Archive for the ‘Table Manners’ Category

Planning a shower is the same process as planning any event.  Last summer I shared with you the 5 W’s to planning a party. To  review those tips click on July 2009 at right.

Once you’ve answered the Why, Where, When, What, and Who questions, you can get to the details.   Use this check list so you don’t forget  anything.  If a section doesn’t apply to your event, cross it off!

Theme

• Having one makes the planning easier
• Choose a color scheme

Invitations

• Formal, professionally printed invitations
• Buy ready made invitations where you fill in the blanks
• Make your own
• Send invitations by e-mail
• Invite by phone

Menu

• Will it be catered
• Make everything yourself
• Pot luck

Food and Drinks

• How many courses
• Gather your recipes
• Shopping
• What can be made ahead of time
• Who will serve
• Guests help themselves
• Hire waiters, bar-tenders
• Hosts serve guests

The Table

• Tables and chairs
• Dishes, glassware, flatware, etc
• Tablecloth and napkins
• Will you use real dishes/napkins or disposable
• Sit down meal:
• Plan a seating chart
• Place card holders
• Informal or buffet
• Where will guests sit

Centerpiece

• Flowers
• Order an arrangement
• Flowers from the garden
• Candles
• Other ideas

Entertainment

• Music
• Live or recorded
• Games
• Party favors or gifts

Timing

• What time will guests arrive
• What time will food be served
• If party has a specific purpose:
• What time will the guest of honor open gifts
• When will speeches or toasts be made
• If it’s a surprise:
• What time will the guest of honor arrive
• What time will everyone leave

Clean-Up

Pastels With Punch

Pink and grey are perfect for an Easter meal.

An easy way to introduce retro into your home decorating is at the dinner table.  Unpack grandma’s good china and use it every day.  Sets of dishes from the 50s and 60s can be found for a song at flea markets, resale stores and antique shops.  Make an investment before the market realizes their popularity and their value sky rockets.

Check out the little handle on this bowl. It's a perfect dish for kids.

Speaking of bargains, I love this set of pink and grey dishes I found at Goodwill.  Although they are unmarked, the hand drawn lines are reminiscent of a few decades past.  The best part of collecting dishes, it doesn’t matter if they coordinate with your interior design, dishes do not have to match anything!

The touch of grey keeps the place setting from being too feminine.

What could be more perfect for an Easter luncheon?  The square salad plate offers a nice contrast to the round dishes.  Even if I don’t serve a meal with multiple courses, I still use lots of dishes just to make the setting more interesting.  If you aren’t having a salad, save the plate for dessert.

The most interesting tables have layers and contrast. The square salad plate gives an edginess to all the curves.

If your dining room table has a beautiful finish, no need to cover it up with a table cloth.  These pink linen napkins are big enough to serve as place mats and offer a nice contrast.

The napkins almost looks like bunny ears!

There are dozens of ways to fold napkins.   Tucking a grey cotton napkin into a frosted polka dot glass keeps the table from being too serious.

Instead of the usual Easter basket, serve candy in old-fashion apothecary jars.

Have fun with your centerpiece.  Instead of flowers, fill apothecary jars with jelly beans, chocolate eggs and Easter grass.

Plastic Easter eggs can hold love sentiments, notes of thanks or even gift cards.

Hide little surprises in the plastic eggs for your family to discover while you’re dining.

Celebrate the season the old-fashion way with Retro dishes.

Celebrate the season!

Everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.  I don’t have to pretend, I’ve got Irish ancestors and strawberry blonde hair to prove it!  Because of my hair color,  I was always told that redheads should dress in Kelly green but never did until lime became fashionable (I was such a rebel!).   So I decided to create a St. Patty’s Day table using the non-traditional chartreuse.

Create an updated Irish table with lime green

Monochromatic color schemes (everything one color only) can work in interior design and on the table if you incorporate different shades, hues and lots of texture.  I wanted to set my table with what I already had around the house and didn’t have any trouble finding enough for a table for 4!

Place mats are a good alternative to a table cloth

I pulled out an antique side table with drop leaves from my living room for an intimate dinner.  The woven and embroidered placemats cover most of the top when overlapped.  No need to worry about spills or hot food.

Classic white dinner plates can be the foundation for any table

If you don’t have a set of white dinner plates, start looking for some.  I bought these on sale from Pottery Barn a few years ago and have two other sets from Goodwill.  You can never have too many white dishes.

The clear salad plates with a cut vine design came from an antique store. The label said Heisey, but I haven’t been able to verify that claim.  If you know one way or the other, please leave me a comment below.  They are very pretty and delicate and sold as a set of 8.

"Paint" your own dinnerware

No need to purchase special dinnerware for a once a year meal.  Create your own by placing a little design under a clear plate.  I cut out shamrocks from some left over green craft foam I had.   I drew mine free hand, but you can look for clip art to copy.

Napkins are tied with a matching green plastic wire.

Tie a cord around fan folded napkins

My sister gave me some battery-light candles.  No dripping wax or fear of fire (she knows about my passion for lime green).  I scattered some polished glass stones and craft ribbon on the table.

I added a little drawing to the centerpiece. Looks like an Irish village.

I love this little drawing of an antique village.  Could it be Ireland?.

Beer is the beverage of choice to go with corned beef and cabbage and will look great in the cut glass pilsners.  Add a postcard to each placesetting and the conversation will be off to a great start.

Toast to good health and friendship.

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And my God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
~Irish Blessing

Create your own award show party

Movie fans all over the country eagerly watch the Academy Awards ceremony on TV.  I’m a big movie fan, but the TV show does nothing for me personally.  I like to see what the women are wearing and who won the major awards and  I’m always curious to find out if any of the movies I’ve seen during the year are nominated. But I can get the scoop Monday on a morning news show.

Create a glitzy and elegant bar

I like to make the event more fun by hosting an Oscar party.  It’s the perfect opportunity for a wine or champagne tasting party (it gives guests something to do during the boring segments of the show!).  Have everyone bring a bottle of their favorite beverage.  Since it’s Sunday night and no one will want to dress up, tell your gal pals to get decked out in all the bling they can find.  The more glitz, the better.  Even diamonds look great with jeans!

I pulled this little bar together in half an hour with things I found around my house.  You know me, I love to entertain so I have lots of stuff to set all kinds of tables, but you will be surprised at what you own too.  It doesn’t matter what your interior design looks like, carve out a little piece of Hollywood glamor in your own family room.

Find any little table for a make shift bar

Gold lame is the foundation for an Oscar theme party

Place a table near your TV for easy access.  I covered mine with a gold vinyl tablecloth I bought at Goodwill (I used it for a Mardi Gras party a few years ago).

Glass reflects the gold and light

Then find all the gold, silver and crystal you have stashed away.  What better occasion to use the “fancy” stuff than a celebrity style party.

Crystal candlesticks can be picked up for a song at Goodwill and antique stores.  Choose a variety of sizes to give height to the table.  I added a pair of mismatched silver tapers, but you can use gold ones too.

Serve drinks in your best glasses

Every table, even a bar needs height

Bring out your best champagne flutes and wine glasses.  A pewter compote topped with a
silver tray makes an elegant way to display glasses.  Throw on whatever jewelry you aren’t wearing.  It’s all about the bling, baby!

Bring out all the gold and silver accessorizes you can find

Even simple snacks look elegant in a cut crystal candy dish.  Pull out all the stops.

Pretzels become gourmet food when served in a beautiful dish!

Scatter gold stars and faux diamonds around the table for more shimmer and shine.

Throw lots of confetti around the table.

As your guests discuss the bouquet, clarity and body of the wine, be sure they jot down their comments in a wine journal.  In fact, these make great party favors.  Give one to each person as they arrive.  Everyone leaves with details about the bottles they tasted and will remember the ones they liked best.  Tally the votes and announce the winning wine with drum roll and fancy envelope.

Have party journals on hand for guests to write in

Hand out wine journals to everyone

For the fun of it, invest in a movie journal too.  Have each person critique their favorite or worse movie of the year.

You can record the winning movies or write about your favorites that didn't get nominated

I took down the painting I had on the wall behind my make-shift bar (didn’t go with the theme) and added a carved gold frame from an old picture to fill in the blank.  You can use a movie  poster  for a backdrop.

Even an empty frame can be a piece of art!

This frame might not fit your interior design, but it really works for this party!

My challenge was to create a fun party setting without spending any money on props.  You can serve caviar or potato chips, Dom Perignon or diet soda.  Doesn’t matter, get carried away with the theme, invite the neighbors and have fun cheering or jeering!

Make it as glamorous as you can

This setting is reminiscent of the 1930s

The 14th of February is a day devoted to celebrating love.  You can express your affection to that special person in the usual way (go out to dinner, box of candy, over priced flowers) or with a little imagination and for a lot less cash, celebrate at home.

Create a romantic dinner for two.

It doesn’t matter if you are planning dinner or a leisurely breakfast, make it cozy and intimate.  Food in front of a roaring fire is always romantic especially if you are seated at a low table with floor pillows.  You can use a coffee table or in this instance an old wood trunk.  Cover it with a table cloth or a piece of red fabric.

Pull up an old trunk for a cozy table for two

I fell in love with this bold red and white print at IKEA. It's perfect for a Valentine's Day tablecloth.

There isn’t a single heart or flower in this setting.  Instead of placemats, I pulled out old Scrabble board games  Write a message or spell out your feelings for each other with the tiles.

You can use almost anything as a placemat or charger. Have fun with Scrabble boards.

An old muffin tin is the perfect size for extra letters, votive candles and candy (no expensive and fattening box of chocolates here!).

You know you will want extra Scrabble pieces with this dinner. Use a vintage muffin tin for candles and letters.

The valentine card is vintage, but the XOXO says it all.  Use dinnerware you have left over from Christmas.  Square red plates set “on point” complement the square game boards.

You could buy a new valentine, but I love the sappy sentiments on old, vintage cards!

XOXO equals 18 points!

Little copper napkin rings surround softly folded white napkins.  Dinner should be simple.  After all, the emphasis should be on dining, not cooking.  Chinese take-out allows you both to share.

Tuck a pair of chop sticks in the napkin ring.

Add a couple of floor pillows and you have a romantic evening ready to surprise someone you love.

Tell your love how you feel.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning said,

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”

I say spell it out!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Here’s a simple last minute napkin ring project you can do in a snap and your kids can help too.

Set a festive table with this quick and easy craft project.

• Start with a paper towel tube and cut into 1 ½” pieces.

• Cut a plaid or other pretty ribbon to fit.

Be sure to add ribbon to the inside for a professional finish!

• Glue the ribbon to the tube.
  
• You can either wrap it around so the inside is covered or simply apply a piece to the front and the inside.

• Glue sticks work best.  If you use spray glue, be sure to spray in a paper bag to avoid getting glue everywhere.

• Tie a bow around a little bell with 1/8” ribbon and glue to the front.

Select matching ribbon and a bell to embellish the front.

Voila!  You have an instant festive touch to your Christmas table.

A good plan is the best way to enjoy a stress-free or stress-less holiday season.

Start a notebook just for December.  Make sure it’s small enough so you can carry it with you.

Make a list of what you plan to accomplish and eliminate the things you don’t enjoy or have time to do.

Gift shopping

• Who you are buying for
• Gift ideas and where you can make your purchases
• Budget, how much will you spend?

Wrapping

• Paper

• Boxes

• Tissue

• Ribbons and bows

• Tape

Entertaining

• Set a date for the party (parties)
• Make out guest list
• Send invitations or make phone calls
• Organize table linens.  Wash and iron
• Check supply of paper plates and napkins
• Do you have an adequate supply of glasses, dishes, silverware, serving pieces

Food and Drinks

• Plan food, appetizers and drinks

• What will other guests bring?

• Shop for food and drinks

• Prepare anything that can be made in advance

Cleaning

• Do a little at a time and skip rooms no one will see

• Better yet, hire a cleaning service

Decorating

• If you spread it out over several days or weeks, it won’t be so overwhelming

• Enlist help from the rest of the family

Cards

• To send or not to send?

• Purchase cards

• Stamps

• Consider New Year’s cards instead

Baking

• Make a list of items to be baked

• Make out shopping list

• Shop for ingredients

There’s something to be said about tradition.  Red and green never go out of fashion at Christmas time. A great table doesn’t mean you have to break the bank.  I found everything on this table at Goodwill SEW stores!

Festive centerpiece

A simple plaid runner works on any size or shape table. I love candle light, especially on a table.  These unique retro red votive cups are a great contrast to the traditional Christmas plates.  Green holly garland makes the centerpiece simple yet elegant.  Be sure to use unscented candles so the scent doesn’t overwhelm the food.

Retro votive cups add to the elegance of the centerpiece

Traditional red and green for Christmas brunch or dinner

The holly dinnerware originally came with matching soup bowls, salad plates and cups and saucers.  But mixing pieces from different collections makes the table much more interesting.  This contemporary stoneware soup bowl offers a striking contrast to the fine china plate and bright red cotton napkin.

Layering dishes makes for an interesting place setting

Who said the napkin has to be placed under the fork?   When placed between the pressed glass compote and bowl it sets off the colors.

Ornaments are perfect party favors

No need to wrap party favors, use them to decorate the place setting and your guests have a keepsake from a great party.  Or use them as place cards.  Select an ornament specifically for each guest.  Let them figure out where they sit by matching the ornament to the person!

Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore or at least it shouldn’t be.  I presented several Halloween table setting ideas at the grand opening of a new Goodwill store last week.  It’s amazing what you can ‘throw’ together on a budget!

No tricks at this table!

I started with a bright orange sheet.  You can us anything for a table cloth.  The white plates with the lovely black floral border would be perfect for any event, but are extra special for October 31.  I paired them with 8-sided soup bowls, white cups and black saucers.  Nothing is from the same set, but all look great together.  Even the little juice glasses with black stripes were meant to be!

Isn't Halloween all about the candy? Use the pumpkin dishes filled with treats as party favors.

Napkins are black (what else?) and tied with a bit of raffia.  Un-twist it so you can write your guest’s name.

Make an easy napkin ring with a twist of rafia.

The contrast of the black garland across the table with white votive candles sets the right mood.

Use lots of contrast for a dramatic table

Instead of a traditional pumpkin, I chose an orange paper lantern,and topped it with a not-so-scary witch’s hat.  The whole table cost less than $30.00 and looks like a million bucks!

A jack-o-lantern would be expected, a paper lantern is unique!

Who said Halloween tables have to incorporate witches, goblins and bats?  I set a charming lunch table for two using grown up Halloween decorations.

Pile on the layers and add texture for a cozy Halloween lunch table

I love to layer my table with fabrics and textures.  We bring out our sweaters and jackets in the fall; do the same at the dinner table. Think warm and cozy.  In this instance I used a black and white check fabric topped with a runner made from left over silk embossed fabric.  You can use a colorful scarf right out of your closet.  Then I added a black placemat in the center.

I have used my square black salad plates and polka dot bowls and mugs many times, but they are perfect for October entertaining.  With the plate set on “point”, it made sense to angle the flatware too.  It’s OK to break the rules.

Look for something unusual.  I love the set of wood crows I found at Goodwill. They are perfect as napkins rings.  When arranged on a plate, the crow appears to be sipping from the soup!   I folded the napkin (made to match the runner) in a bow-tie shape.  The wire from the crow holds it together.

Share your lunch with a little wooden crow!

An old iron candelabra sets a spooky mood.  I threw in a ceramic pumpkin and ghost for grins.

I certainly don’t need place cards when only two people are dining.  I just love the graphic nature of the number cards.

Have fun with your table, even when it’s dinner for two!