It's about that time again. The turkey is in the oven, warm gingerbread and pumpkin fill the air, laughter and memories are shared, and friends and family gather around the dining room table to feast on a delectable dinner. Here are a few quick tips to make your table setting and decorating as easy as pie!


Mix and match around a color story. Pick a color story.Thanksgiving could be Chocolate brown with hints of purple and orange. Christmas could be a deep saturated red with flecks of gold and green. Once you have your color story, mix and match different prints and patterns within that group to create layers of texture and beauty. Display a pretty floral tablecloth over a classic plaid tablecloth.


Natural beauty. Use elements from outdoors to create a centerpiece.If you don't have time to create a masterpiece with a glue gun and supplies, a simple arrangement of fall and winter garden treasures is perfect. Fill a bowl with pine cones and acorns. Arrange a pillar candle on a decorative plate and pile evergreens and holly or dried Chinese lanterns around the base. Place one sprig of pine or a colorful mum in each of 12 tiny vases and line the length of a long table.


Expand your place settings by working within your color story. If you find that you have 10 matching dining plates and 15 guests coming, expand your collection by mix and matching. Borrow from friends or scan flea markets and antique stores. You can use 3 or 4 different patterns for your dinner china as long as they work within your color story. For a Thanksgiving table how about white with lavender floral, solid gold, and a tan with chocolate brown trim. These plates will look beautiful alternated on your table of chocolate brown with hints of purple and orange. The same idea also works for glasses, napkins, and cutlery.


Have fun and enlist the help of guests. Don't take on all the cooking tasks yourself. Some of the best memories that surround the holidays are sharing in cooking and setting the table. Bake cookies and pies together and go for a walk to gather supplies to decorate the table.