I always like preparing something special to welcome out-of-town guests. For those guests that are staying for a couple of days, a little welcome basket with water, mints, local maps, and treats is a great surprise treat.
These little snack tins from Dean & Deluca would make a great addition to any guest welcome basket. Your guests can enjoy them upon arrival and can also take them with them when they are out and about exploring the city. Too sweet!
Dean & Deluca snack tins
via Food & Wine, photo by Con Poulos
I always like to have a few tried-and-true recipes in my back pocket for when we are expecting guests. My rule is never to make a recipe for the first time when guests are over for fear that it will be a flop. Instead, I test the recipe and work out any kinks before I decide if I want to add it to my “guest-worthy” recipe list.
The most recent recipe I tested with an eye toward serving to some upcoming guests is Yogurt Panna Cotta with Pineapple Granita, which I pulled from a back issue of Food & Wine magazine.
While the recipe appears somewhat involved, the active time is only 45 minutes. Both the panna cotta and the granita can be made up to 4 days in advance, which means all you have to do is assemble it when your guests arrive. I love anything that can be done ahead of time when entertaining so time can be spent with your guests, rather than trapped in the kitchen.
The panna cotta tastes rich and refreshing, but thanks to one of its star ingredients – Greek yogurt — it won’t break the calorie bank. Bonus!
In my test-run of the panna cotta this week, I experimented with the serving vessel and used a tall glass instead of a low glass like that in the recipe’s picture. I would not recommend that! Even with a long iced-tea spoon, it was difficult to eat. This is another great reason to test recipes in advance — so you can play not only with the preparation, but also with the presentation.
The panna cotta was delicious even if the serving glass was a FAIL!
My mother and stepfather were in town recently and, as when any houseguest is coming, I tried to check off a list of items that tend to make the guest room and guest bath comfortable and welcoming for guests.
In the bedroom, I set out reading material, an alarm clock, and a fan. I emptied the closet to make space for their clothes and left a variety of hangers. I set a tray on the console with two glasses and some bottled water…
In the bathroom, I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned! The bath mats were fresh out of the dryer. The mirror was spotless. I set out toiletries and placed a vase with some flowers and aromatic herbs on the sink…
After my parents had arrived I walked past the guest bath and noticed a new box of tissues. My mom had found a stash of them in our supply cabinet and brought one up to the bathroom. Tissues! Of course! Why hadn’t I thought of that?
So that got me thinking about tissue boxes (I confess, this is the stuff that keeps me up at night!). The trouble with them is that, generally, they are pretty unsightly. They come in packages with funky patterns and colors and I cringe each time I set one out.
The solution to masking the ugly boxes is to hide it with a cover. Tissue-box covers, have a reputation of being really tacky, but I have found a couple that are surprisingly stylish.
This one from Restoration Hardware’s metal apothecary collection could work not only in a bathroom but also in other rooms around the house.
Restoration Hardware's tissue-box cover from the Metal Apothecary collection
How about this one for a little tike’s room? Adorable!
monkey tissue-box cover from Target
I love the idea of being able to customize a cover to complement the decor of a room. That’s why this project featured on Design*Sponge (one of my favorite, “go-to” blogs) caught my eye.
tissue-box cover by Brett Bara, featured on Design*Sponge
Brett Bara provides step-by-step instructions on how to sew a cover with the material of your choice. Pick a fabric that coordinates with your room, bust out the sewing machine, zip-zip…. you’ve now masked an ugly box and created a pop of color in your room!
Thanksgiving dinner is a meal we look forward to all year long. My husband and I buy a humongous turkey just so we can have a mountain of leftovers. Our menu is always ten times larger than it needs to be — how can you exclude even one of the traditional Thanksgiving side dishes?!
I love this fabulous idea for packing up leftovers to send home with your guests. The simple boxes and the grosgrain ribbon make a stylish statement. What a thoughtful way to send your guests home with Thanksgiving treats!
Stylish containers for Thanksgiving Leftovers, from Country Living
My husband and I took a last-minute trip to Massachusetts this week. We stayed in Boston the first half of the week while he attended a conference for work; the latter part of the week we’ve spent at the Inn at Castle HIll in my hometown of Ipswich.
The Inn oozes hospitality and when I was here earlier this year, it inspired me to write this post on ways to make your overnight guests feel comfortable and welcome.
On this most recent visit we were charmed by the Innkeeper’s offer to build a fire for us each evening in the main sitting room. Relaxing by the hearth in overstuffed chairs, sipping coffee and playing Scrabble, we could not have been any more at home.
So as you welcome guests into your home this Fall and Winter, be sure remember the treat a bright, crackling fire can be. Follow these simple reminders on building a great fire.
Fireplace tools are a necessity for tending to a fire. Since they are always on display in one’s home, be sure to choose not only functional but stylish sets.
Rivet Hearth Tool Set from Restoration Hardware
Wood Holder from Pilgrim Home & Hearth
Fire tool set from ACHLA Designs
Accessories like these can make your next fire even more memorable:
Wrap dried herbs in newspaper to make fragrant firestarters
Pine Mountain Firecone Basket from Gumps
One of the questions I am often asked to clarify for clients is the difference between escort (or seating) cards and place cards. There is a simple way to remember this:
Escort cards escort guests to their table, while place cards indicate at which place at the table they should sit.
Escort Cards
Escort cards are used at large events when guests need to be assigned to tables. The cards are generally set out in alphabetical order on a table or some other creative setting so that guests can easily find their card. Cards can be written for each couple or for each guest individually.
Escort cards need not be traditional cards, they could be votive candles (like the image from a Rex & Regina wedding below) apples with calligraphied names pinned to them, shells for a beach wedding… you name it!
votive candles as escort cards, photo courtesy of cb photography
These tented cards are anything but traditional. Used at a Rex & Regina wedding, these gorgeous cards were created by Saima Says and were part of a larger stationery suite used throughout the wedding.
Escort cards, photo courtesy of Baltazar Photography
These little bundles of lavender, featured on Martha Stewart, illustrate that the sky is the limit with respect to creative escort cards:
Lavender bundle place cards
Place Cards
Place cards can be a useful tool in helping guests feel comfortable at the table at which they are assigned. A host should carefully consider where to seat each person so that, to the extend possible, each is seated near someone they know but also near someone with whom they can enjoy interesting conversation.
When guests have selected specific entrees in advance, the place cards can also help the servers know what entree each guest should receive. (Escort cards can also do this, but only if guests think to set their escort card in front of their place setting when they sit down.)
Here are a few inspiring place card ideas from Martha Stewart:
this clever place card doubles as a menu stand
a simple topiary makes a stunning place card
a wrapped clementine provides a pop of vibrant color
With September upon us we are officially entering Fall Wedding Season. Palettes change from summery tones to deeper autumn hues; hydrangeas make way for zinnias and chrysanthemums; and warm evenings are replaced by cooler nights and shorter days.
Speaking of those cool nights, if you are having an outdoor wedding, consider offering guests a way to ward off the chilly air. Warm apple cider is a great start, but don’t stop there. Why not offer a wrap for the ladies to cuddle up with?
Pashminas are fine, but they are a little “been there, done that.” Instead, offer something a little more current like these unisex scarves from American Apparel. They come in a wide variety of colors and since they are unisex, the men can take one, too!
Even better? For the savvy spender in all of us, if you buy them in packs of three you save.
American Apparel Sheer Jersey Scarf
If American Apparel seems too declasse, you can always ratchet up the luxe factor with these lovely wraps from White + Warren…
White + Warren Pima Cotton Travel Wrap
White + Warren Wrap Scarf
A good hostess doesn’t always get it right. Case in point: My husband (then boyfriend) for years hosted a longstanding poker game at his house (now our house) every Monday night. They played on a felt-lined poker table downstairs with mismatched chairs. It was very much a “guys night.” No frills. No appetizers set on pretty platters. Just whatever the guys wanted to pick up on their way from the office to the game.
I moved in to my husband’s house after we got married and, well, let’s just say I upset the apple cart a little. Furniture started being moved (or went suspiciously missing altogether) along with those Britches rugby shirts from 1980′s. (I don’t care if rugby’s are ever in style again; THOSE rugby’s never will be!) And then, I really did it. I put fancy soap in the bathroom. My poor husband never heard the end of it from his poker buddies.
The lesson here: know your audience. If the poker friends use the downstairs bathroom, dig out the manliest soap you can find and put away the frilly French-milled couture soap. However, for all other occasions, I highly recommend any of the following which, in my opinion, represent some seriously sumptuous suds:
With its faux bois style, this wood bar soap from Gianna Rose Atelier may be just masculine enough for the poker buddies (but I wouldn’t chance it!).
Wood Bar Soap from Gianna Rose Atelier
I spotted these leaf soaps recently at Neiman Marcus — a gorgeous addition to a guest room or perfect as a gift.
Leaf Soaps from Gianna Rose Atelier
These leaf-shaped soaps are equally beautiful and I love the cedar soap dish, too.
Jardin de l’Olivier Olive Oil Leaf-Shaped Soap
Roger et Gallet is one of my all-time favorites. I faithfully hoard their bath products everytime I stay at a Sofitel.
Tea Rose Soaps by Roger & Gallet
My August issue of House Beautiful came in the mail today and I fell in love with one of their ideas for place cards. Using these hand-stamped porcelain balls, spell out each guest’s name or initials. Concerned they might roll away? Not to worry. Each has a dimple on the bottom to keep it in place.
What a fun idea for a birthday dinner, bridesmaid’s luncheon, or baby shower… the uses are endless!
Paper Trail's porcelain letter and number balls
For the past few days I was in the Boston area, which is where I am from originally. Going back there, regardless of the length of stay or reason for the trip, always feels like being home again.
I arrived Saturday night and stayed at The Eliot Hotel, which I would highly recommend for anyone looking for a boutique hotel in the Back Bay. With less than 100 rooms, the Hotel’s luxurious charm feels stately without being stuffy. The staff were exceptionally accommodating. Newbury Street is within walking distance which makes it a great spot for a weekend shopping getaway (sadly, I did not get to engage in any retail therapy on this trip!).
I had dinner at Clio, which boasts a James Beard Award-winning chef and innovative dishes (my “laquered foie gras” first course was incredible).
From Boston I moved to the North Shore to stay at the Inn at Castle Hill (no, not the one in Newport, RI, which is also fabulous…). The Inn is so blog-worthy, that I guarantee to share more about it in future posts.
The Inn at Castle Hill
Staying at such gracious accommodations reminds me again of what is like to be an overnight guest and the little touches I appreciate when I am staying at a hotel, an Inn, or at friend’s home. I strive to make my home comfortable for overnight guests that stay with my husband and me and have set up our home and particularly our guest bedroom and bath to be as relaxing and convenient as they can be.
A few simple details can make your home a luxurious getaway for your guests:
Bedside Carafes from Juliska
Silver Bamboo Clock from Williams-Sonoma Home
Above all, make time and space to relax and enjoy visiting with your guests. Plan ahead to make sure your schedule is clear and responsibilities at home and office are taken care of so that you don’t miss the opportunity to be with your friends or family.
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.