Entertaining

I love to entertain.  It is one of my favorite things to do.  People are always surprised when I invite them over for a party or for dinner the first time because I am the opposite of a homebody.  I was back in Ohio, where I grew up the past couple of weeks.  It was great seeing friends, but I was ready to return to my life of chaos which is filled with exploring new places and experiences and rarely being home.

I do relish those moments in my apartment though.  I don't have a huge budget and was lucky enough to have a lot of furniture and home goods gifted to me by my older sister and some friends.  Slowly I acquire my own finds so that every time friends come over the apartment feels a little more like me. Atmosphere is important because I always want my guests to be comfortable.

Can you tell one of my heroes is Mary Tyler Moore?

Speaking of budgets, you don't have to have a trust fun to put on a great party.  Trader Joe's, Farmer's Markets, The Dollar Store, Home Goods, Thrift Stores, and Flea Markets make entertaining even on the tightest budget possible.

I define entertaining very broadly.  To me entertaining is whenever you open your home up to someone.  For me this includes parties and gatherings, hosting meals, having overnight guests, and even just having a friend come by for a cup of coffee or to watch a movie.

In the Entertaining section of this blog I'll be posting tips, images from parties, recipes, etc.  I haven't ruled out starting an entertaining website in the future or writing a book on the subject, but one thing at a time.  This is a good place to start time commitment wise and my theme for 2014 is just seeing where things take me organically.

Jo Malone candles (on sale), Bergamot oil reeds, a gifted white elephant, and a motto I love