Entertaining Essentials for Hosting a Cocktail Party

Hosting a cocktail party requires a variety of entertaining accessories.  While it is a fact that certain accessories are needed to entertain comfortably, the degree to which you choose to expand that entertaining equipment collection is entirely up to you.

I am sure that there will be many posts in my future where I talk about all of the different types of entertaining equipment available, but for this post I wanted to keep it to the basic essentials for hosting a small and simple cocktail party at home.  

Entertaining Accessories

• Drinkware- I would suggest at least 6 Red Wine Glasses, 6 White Wine Glasses and 6 High Ball Glasses.  The world of drink ware can get pretty extensive, but I find that these three glassware types are the staples and most utilized in my cabinets.  

Red Wine Glasses from World Market are paired with the Orange Zebra Caspari Cocktail Napkins 

• Coasters- Love coasters and a definite must when hosting a cocktail party.  You don't want to be the victim of water-rings (very tragic).  For coaster inspiration, check out my post on Coffee Table Decor Ideas.   I have a section in this post devoted to coasters I love, have and/or wish I had.  
• Cocktail Napkins- Cloth and paper are both great.  Cloth cocktail napkins are lovely and it does provide a more traditional service setting.  They are also reusable, which gives them the eco-friendly thumbs up.  The only down side is the laundering (and ironing...they are not nearly as charming when wrinkled, so yes, they need to be pressed).  Paper is more practical if you are not going to use appetizer plates because it gives your guests a place to rest their food and of course clean up is a cinch (just toss those used paper cocktail napkins right in the trash)!   
  • A few favorites: Shop Lettermade Original Greek Key Cocktail Napkins, Crate & Barrel Linen Ocean Cocktail Napkins, Arbor Floret Cocktail Napkins, Boutross Imports Hemstitch Linen Cocktail Napkins, Caspari Orange Zebras Paper Cocktail Napkins, Silver Lattice Airlaid Non Woven Paper Cocktail Napkins, October Hill Lucy Boxed Cocktail Napkins, Kate Spade Gold Dot Confetti Napkins

• Nut Dishes- As you may have read in my post on Cocktail Party Preparedness-Food & Beverage, nuts are a cocktail party staple.  So it seems only fitting to include a few favorite dishes that I love to use when serving these delicious nibbles.  There are many different types of nut dishes available, but some of my favorites include the small nut bowls that can also be used for dips, the nut bowls with dividers and then there are the artistic party nut bowls that are just plain fun to have!  
  • A few favorites: Rosanna Farmhouse Pantry Hobnail Dish, World Market Tempo Square Bowls, William Yeoward Crystal Inez Nut & Olive Dish, Michael Aram Sea Urchin Nut Bowl, CB2 Prismatic Glass Smoke Bowl

• Serving Platter- One universal serving platter for your hot hors d'oeuvres and one universal serving bowl will be sufficient.  If you are going to stick with this minimalist approach (which is totally fine and more power to you) I would suggest going with a white platter and either a clear glass or white porcelain bowl.  Keeping the colors fairly neutral will make these pieces great to use any time of year.  
  • A few favorite platters and bowls:  CB2 Platform Platter, Jars Cantine Oval Platter, CB2 Narrow Rectangular Platter, Sur La Table Rectangular Slate Platter, Sur La Table Blanc Serving Platters (Set of 3), CB2 Vortex Serving Bowls, Pottery Barn Great White Coupe Serve Bowl, Jars Cantine Serving Bowl, Luigi Bormioli Crescendo Serving Bowl, Juliska Berry & Thread Round Serving Bowl

• Candles - See my post on Coffee Table Candles for ideas on different types of candle lighting that you could use to create a lovely ambiance at your next party.
• Music- Music in the background is a must for any party I host.  To me, there is nothing worse than a party without music (totally makes the party feel sterile).  Party music doesn't have to be an expensive addition.  Spotify and Pandora are great apps for finding songs and playlists that you can download right to your phone.  If you have a sound system in your living room already then thats perfect! If you don't, I would definitely suggest getting a bluetooth speaker.  They are inexpensive, produce great sound and can connect to your phone's playlists.  I actually gave this Triple C Bluetooth Speaker as a gift recently and it was a huge hit!

These are my foundations for hosting any cocktail party in my home.  While nothing is required, I strongly encourage you to consider these different aspects before hosting your next party.  The right entertaining equipment will make hosting easier and more comfortable for both you and your guests.  

Tips for Flower Care and Arranging

I love to have fresh flowers in my home.  Whether it's a floral arrangement for the week or a centerpiece for a dinner party, flowers add a lovely elegance.  Before I get into this post, I need to start by stating that I am in no way a floral expert.  There is definitely an art to arranging flowers and I know I am very far from mastering that art.  The purpose of this post is to simply share some of the tips I have picked up over the years that have really made a difference in the style and longevity of my arrangements.

Certain Flowers Need to be Cut Under Standing Water

• When you take your flowers (specifically roses and hydrangeas) home it is extremely important to cut them under standing water on an angle.  
  • The reason being that when flowers are first cut, the stems immediately take in whatever element the fresh cut is immediately exposed to.  If that element is air, your flower stems will inhale air bubbles and the result will be wilted dead flowers within a few days.  On the other hand, when your flower stem is immediately exposed to water when the stem is cut, it will create a steady stream of hydration throughout the stem that will help the flowers to live for weeks…YES WEEKS!!!

3 Colors Max

• I try to keep my flower arrangements to a maximum of 3 different colors.  Keeping the variety of colors used to a minimum helps to create a cleaner and more professional looking arrangement.

Every other day you should:

• Clean out the vase to keep bacteria from growing (killing your flowers prematurely)
• Replace the vase water (tepid water is recommended for most flowers)
• Cut the ends off of the stems on a diagonal to aid in promoting maximum water absorption 

On the look-out

• Every day you should check and discard any dead or decaying flowers in order to prevent contaminating the other living flowers in the arrangement.
• Make sure all leaves below the waterline have been trimmed away.  Leaves are unable to take in oxygen or light underwater, so they will only provide additional decay to your vase if left.  
• Keep your flowers out of any areas with intense heat (ex. Heating Vents and/or Windows with Intense Sunlight)

Use the leftovers!  

• When arranging hydrangeas, I always save the excess leaves to use on my cheese platters and bud vases.  I also take the broken flowers heads and combine them into a tight arrangement with a rubber band (not very professional I know, but it does work).  The bud vase pictured below is an example of scraps that I have rubber banded together and had on display in my home for well over a week.  The scraps used in the juice glasses on the window sill lived for over two weeks!

Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

The idea of making my own soup always seemed very intimidating to me.  I had always figured that there were a million steps and techniques used just to make the broth, so I had always made it a point to steer clear of making soups.  Avoiding soups had been totally fine until I had to sell my husband on why we needed to buy the Le Creuset Oval Dutch Oven.  Trying to recall all tips and tricks from the Food Network and cookbooks I had read, I came up with a recipe for rotisserie chicken noodle soup.  

That recipe I spouted off on the fly did the trick (thank goodness!).  I ended up getting the dutch oven and putting the recipe to the test.  With a little tweaking, I was able to create a flavor-packed soup that was super easy and according to my husband "tastes better than the chicken noodle soup at XXX grocery store."  I considered that to be a huge win and so I wanted to share this latest creation.  Honestly, the hardest part of this recipe is the chopping involved during prep. Remember- recipes do not need to be ultra difficult to taste delicious.  

Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients

• 5c Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 2c Water
• 1 Cooked Rotisserie Chicken (Skin Removed and diced into 1/2in cubes) *dark and white meat can be used
• 2 Whole Dried Bay Leaves + 1 Fresh Bay Leaf (Sliced in Half)
• Poultry Blend Fresh Herbs (Rosemary, Thyme and Sage) tied together with a piece of kitchen string (my version of a "Bouquet Garni"- in case you were wondering, here is a link to a traditional bouquet garni)
• 1c Coarsely Chopped Carrot
• 1c Coarsely Chopped Celery + 3Tbs chopped celery leaves
• 1 Diced Yellow Onion
• 3 Cloves minced Garlic
• 1tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Bag Orichette Pasta Cooked a little "al dente"
• 1 Rind of Parmesan Block
• 3Tbs Olive Oil
• Fresh Baby Spinach (optional)
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Cracked Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large dutch oven (or soup pot) heat 3 TBS of olive oil on medium to medium-high heat.
2. Add the 3 Cloves of freshly minced garlic and let cook for about a minute
3. Add 1 diced yellow onion and cook until almost translucent (3-5minutes)
4. Add Celery, Celery Leaves and Carrots and cook for another 3-5 minutes
5. Add Stock and Water to the pot and bring back up to a boil then reduce to a simmer
6. Once at a simmer add in bay leaves, rind of parmesan cheese block, fresh herb bouquet garni, cumin and about 1/4tsp freshly cracked pepper
7. Cover and let simmer for approximately 15min
8. Add Orichette Pasta and Chicken, stir, cover and let simmer for another 10 minutes. 
9. Once the soup is done simmering, add salt and pepper to taste
10. Remove Bouquet Garni, Parmesan Cheese Rind and Bay Leaves
11. Serve in bowl over fresh baby spinach (the heat from the soup will cause the spinach to wilt and keep its bright green color) **Optional**
12. Grate fresh parmesan cheese over the top of each bowl and serve with a piece of toasted rustic bread drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil

Bathroom Countertop Decor

Figuring out what you want to display on your bathroom countertops can be a challenge.  The added task of making a space functional, aesthetically pleasing and cohesive can quickly turn a into an overwhelming and involved project.  In this post I have outlined a few of my favorite tips for how I was able to achieve the balance between function and refinement. 

Add a Tray

One of the easiest ways to tie a look together on your bathroom countertop is by adding a tray.  It not only corrals all of your countertop accessories and containers, but also creates a finished and purposeful look.

The right side of my bathroom countertop has been adorned with Container Store Acrylic Canisters to hold my Q-Tips/Dental Floss Sticks/Oval Facial Pads, a West Elm Carafe to store my mouth wash and the CB2 Bento Tray to corral everything and tie the entire look together.

• Trays dont have to be expensive.  The white "tray" seen pictured above is actually the CB2 Bento Rectangular Platter (a piece of serveware) that honestly has the perfect shape and size for my space and retails for less than $10!  
• Other vanity trays to consider include: the Crate & Barrel Glass Vanity Tray, Target's Threshold Oil Can Bath Coordinates, CB2 Teak Rectangular Stacking Box , West Elm's White Lacquer Bath Tray and West Elm's Slate Bath Tray

Think Monochromatic 

Another tip for a clean countertop look is keeping the number of different colors to a minimum.  I opted for a monochromatic white look and purposefully picked all white personal care items to display in clear vessels.  

• The acrylic canisters used to store all other personal care items displayed can be found at the Container Store.  Other great bathroom canisters include: Restoration Hardware's Faceted Bath Accessories, Crate & Barrel's Glass Canisters, Anthropologie's Monarch Mercury Jars
• If you are looking for a simple, classic and clean look, I would suggest checking out the the Container Store's White Lacquered Bathroom Collection, West Elm's Metallic Lacquered Bath Accessories, Crate & Barrel's Ambrose Bath Accessories and Restoration Hardware's Pharmacy Accessories (Available in Frosted Glass, Metal/Polished Chrome and Clear Glass)

Useful Accessories to Consider

• Mouthwash - You can find a glass carafe like the one used in our photos to store mouthwash from CB2, Williams-Somoma's Monogrammed Glass Carafe, Pottery Barn's Classic Glass Bath Decanter or the Crate & Barrel Bedside Carafe.
• Tissues- If you choose to display tissues (I do), then I would strongly encourage you to invest in a tissue box cover.  Rarely (and I do mean rarely) am I able to find a box of tissues off of the store shelf where the cardboard box decorations align with my bathroom color scheme.  Having the tissue box cover allows me to get whatever tissues are being sold at the best price and/or have the features I am looking for (aloe, super soft, etc…) and not worry about their exterior box design.  A few of my favorite tissue box covers include: West Elm's White Lacquered Tissue Box,  Crate & Barrel's Sedona Tissue Box Cover, Pottery Barn's Linen Hemstitch Cover or Restoration Hardware's Newberry Rectangular Tissue Cover.
• Candle- See my post on Coffee Table Candles for ideas on the different types of candles to display (even though I am talking about coffee table candles, the suggestions in the post can totally apply to your bathroom countertop.  The only caveat being that I would not use the same fragrance candle scents in both my living room and my bathroom.  I prefer the smell of fresh linen or powder when selecting a scented candle for my bathroom.  

The left side of my bathroom countertop includes the West Elm White Lacquer Tissue Box Cover, a Pottery Barn Hurricane with a White Pottery Barn Pillar Candle, and the Crate & Barrel Pure Oval Soap Dish paired with a fragrant bar soap from Anthropologie. 

Arranging your bathroom countertop space doesn't have to cost a lot to look great and be very functional.  Just remember to keep your space clean, minimize the number of colors used and make sure the items you choose to display have purpose.    

My First (and most Classic) "Cheesescape"

I love to "Cheesescape" (actually that is a huge understatement).  For those of you who have seen my Instagram posts, this probably isn't news to you, but for those of you who haven't had the opportunity to get to know me through my instagram or in person, yes, I am a "Cheesescape" fanatic.  

What is a "Cheesescape?"  I am sure this term probably has been in existence for a long time and I would never take credit for discovering the term, but it wasn't a term that I had researched or heard about.  It actually just came to my brain one day while preparing for a dinner party I was hosting that night.  I had just finished setting the table (aka Tablescaping) and was in the midst of assembling my first cheeseboard when the term happened to come to me.  "Cheesescape" is my word for decorating a cheeseboard.

This cheeseboard was a wonderful mix of flavors.  While their were certain pairings on this board that were exceptional together (like the pear crisps with the chili flake encrusted goat cheese drizzled with sourwood honey), the 3 cheese I selected for this board were fairly mild in flavor so  all of the different elements here were very "mix and match" friendly.  

Here is a breakdown of everything I used to "scape" this board:  

Cheeses:

• Apple Smoked Gouda

• Saint Andre Triple Creme
• Chili Flake Encrusted Goat Cheese with a Sourwood Honey Drizzle

Fruits:

• Fresh Granny Smith Apple (sliced thinly with fresh squeezed lemon juice poured over the flesh to keep it from turning brown)
• Red Apricot (they were in season at the time of this scape)
• Dried Tart Cherries
• Dried Fruit Medley

Crisps:

• Simple and Crisp - Pear
• 34 Degrees Crisps - Rosemary

Chutney:

• Virginia Chutney Company - Hot Peach Chutney
• Stonewall Kitchen - Old Farmhouse Chutney

Fresh Herbs:

• Rosemary
• Thyme

While this is sure to be only the first of many cheesescaping posts, I hope that it provides you with a little inspiration for the next time (or possibly first time) you "Cheesescape."