Quick Tips for Successful Entertaining

The Guest List
Mix this up, singles and marrieds, age mix. We learn more from those beyond our generation. I typically have both clients now friends, vendors now friends, and friends.

Involve your guests. Give them a chance to bring something, be specific it makes it easier. For example, you can ask everyone to bring a favorite wine, or bubbly, or perhaps at the holidays they can bring an ornament, you can always do potluck and bring a dish. (Keep up with this or you’ll wind up with too many chip and dip and no dessert or salad!)
You can do a game party and have everyone bring a favorite game, or a charitable donation and have everyone bring something for Goodwill. Everyone is more comfortable bringing something.

Be clear in expectations. Make the invitation clear with date, day, time, dress (give examples, this seems the biggest issue), occasion, what to bring, what to expect (a good time by all certainly), directions, parking and such. Don’t leave room for questions it will streamline the RSVP process and reason to attend.

The Menu and Presentation
Bite-size makes a difference. This is important, all of us have been stuck at a buffet with a plate in hand and food requiring a knife and fork, and no tables to set the plate down and carve. There is nothing more uncomfortable than popping an oversize bite in your mouth and being immobilized while attempting to reduce its size before swallowing.

Finger food makes it easier. Pasta with sauce is clearly not finger food. Make it easy on guests and have mini-kebobs, skewered or tooth picked items, stuffed mushroom caps (button mushrooms, not jumbo!) salmon on toast points and such. Food that doesn’t require utensils is fun and simple.

Color is delicious. Make the food colorful, if not inherently so then with garnish. Presentation matters and people eat color. All brown, even if a toasty color is boring, add green, red, and yellow with peppers, parsley (tried but true), herbs and spices, sliced veggies and fruits. If it looks appealing it will get eaten.

Tell them what it is. Rarely do I attend a party where anyone has taken the time to put signage on the food. This counts, not only does it remove the mystery but potential allergic reactions by unsuspecting party goers that don’t know what is inside. This can be done tastefully with place cards or even small ceramic markers.

The Decorations and Mood
Start at the front door. I make sure that you know I am having a party from my front door to the back door. Whether it is signage, balloons, props, a special entry, my guests feel the mood at the beginning. It adds excitement and anticipation and gives them something to talk about.

Leave room for guests. It is easy to overdo and forget that you do need room for guests, not just party props and decorations. You also need to make room for glasses to be set down, plates to be parked and such. Put out coasters as a hint, and be sure that you have places they can leave empty plates.

Be creative but consistent. Sometimes it is tempting to throw in everything but the kitchen sink, don’t. Consider using no more than three colors in any scheme and select one or two shapes to focus on. I do a lot with gold, silver and a third color each time, and use stars and diamonds as my preferred shapes. Repetition gives continuity and reinforces my theme. This works for holidays, Oscar night, a gambling affair, and more.

Give something away. I always like to leave a basket by the front door with a take away gift for my guests. This is my thank you for them being there. It can be as decadent as a mini-box of Godiva truffles or as silly as a bag of sand for a summer gathering with beach toys. It needs to relate to the event and be personal.

Real vs. Plastic. Well I have to say that for ease of party without full staff I go plastic on plates, but never on glasses. I don’t mind a load or two of glassware at the end of the night, and plates and cutlery can be tossed. Others will disagree and insist on those glass plates so popular, too often they look scratched up, overused and dull. Go with real china and make if fun with a party set, if you don’t want plastic.

Size counts. Please don’t be stingy and use those silly 6” plates for food, give your guests a real 10” plate and avoid the need for standing around the buffet table grazing because they can’t get enough on a plate to enjoy it. Use a separate plate for dessert items with fresh flatware.

The Art of Hosting
Get involved. If you don’t have a good time, then neither will your guests. You will need to ensure that all of your preparations are complete and you have time to mix and mingle. They are coming to see you, not watch you work.

Get outside help for food. You can hire a caterer, go pot luck if on a tight budget, or split the difference and do it with help from Whole Foods and Eatzi’s or any other gourmet prepared food source. Doing it all yourself is admirable, but not often feasible in time and effort.

Get outside help on service. Hire a bartender even if just to pour wine for the night. You can go pro or ask a neighborhood college student (of age of course). You may want to consider serving help too, or ask a couple of good friends to help you keep up with the food and empty plates.

Fresh Inspirations: Living Rich in a Readymade World, Part 1

1. Make it Personal … Using the big box retailers for decorating is a real time saver, but it’s up to you to personalize with photographs, mementos, and collections.

2. Layer the Character … From the floor by adding rugs, to the sofa by adding pillows, to the walls by adding artwork – it is all about layering to achieve personality and character in your home’s interior.

3. Go for Comfort not just Good Looks … I know you saw that really cool chair in a catalog and had to have it, only to find that no one, including you, will sit in it: it’s woefully uncomfortable. OOPS! Remember, it needs to function as well as look good.

4. Little changes make a big difference … Consider changing hardware on your kitchen cabinets – it’s a seemingly little change that has a big impact. Save the old ones for when you go to sell.

5. Don’t get bored, restore seasonally … Change your accents with the season. Think hot colors for the winter and fall months: reds, oranges, golds, and persimmons. You’ll want cooler tones in the summer and spring: cool blues, fresh greens, crisp whites, and soothing lavenders. By changing out your pillows, an art piece or two, or a couple of accents, you can transform and re-energize.

The Gift Of Taking – Magnificent Obsessions

The Gift Of Taking, Dr. Jill Kahn

The premise and truth here is that in order to lead an abundant and happy life it is essential that we each take care of ourselves first. So many of us are caught in the trap of giving endlessly and then we’re depleted, overwhelmed, and frustrated—and don’t know why. The key is to put ourselves first in our own lives so that we can care and function from the place of a well-tended mind, body, and spirit. I know about being overwhelmed and having Empty Well Syndrome all too well; this is a valuable read.

Magnificent Obsessions, Mitch Tuchman

From the inventor of Gatorade and his astounding collection of Studebaker automobiles, to the aerospace engineer who collects puzzles, to the graphic designer who collects all things stars and stripes, this book is a marvelous compendium of 20 collectors and their unique and wondrous collections. It is an insider view of why people collect what they do, the thrill of the hunt, and what their collections mean to them. If you have more than three of anything — it’s the start of a collection, so what is your passion?!

Quick Tips for Mirrors and More

Decorative Mirrors
Mirrors are best used when they will reflect something worthwhile. Too often they are considered a quick fix and reflect an empty wall or stairwell. They are not to be used as a stop gap. Think about that fireplace and before you put the mirror on the mantel, have a seat and really look at what might be showcased, too often it is the ceiling fan and wall beyond!

In the case of your dining room, rather than a vast empty table, dress it with a runner, a floral arrangement and candleholders. Have it reflect abundance. If you want a more contemporary look, a collection of ceramics or even art glass could be created for reflection.

Bath Mirrors
Mirrors in the bathroom are too often frameless, endless expanses. Consider adding picture molding (if attached to the glass with double stick foam tape, it won’t affect the walls adversely when removed.) This is easy to do with the wealth of framing resources today. Be sure to select a style in keeping with your scheme or match your fixtures, brass/gold, chrome/silver.

If molding is too traditional for you, add beveled glass strips in the same manner, available at most home improvement locations with tape backing for easy application.

If you have the luxury of a remodel or new home, use framed mirrors rather than plate mirror attached to the wall. These are flexible and infinitely more attractive. Be sure to use the largest possible, you don’t ever want to cut off anyone’s face or top of their head, even metaphorically!

Full Length Mirrors
Every bedroom needs a full length mirror, whether it is on the back of a door or featured as a cheval mirror on a stand. There is nothing more disconcerting than having to stand on the bed or on a step stool to try to get a full picture of oneself. Plan on this, it will be a real convenience. It will also save you the embarrassment of wearing mismatched shoes and socks, an occasional gaff caused by dressing in the dark without a full length mirror!

Mirrors as Illusion
Mirrors are not the only way to make a room appear larger and are not always the best idea. Often using a light color on an accent wall will make the wall visually recede, or placing a well chosen piece of artwork with a distant vista or far off view will do the trick as well. Certainly some of you may recall the popular murals of years past including a lifesize floor to ceiling forest or beach scene. Both gave the illusion of the space going on indefinitely.

Quick Tips to Transform Your Home

Wall Paint – For easy maintenance, use a minimum level of eggshell gloss (never flat) for light colors. The darker the color, the higher the gloss. For a tone like hunter green or burgundy use a semigloss, it adds a richness and depth while preventing chalking (those marks from anything against the wall.) Either neutral or tried and true classic colors are often ideal for resale.

Trim Paint – To maximize the architectural features of a room and frame it most effectively, use high gloss decorator white on your trim and moulding.

Ceilings – It can be marvelously effective with ceilings over 8’ to use graduated tints of your wall color instead of ceiling white. In tray ceilings
especially, this promotes the architectural feature.

Moulding – If your rooms lack interest and polish, adding crown and base moulding can be a cost effective solution. Be aware of proportion, an 8’ ceiling calls for about a 6” crown, whereas a 12’ ceiling can support a 8” crown. Don’t forget the base too, the deeper the better.

Carpet – Least maintenance and most durable is level loop (often called “Berber”). Keep your carpet neutral and consistent throughout for greatest flexibility and resale.

Rugs – Rugs are appropriate for every room and over wall to wall, not just hardwood. They will anchor a furniture grouping and add interest and softness. For size, the rule of thumb is that it should have all your furniture on it (such as a 9×12 in a family room) or all your furniture off it, (such as a 6×9 in the same room) the obvious exception being a coffee table or ottoman. Try to avoid the furniture resting half on/half off. Most dining rooms require at least an 8×10 rug to avoid the chairs “falling off.” The smaller rugs make great accents and you aren’t paying to cover it up with furniture! Rugs can also make a significant impact on acoustics in rooms with lots of windows and vaulted ceilings. They can even be changed seasonally for mood shift!

Lamps – An essential element in almost every room, lamps provide warmth and invitation. For best height, the bottom of the lamp shade should be at about eyelevel when you are seated. Maximize your flexibility with 3-way bulbs use pink tint, compliments are guaranteed.

Shortcuts to Guilt Free Living, Right Now

1. On food, you don’t have to cook! Locate a favorite gourmet takeout, consider hiring a personal chef, or just familiarize yourself with a good grocer’s freezer.

2. Get delivery for dry cleaning, many dry cleaners offer this service already, door to door, one less weekend errand to run.

3. Hire a maid or cleaning person. Surely your time is worth more than it takes to spend 3-5 hours a week vacuuming, dusting (well some you skip that one), polishing, and scouring. Besides given the choice between time with friends and cleaning, I’d be with friends, wouldn’t you?

4. Call in Blossom Boxes or any other quick fix solution for your live plant needs both indoors and out. You’d be surprised at what a difference this will make both visually and physically (plants clean the air), and how inviting your place will look. All you have to do is add water. (I promise, from a former black thumb, I can now keep almost anything alive!)

5. Hire a handyman to get those nagging shores done! You know you’ve wanted to add crown moulding to the bedrooms upstairs, but haven’t the time or the talent, call for help. You know you need the deck restained and sealed, call for help. You don’t have to do it yourself, you just need to get it done.

6. Find a pet sitter that you like and likes your pets. It is much simpler to get them in to take care of Rover or Fido, than hauling to the vet everytime you travel. It also is a way to have someone pick up your mail, and water your plants! Worry free travel is hard to come by, this step can make a big difference.

7. Eliminate a phone line. That’s right, in this age of technology do you really need a cell phone, a home phone, and a work phone?? Okay so you can’t eliminate work, what about consolidating your home phone to your cell phone? You’ll never be stuck in a power outage, and you’ll have to check one less location for messages. Besides are you ever home to answer anyway?? While you are at it, consider consolidating your multiple email addresses, it isn’t necessary to have more than two unless you are playing with aliases.

8. Use a courier service to ease both your workload and personal errands, there are also concierge services that can help. It is often amazing how much time we lose to running errands, just to pick up a prescription, get film developed, take care of shoe repair, and more. Explore ways that will save you the time, while being a reasonable exchange of dollars for your savings.

9. Celebrate the easy way, avoid all the dirty work?? Hire a butler, party planner, or caterer. These talented specialists can do it all, from facilitating your food presentation and clean up, to actually bringing it all in and doing it for you. Don’t wait to have a party because it’s too much work, know who to call to make it easier.

10. Hire a high schooler or even college student to take care of basic landscaping. I’m not talking about the stuff that needs a trained eye, but essential weeding, mulching, laying of pine straw or bark bits can all be delegated. You can still do the pruning and planting if you have the time and inclination, but the rest can be farmed out.