Friendsgiving with American Express

Where did the time go! This fall flew by and here we are chatting Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is by far one my favorite holidays – even over Christmas! You don’t have the pressure of buying gifts for friends and family, and your only concern is how tight your pants will be after lunch. While Thanksgiving is dedicated to spending time with my family, this year I hosted a Friendsgiving to spend time with my friends who are like family to me! In partnership with American Express, I’m sharing how my Blue Cash Everyday Card helped me created an epic Friendsgiving from the meal to the décor!

Shop the LOOK:

Top / Dress: Off-the-shoulder velvet dress | Bottoms: Cropped Frayed Denim

Shoes: Suede Booties | Necklace: Suede Choker 

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Menu –

Since I’ll be helping my mom prepare our family Thanksgiving meal, I needed an easy solution to creating a beautiful meal for my Friendsgiving event without the labor. I grabbed by Blue Cash Everyday Card and headed to Whole Foods. They have an amazing catering section that curates beautiful menus based on your needs and number of guests. I picked up a beautiful fall harvest salad, some sliced turkey, mashed potatoes and some vibrant veggies! The meal along with some appetizers cost me roughly $100, which was great! The convenience fee of not cooking was well worth the cost. Since I used my Blue Cash Everyday Card I received 3% cash back on my grocery purchase – you give back you get back J. Cash back during the holiday season is always a bonus – allowing me to buy gifts for more friends / family members or save for a rainy day!

Now that the menu was down, on to the décor….

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Décor –

For me, a tablescape is one of THE most important elements of hosting. I like to select a theme / color scheme to start, and then go shopping based on my overall idea. For Thanksgiving it’s all about neutrals and warm tones – I was on the hunt for a burlap table cloth and decided to add color from there. I started my shopping adventure at TJ Maxx where my Blue Cash Everyday Card earns me 1% cash back on all my purchases. I picked up this gorgeous burlap table cloth, gingham napkins and gold chargers! PS the chargers are paper and reusable! Genius! I also picked up these white serving platters with handles – handles are key on a holiday of sharing and passing!From there I picked up a few additional pieces from Mark and Graham – these adorable numbered plates and appetizer tower! The copper details on the appetizer tower are stunning and really tied in with my overall color scheme! To add a pop of color I added these kale flowers (yes, kale flowers) – the colors are so rich and they add a unique touch to the table! To add a warm and cozy touch to the room, I laid down this plush trellis rug from Rugsusa.com – a perfect piece to connect the dots on my color scheme.

With the table set and the food hot, it was time to fill the room! I called up some of my very good friends and we sat down for an afternoon of delicious food, holiday spiced cocktails and good conversation. I adore my friends and their friendships – for me, they make the world go round and this was a small token of my appreciation. For some Friendsgiving menu inspiration, check out some of my recommended recipes below. Happy hosting!I also wanted to share this amazing recipe for Spiced Sweet Potato Soup created by Buzzfeed in partnership with American Express, in addition to mix of epically delicious recipes and holiday inspiration for hosting your own Thanksgiving, which can all be found here.

Thank you to American Express for sponsoring this post.

Photography by Jules Kennedy

Shop the LOOK:

Top / Dress: Off-the-shoulder velvet dress | Bottoms: Cropped Frayed Denim

Shoes: Suede Booties | Necklace: Suede Choker