Pull out the good china, scatter tea lights everywhere and decorate the table with potted orchids. Invite your best friends over, cue up the music, and serve something simple but delicious. Dishes that take all day to prepare is fabulous if you love to cook and have the time, but don’t let extensive cooking keep you from having a fabulous dinner party. Make the evening feel special by starting with champagne and ending with coffee or tea and a bite of something sweet — your guests will hardly care if the main course was a rotisserie chicken from the local market.
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http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/32832616/list/your-pre-entertaining-quick-cleanup-checklist
great list for getting your house presentable!
Create activity zones to keep large parties moving. Setting up several distinct areas can help a large gathering feel more manageable, as your guests will naturally be drawn into smaller groups. For instance, you could set up a dining table, a fire pit circle, a porch lounge and an outdoor bar.
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Dress up candles with woodsy details. Curl a wide green leaf and drop it into a glass jar — then fill the jar with water and float a tea light on top. Or use lengths of birch bark (available at craft stores) to wrap the outside of a jar or candleholder, and fasten them with twine.
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al fresco
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A good rule of thumb is to serve eight appetizers per person per hour when you aren’t serving a meal.
Pull out the good china, scatter tea lights everywhere and decorate the table with potted orchids. Invite your best friends over, cue up the music, and serve something simple but delicious. Dishes that take all day to prepare is fabulous if you love to cook and have the time, but don’t let extensive cooking keep you from having a fabulous dinner party. Make the evening feel special by starting with champagne and ending with coffee or tea and a bite of something sweet — your guests will hardly care if the main course was a rotisserie chicken from the local market.
Q