If you know me at all – you know that I’m a slob. Currently every space in my house is acting as a shelf and that includes desks, tables, the floor and more. While I’m not proud of this messy trait – I have grown to accept it. HOWEVER, I’ve been a lot more conscious of it lately.
In case you missed it, my friend Erin launched Grandiflora yesterday where she is selling custom home goods! I was so honored to shoot all her photography and see each piece up close (photo above). Okay let’s be honest…I want to buy it all. Between Erin’s blog and my friend Jess‘ blog, I realize that hosting is in my blood. My mom is the queen of hosting. Elaborate dinners. Home cooked goodness. Beautiful china. The best music. Coffee and dessert.
It was a treat growing up in a home where hosting was fun and anyone was invited to the dinner table.
And at the heart of it all – I love having people over. Adam always comments about how excited I get to have people in our home. I’m excited to embrace the tradition my mom has established and perhaps it will motivate me to move out of this “messy-teenager-but-really-I’m-26” phase.
I guess I should start by cleaning my dirty dishes and figuring out how all my forks have somehow disappeared…
Do you host at your home often? Dinners? Wine night? Any favorite tips?
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32 Comments
November 12, 2013
I haven’t received a soul in my house for a little over 2 years. In our new and small apartment, I just recently got a tiny table for the kitchen. Hopefully, all this will change when we get a house (whenever)… :)
November 12, 2013
A table makes all the difference! We lived in a really small apartment last year but probably hosted more then than we do now. So odd! I think it has to do with our schedules.
November 12, 2013
I love hosting people as well but for some reason my husband and I have only done so once since purchasing our home 2 years ago; we really need to change that!
November 12, 2013
I’ve found that between my busy schedule and everyone else’s…it’s hard to connect!
November 12, 2013
we host people very frequently. I have a 16 place setting dish set, two sets of silverware, and a roomy house. i love cooking and having people over.
we range from very casual suppers to fancy cocktail/dinner parties.
November 12, 2013
*we also have a dinner party playlist handy, so that guests don’t have to listen to songs about rivers of blood. ;)
November 12, 2013
You have such a welcoming home (aka you guys are awesome). You should invite us sometime soon ;) I wouldn’t even care about rivers of blood being sung…
November 13, 2013
haha. well, i tried – but you guys were out of town! but yes, soon!
November 12, 2013
We host dinners and BBQ’s quite a bit, especially in the summer because we have a pool. I’ve learned to scale down my menu – never more than 4 items but usually only 3,
never turn down when someone says they’ll bring drinks, and
keep people out of my kitchen by having appetizers set up somewhere away from the kitchen.
November 12, 2013
Oh a pool!! So jealous! Love those tips too, Samantha!
November 12, 2013
Too often, I let insecurity get in the way of hosting. And the what-if monster takes over…
…what if they think my cooking is terrible?
…what if they notice the stains on my carpet and second-hand couch?
…what if the littles are crazy and don’t listen?
…what if…what if…what if?
…I really need to get over myself and my stuff and just open my home. Deep down, I know it’s the connecting and memory-making and community-building that counts. Perhaps I should have you and Adam over soon!? :)
November 12, 2013
I can be just the same way, Alle! I’m always thinking my floors are too dusty or my dishes aren’t clean enough (gosh I want a dishwasher). We would LOVE to come over. We don’t mind littles who aren’t listening :)
November 12, 2013
ah i would love to be able to be messy!
but every time everything is in the house, it’s just eating me from the inside.. lol
but man.. grandiflora has the most beautiful things! yes, it’s amazing.. and i just love the branding!
November 12, 2013
I would love to be like you!! Our office is on the second floor so it’s easy for me to ignore the downstairs mess for sure…
November 12, 2013
Hosting is one of those roles that I often long for… but considering that I’m totally messy and live in a tiny apartment, doesn’t happen often.
November 12, 2013
Yeah it can be hard when our small spaces are a mess! But I like planning for it and not feeling rushed or worrying about people backing out.
November 12, 2013
You are the sweetest. Thanks for sharing my blog! What you don’t see there is my attempt at cleaning last night so I would be ready for Friendsgiving on Saturday. Yep, I had to start 5 DAYS IN ADVANCE, because otherwise, everyone would have to move my clean laundry off the couch since it wasn’t folded, or sift through my mail to get to the counter top.
I love hearing about your mom’s hosting and know you will be great at it. Your mention of music makes me realize I don’t have any for this weekend!! Here’s to starting a play list :)
November 12, 2013
Of course!! Haha 5 days in advance sounds about right… But now you won’t have to rush! Playlists are fun. My mom played a lot of classical music or Christmas music in Nov-Jan :)
November 12, 2013
I love entertaining at home! But I also find it really stressful.
My best tip is: make sure you’re prepared and make sure you have enough wine/beer/cocktails.
November 12, 2013
I’m always good on drinks. We’re always stuck with so much beer and wine haha. But I’m NEVER prepared when it comes to cooking all the food on time…
November 12, 2013
It’s a LOT easier to be neater when you have a smaller space and – by necessity – less stuff (in my opinion). This also makes it nearly impossible to host people, which really sucks!
I was very, very messy, much like how you describe yourself, until my husband and I moved to Germany with one suitcase each, into a one-room apartment. If I don’t keep it neat, because I now spend most of my time at home writing or cooking, it drives me absolutely insane.
November 12, 2013
This is so true! This weekend I need to purge all the other shit I have in my house that is causing these messes!!
November 12, 2013
I’ve hosted a few events in the past, but since moving to my most recent city, I realized I don’t have enough serving ware. I mostly have to entertain buffet style straight from the stove. I guess that’s just the life of a grad student for now.
Sarah
aroseinthecity0.blogspot.com
November 12, 2013
I don’t have enough serving ware either. ACTUALLY nevermind – I do have a lot of goldware and I need to just use it! I get scared to…
November 12, 2013
I think we get so overwhelmed by having the right ‘stuff’ to entertain, but it’s not about that at all!
My husband and I used to live in a 400 sq foot studio and I had christmas dinner at my house! I put a piece of plywood on top of four home depot buckets and spread a big tablecloth (sheet) over it. We all sat on the floor and ate like it was normal. It was one of our most memorable hosting experiences and the people who were there bring it up all the time!
November 12, 2013
I love that, Erin! Our favorite memories are of the same kind of events. No one really remembers the food, decor or things like that.
November 13, 2013
I love having people over and making a big deal about it. Sometimes I wish it was more laid back and fluid though. I would love if people would just drop in and I could throw together a nice gathering on the fly without invitations and plans etc. Good luck with your big hostessing goals! I’m sure you’ll be great. A few gorgeous items from Erin’s Grandiflora wouldn’t hurt either :)
November 13, 2013
I’m actually a little sad I won’t really have the time to host any holiday get togethers this year. It’s just a busy one this year. Love love love entertaining and having people over though :)
November 20, 2013
I do too! I’m going to try to fit in a Christmas party but people are just so busy these days. I sometimes worry if anyone will be able to come!
November 14, 2013
We have people over for dinner at least a couple times a week. Usually it’s family or close friends but just the act of people coming makes me clear off the table, put out a clean tablecloth and generally feel like there’s something special going on.
I wrote a blog post about hosting dinner parties awhile ago – http://harmonioushomestead.com/2011/12/15/hosting-a-dinner-party-tips/
November 20, 2013
Love this, Rachel! I was just telling a friend how I wish people dropped by unexpectedly more often…
December 23, 2013
A few tips from a “natural slob” to another self proclaimed slob. (you called yourself that, not me). I actually think I am a perfectionist slob
I just leave the doors open. I allow people to come in. I clean a place off the sofa for them to sit. Most people warmly accept that you are a “real person”, and are usually exclaiming how relieved they are and how comfortable they feel. Now mind you, I am not totally comfortable with this. I squirm and apologize (just once)…. but the fruit of my openness appears to have blessed lots of people.
I encourage you to stop striving for perfection and allow people in just as you are. They will like you anyway or run…… and you want the runners to leave sooner rather than later, right?