I’m so excited to have Sara here sharing all of her entertaining must haves! Sara is a designer who has great taste when it comes to entertaining ( see numbers 2 & 4 below ). Like what you see? Get to know Sara a little more by visiting her website where she sells her paper goods and gift products. And without further ado, here are Sara’s entertaining essentials.
1. Fancy China – I love pulling out my china for any ole occasion! I never wanted to be one of those hostesses that only pulls out the china on holidays and when the Queen comes for dinner – because let’s get real, the Queen isn’t coming. One of my favorite dinner parties, I served homemade fried chicken and mashed potatoes on our fancy china – our guests still talk about it!
2. Mostly Stocked Bar – having a little bit of everything in your home bar means you can satisfy the average guest’s wildest drink desires! I hate having to say “What can I get you to drink? Oh and BTDubs we only have red wine and diet coke.” I, of course, make sure to have some good, quality red wine on hand for me and if I know my guests drink white, I’ll pick up a bottle. My husband occasionally drinks scotch, whiskey and gin so we always have those on hand. Some of my favorite reds are Angeline Reserve Pinot Noir (even the non-Reserve one is great and even better priced!) and Louis M. Martini Cab Sauv
3. Candles – A soft, yummy-smelling candle is the perfect way to greet your guests at the door, along with an award winning smile, natch. I like subtle woodsy and spicy flavors like vanilla, amber and pumpkin. Remember to keep these in a different room from where dinner will be served – the aromatics of the candle and your grandma’s famous pot roast will never smell good together. These Illume candles are amazing and you can purchase them in an array of containers. This is one of my new favorites.
4. Pretty Table Linens – I second Carmen on this one! Cloth table linens are not only eco-friendly but they are so stylish and can really make for a beautiful table setting. I like these textured linen ones from Restoration Hardware in Sand with Ivory trim. They add texture and an interest factor sitting alongside our fancy china! And you can get them monogrammed for that little extra touch.
5. Soft Towels + Soap – As a hostess, I get really focused on the setting – the table, the food, the drinks, the centerpiece – that I forget my guests will be traveling back to the restroom at some point in the night. A good smelling candle works wonders in here too, but don’t forget ample soap and a nice soft towel for hand washing. I’m a obviously big fan of Illume and love the Go Be Lovely line of soaps and lotions. They smell great and the packaging is equally as divine! We have these West Elm striped towels in our guest bath and I love them!
6. Beautiful Centerpiece – When it comes to the centerpiece I always like to make a big statement. Whether it’s lots of little ones clustered together or one giant one, I just can’t get enough of a lovely centerpiece. Low ones are best for table conversations but if I’m in the mood for a big tall one I simply move it once dinner is served so we aren’t craning our necks around it. That may not be very Emily Post but we are all friends here! Love this sweet small one and this giant beauty!
7. Something Sweet – We all like to indulge every once and a while so what better place to splurge than at a great party with great friends?! Petit fours, macarons and cake pops are all darling for cocktail parties but my favorite all time dessert? This banana pudding. Kind of unpredictable and hey, bananas are good for you, right?!
Do you love entertaining?
Let’s feature your must haves!
Send us an email with these things:
– 7 links to items you couldn’t entertain without
– The reason why you love each item you’ve linked
– A photo of your pretty face ( the largest file you have, pretty please )
– A link to your blog / website / or social account
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