Make This Your Best Ever Thanksgiving Tablescape

November, 19, 2020

This year, Thanksgiving may feel a bit different. Your get-together may be a little smaller and more intimate. This does not mean you can’t still make it memorable and festive with some creative Thanksgiving table decor ideas and tips. You might prefer a traditional feel, minimalist touch, rustic farmhouse, or perhaps glam accents call your name. Use these easy to pull off tips for your gathering.

Set the Table Using What you Have

You don’t have to buy anything new, though holiday decor shopping is always fun, to design an eye-catching Thanksgiving table setting. A good starting point is with basic dishware, white or any solid color, then add contrast with dark or printed napkins. Pick a color scheme for dishes and decor and start getting creative.

Pumpkins and Greenery

Have leftover pumpkins from October? Those can be perfect for your centerpiece or accents to top off your plates. Keep them natural, or paint them your preferred color to match your decor. Add some glitter or gold to your pumpkin if you are looking for a more luxurious look. Add in some green leaves to offset natural or minimal looks, or use some pinecones. Pinecones can also easily be painted your desired color for a fresh look.

Set The Mood- Lighting

Simple candles, whether on their own or in a holder are a quick and easy way to add to the centerpiece. And if you are looking for more light, twist in some string-lights within your centerpiece. Quick tip, use unscented candles to get the right light without interfering with the delicious meal, and use LED lights that won’t heat up around your decor.

Crave-able Centerpiece

If food is absolutely at the center of your gathering, a charcuterie board can make a great and delicious addition to your tablescape. Choose your favorite meats, cheeses, fruits, and crackers to create a visually appealing appetizer piece. Spruce this up with some jam, honey, or chocolate to add a sweet accent.

Can’t Forget About the Kids

It is easy to forget about the kid’s table. That said, kid’s Thanksgiving table decorations don’t have to be too kitschy or complicated. An inexpensive roll of craft paper stands in for a tablecloth— little ones will love that they can doodle on their placemat before dinner, and your clean up will be a breeze. If you’d like to take it one step further, you can download templates of name cards, straw toppers, and menus, so setting the cutest table is as easy as printing and placing.

We would love to hear how you and your family are celebrating this year! Let us know below.

Travel, Design, Experience – Doreen Trudeau | Agent Spotlight

June, 28, 2020

agent spotllight doreen trudeau cover

Venture Sotheby’s International Realty is known for our exceptional agents who excel in their real estate markets. Our company’s passion and diversity give us an opportunity to have agents from all backgrounds and walks of life on our team. Our agents are much more than real estate professionals,  which is why we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight what makes one of our agents so unique.

Doreen Trudeau grew up on the East Coast, married a hotelier and has lived all over the country. Together they relocated 16 times in over 30 years of marriage.  The last 20 years of relocating have been in the Hawaiian Islands. Having lived on Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island, Doreen has an unparalleled, in-depth perspective of the real estate market state-wide. At this year’s first annual Chairman’s Circle Achievement Awards ceremony, Doreen was recognized as a Platinum award winner for her outstanding performance in 2019. 

Prior to her real estate career, Doreen worked in the executive search business, partnering with Fortune 500 companies to secure C-level, executive talent.  It is there that she honed her negotiating skills, discrete approach to client service, business savvy, and conviction rooted in exceeding expectations.   She believes client service is simply treating others as you would have someone treat you.

One of her greatest passions is design; both interior, landscape and gardening. These skills help both Sellers and Buyers as they look at property and need experienced input on what’s possible.  Doreen is also an orchid hobbyist (her blooming plants are often seen making cameo appearances in her listing photos.) Having bought, designed, renovated, and sold homes on each of Hawaii’s major islands (and many on the mainland), she brings a wealth of knowledge in construction, remodeling, landscape architecture, home design, and staging properties — all of which she puts to work to benefit her clients.

For fun, Doreen enjoys to travel with her family.   Destinations generally revolve around learning more about indigenous animals, local culture and cuisine.  Some of her favorite locations have been Africa,  Australia, Italy and Fiji.  Her beloved dogs and cultivating unusual plants feed her soul.

A confirmed believer in the mission, Doreen’s favorite charitable group to support is the North Hawaii Hospice. She has sponsored tables at the spring tea event in Waikii Ranch and for several years has shaken margaritas at their golf tournament at the Mauna Kea Resort.

Doreen understands that there is an art to selling fine homes. She is known to be authentic, transparent, accountable, and offers local expertise paired with Sotheby’s global exposure.

To learn more about Doreen and to view her current listings, click here.