Centerpiece DIY

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Thanksgiving is almost here. If you are hosting Thanksgiving or helping out, there are plenty of things to do to be ready for Thursday. Food preparation, cleaning, dessert baking and of course setting the table. The table may seem like the least important task, but with a few creative touches you could have a gorgeous holiday table that all of your friends and family will remember. Keep reading to learn how to make the perfect centerpiece for your new Thanksgiving tradition.


Flowers

The staple of any centerpiece are the gorgeous flowers. For a Thanksgiving centerpiece, we recommend sticking with browns, golds, oranges and reds. Apartment Therapy recommends using mums, goldenrods, hypericum and mystery greens. Instead of getting these flowers at the big superstore, head to your Flowers on Fourteenth for fresh gorgeous flowers. Flowers on Fourteenth is located at 1712 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009, just 4 minutes from your home at The Louis.

Accessories

Whether you live in the city or in the country, you can always find creative ways to use what is available outside. Head to Meridian Hill Park and pick up some branches, pine cones or leaves from the trees. This is the perfect accent to your completed centerpiece. You may not use everything you find, but it is better to have extra than not enough.

Gather Your Supplies

You will need glue, rubber bands, scissors and more for your centerpiece. Head to Michaels to gather your supplies. You can even get creative with what you want to include in the centerpiece. If you want to add some glitter or a coat of paint to stick with a theme, you can pick that up at Michaels also. The final look of the centerpiece is all up to you.

Put It Together

Start by putting one stem and laying another across it. Make sure to continually attach your stems together. You keep doing this process in a clockwise motion. Once you have a few basic stems and flowers attached, start inserting leaves, branches or anything else you have gathered. Keep building this way until you have a bouquet that you are happy with. You can then insert the bouquet into a vase, or build a base out of the leftover supplies that you have.

We hope your new centerpiece comes out beautifully. If you want detailed instructions and images, please go to Apartment Therapy to learn more.

Thanksgiving Volunteer Opportunities

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Thanksgiving is a great time to enjoy time with friends and family. Every year we say what we are thankful for, as we have a day or two off work to relax and enjoy our time together. However, not everyone has a place to go on Thanksgiving. Washington DC has many organizations that raise money or collect donations for this specific time of year. Here are a few organizations that will let you give back this Thanksgiving.

Food and Friends

Food and Friends is a great organization that helps provide for the people with illnesses in the DC area. They have many great opportunities for you to give back around the holiday season. During Thanksgiving week (Nov 23rd-Nov 25th), they need help with food preparation and turkey box delivery. Kitchen shifts for food preparation are available between 8am-6pm and can last 2-3 hours.  

You can also volunteer with their Turkey Box Delivery. Delivers occur on Monday the 24rd and Tuesday the 24th so clients have time to defrost their turkey and fixings before Thanksgiving Day. The hours to volunteer are flexible and can be worked with the volunteer’s schedule. At the beginning of each shift, a detailed orientation will be held to educate you on the process. 

SOME (So Others May Eat)

The organization hosts holiday events for program participants. The volunteers assist with preparing and serving meals, games and decorations. As a volunteer, you can also help assist with assembling Thanksgiving dinner baskets. SOME also holds its annual Trot for Hunger beginning at 8:30am in West Potomac Park. This 5k fun run and family walk benefits the programs that SOME offers for the homeless women, children and men of DC.

These are just a few of the many great programs that are available throughout the DC area. You can find more Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities here.  We are very thankful for our friends, family and residents of The Louis. If you know of any other volunteer opportunities, please share them on our Facebook Page. We hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving with loved ones this year. 

Fireplaces and Happy Hours

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The weather is getting colder, and that means the days of outdoor happy hours are limited. However, in DC there are many bars and restaurants that bring the outdoor experience to the winter months. Cuddle up by a fire at these patio bars and restaurants for your work happy hour. You can stay warm while enjoying the outdoors. 

Biergarten Haus

It might not be Oktoberfest weather, but you can still enjoy the liter beers at the Biergarten Haus. This bar has a large fireplace in the back patio beer garden that keeps the outdoor space warm and cozy during the cold winter temperatures. Monday through Thursday enjoy the outdoors during their 4pm-7pm Happy Hour. They also have a Friday happy hour from 4pm-6pm. Happy hours will get you a $6.00 1/2 liter or a $10 liter. 

Barcelona 14th Street

This bar and restaurant is at the heart of Logan circle. The wine bar is a great place to join with friends and neighbors of The Louis for a few after work drinks. There outdoor area includes heat lamps, blankets and a massive outdoor fireplace for the chilly winter months. Make some time to enjoy the fire with a glass of wine and a gourmet dish this winter. 

Irongate

Irongate is located on the 1700 block of N Street NW. The warm and cozy courtyard is perfect for the chilly weather. Their indoor area includes an actual brick fireplace to keep the inside room at a perfect temperature. You can step into their courtyard for fire pits, heat lamps and candles to keep the temperature warm while enjoying the outdoors. Make sure to also sample their seasonal tasting menu that starts at $65 a person. 

Art and Soul

Come early and grab a table around Art and Soul’s large cauldron. Now that the leaves are starting to fall you will have a perfect view of the Capitol Dome. Art and Soul features a patio happy hour each weekday from 4pm-7pm. You can even get a drink or food item to go for your canine pet back home. 

National Nacho Day

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National Nacho Day is here and we are so excited to celebrate after work. We love the unique food combinations you can get with a nacho dish. Dessert nachos to breakfast nachos are all on our list of favorite foods. Washington DC has so many delicious nachos it can be hard to choose. Whether you are making nachos at The Louis or going out to eat, we hope you have a great National Nacho Day and a great weekend. 

American Ice Company

American Ice Company might not be the first restaurant you think of when looking for nachos, but we have a great surprise for you. The restaurant’s swachos are amazing. The swine nachos are tortilla chips covered with melted white cheese, pulled pork and jalapeños. You can find American Ice Company at 917 V Street NW. 

Black Jack

Black jack is not just for food. You can also enjoy two bocce courts and a plethora of snack foods. However, these nachos are not the cheap vending machine kind. The Black Jack nachos are double-decker tortilla chips loaded with slow-roasted duck in chipotle BBQ sauce, melted pepper jack and tomatillo-avocado salsa. This is not your average bar food.  Make sure to check out Black Jack at 1612 14th Street NW.

 Busboys and Poets

Busboys and Poets provide you nachos whether you are a carnivore or a vegan. The regular nachos come with pico de gallo, guac, black beans and sweet roasted corn. However for our vegan friends, you can get dairy-free cheese, sour cream, black-eyed peas and red pepper salsa. There are also many different ingredients you can add in for an extra cost. Busboys and Poets has four locations in DC, Virginia and Maryland. 

District Taco

District Taco is perfect for someone who wants to design their own nachos. At District Taco you have your choice of meat and toppings. This creative endeavor can leave you with an amazing nacho combination that you have never had before. The basic nachos involve tortilla chips, black beans, sour cream and queso. You can create your own nacho at 1309 F Street NW, 656 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, 1919 M Street NW or 5723 Lee Highway in Arlington, Va.