’s okay because she knows what she’s doing so just do as you’re told and you can thank her later.

My tiny little apartment (basement, on the left) on Corcoran Street in Washington – a beautiful one way street lined with Ginkgo trees that turned yellow in the Fall. I loved living here.
Speaking of Martha, I did finally watch her documentary on Netflix. It is fascinating and a little sad. I didn’t realize all the pain she has experienced in her personal and romantic life. She always seemed too tough to let herself experience real emotions. I ended up feeling a little sorry for her towards the end because it seems like she has been very hurt mainly by the men in her life (her father, her ex husband, a long time boyfriend) – which is ironic given that she’s seen so much success in what was (is?) normally a man’s world. It is worth watching – she is very real and raw and you forget just how huge she was at one point in time before her insider trading ordeal.
I recently visited the new Ballard Designs store in Birmingham and bought these Bunny Williams tumblers which are on sale now for $28 for a set of four (normally $60). They will look great on my Thanksgiving table.
My mom and I each bought one of these Chinoiserie Champagne Buckets as well and will exchange on Christmas morning. On sale too!
Turkey Placecards – I like having something whimsical on the table along with all the fancy stuff
Chic Red Coat from Boden – I love the detail on the sleeve
e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil – My friend gave me this lip gloss recently and I love it so much – it looks dark in the tube but it goes on very sheer with a slight tint. An $8 find that makes you feel like a million bucks.
Planning to wear these Veronica Beard Corduroys on Thanksgiving Day – dressier than jeans but more casual than black pants.
This Wide Leg Version in a darker color is also a good option. Would be cute with a gray sweater.
Ann Mashburn short cowboy boots – look great with jeans and cords.
Black Keyhole Top – So cute and only $138. Good option for Wednesday night dinner before Thanksgiving?
Love this whole look.
Veronica Beard has the best leather pants btw.
ALC Simone Bag – will go with everything in every season.
Get it before it sells out.
I think this blouse is sold out but these Alix of Bohemia tops are great.
I am not sure if you have shopped at The Great yet but they have really cute things, including this cardigan which would be perfect for hanging around the house or on a ski trip.
I bought this floral corduroy skirt that I will also wear with tall black boots and a sweater.
Puffy Heart Earrings from J.Crew Factory < $10! For my Thanksgiving Day outfit.
West Elm has great things for Christmas. I love these red and green clip on bows.
Remember that Petite Plume has the best holiday pajamas and they always have a Black Friday sale so wait to order them until then.
I just did a refresh of all the pillows in my house, replacing them with these from Cuddledown.
Don’t forget that Bad Sisters Season 2 is out now. If you missed Season 1 go back and watch it – it is so so good. Here is the New York Times Review headline: “Season 2 of Bad Sisters is Still Stylish and Thrilling”. I watched the first two episodes already and I’m hooked.


“It’s been two years since audiences were introduced to the Garvey sisters in Apple’s “Bad Sisters,” created by Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel, and Brett Baer — two years since Eva, Ursula, Bibi, and Becka conspired to kill their sister Grace’s (Anne-Marie Duff) husband, only for him to turn up dead under mysterious and unplanned circumstances.
Season 2 premieres November 13 with two episodes, to answer burning questions as well as to raise new ones. How much does Grace’s daughter really know? How have the sisters healed since the death of “the prick”? Will the police get involved this time and actually uncover the murder? Are Becka and Matt still together?”

-IndieWire
I will basically watch anything about World War II or London for that matter so this movie is on my watchlist. “Blitz” starring Saoirse Ronan premieres on Thursday, November 21 on Apple + : “In World War II London, nine-year-old George is evacuated to the countryside by his mother, Rita, to escape the bombings. Defiant and determined to return to his family, George embarks on a journey back home as Rita searches for him.”

I’ve written about this show before but will remind you again because it is so good.

It took me a few episodes to get the hang of Slow Horses. In fact, I stopped watching after two episodes and didn’t start again for over a year. It was killing me because I love Kristen Scott Thomas so much so I picked it up again and this time I turned the captions on and was able to better understand the dialogue – as soon as that happened I was immediately hooked. Season 4 on Apple TV + is now streaming. Love these nutty, dysfunctional spooks.

This isn’t out until December 4 but I’ve added this film to my Netflix queue:
Based on the charming trilogy of children’s books by beloved multi award-winning writer/director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a FuneralNotting HillLove ActuallyYesterday), That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys!

‘That Christmas’ Review: Netflix’s Richard Curtis-Scripted Animation Is Poised to Become a
New Holiday Classic

-Hollywood Reporter
It looks so cute.
Hope you have the best Thanksgiving.

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