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Archive for the ‘entertain’ Category

10 Easy Tips for Bringing Spring Home

Posted in entertain, Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, tagged , , on March 10, 2010| 1 Comment »

As the days start to warm up and get longer, think about refreshing your home’s decor.  Bringing in breezy fabrics, garden elements and bright florals make the statement “Spring Has Arrived.”
Here are 10 tips to bring spring into your home this season.

1. Let the Light In

Do you have velvet drapes or shades you’ve had pulled closed all winter. Open them up! Think about taking the drapes down and replacing with airy sheers. Toss slip covers in pale tones or bright florals on have, dark furniture.

2. Rug Replacement

Area rugs that are so warm and cozy in the winter can look bulky and dull in the spring and summer. Roll these up and store until fall. Bring out some lighter cotton rugs and watch it lighten the look of your room.

3. Move it, Move it!

If you have your furniture grouped around your fireplace, think about changing things up during the warmer months. Take the focal point away from the mantel and take advantage of windows that bring in light and adventure from outside.

4. Bring the Outdoors In

Bring a few garden chairs, accents and floral fabrics into a room for a garden feel. Even a couple of fun wicker chairs with bright cushions can make the room feel fresh and outdoorsy.

5. From Fake to Fresh

Take all the fake plants and arrangements, clean them and then store them for the spring and summer seasons. Bring in pots with fresh little plants of violets and primroses and invest in a few live green plants.

6. Less is More

Take all the knick-knacks and do-dads off your shelves. Dust the shelves and items and then decide what key pieces you really want to put back out. lighten the load and create more air by not loading the shelves down with too many pieces.

7. Easy Breezy

Sheer fabrics practically scream out warm days, fresh air, sunny skies. Use sheer curtains,  tablecloths, bedskirts, and pillows in your choice of plain, printed and patterned selections.

8. Stop the Madness

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: if you don’t love something, it isn’t serving a purpose or it doesn’t have sentimental value (real sentimental value) box it up or get rid of it. Get your clutter under control, get organized and enjoy the feeling or awe that comes over you when you are done with this task.

9. Deep Clean

Now is the time to bust out your cleaning supplies and give your home a good once over. Clean the windows, scrub floors, polish all the furniture, vacuum sofa cushions, air out rooms, wipe down walls, shine light fixtures.  Give the fireplace a final cleaning for the season.

10. A Welcome Entry

Take stock of your front door entry area. Sweep it down, wash windows, touch up paint if necessary. Put out a welcome sign or nice exterior decor piece that reflects your personal style. Make sure the entire area is clean, clutter free and says “Welcome to our Home.”

Happy Entertaining!

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Prepare for a New Entertaining Season

Posted in entertain, Entertaining at Home, tagged , , on March 2, 2010| 1 Comment »

As the days grow a bit longer, the sun bring welcome light and warmth and the crocuses start to bloom, think about doing a good spring cleaning of your entertaining pieces. This will prepare you not only for a new entertaining season, but also to entertain with style on the spur of the moment.

Take out all your serving pieces, dinnerware, flatware – all of it! Anything you use when you have company over to eat.

Are there pieces that are chipped, cracked or discolored beyond hope of redemption? Get them out of your entertaining area and do something else with them. Cracked plates and platters make great bases for planters, can be used as wall art or broken into pieces and glued into a mosaic. You can even set cracked plates into cement and make garden stones out of them.  Just get them out of your cupboard!

Do you have serving pieces you don’t like to use but hang onto out of a sense of guilt (as in Aunt Madge gave you that hideous bowl for a wedding gift and you’d feel guilty getting rid of it)? Get over it! If you don’t love it, don’t keep it!

Do any of your dinnerware pieces need replaced? Take an inventory? You can find affordable china replacements through a variety of outlets online.

Look at all your flatware and serving sets? Do they need polished? Are the fork tines all in good shape? Do any of them need replaced?

If you have silver items that need polished, make them shine before you put them away.

Spending a bit of time now not only prepares you to entertain beautifully on a moments notice, it also rids your cupboards and closets of things you no longer like or use.

Happy Entertaining!

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Olympic Entertaining

Posted in entertain, Entertaining Ideas, tagged , , , , on February 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »

As we celebrate and enjoy the Winter Olympics, why not invite a few friends over and make it a party?

Encourage everyone to come dressed in their athletic wear. Hang streamers, put out balloons and prepare for an evening of fun and games.

Create a few games for guests to participate in on commercials breaks, like cookie stacking, hula-hooping or even something as simple as sit-ups. Have gold, bronze and silver awards for each contest (candy wrapped in foil or wrapping paper works well… or have the youngsters create medals out of card stock, markers, crayons and ribbon). You may even want to create three blocks of varying heights for the winners to stand on to accept their “medals.”

Serve food and beverages that have an international flair, like pot stickers, empanadas, tapas or barbecued pork sliders.

Be sure you have a cd of patriotic music handy, including the national anthem, to play during the award ceremony.

Have fun with this gathering and remember the only limit is your imagination!

Happy Entertaining!

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Valentine’s Day Entertaining

Posted in entertain, Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, tagged , , on February 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »

If you are going to be entertaining for Valentine’s Day or just want to add a pop of red to your home decor, here are some ideas to create a little love:

  • Add a red pillow to your couch or loveseat.
  • Mix reds with neutrals like beige, tan, cream, white or black for the biggest “Wow” factor.
  • Mix plain white serving pieces and dishes with a few red pieces for elegant flair.
  • Fill a white bowl with red candies, put red candles on a white plate or fill a glass container with red jelly beans for a fun accent.
  • Inexpensive fabric can be trimmed with pinking shears (to avoid fraying) and layered in a buffet setting to create a stunning  backdrop for your food.
  • Mix red with colors that get you thinking outside the box like sage green or Chinese blue or gold for strong impact.
  • Make a heart-shaped pillow and place on your bed. (Cut a heart pattern out of paper, trace onto felt, “stitch” with a satin ribbon, stuff and finish with a bow.)

If you are looking for a way to charm your sweetheart, think about making a card. With all the resources available in software programs and online, it is fairly easy to come up with something fun and whimsical or  beautiful and sweet. Whatever you create, make sure the message is from your heart.

Another great gift for the love of your life is an edible Valentine. Any cookie cut into a heart shape can serve as a great “I Love You.” A giant sugar cookie, a brownie covered in red sprinkles or even a heart-shaped pancake can all be delicious ways to convey your love.

However you celebrate and whatever you do, just remember to be sincere, to be real and let those who love know how very much they mean to you.

Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Entertaining!

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