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Thanksgiving Day Preparedness Guide

Thanksgiving Day is full of fun, love, excitement, and immense pressure for certain individuals. Good thing the tenants at Annapolis Town Center can set you up for success, no matter if you are a host or a guest. Check out our best tips for either role you may play this holiday season.

For Hosts

Turkey Day is by far one of the most treasured holidays of the year, but for hosts – it can be one of the most stressful days as well. With so many moving parts, a stacked guest list, and the 21st-century expectations of table decor – your head could be spinning before you even begin! So, let’s start with the basics and break down which tenant should be your go-to stop. 

Table settings and decor can be simple or elaborate, depending on your preference. Get started with personalized invitations straight from Paper Source. When you start here you can streamline a look for the entire Thanksgiving experience. Liking pairing the invitations with day-of personalized napkins and place cards. Next, head to ArHaus for the perfect table runner and drink glasses to cheers the evening away. They pair beautifully with Smyth Jewelers’ timeless serving platters, knife sets, and salad bowls. Don’t sweat the small stuff with the help of Bed Bath & Beyond. Get your table accents like pumpkins, flowers, garland, and long-stemmed candles. You can even welcome your guests with a Thanksgiving-inspired outdoor welcome mat.

 

What is Thanksgiving without the food?! Most families create dishes of their past for the present. So, Whole Foods may be your only needed stop for the best variety in ingredients. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t start some new tasty traditions. Sop in True Food Kitchen to purchase their Recipe Book. Seasonally changing, this book may have just the missing dish to complete your table. Feeling a bit overwhelmed yet? Cheat the system and let our property restaurants take the reins. With a plethora of dining options for all palettes, you can easily order ahead of time and pick up just before guests arrive (giving you enough time to put the dishes in your own serving bowls and plates)! 

For Guests

If you are not hosting the dinner yourself, practicing your best guest etiquette should be your top priority. In most instances, guests are required to simply show up with an empty stomach. Though, it is always polite and recommended to bring something small to show your appreciation to the host. Maybe their favorite bottle of liquor or wine from Bin201. A seasonally fragranced candle from Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, or one of the many home furnishings stores. You can even prep them for the next holiday with a wine-themed 12 Nights of Christmas advent calendar from Cooper’s Hawk. Or, grab the latest in accessory fashion fun! No matter your choice, our variety of tenants can provide you with what you need.

If you happen to take part in a potluck-style dinner hosted at someone else’s residence, then you know choosing the right dish to appease all in attendance is crucial. Start at Whole Foods where the ingredients are endless and the pre-made food can be the answer to your holiday prayers. From specialty appetizers in a variety of serving sizes to prepped charcuterie boards and aisles of delicious, healthy food options, Whole Foods can easily become your one-stop-shop. Be sure to pop in Target to help get those side dishes prepared the best way possible with the latest in cooking supplies, and looking fancy in their decorated serving dishes and side bowls. You will be sure to “wow” others with your Martha Stewart or Joanna Gaines-esque skills. 

So regardless if you are a host or guest, we have what you need to make this Thanksgiving Day special. Make sure to stay up to date on all things Town Center by following us on Instagram and Facebook (@AnnapolisTownCenter)!

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Mother’s Day at ATC

Annapolis Town Center is celebrating Mom all weekend long. Shop great deals from May 6-8 at participating retailers around the property and receive a special gift on us! When you spend up to $250, you will receive a $25 gift card to the Town Center restaurant of your choosing. Or, spend up to $500 and receive a $50 gift card to About Faces.

See below for all of our participating tenant deals:

a la mode intimates
Sidewalk Sale: From May 7-9, a la mode will be offering up to 75% off select items.
Gift with Purchase: Free Chantelle padded, carry bag with purchase of $75. While supplies last.

Baltimore Coffee
Baltimore Coffee and Tea want to thank moms by offering complimentary medium coffee or tea for Moms on Mother’s Day.

Bin201
Buy the perfect Rose Bouquet (of wine) for Mom at Bin201.

Charm City Run
Stop by Charm City Run and check out their featured socks sale for buy 3, get 1 free.

Lou Lou Boutique
Mother’s Day weekend, Lou Lou Boutique will offer $10 off of a $50 purchase.

Muse Paintbar
Muse Paintbar will have a few specials for Mother’s Day! They are selling Mother’s Day Kit Bundles that will include 3 art projects and a free art print with purchase. Customers can also purchase virtual gift cards for Mom online and if they spend $125 on a card, we’ll take off $25! See their website for more details.

Scout and Molly’s
Scout and Molly’s will be hosting a Mother’s Day-themed event on Saturday, May 8 from 2-5 pm, and will be collaborating with a local professional photographer to offer professional Mother’s Day portraits for $25.  During the event, all purchases will be 25% off!

Smyth Jewelers
On May 8, stop by and check out Smyth Jewelers Mother’s Day glass blowing event!

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Finding The Best Spring Accessories

You might be ready for the warm weather, but are you truly ready for it? Spring fashion is all about what unique pop of color and texture is jumping off of your wardrobe. We’ve listed a few of the best spots to look for the best accessories that’ll have you hearing “where’d you find that??” all day long. 

South Moon Under

We are finally getting to the weather that may have you thinking about opening your pool and putting your bathing suits back in rotation. South Moon Under not only has you covered on new suits, but also a whole slew of summer accessories. While you are picking up a new coverup, make sure to check out their collection of can coolers to make sure you’re chilled to the max while poolside. 

Smyth Jewelers

Smyth Jewelers has a lot of great items that aren’t just round and shiny. Check out their poolside-inspired accessories like their Scout coolers and lunch boxes. Have you been longing for a bit of friend-time? Host the next summer get-together with Smyth’s summer and Maryland-themed napkins, place settings, and even serving trays!  You can even find things for a beach trip like a new beach bag, towel, and can coolers. 

 

Lou Lou Boutique

Lou Lou Boutique might be one of the best places in Annapolis to find amazing accessories. From the perfect umbrella, to protect you from those April showers to color-coordinated clutches for an evening out with the girls or your loved one. And, if you’ve been back in the office and wanna elevate your work-fits, try browsing their collection of blue-light blocking glasses! And of course, you’re guaranteed to find great new scarves, jewelry, and belts.

We hope you’re prepared to check everything off your Spring-needs checklist at the Town Center! And, make sure to stay up to date on all things ATC by following us on Instagram and Facebook! 

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A Date Night at Annapolis Town Center

Whether it’s the first date, a special occasion or a weekly ritual, Annapolis Town Center provides fun, unique options that suit all budgets and interests for Annapolitan couples. The variety of bars, restaurants and shops (plus easy, ample parking) sets the mood and will quickly become your go-to spot for those romantic evenings.

Image courtesy of the author

Start with a Drink

Most of the restaurants offer a large bar area for a pre-dinner beverage, but a couple are definitely worth an early arrival, especially for happy hour. Paladar Rum Bar and Gordon Biersch Bar serve up a diverse selection and sociable vibe that brings people together. Wine tasting at Bin 201 and Cooper’s Hawk Tasting Room are also great starting points for a memorable date night.

Image courtesy of the author

Grab a Bite

Although you can extend your cocktail hour into dinner at Paladar, Gordon Biersch and Cooper’s Hawk, there are several other restaurants that provide different cuisines and ambiance. Enjoy the flavors of the orient at P.F. Chang’s or Ziki Japanese Steak House with mouthwatering dishes such as crispy honey chicken, sushi and hibachi – a date night favorite! For a more casual evening, NeoPizza is convenient, delicious and budget-friendly. Their unique pizza toppings, beer and wine menus easily elevate a simple meal out.

Image courtesy of the author

Roam the Shops

Annapolis Town Center offers several enticing stores to roam around in walking distance to the bars and restaurants pre or post dinner. In addition to the several high-end furniture stores such as Ethan Allen and Restoration Hardware, stroll hand-in-hand through Anthropologie and Lou Lou Boutique to browse and possibly treat your special someone. If your date night is a big success, Smyth Jewelers and Wren Bridal are also readily available!

Netflix and chill has nothing on a night out at Annapolis Town Center! Wine and dine your special someone with flavors from around the world in the comfort of your hometown.

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Your Thanksgiving Table

In the dark ages of the last century, expectations were low for anything more than a tablecloth and food as the décor on the Thanksgiving table.  Pops of color were the sweet potatoes and cranberries.  The baking turkey provided the mouthwatering scent—assuming Mom or Grandma didn’t let the pan of boiling potatoes run dry.

Decorating the dinner table is now an art known as “tablescape.”  The task is to view the tabletop as a canvas ready for a personal touch that will set the tone for the meal, provide conversation starters, and subconsciously make the food taste even better. If you Google “Thanksgiving tablescapes,” you’ll see a style spectrum bound at one end by a more formal look with neutral colors—grey, brown, gold, silver, and the palest of blue—and pops of dark green, and at the other end by the bright fall colors of a country-style Thanksgiving, with infinite variations in between.

Annapolis Town Centre provides everything the modern tablescaper needs to create a pleasing ambiance for Thanksgiving dinner. The proximity of its stores and restaurants and free parking mean that you can roam from shop to shop without stressing about time, running to feed the meter, or wondering where to get lunch.

Bed Bath and Beyond is a great place to start, regardless of where your tablescape vision falls on the spectrum.  You will find cloth or paper table linens and napkin rings that provide the basis for a fine Thanksgiving table. Pinecones and placemats shaped and colored like fall leaves are great for a traditional style. For a more formal style, maybe it’s time to upgrade your table settings. Check out the stores wide array of china patterns, glassware, and utensils.

If you are going for a traditional look, stop into Whole Foods for bright fall flowers and a pumpkin or two. Wine goes well on any Thanksgiving table, and Whole Foods’ wine team helps you choose by highlighting 24 best-in-class wines on their shelves. Also, look at the brightly colored baskets for holding wine, bread, or cookies. Across the street, Bin 201 provides additional wine selections and guidance on pairings.

Anthropologie has something for every tablescape.  For bright colors, take a look at the eartenware pottery. And if, as A hostess, you look forward to dressing up for dinner, Anthro has a gorgeous array of dresses, jackets and shawls.  For a more formal style, look at the gold-etched wine and water glasses and dried flowers in muted colors that would contribute elegance into a centerpiece.  Consider the scented candles throughout the store that would blend with the scents of cooking to create a warm atmosphere for your guests.

For bright, showy dried or artificial flowers to use in a centerpiece or garland, head to Target.  Check out their Thanksgiving-themed table linens and conversation pieces—dishes, trivets, pillows, etc.  If you envision tapered candles for your table, Target is the place to buy them.

Three shops, Smyth Jewelers, Great Gatherings, and Paper Source offer surprises that might be the very thing to complete your table.  Smyth and Great Gatherings both offer Maryland-themed ceramicware—after-dinner coffee and tea belong in mugs featuring the Chesapeake Bay!  Great Gatherings has Thanksgiving-themed serving plates on sale; Smyth has an excellent stock of silver-plated tableware to spark up any neutral color palate and will be receiving new Thanksgiving merchandise as the date grows nearer.  Paper Source is the place to go for place cards in any and all colors and for paper centerpieces.

Don’t miss the pop-up shop near Paper Source.  You’re bound to find something there for Thanksgiving – ranging from bright colored earrings to handmade pottery pieces from the work of the 29 Annapolis Art Alliance artists exhibiting there—and the selections change all the time.

Blog written by Jane Green.

All images courtesy of the author.

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The Back to School List You Don’t Want to Miss

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Events

Smyth Estate Show

Estate Show

It’s the once-a-year jewelry event you’ve been waiting for! On November 4-6, Smyth’s Annapolis store will be filled with a huge assortment of diamond jewelry, one-of-a-kind estate jewelry, precious gems, hard-to-find watches from coveted brands, and so much more!

Make an appointment today, before time slots fill up! Call 443-321-0300 or send us a text message to 443-501-2258!

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Smyth Jewelers

Estate Sale

The Smyth Jewelers Estate Event will feature Rolex, Breitling, Cartier, Omega and more! Plus, timeless one-of-kind Jewelry pieces from days gone past.

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Smyth Jewelers

Oyster Recovery Pop-Up

On June 5, pop-in to Smyth Jewelers’ Annapolis location for a pop-up oyster social supporting Operation Build-a-Reef: Severn River! Smyth is proudly supporting the community-based effort to plant 20 million new oysters in Annapolis’ most iconic waterway this summer. Enjoy freshly shucked local oysters while you browse, learn more about oysters’ environmental benefits, and help Smyth and local nonprofit partners Oyster Recovery Partnership and the Severn River Association reach the 20 million goal! As an extra bonus, Smyth will plant 1,000 oysters for every engagement ring sold from May 18 – September 30. So if you’re feeling the love, then stop into Smyth!

Location: Smyth Jewelers Annapolis – Annapolis Town Center 1915 Towne Centre Blvd, Annapolis, MD 21401

Date: June 5, 2021 at 12-2pm

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