my favorite holiday of the year! i love the gathering of family, the good food to eat and an opportunity to reflect on the things i'm thankful for: life, family and good health. oh, and for the new england patriots.

my sister and i put this arrangement together. with all the crazy preparations for dinner, we couldn't stop by the flower market so we rushed to our local trader joe's on thanksgiving eve for some flowers. something is better than nothing and no holiday can go without flowers, not at least in our home. i hand-tied this budget-friendly bouquet of ilex berries, eucalyptus, roses and alstroemeria.