• Read how Fire Truck Birthday Cake was made.

• Visit other Little Kid Birthday Cake Photos.
• Wordless Wednesday On About.com.
• More Wordless Wednesday

If you're a frequent visitor on the internet, you may have discovered a new tradition that has cropped up called "Wordless Wednesday." This tradition captures the spirit of the sentiment that a picture can speak a thousand words. That's why I thought I'd give it a try on this site. I'll feature reader cake photo submissions. And if you have a beautiful centerpiece you've created, or lovely tablescape, I'd be happy to showcase those photos too. Just use this simple submission form to send those photos my way.

_{Photo ©Divya Narang}

The Thanksgiving crush is on, and home cooks are frantically trying to cut, chop, and prep as much as possible in these final days leading up to the big meal. Perhaps you're one of those hosts that are looking for a few time saving strategies at this point. If so, I have a few suggestions for easy, last minute appetizers that can be assembled at the last minute.

_{Photo © Donna Pilato}

Let's face it, I have a soft spot in my heart for Italian food - it comes with the vowels at the end of my name. So I was particularly excited to have the opportunity to review this cookbook that took 50 years to assemble, and is a comprehensive collection of Italian regional recipes. Learn more about it in this review.

_{Photo © Rizzoli}

There's a certain charm to imperfection. It makes the rest of us feel better when those we hold in high esteem are caught in a mistake. Just take Martha Stewart's misfortunes a few years back. I know more than a few people who were not so secretly tickled when her human errors were revealed in public. Anyway, that's my roundabout way of saying that if you decide to take this approach to charming guests this week, here are my top suggestions for a less than perfect Thanksgiving.

• Read how It's a Girl! was made.
• Visit other Baby Shower Cake Photos.
• Wordless Wednesday On About.com.
• More Wordless Wednesday

If you're a frequent visitor on the internet, you may have discovered a new tradition that has cropped up called "Wordless Wednesday." This tradition captures the spirit of the sentiment that a picture can speak a thousand words. That's why I thought I'd give it a try on this site. I'll feature reader cake photo submissions. And if you have a beautiful centerpiece you've created, or lovely tablescape, I'd be happy to showcase those photos too. Just use this simple submission form to send those photos my way.

_{Photo ©Mary Ann}

Everyone I meet seems to be talking turkey this week. How big a bird should they get? Do they stuff it? Will there be leftovers? But, Thanksgiving is about more than the turkey, it's about pausing to appreciate the blessings in our lives. Some families recite a traditional mealtime blessing from their religion or culture. Others have their own special way of expressing gratitude before the big meal. I invite my readers to share any unique traditions their family has for mealtimes prayers of thanks and blessing on Thanksgiving or any other time of the year.

Everyone I know seems to be looking for ways to continue doing things as they've always done, but less expensively. So that's why I've decided to share a few tricks I know for entertaining a bit more frugally. The first party in this occasional series is a Make Your Own Taco Party
. The most important thing to remember while hosting a party like this is to pat yourself on the back for your fun, frugal party, in private!

_{Photo © Donna Pilato}

I was speaking with a friend today about her Thanksgiving plans and I could tell there was stress in her voice. She was worrying about how everything would get done. She was worrying about whether the usual family sniping would crop up. And, of course, she was worrying about whether all the recipes would turn out right. That's why I suggested that she should immediately follow my 12 Best Strategies for a Lower Stress Thanksgiving. I know she's going to thank me someday.

There is always a lot of discussion on this site about the frustration in getting guests to respond to an RSVP request. Today I'm sharing a reader tip about the way he sees the RSVP challenge. He's a professional in the hospitality industry and, therefore, he has a different perspective than the rest of us. But it did make me wonder if adapting his attitude might make all of our lives a little bit easier. What do you think?

We were away last weekend, and one of the highlights of the trip was discovering a wine and cheese shop that we hadn't explored before. After sampling the wines in the shop we picked up a bottle of local wine to enjoy when we returned back home. That wine will be new for us even though the locals are probably familiar with it. But there's wine on the horizon that will be new to everyone - the upcoming release of the French Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday of this month. That sounds to me like a good excuse for a wine and cheese party.