Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we're hosting a whole bunch of friends for a whole bunch of meals, which takes a little forethought. I don't want to be standing in front of a stove making heavy meal after heavy meal, so what I decided to do for tonight's dinner was pull a little inspiration from the warmer months. You know how during the summer it’s so easy to feed guests, because you can just whip up a bunch of salads, throw them in bowls on a buffet table, and call it a day? I did sort of a wintry twist on that idea, with heartier versions of the pasta salads and potato salads I like to make when it’s hot out.

For décor, I think a retro vibe is always fun when you’re hosting friends – and is a nice alternative to the fussier setups we so often see during the holiday season. I’ve always been a big antique/flea market/thrift shop comber, and one of the things I always keep my eye out for are serving bowls from the ‘50s. My grandmother had a bunch of the Pyrex ones – I’m sure yours did, too – and I love them; the retro flowers, the faded pastel colors, the mod stripes and spots, all of it. I have this picture in my head of my kids, years from now, “borrowing” (a.k.a. “taking and never returning”) my serving bowls to use in their own homes because they remind them of their childhood.

Here’s a little surprise, though: the bowls you see here aren’t actually antiques at all; they’re brand-new pieces created by Vintage Charm™ Inspired by Pyrex® to evoke the old Pyrex opal glass bowls from the ‘50s and ‘60s. I seriously cannot believe the degree to which they got the look of these things right, down to the colors and patterns and even the weight. (And FYI, if you’re looking for a fun gift, the sets of three also come in the cutest little hatbox-inspired containers.)