Today Emma and I had so much fun hosting our very first Friendsgiving! We got to try out a bunch of new thanksgiving recipes (we'll be sharing our favorites with you soon!) and spend time with friends. The only problem with Friendsgiving is that I wish I had room for WAY more friends. Not a bad problem to have. 
Emma roasted her first thanksgiving turkey! It was 20 pounds and locally raised. It was pretty exciting and it turned out beautiful. 
I enjoyed using my new bar cart! We tried a few new cocktails and also a hot spiced chai. 
After our gigantic lunch we also ate homemade pies and watched the kids turn our dining room into a giant play house, wrapping yarn around and around and around and around. It was pretty cute!
We hope your weekend was amazing too! xoxo. Elsie
PS. Special thank you to all our friends who joined us for Friendsgiving! Love you very much Jeremy, Trey, Mallory, Doren, Penny, Johnny, Katie, Hope, Poesy, Becky + Jacob (listen to their band, The Honey Trees, it's beautiful) and Simon (download his new app, Afterglow!).
146 Comments
Kind of cracking up over what a PROLIFIC group of artists you had a your house! Amazing! I lovvveee afterglow and the honey trees. Hehe. Glad you had such a beautiful day of thanks. Looks perfect.
Love seeing this little slice of your life. It looks like a beautiful celebration.
This looks like a Normal Rockwell picture.
Catherine Denton
So pretty!
About to host my very own first friendsgiving! Very excited to see your recipes especially for the turkey (since thats my job…ahhhh scary!) Thanks for sharing!
So beautiful! You and Emma and just lovely!
I am already looking forward to the recipes!
Sweet… it all looks so fresh and yummy!
http://run2thewild.blogspot.com/
Those roasted potatoes look amazing!! Do you have a recipe for that dish? =) May I get the recipe from you? If not, I understand too!
beautiful way to spent your day 🙂
the food looks delicious
WHAT IS THE PURPLE-ISH GRAY NAIL POLISH??? I need it.
Why can’t my thanksgiving be this perfect? Super cute 🙂
This is wonderful! I can’t wait to do this once I have my own place after I get out of school! What a lovely time. 🙂
Looks like so much fun! And what a cool tradition to start with your friends! I am ready for thanksgiving.
Carlee
http://almostendearing.blogspot.com/
OMG honey tree in your house? cool!! looks a lovely meal
This is absolutely awesome. I think I’d like to try this! 🙂
-rivaflowz.com
Wow, this is beautiful! All your handmade, decorative touches really stand out. Now I want to start decorating for Thanksgiving!
HAHAA!!
did the men all wear grandpa sweaters on purpose?? LOVE it!
xo.
http://dropsofjupiterBLOG.com
This looks like it was so much fun! I might have to try hosting a Friendsgiving next year.
Also, I saw your note about Simon’s Afterglow app. I’m obsessed! It’s perfect. 😀
love! wish i had my house finished enough to host one this year..these dishes look so perfect. awesome crew too!
That turkey looks delish and you girls look like you we’re born in the wrong era, seriously straight outta the 50’s with the aprons, looking beautiful, holding delicious bowls of food!
This is such a fun idea! I want to do this next year 🙂
xoxo missdottidee.blogspot.com
I was looking at these pictures and I was like… “WHAT THE… IS THAT THE PEOPLE FROM THE HONEY TREES?!” hahahahaa… It blew my mind.
Happy Friendsgiving, love the idea and the lace and feather details!
http://razzdazzle.blogspot.mx/
Spiced Chai sounds amazing!!!
So weird, I downloaded Afterglow a few days ago. Then saw a lovely photo on tumblr, so I clicked to see who the artist was, & it was Simon & on his flickr he mentioned his new app. Now I am seeing him here too!
Looks like you all had a wonderful time, and you guys did a great job!
X
http://kendra-genevieve-rose.blogspot.com
Amazing photos of a lovely looking meal! Everything looks soo delicious.
http://swagnstyle.blogspot.ca
yay ıt looks beautiful! Totally inspiring and I love your simple place cards! I’m now looking forward even more to host our first christmas- as my Family is far awya this year I’m going to fill up our home with friends too!
I have seen a few people talking about Friendsgiving this year.. I might have missed the boat this time around, but I definitely want to plan something like it next year! Such a perfect idea! 🙂
This Lovely Little Day
Pomegranates and lemons seem to go perfect with the turkey! It looks like you guys really enjoyed yourselves 🙂
I hosted my first friendsgiving last year and it was fabulous. My first turkey turned out great. And much like you I wished I had room for more friends!
Cute pictures!
And you all look amazing!
X
http://dipitblack.com
Oh, it looks like it turned out so lovely! 🙂 Yay!
Sounds like fun! I can’t wait until Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks! That hot spiced chai sounds yum! I plane I see a recipe for that soon, hehe. I already downloaded the afterglow app, it’s amazing!
how lovely!
Looks wonderful and the yellow chairs are FAB! 🙂
beautiful pictures!
Great! mine was fantastic too! 🙂
xo,
Pili.
http://inavintageworld.blogspot.com.es/2012/11/perfect-weekend.html
friends giving?? I love!!! 😀
xx
http://www.ireneccloset.com
Beautiful! It’s great idea to hold a thanksgiving dinner for friends! And your friends are a very stylish bunch of people! Wow!
x
Sabrina
http://apixiesviewonfashion.com
Such a lovely post ! Amazing Pictures !
XX Luba
:: Well Living Blog :: peplum skirt in my look today
http://very-well-living.blogspot.com
Such a lovely post ! Amazing pictures !
XX Luba
:: Well Living Blog ::
http://very-well-living.blogspot.com
So delicious dinner, maybe thinking thanks giving.
Looks amazing, so much effort! I really love the cream mesh and gold apron – I’m thinking you either made it or it’s vintage – lovely 🙂
Do your friends know how lucky they are?
I love your yellow chairs! And the lace hanging from the chandelier – is that a Friendsgiving decoration or there for always?
http://lasaloperie.blogspot.com
http://8questionsblog.blogspot.com
YOU’RE FRIENDS WITH THE HONEY TREES?!
I love those yellow chairs!
I just realised it was a long time ago I saw Sarah on your blog. Did she and Doren get divorced?
LOVE your decorations!! i think i’ll copy your placeholder idea for my next dinner-with-friends (we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Italy, but we’re always up for a dinner with friends! ;))
Wow. It looks amazing. So nice pics and to be fith friends is the best. Have a nice monday.
http://www.fashiondenis.com/
I wish we had thanksgiving! All that food looks so good!
This is amazing! The food looks delicious, and the decor is so nice. I’d love to host something like this myself, even though we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in The Netherlands…
xoxo, Femke By Button
This looks like a great tradition in the making 🙂
This is adorable! It makes me so excited to be moving to a larger home next year where I can actually have people over for cute gathering like this! Love the yellow chairs too btw.
Becky, K.
http://pixiwishesforeheadkisses.com/
That looks like a great evening!!!
It looks so delicious – I’m really sad that we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Germany. Maybe we could just steal your idea and celebrate a Friendsgiving instead every year…I love that you painted all these different chairs in the same color, looks great!
http://higgledypiggledywonderland.wordpress.com
looks lovely! (love Emma’s apron!)
Everything looks amazing well done you! Those beautiful yellow chairs have lept gazelle like onto my wish list!
I’m so jealous over your fruit bowl!! :)) And your lunch gathering looks really awesome! from the decorations to food! Thanks for all the lovely pictures! 🙂
Love love love your decor! I’m always in charge of decoration my families table scape for Thanksgiving! I love your place card holders the best!
xoxo
Megan
http://www.arayofsunblog.com
looks fun… 🙂 happy friendsgiving. 🙂
http://lovesimplegreen.blogspot.com/
Looks like a fun and beautiful weekend. Anytime spent with friends is marvelous and accompanied by a beautiful dinner is just the cherry on top.
Oh wow…such a gorgeous Thanksgiving lunch! You have very attractive friends, by the way. 🙂
That sounds like funnn!
Valentina
http://valentinaduracinsky.blogspot.com/
Darling idea! How oh so very Bloomsbury!
Props, props props on copping a local turkey… This is one of the most important things going on for our generation, I’m so happy to see that y’all make it a priority. It’s a small thing, but I know you’re in a great position to be a positive influence with your loyal (and awesome) readership. Keep up the good work ladies.
Beautiful pictures! How fun. Last year my husband and I hosted “Thanksagainving” just after the Thanksgiving holiday. Same concept. It’s so fun to have special time with good friends and good food.
Wow! Who is the gorgeous redhead with the perfect bangs and china doll face (well, other than Katie, who also fits that description)? You have some beautiful friends!
Amazing!
This reminded me of so many happy friend holiday parties! My husband and I love to entertain and this sparked my want to throw a dinner party. You have a very beautiful group of friends, it looked like a photo from a style shoot or something, true love!
Xoxo
oh my God! the turkey look so yummy, I can’t imagine how awasome your pict, it’s like were not in the 2012.. so vintage and I like it.. 🙂
what a lovely idea! (:
xo, Clare
http://thewanderingelefant.blogspot.com/
do you have a recipe for the Chai, please?
These photographs are awesome and the food looks delicious as usual!
Yea! I moved across the country a while ago for grad school, and made friends with a bunch of people from faraway, too. Most of us don’t travel back east for Thanksgiving, so for the past six years, we’ve been having Thanksgiving together. It’s so much fun to share a huge loving meal with such a nice group of people. I’m happy you did this too, in addition to your family Thanksgiving!
we’re having our friendsgiving (year #4!) next Saturday & I’m dying to get to it. It’s maybe my favorite weekend of the year.
Your table is BEAUTIFUL! looks like such a great time.
My friends & I do this, too. It’s magical.
You need to add some of this to your liquor collection:
http://arkansaslightning.com/
I’m from Little Rock & this distillery started a couple of years ago. Their second go-round of distilling a batch placed his vodka at 2nd in the world. He has Apple Pie whisky…would be perfect for some Friendsgiving cocktails 🙂
My roommates and I are trying to set up a friendsgiving with our friends on our floor. Of course, being the broke college students that we are, we’re eating beans and curry instead of a turkey, but yours looks lovely, and even better, delicious!
What a lovely idea! Everything looks so festive and de-lish!
Awesome pics! Everything looks yummy! 🙂
http://www.natinlove.com?cm=1
How adorable! Can’t wait for the recipes..I’m hoarding several for my holiday entertaining 😉 xo
Love the flatware. Where did you get it!
Thanks!
Love the “friends-giving” idea! So sweet & so much fun. I LOVE the Honey Trees…so excited to hear about them collaborating with your husband! Also, serious decoration inspiration. 🙂
What an amazing idea! I don’t get to spend the holidays with my family this year and I always feel weird joining my friends as they celebrate with their family, If I had a Friendsgiving I could get the best of both worlds! I must do this!! Thank you for the idea and for sharing! <3
- Elizabeth Kathryn
lifeandlaughter.typepad.com
looks amazing, I love this sort of celebration with friends
http://ahandfulofhope.blogspot.co.uk/
This looks great!
Just wanted to stop in to say thank YOU for the beautiful photography, fun ideas, and pretty things we ABM readers enjoy every day thanks to you lovely ladies! Your blog has been such a source of inspiration to me, and I’m sure to many, many readers as well. Thank you for the enormous amount of time and effort you put into ABM to make it the precious internet gem it is!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Beautiful pictures! And love The Honey Trees! Good company all around 🙂
This looks like it was an amazing meal, and a great idea to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends, and not just family! That photo of Emma with the turkey is EPIC. Emma, you look so proud of that bird, I love it!
Happy thanksgiving, you guys. I’m thankful for you. xxoo
LOVe the idea of “friendsgiving!” How COOL!
And I ADORE that chandelier!
XOXO
-Daisy Nguyen from the PS BANANAS! fashion blog: http://psbananas.com
my friends and i do the same thing every year only its called a pre thanksgiving party and we had ours this weekend too, it so awesome to see other groups of friends doing the same andit looks like you all had as much fun as we did
These are really lovely pictures! Everything just looks so fresh, clean and polished. Ahh xx
http://bonjourperfection.blogspot.co.uk
It looks like you had a lovely celebration! Each of you looked wonderful and happy.
My fiance and I are in the process of buying our first house – I cannot wait to throw our own Friendsgiving next year!
Simple and lovely – as always! 🙂
looks like u had a great time
i love having friends over, its different than going out. its more intimate, cozy and more real:)
the details on the table are cute!
http://athousandhappythoughts.blogspot.com
this is such a lovely idea. I may be stealing it!
grace
http://herumbrella.com
What a great post, I always love your pictures as they tell such a beautiful story.
Aww, everything looks so amazing! I’m so glad it went well! xo
http://www.jenventure.blogspot.co.uk
What a wonderful idea! Your projects are always so creative and unique! I love this one so much! Congrats to Emma for her very first turkey, it looks just stunning!
xx Ivana
Macarons and Pearls
hello elsie!
everything in the pics is so beautiful, thank you for sharing! i was wondering if you had any additional pictures of your outfit to post? (maybe in your ‘everyday’ page?)
it looks like the perfect ‘holiday dress’! (or maybe it is a blouse?)
i’m always on the lookout for pretty vintage type dresses for the holiday season ^_^
Looks so fantastic! I always have dreams of hosting a Friendsgiving! Maybe when I get that roasting pan I’ve been lusting after…
This really has inspired me. I’m only 16 (going on 17) but I think this would be a lovely idea for my friends and I. My family and I are going away to visit family in my home state so I wont get to see my friends. I think I am going to put something like this together for this coming up weekend:) thanks for the inspo!
Great pictures!
http://www.LesliMarie.com
aw! i love friendsgiving! it’s been a couple years since i’ve done one and this post really makes me want to throw another. i’ll have to brainstorm for next year. i can’t wait to see the recipes from this dinner. it looks amazing!
so fun! love that all of your friends are wearing dresses & bowties. can’t wait til we have enough space/cooking experience to make this happen!
The food looks amazing and now has me craving it yumm. Was the attire cardigans and bow ties for the men or something lol.
So gorgeous! I love all the personal little details, even the ones that were not focused on. Can’t wait to see what were your favorite recipes!
❤stephanie
This must have been a beautiful day! The pictures are very beautiful, It makes me want to come into your little world!
You seem to have very stylish friends and the food looks so good! I love the idea of friends giving though we don’t have thanksgiving over in the UK.
I thought that beautiful, redheaded lady looked familiar! The Honey Trees version of “Moon River” brings tears to my eyes. These are lovely pictures!
I adore this post and most especially the clothespins on the napkins 🙂 I will be using that idea for my own Thanksgiving table! Thanks!!
You guys are amazing! Can’t believe I just got back home from St. Louis, MO, close to your place (Red Velvet) than from where I live, and didn’t get to visit there. Next time, for sure!
I’ve always wanted to have a Friendsgiving, maybe next year when we have a real house. Also, you and your friends are all SO fashionable! Those potatoes are positively mouth watering. Ok random blurted thoughts have ended.
Strive to Thrive,
Nic
I love this so much. I love being with family, but some friends are like family and spending a special day with them like this would be lovely. Thank you!
This looks like such a wonderful dinner party! Long live Friends-giving!
love the yellow chairs, and your friend’s nail color 🙂 great looking turkey, too! looking forward to the recipes!!
That looks like so much fun! Yay for Becky & Jacob! They are the nicest people, pretty much ever. I can’t wait to hear what they’ve been creating with Mr. Larson!
Cute! Where is Emma’s dress from?
Everything looks so good and on a side note I love Simon’s afterglow app as well (i downloaded it last week!) 🙂
your wish for more room for friends reminds me of my favorite irish proverbs…
“may your home always be too small to hold all of your friends”
looks like it was a blast!
sooo pretty. my best friend and i are hosting a friendsgiving this weekend. thanks for the inspiration.
Does anyone in your circle of friends ever not look cool and put together? That didn’t look like real life to me. And yes, I’m jealous.
What a fun idea. I really hope you share the recipe for those potatoes…they look super yummy!
I literally just bought the Afterglow app and then went to your site to check out the new posts, and there’s simon! too cool! Love your blog. Your lives are awesome. <3 Emma
Those potatoes look amazing! I am in love with the idea of Friendsgiving!!
What a nice intimate gathering. It’s nice to come up with other reason for gathering together aside from the holidays.
Vintagehoneybee.blogspot.com
Gosh, you all look like models! And your food looks delicious. What a talented bunch of individuals!
Maria xx
http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com
You and your friends have an amazing and unique sens of fashion. You all look gorgeous!!
I just pinned entirely too many of these exquisite photos. I can’t help myself.
love the title of this post! you both look so friendly, I would even stop by to your home 🙂
http://www.viamojo.blogspot.com
Julie- Thank you! The gray/purple nail polish is Sally Hansen’s Commander in Chic.
Q: I just realised it was a long time ago I saw Sarah on your blog. Did she and Doren get divorced?
A: Yes, they are getting a divorce. It has been really hard. We are proud of Doren as he is adjusting to his new life as a single daddy.
You hang out with BECKY FILIP?! So jealous. This looks AMAZING! xoxo
Those pictures are amazing, it looks like you had a wonderful time! It’s funny because I just started (yeah, I know) watching Mad Men and I am truly inspired by «vintage housewives», and you girls looks so pretty!
Olive xox
Looks like it was a great day, with amazing friends!
http://owleyevintage.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/OwlEyeVintage
Me and my friends have has a friendsgiving every year since we were freshmen in high school!!!! love these ideas, ya’ll are adorable 🙂
Already downloaded the afterglow app and love it!!
omg definatly mel. looks great!happy turkey day!
I second the need for more info on the nail polish…please. 🙂
you and your friends are just too too cute!!
Looks like a great time! Those potatoes look AMAZING. And I love your yellow chairs! Where on earth did you find those?
Where is your table from? I love it so much! Rockstar Diaries has the exact same one!
Holy cow shoes! Is that… could it be- The Honey Trees? You mean to tell me that you’re celebrating Friends giving with the one, the only Honey Trees! I need to be there. Right now. Love for the Honey Trees= +1000, since they’re friends with you. My jaw is still open.
You guys are awesome and I love the lace hanging from the chandelier , I really nice simple tip.
I’m in love with your dining room chairs! The shade of yellow is perfection! Did you spray them?
Heather, Thank you so much! I painted them with a base of oil base kilz primer and then used rust-oleum brush on paint in safety yellow for the top coat(s). It was a lot of painting, but the finish is very strong + we love them! 😀 I’ll be doing a full post about them soon.