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Archive for the ‘Entertaining Ideas’ Category

Feather Your Nest for Spring

Posted in entertain, Entertaining at Home, tagged , , on March 23, 2010| 1 Comment »

I don’t know what it is about cute little nests, but to me they just call out “spring.” For a touch of fun and whimsy in your spring decor, think about feathering your nest with a few little nests.

You can find nests at the craft store or in the craft section of your local department store. You can add fake eggs for a for a natural look, nestle a glass bowl inside with pastel candies or add a fake bird. A large nest (or a grapevine wreath can also work) is a lovely container for  spring floral arrangements. Just make sure you are placing a container inside that is water tight to hold the flowers.

Add a few spring plants to a nest for a colorful centerpiece or accent.

Tuck tiny nests among the piles of books on your coffee table or library shelves. Add them to groupings of glass bowls. Hide them in your houseplants.

I guarantee every time you see one, it will make you smile and think “Ah, welcome Spring!”

Happy Entertaining!

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Make your St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Fun

Posted in entertain, Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, tagged , , on March 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Tomorrow is the one day a year we all can celebrate being Irish, whether we are or not. Invite some friends over for a simple, yet fun evening to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day.

Start by painting a rock green and leaving it close to the door. Your “Blarney Stone” can be kissed by guests as they enter. Legend has it  that kissing the actual stone is supposed to give the kisser the gift of eloquence and persuasiveness  – a sure bet for interesting conversation throughout the evening.

Set your buffet table using a green tablecloth, green napkins and green accents such as a shamrock plant, green candles and bowls filled with green M&Ms or jelly beans.

Serve a simple baked potato buffet or make a big pot of Irish Stew with Irish Soda Bread. Add in a tossed green salad and green cupcakes for dessert, and you’ve got a fun, yet easy to make meal that will serve the masses.
For an engaging activity, you can fill a plastic pot or bucket with gold-foil wrapped chocolate coins and hide it somewhere (inside or out, depending on the weather). Create a treasure hunt with clues and break your guests into groups of treasure hunters. Whoever finds the pot first, gets to keep it.

Encourage everyone to wear something green – even green socks or a tie can contribute to a sense of whimsy to the evening.

Have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!

Happy Entertaining!

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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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