5 Easy Tips for Hosting A Stress-Free Stylish Soiree
In a month or so we’ll be saying goodbye to winter and saying hello to spring. What better way to welcome the new season than with a stylish Spring-inspired soiree? Now, you’re probably thinking, “who has time to pull together a gathering like that?” Trust me, as a busy mom who’s always short on time, I totally understand. However, pulling together a fun and well-styled party isn’t as time consuming or labor intense as you may think.
Here are my 5 “tried and true” tips for stress-free entertaining with style.
1. Use Color + Pattern
I scored these festive melamine plates at Home Goods and just love the energy the colorful patterned dinnerware brings to the table setting. The fun eye-catching color of the plates provides the perfect backdrop to about any dish.
Bonus: What I absolutely love about using melamine dinnerware is that they are dishwasher safe and virtually unbreakable. As you can imagine, in a household with 5 kids, durability is key. These plates are so durable, I’ve used them for both indoor and outdoor entertaining.
2. Mix It Up for a More Collected Feel
One of my favorite tricks for creating a more collected feel when styling a table setting, is combining different patterned dinnerware. What you’ll notice about the table setting I put together is that although the dinnerware and platters are different, the same colors are repeated throughout the table design. I decided on a refreshing color palette of shades of blue and pops of chartreuse. Using a variety of platters and dinnerware in different shapes and sizes also adds to the visual interest of the setting.
3. Create a Show Stopping Centerpiece
I’ll let you in on another designer secret. Grocery store florals can easily be transformed into a high-style arrangement. Would you believe I created this stunning floral arrangement using flowers I picked up while on a grocery run at Trader Joe’s? And it took just minutes to create! To get this look, I selected flowers that I knew would complement the colors I planned to use for the table setting. The vibrant fuchsia and fresh coral are a beautiful contrast to the robin’s egg blue container I used for the centerpiece. I sprinkled in a handful of white blossoms to give the arrangement a fresh organic feel.
4. Garnish, Garnish, Garnish
You can turn everyday desserts into a feast for the eyes (and belly) by just adding a bit of garnish. I drizzled this store bought mini lemon bundt cake with vanilla glaze and then garnished the plate with a handful of organic strawberries and voila! When a dessert is styled and served like this, who could ever resist a slice?
I made this quick and easy vanilla glaze using basic ingredients I keep on hand: butter, milk, powdered sugar, vanilla extract. Adding the glaze to the cake only took about 15 minutes and the results are picture perfect. Want to give it try, and are short on time like me? Just buy a pound cake from your local grocer and then drizzle it with a vanilla glaze for a gourmet looking dessert your guests will love. Need the quick, easy, fool-proof recipe for the vanilla glaze? I’ve got you covered! Just check here.
4. Give your Meals an Upgrade
It’s all about presentation! Upgrade the look of simple meals in an instant by using stylish containers and servers. Judging from the ooohs and aahhhss I received when I served beverages to guests using my go-to gold leaf trimmed tray, turquoise tumblers and porcelain beaded pitcher, you’d never guess that these glasses were just filled with basic lemonade.
