Here are 10 favorite party tips to help you throw and enjoy a great “soiree,” all lovingly offered from our hearts to yours!

Party Tip 1

Create a Peace-of-Mind Hostess list: Starting with your guests’ scheduled arrival time, work backwards to list the time everything needs to get done the day of the event: heated, plated, set out, served, etc.  Then at party time, just follow your list so you can enjoy your own party!

Party Tip 2

For dinner parties, serve the 1^st course family style on beautiful platters. It gets guests connecting and talking as they’re “passing” and trying things.

Party Tip 3

Listen to your favorite music before guests arrive – your mood as hostess sets the tone.

Party Tip 4

As a centerpiece alternative to flowers, try seasonal fruits in crystal/glass bowls or set on top of cake stands.

Party Tip 5

Get more ice than you think you need…it’s the thing hosts underestimate and the worst thing to run out of!

Party Tip 6

Make sure the dessert you serve is AMAZING looking and tasting to end your dinner on a great note!

Party Tip 7

Move people around BEFORE the meal, not after. Cocktails in the living room is fine, but once you all sit down to the meal, moving guests to another location for dessert can break the mood and the conversation.

Party Tip 8

To beautifully unify mixed and matched dishware, keep the glassware and flatware consistent.

Party Tip 9

Keep hors d’oeuvres simple and minimal; something salty and crunchy is always ideal with cocktails and finger food is easiest for hostess and guests.

Party Tip 10

Make the powder room look wonderful….candles and the single flower bloom in a shot glass can work wonders!

Happy Holidays Peeps – whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or …Festivus(!) – my team and I send you and your family our special holiday hugs!

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