Don't Have All the Money In the World To Throw Dinner Parties?

"If you hear a voice within you saying, 'You are not a painter' then by all means paint... and that voice will be silenced forever." - Vincent van Gogh

After sharing this quotation on my Facebook page yesterday and encouraging everyone who feels intimidated by hosting to muster up the courage to do it anyway, one of my readers expressed a concern about hosting that had nothing to do with confidence and everything to do with finances. It's one thing to be able to silence a negative voice in your head, but when the bottom line of your bank account speaks to you, you have to listen.

Blissful Weekend

I promise our lives are not perfect, but I feel like certain days are pretty close, and this weekend we had two such days. Our dinner party went off without a hitch last night! Success! I really did a lot to prepare in advance and I shared the load of responsibilities this time, asking each of my guests to bring different components of the meal, and I'm so glad I did. The food was delectable, the music was lively, the company was so fun and easy, and neither Shawn nor I were running around like crazy folk in the hours leading up to the first doorbell ring. Kate probably had as much fun out with grandma as we did with our guests. Thanks a million, Valerie, for taking her to the animal park, the mall, and out for pizza! She came home one happy camper. Oh! And we finally got more chairs for our dining table! (We had only four up until now and have been improvising with occasional chairs and benches from other rooms in the house.) How I love you, Craiglist, for helping me find four more solid wood chairs for $15 total.

I won't be prepared to give you this Latin-inspired menu for this dinner party just yet, but I promise to have it to you well in advance of Cinco de Mayo. But you should be very excited. Very. Shredded chicken tacos with hand-rolled tortillas, mango, queso fresco, avocados, etc., pineapple on the side, horchata and Brazilian limeade for drinks, and this delicious number for dessert:

Basically this is shaved heaven on top of whipped heaven on top of rich heaven on top of coconut heaven on top of dark chocolate heaven served on top of warm, caramel heaven with cold, vanilla heaven on the side.

After church today Kate wanted to hold Louisa, and they looked just so soft and beautiful to me that I had to take some photos.

Looks like Lou is enjoying whatever secret Kate is saying.

I love how Kate soaks in Louisa.

Can tomorrow be Friday again?...

Chalk It Up

The chalkboard trend has been in full swing for quite some time now, showing itself in nearly every kind of craft and decor. I remember seeing these Modular Chalkboard Tiles from Pottery Barn, oh, 4 years ago (?) and falling in love with the stylish use of blackboards and blackboard paint in the home.

I guess maybe it just reminds me of all the great sandwich cafes of the Northeast and the wonderful, huge, handwritten menu boards on the walls or on easel form at the entrance placed strategically to lure you inside. There's something reassuring about a handwritten menu. Perhaps it's the suggestion that the same kind of personal care has gone into the food as well. To me it means that the place still has a heartbeat, and that it's unhampered by the policies of big chain restaurants. That it could give you a free cup of soup or chocolate chip cookie on the side just because business is slow that day. *sigh* I miss New England...

Anywho, with the blackboard look as popular as chevron, macarons, and salted caramel, it's no surprise that it has entrenched itself in the dining & entertaining market. Here are some of my favorite picks.

Chalk Talk Ceramic Namecards. Could also be used as cheese labels! World Market.

Chalkboard Tablet. Thinking of ways to use this for overnight guests. West Elm.

Chalkboard Planter. Great for table settings as part of a centerpiece or as herbal or floral name card holders. West Elm.

Chalkboard Printable Wrap-Around Address Labels. Brown Paper Moon.

Chalk Talk Place Cards. World Market.

Chalk Talk Napkin Rings. World Market.

Double-Sided A-Board Chalkboard Easel Sidewalk Sign. Sliver Picker.

Printable Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Invitations. Rosie Day Design.

Rustic Bark Frame Chalkboard Tags. Earth Mother's Creation.

Slate Placemats and Coasters. West Elm.

Save the Date Mini Chalkboard Clip Magnets. Moore Magnets.

Slate Bottle Tags. Crate&Barrel.

Vintage Mini Tabletop French Cafe Sidewalk Chalkboard. Cottage in the Oaks.

Beverage Dispenser Chalkboard Labels. Event Design Shop.

Slate Cheeseboard. World Market.

New Year's Eve Party Prep

Three days left of 2011, which means I have about two days to go before my little New Year's Eve Party. Today, I focussed on decorations. I should tell you that I am not particularly crafty, so unless the DIY decor is pretty easy, I tend to rely on lighting.

For this particular party, I've opted for icicle lights inside! Besides being appropriate because it's Winter, the drop-down look mimics the gorgeous visual fanfare of balloon ribbons hanging from the ceiling, such as in this photo featured on marthastewart.com. String the lights from wall to wall across the ceiling diagonally. The more narrow the angles you make, the more lights you can string, and the more drama you'll create. Why am I hanging them days in advance? Besides wanting to lighten my to-do list as I approach party time, I want to make sure that if anything were to go wrong with the lights, like a string falling loose, it happens well in advance of the guests arriving so I have time to fix it. If you don't have any icicle lights in your collection, now would be a great time to make the investment, as you may very well find them discounted as part of post-Christmas sales!