My guest post on DC Ladies Blog today focuses on the etiquette and customs around seating people around a dinner table. Some may find the guidelines outdated, but I contend that they really can create a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere for your guests.
Learn the guidelines and tips by reading the full post at DC Ladies Blog!
The holidays are upon us and that means our calendars are full with lots and lots of parties. Just as a gracious host is always prepared to entertain his or her guests, a good guest never shows up empty-handed to a soiree.
Should you opt for bringing wine (a perfectly lovely hostess gift) to one or more of the holiday parties you attend this year, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
1) Don’t expect them to serve it.
A host is not required to open a bottle that a guest brings as a gift to a party — especially if they have already gone to great lengths to pair wine to their menu. A guest should never be upset if the wine is not served right away.
I did get a chuckle out of Lettie Teague’s column in the December issue of Food & Wine (her columns are always so fun to read), in which she says she is generally disappointed when hosts don’t open the bottles she brings. (Note: If Lettie Teague ever brought a bottle of wine to my house, you can be darn sure I’d open it on the spot!)
Ms. Teague came up a with a few clever wine-giving strategies, some of which she specifically designed to help ensure the hosts opens the bottle:
2) Transport it carefully
Keep the wine at the proper temperature and protect it from breaking when you transport it by carrying it in an insulated wine tote. I like this one:
Built NY Double Wine Bottle Carrier, available from WineStuff.com
3) Presentation is key
It’s a gift right? So why not make it pretty?!
There are so many fabulous wine gift bags out there these days, you may just want to stock up on a few and keep them on hand for gift giving.
"Cheers" wine gift bag, available from The Craft Pantry on Etsy
Solo Felt Wine Bag, available at www.bambeco.com
organza wine bags from Gumps
Built NY Fishnet One-Bottle Wine Tote available from Ecobags
Modern Red Dot Wine Bag from Etsy's Space Moderne
A great hostess thinks of everything — including ways to ensure that her brand new coffee table doesn’t end up with rings on it at the end of the night. Setting coasters out in stacks or groups near occasional tables at a party not only protects your furniture, but it also makes it more comfortable for guests who may be searching for a good place to set their drink.
In her tome, Etiquette, Emily Post declares that, “plenty of coasters are a necessity if you wish to preserve the finish on your tables. Disposable paper ones are fine — just be sure they are in view at every conceivable resting place for a glass.”
I couldn’t agree more, Mrs Post, except I would also encourage using reusable coasters — just another small way to be eco-chic when entertaining.
Here’s a roundup of some of my favorite coasters this season:
"Red Flourish" coasters from Williams-Sonoma Home
Recycled Cardboard Coasters from Bambeco
Glass coasters from Geary's
Silver Lake Map Coaster from A+R Store
Reclaimed Slate Coasters from Uncommon Goods
Beaded Zebra Coasters from Z Gallerie
While these aren’t reusable, they are 100% recyclable — and they were too cute to leave off of the list!
"Hello My Name Is..." Recyclable Placecard Coasters from Perpetual Kid
Washington is all abuzz about health care reform right now. Even the most apolitical person living within an earshot of media these days can’t help but know something is brewing with respect to our nation’s health care system.
All this talk about health care is certainly a reminder of how fragile our health can be and how important it is to care for it. Maybe that is one of the reasons the traditional toast, “Let’s drink to our health” emerged? My curiosity about this expression led me to a few references, including one of my all-time favorites, The Art of the Table: A Complete Guide to Table Setting, Table Manners, and Tableware by Suzanne Von Drachenfels, to learn more about where the phrase came from.
Here’s what Ms Von Drachenfels has to say:
“The custom of raising the first glass of wine to one’s health is attributed to ancient Greece, when a sip was taken to demonstrate that the drink was not poisoned. In Homer’s Iliad, Ulysses drank to the health of Achilles.”
Both The Encyclopaedia Britannica by Hugh Chisholm and An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language by Walter William Skeat suggests the origin of the expression came from the custom of putting toasted bread in liquor to make it taste better. The former also discusses how the expression most assuredly refers to women, in particular soldiers or warriors who would toast to “their ladies.”
The expression evolved over time and is now common in countries around the world and is suitable when raising one’s glass almost anywhere.
For those called upon to make toasts in social settings, the following online resources may be helpful as you prepare:
Above all, I think the most important thing about a good toast is that it is heartfelt. I coordinated a wedding recently where the Best Man’s toast was in-term-in-a-bly long (something I NEVER recommend!). While some of the guests did fade, most were willing to sit through it and listen because his message was so truthful and sincere.
Cheers! To Your Health!
The Rex & Regina Blog shares both trendy and traditional ways to extend gracious hospitality through weddings, other social occasions, and at-home entertaining. Learn more about Rex & Regina.