With a chill in the air, I’m totally in the mood to plan a fall dinner party.  You know – a cozy evening with friends – lots of candles, delicious comfort food and a few simple decorations to bring the look together.

I have has so much wonderful feedback from the [...]]]>

With a chill in the air, I’m totally in the mood to plan a fall dinner party.  You know – a cozy evening with friends – lots of candles, delicious comfort food and a few simple decorations to bring the look together.

I have has so much wonderful feedback from the layered damask invitation from WH Hostess (featured recently in my wine tasting party), that I decided to use it as inspiration for today’s dinner party idea.  The rich color palette of teal, chocolate brown and mustard yellow is perfect for this time of year!  You can take the look of the party either bold and modern, or soft and vintage.  Today’s inspiration is kind of a combination of the two….we’ll call it modern vintage!

Set your table with a brown and white patterned tablecloth, white dishes and throw in a colored glass (LOVE the teal ones featured in this tablesetting from Country Living!) Create an inexpensive centerpiece using glass cylinders by filling them with white dried beans, and a single branch of yellow berries.  Cluster a few of these together, and throw in a few votive candles for a little “glow!”  You can also bring in some natural elements, such as pine cones and feathers to add to the fall look.

For dinner, serve a delicious meal that screams “fall”: an arugula and goat cheese salad with fig vinaigrette, roast chicken with broccoli rabe, fingerling potatoes, and garlic-parsley jus, and a crispy braeburn apple and almond sheet tart for dessert.

Send your guests home with a little party favor to remember the evening….I love this mini teacup and saucer set from Beau-Coup.  Fill it with coffee beans and biscotti, or tea bags, and wrap it with cellophane and a simple gift tag.  It’s simple and will appeal to a broad spectrum of guests!

Images: invitation (whhostess.com), berry centerpiece and wine (bhg.com), table setting (countryliving.com), food (bonappetit.com) and cup and saucer party favor (beau-coup.com)

Amazon, Beau-Coup, Minted and WH Hostess are preferred sponsors of The Party Dress.

The long days of summer lend themselves to impromtu bbq’s and gatherings around the fire pit.  So it’s best to have a few go-to tricks for quick decor and easy-to-make appetizers – so that you can be the hostess with the mostess, no matter how last minute your party may be!

The long days of summer lend themselves to impromtu bbq’s and gatherings around the fire pit.  So it’s best to have a few go-to tricks for quick decor and easy-to-make appetizers – so that you can be the hostess with the mostess, no matter how last minute your party may be!

Entertaining on the patio is one of the joys of summer and lends itself to a natural palette; you can see green touches throughout this inspiration board, which is a lovely way of tying in the natural feel.  Here are a few ideas for creating a party-ready patio:

• Create a “bar” or food buffet on a narrow console table.  I love this one from Pottery Barn because it has the lower shelf….great for a nice display, but also perfect for holding beverage tins.
• Lanterns.  Lanterns.  Lanterns.  Whether they are paper, glass, hanging or standing, lanterns can dress up your space and cast a fabulous glow.
• Bring the comforts of your home outdoors.  Items such as throw pillows, decorative accents, an indoor/outdoor rug can help make your space look cozy.

A happy hostess is a prepared hostess!  So always have a few key ingredients on hand to whip up some delicious appetizers and cocktails.  Here are a few of my new favorite recipes for summer entertaining:

• Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus with citrus dip
• Honey-sesame chicken wings
• Mojito shrimp skewers

What are some of your favorite tips for entertaining on the patio?

Images: invitation (tinyprints.com), outdoor bar (potterybarn.com), candle centerpiece (theknot.com)

Salads can take on so many different forms: green, vegetable, fruit.  But at the end of the day, we pretty much serve them the same way – in a bowl!  Mix things up at your next dinner party by serving your salad in a “basket” made of cucumber slices.

It’s simple to construct.  It’s pretty to look [...]]]>

Salads can take on so many different forms: green, vegetable, fruit.  But at the end of the day, we pretty much serve them the same way – in a bowl!  Mix things up at your next dinner party by serving your salad in a “basket” made of cucumber slices.

It’s simple to construct.  It’s pretty to look at.  And it will leave your guest saying “ooh…a salad!”

Image via My Recipes

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!  It’s been a whirlwind weekend in our family….and the celebrating is continuing into this week!  My husband and I hosted our very first holiday dinner for my extended family on Christmas Eve….here is a little peak into our celebration!

Images [...]]]>  

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!  It’s been a whirlwind weekend in our family….and the celebrating is continuing into this week!  My husband and I hosted our very first holiday dinner for my extended family on Christmas Eve….here is a little peak into our celebration!

Images property of The Party Dress

“With instructions from the client to keep [...]]]> I have a great feature for you today….Amber from Amber Karson Event Planning is back to share ideas with us for creating a preppy holiday table.  Here are some images of a holiday table Amber is working on for a client……make sure to check out her tips below:

“With instructions from the client to keep it festive and fun, I decided to layer textures and patterns to create a one-of-a-kind look.  Although there are so many fabulous color combinations out there this season, I decided to feature the classic red and green duo but unexpected ways.  Green satin tablecloths were layered with custom table runners made from Michael Miller’s adorable Funky Christmas fabric line, while monochromatic centerpieces sit atop red felt laser-cut mats.  Jonathan Adler’s bird salt and pepper shakers are a modern play to the classic “a partridge in a pear tree”.  Each place setting is adorned with a monogrammed plate with the dinner guest’s initials.  The plate will play double duty as a place card (to communicate seating assignments) and also a party favor.  The caterer will wash them after the entree is served, load them up with Christmas cookies and wrap them for the guests to take them home at the end of the evening.”

Amber sells the adorable Preppy Plates collection of monogrammed melamine plates, lucite serving trays (with removable inserts that you can customize for all of your future parties), and coordinating coasters.  This collection is a fabulous way to personalize a party, or give someone an extra special gift this holiday season.  Check out Amber’s website for a complete catalog and pricing.

Thanks for stopping by today, Amber!  LOVE the preppy holiday table….and the preppy plates!  I think my Christmas wish list just got a little bit bigger!