This Week's Top Picks

You may have a lot to think about this week. Thanksgiving is roughly two weeks away, you just found out everyone is coming to your house for the holiday, and you need to get organized. If this sounds familiar then it's a good thing we're spotlighting organizational products this week.

Since the holidays are quickly coming round the bend, we want to focus on ways that you can keep your kitchen and dining area well-appointed and easily accessible for reaching the things you need most. This week's top picks will help you arrange it all so the essentials are where they need to be and no detail too small is missed.

Blue Pheasant Voru Navy Napkin Holders

Napkins are the most overlooked non-culinary item when buying ingredients and supplies at the supermarket for the big Thanksgiving meal. Not all homes rely on linen or cloth napkins either and those paper napkins do come in handy when the gravy spills or mashed potatoes are dropped by mistake. Presentation is everything, so paper towels at the dinner table won't do either.

The best method for making sure you never forget those all-important napkins is by putting them inside of a Voru Napkin holder from Blue Pheasant. Available in three colors, Navy, Green, or Natural, the Voru line comes with an attached lid so napkins are kept clean and well-protected in those particularly hectic households where anything can spill at any time. Made with woven abaca fiber and leather, the Voru line is available in two different sizes to accommodate your preference of napkin size – cocktail or luncheon napkin, measuring 6"L x 6.5"W x 3"H and 7.5"L x 8"W x 3"H respectively.

So why did we pick Navy over the Green or the Natural? All three colors look great but we like the Navy this week because it offers a touch of contrast to the typical autumn palette that includes orange, red, and brown. Though any of the three variations will look terrific on your countertop alongside all of your dishes in a buffet-style presentation or in the center of the table for easy reach during an especially messy meal.

Gem Place Card Holders

Place cards are one of those dinner party items that you don't always expect to see but they sure are a nice surprise when you do. A good place card needs a unique place card holder and this set from Joanna Buchanan is a memorable way to show your guests their seat assignments. Bright, sparkling gemstones on a dining table place-setting are a catchy way to make your guests feel special and they're a delightful accent to holiday decorations in the home. These gemstones can provide decorative glimmer for the holidays or any time of year.

Each set of two gemstones are made from a combination of zinc and glass and completed with a worn gold finish. The place card is tucked in between stones on either side so the card is always secure and won't fall out. It's only when guests are seated and they choose to remove the card from the holder will the holder release the place card. These gem place card holders are sold in sets of two, available in Topaz, Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby, Navy, and Grey. Choose your gems with the birthstones of you or your guests in mind or select them to match, complement, or even contrast the color of your dining table décor.

Vietri Santorini Dot Butter Dish

Since butter is a dairy product, there is a concern whether or not you can leave it out at room temperature or if it must be kept in the refrigerator to prevent it from going rancid. After all, hard butter is tough to spread and unless you want your toast or waffles torn to pieces, the logical alternative is to leave it out on the countertop or having it sitting on your dining table instead of chilling it down.

So what's the best thing to do? While refrigeration is the ideal option it really depends on two factors: the type of butter it is and the way in which it is stored. Unsalted butter must always be kept refrigerated but if your butter is the salted kind, that can be left at room temperature a day or two without a worry of it turning. But you must be careful that your salted butter is kept totally covered in a dish that can't allow light to reach it;

Ceramic is the perfect solution for keeping butter safe from becoming rancid or spoiling and the Vietri Santorini Dot Butter Dish will keep your salted butter well-protected. The dish is the standard size for a standard stick of butter and the simple yet elegant blue and white color scheme will complement any kitchen interior design. Large blue brush strokes appear as oversized dots surrounding the exterior surface of the cover.

Ericson Wine Caddy

A wine caddy is not just a great way to keep your wine bottles organized on a countertop but it can also prevent them from being knocked over or spilled during a meal in which those wines are being poured. Even a wine bottle with a stopper placed in the opening can spill if toppled over. But a secure caddy will keep the bottle secure and standing tall. Even better when there are multiple slots for more than one bottle, you have the option of keeping wine, water, and a bottle of soda or juice in the same caddy so everyone at the table has a beverage to enjoy.

This week's pick is from the Ericson line of tabletop organization solutions and this wine caddy, manufactured from banana-bark rope assembled in a loose weave and offering three openings that can fit the standard wine bottle and any other glass bottles of similar dimensions.

The small circular finger-handle positioned in at the direct center of the three slots allows for portability from table to countertop to an outdoor picnic as the material for this wine caddy is suitable for use both indoors and out. So feel free to bring your wine to the amphitheater or the backyard barbecue.

Blue Pheasant Voru Navy Glassware Caddy

Your wine and water bottles aren't the only ones who need a caddy to keep them safe and secure. The accompanying glassware should have its own caddy to ensure the safety of your fine, fragile tumblers, wine glasses, whatever you wish to organize. This caddy from Blue Pheasant is part of the Voru line we spotlighted before with the napkin holder.

Using the same abaca fibers, this caddy is perfectly at home on a countertop or tabletop and fits six glassware items for protection and portability. You have a choice of three color options: Green, Navy, or Natural and each of them offers a simple and sophisticated aesthetic to round out your décor scheme in the kitchen, the dining room, anywhere you wish to bring along some glasses for that wine you've got tucked away in the wine caddy. Picnics and outdoor concerts beneath the stars are just two of the places you may want to bring your glassware caddy when it's not placed near your bar.

Since its abaca fiber, your glassware is secure against soft, hand-woven fiber. At a measurement of 11.5"L x 7.5"W x 5.5"H, the Voru caddy can handle any height and width of the glassware you want to use and since there are six slots, you can have every member of the family covered the next time you all sit down for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The pick for this week focuses on the Navy version again, like the napkin holder. So if you get one, you can get the other so they both offer a matching contrast to the autumn palette that appears as a main décor component around the kitchen.