Tuesday, March 27, 2012

a philosophy & party tips


 
Do you subscribe to this 'day after the the party' philosophy?

"Since, the flowers are fresh and the house is clean we should invite someone for dinner."

A quick wash and iron of the linens and you're ready for a casual spring dinner.
These pretty daffodils were a hostess gift from the birthday girl yesterday!


Sunday evening we invited my Mom and Dad for dinner, here's our easy spring menu:

Bruschetta
  Grilled Bread, Tomatoes w/ Balsamic Vinegar, Basil, Shaved Romano Cheese

Grilled Salmon with Fresh Dill & Cucumber Sauce

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Pioneer Woman's recipe here
(both my 13 year old and friend who hates brussel sprouts love these)

Dessert from Mom  :)
  

Here are a couple of tips I use when entertaining:

  Since our dining room table doesn't comfortably fit more than six,
 we put an 8' x 4' piece of particle board on top when we need more seating space.
A hole in the center accomodates our patio umbrella when we want to use it outside.


I painted the back with chalkboard paint, here we used it for a
 Teacher Appreciation BBQ at school, but the possibilities are endless.  


If your home doesn't have a powder room, this tip is for you.
Since ours was built in 1938, we're powder room less!
 That means everyone sees our main bath when we entertain, this sight makes me cringe!


123rf.com via google

It takes just a couple seconds to stash your personal products in a drawer,
 and add a pretty clipping from your yard. 



It's simple to choose something to put on the bathroom counter, too.
 It doesn't have to be an expensive floral, any greenery looks fresh.




Simple things that make life pretty!



19 comments:

Unknown said...

I like this post alot...simple and easy ideas...thx for sharing
xoxo
Rasha

Kim Venable said...

Oh my goodness, we did this very same thing over the weekend. My daughter's birthday was Saturday and we entertained plenty of young teens that night. Then, on Sunday, we had a family brunch. The decor from the evening transitioned easily into the brunch theme. I always entertain with glass and white serving pieces, so the pastel party decor was a natural compliment my bruch buffet.

I served a super easy bacon quiche using a frittata starter from Williams Sonoma which included roasted red peppers, onions, and kalamata olives. We also had pan fried brunch potatoes, roasted broccoli, & lemon poppyseed muffins. Two parties in 12 hours have never been so simple.

SSM said...

Dear Pam,

Thank you for following back!

Love the tips. Please keep them coming.

Oh, I wanted to let you know that when someones clicks on your follower button it doesn't display the link to your blog. You can change that in your profile.

Enjoy your day!

Tracey@Breathing English Air said...

I am going to try the recipe for the Brussels sprouts. I am the only one in our family who will eat them, so I will see if the others can be tempted.

Lisa Mende said...

What great ideas!!!

Holly Gruszka said...

Usually our house is a mess after a party, but we usually have lots of food and some beverages to go around again so we do invite friends over. Our house is small though so we do most of our entertaining in the nicer weather when we can be outside.

A room with a view said...

I have done the day-after party party, too, particularly when I am still on a high. I am impressed with your menu - have you considered a recipe book, Pam? :) Have to check out the brussels sprouts recipe - it is our new favorite veg courtesy of Ina Garten. Great idea with the particle board for extra seating.

Unknown said...

Love the particle board table "leaf," what a great, multi-purpose item! If the daisies are still fresh and the is room at the table and something yummy for dinner, I'm inviting myself over tonight!

Bethany [at] Powell Brower Home said...

LOVE the tips, thank you!

Bethany
www.PowellBrowerHome.com

Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles said...

You know I whole-heartedly agree with your philosophy! I love your spring dinner tablescape just as much as your party table. Your other tips are fantastic, too. You're so clever!

Leslie said...

Pam,
Great storage ideas and I must try the Brussels Sprout recipe. The daffodils look so pretty and I think I have those placements!? I've had them forever - love them because they wash up really well.

Dana Frieling said...

Can I please be a dinner guest one day?! Your recipes always sound so yummy. I'm so impressed that you washed and ironed the linens so quickly. It'd been paper napkins around here...classy!

Calypso In The Country said...

Great ideas Pam. I love the idea of adding the board on top of the table. Even though we add a leaf at Thanksgiving, we still end up putting an ugly little card table at the end!
-Shelley

Shauna@Satori Design for Living said...

Fantastic ideas Pam! We used to entertain quite a bit and it's something I want to start doing again. We often have an impromptu get together with friends and it takes the expectations down a notch. However, there's something to be said about going all out now and again.

Lori said...

Such great tips. The plywood is priceless! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I love all of your ideas, especially the one for the dining table. Mr. Bird Nest Cottage will be getting a picture of yours. Thank you.

Gretchen
birdnestcottage.net

Danielle said...

Love this post! Also, love your glasses - where did you get them from?

pcb said...

I was scrolling back to see posts I'd missed and can't believe it; I am not the only one with a 'table topper' from particle board! I have a 4x8 one (I did round the corners a bit) that will let me fit 12 around my table!

Lisa @ Shine Your Light said...

I totally love the idea of the plywood to elongate the table!!! This will tide me over until we can get a new table - I'm so happy! Thanks for sharing this great idea Pam!

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