If you are one of the millions planning on entertaining this season, then you know that it takes much thought and some creativity to make things special and memorable. The truth is the idea of getting all your friends and family together for a good time is really what it’s about. The other stuff, the details, are icing on the cake. Sometimes just the thought of taking on so much for one party is just too much for a good intentioned soul wanting to deliver on a great time.
Never fear friend, there are some things you can do that will not break the bank or your will to create a lovely occasion.
The first thing you must do is — sit. Nothing can get accomplished until you are clear, organized and mentally prepared. Get a quiet space somehow, somewhere and sit with a cup of coffee or tea, and a pen and paper. Write down who you are having over, split them up into categories (adults/children). Take into account if you are having children over, to make sure you serve kid friendly food — a beautiful Spanish paella may not fill the bill!
You could do a homemade mac and cheese, one adult friendly with more exotic cheeses and spice, and a plain one for the kids. Who doesn’t love mac and cheese! And it goes great with grape juice AND wine.
Next — time to decorate. To me, a table with lovely holiday centerpieces, candles and pretty glasses and plates takes center stage at a gathering. When people come in and they see something as special as that, it sets the tone for a beautiful relaxing evening.
So, if nothing else, when you create that, you have made a wonderful impression. Gather together some larger glass candle votives and put yummy, smelly holiday candles in them. If you have a rectangular table, put a pretty runner down lengthwise (if it is long enough) and lay three larger candles on top. Or take three smaller runners and lay them widthwise to create a different look and get a longer centerpiece that will balance and pull together the runners.
From there, you can use whatever you want — shiny strings of beads, dried holiday flowers, fruit (pomegranates are colorful, yummy and healthy) — to decorate around the main centerpiece. Last touch — get your wine glasses out and take a colorful cloth napkin, pinch it in the middle to fluff it and put it in your wine glasses to really add a splash of “wow!”
Have fun getting lost in the details. Give others in your home certain tasks to be in charge of before and during the party. Don’t put everything on yourself. And remember to enjoy yourself. You deserve it, and your happiness will be contagious to set the stage for a fun-filled fantastic event.
Cheers!
Kristin McClellan is a professional home stager and redesigner who runs her business, HomeCharmers, with her husband, Nathaniel, a flooring expert and furniture craftsman. They work together to make people’s homes more buyer friendly and help homeowners who are staying enjoy it more. You can reach her at 899-1239 or www.homecharmers.net.