For a while now I have been thinking that, except for large holiday parties, entertaining at home was a thing of the past. Most people I know meet for dinner with their friends at restaurants instead of hosting dinner parties. Who has time for all that organizing, decorating, cooking and serving anymore.
Well apparently a few still do, and thank god for that.
Reggie Darling recently hosted an Autumn black tie dinner party and posted about the planning and the execution of it here and here. Note how elegantly his table is set.
And Privilege hosted a virtual housewarming dinner party on the patio to celebrate the launch of her new blog.
A posts about holiday table settings showed up at Greige and A Gardner's Cottage.
Am I sensing a stay at home and entertaining trend here?
An awesome home is not required, but certainly adds the special je ne sais quoi to the party.
Last night I attended just such a soiree, a sit down dinner party for 25.
The Thanksgiving inspired meal, prepared by a talented young private chef was delicious and healthy, a soup course to start, a salad, turkey roulade for the main course and cold lemon souffle sided by a brownie for dessert.
The guests, friends and neighbors of the hosts, were an eclectic mix from young couples in their 30's to couples in their late 60's, or maybe even early 70's, I didn't ask. But the mix in age and backgrounds made for lively conversation.
A 1960's California ranch house, up in the hills, remodeled and decorated with perfect 1960's style.
It was uber groovy.
From the city view to the sunken bar, to the open fireplace, to the step up dining room, to the earth colors and patterns of the fabrics and wall coverings, to the palos verdes stone, to the outdoor fire pit...
it was like stepping back in time to a house from my early Southern California childhood.
Classic California architecture.
I could have imagined my parents and their friends sipping cocktails, smoking cigarettes and partying it up in such a house...because that's what they did back in the day.
No not really. Not only do I not have the house for it, I don't have energy with my day job and all that.
I will leave the sit down dinner parties to the ladies and gentlemen who can host them with the proper savoir faire.
Hopefully though, I will remain on their guest lists, because I do so appreciate being invited.
Are you inspired to entertain at home this season?
