Setting the Mood for Holiday Meals

I can look through decorating books and magazines (or on blog posts about wallpaper) for hours. My secret little dream: Opening up Pell & Pell Traditional Interiors.

Chinoisserie, wallpaper, sconces, Farrow & Ball paint, I want it all, and someday I’d like to share my obsession.

But for now, I try to be content setting the perfect holiday table and making guests feel “magical” after a great dinner shared with great hosts (that’s me and you, of course).

Go through great magazines or old Martha Stewart books for inspiration. I feel like Pinterest can get a little modern and unattainable, and tried and true methods are not only, well, tried and true, but also familiar and classic. Think nice table cloths, fresh flowers, real napkins and books on the table that people can flip through. Holiday decorations should be fresh: toss out the dusty old wreaths and instead opt for fresh greenery with a simple bow or dried berries. Holiday decorating should definitely feel festive, but not crammed down your throat.

Seasonal favorites are seasonal, and favorites, for a reason, so stick with natural over synthetic, and look around outside or at markets for inspiration like real gourds for the table or cornstalks and leaves for the porch.

Whether it’s the dishes, the coffee, or the cheese and crackers for the tray, make sure to take your time and enjoy yourself when purchasing what you need. I love the thrill of the hunt when second-hand shopping with for some antique tea cups or sugar and cream vessels for the coffee.

I know I may catch some flack for this, but, non-disposable table service is it: food just simply tastes better on real dishes and eaten with real silverware. I know, it can be a lot of dishes and clean-up, but, it beats drippy, soggy bowls and plates that will soon overwhelm your garage canister. I know that you can purchase disposable “look alike” cutlery, but for all the trouble and price, I’d just end up washing it anyway! So, unless it’s a huge birthday party with a ton of children, I’d pass on the paper plates.

Sometimes “less is more”, and we don’t have to hang streamers from corner to corner in every room. Keeping it simple usually equals keeping it classy. A clean home with some floral arrangements, white candles, dim lighting (not too dim!), and a pretty tablecloth and dishes is where it’s at.

Vintage tablecloths can sometimes be found second hand, but are hard to find without a stain. Craft stores usually carry pretty cotton ones that are seasonal and wash up well.

I prefer tapers to other candles, and getting them in colors other than white can make it feel less “romantic” and more festive if you’re worried about that.

Soft music for some background noise keeps lapses in conversations comfortable. I usually play Celtic Music on my telephone on “low”, but, a great CD on a nice audio system is great (do people still do that? Where’s the Bose?)

People take note when they see that you went to great lengths to create a feeling. But, no matter what, remember not too worry about things you can’t change right away like outdated furniture or kitchen cabinets that need a fresh coat of paint. I vividly remember SO many too-large-to-tackle-in-a-pinch projects that I have drug Steve through over the year just because we had people coming the next day. Renos that should have taken days being slapped together, rooms rearranged, and SO much painting! One year I even talked him into painting our front porch (diamond pattern at that!) hours before guests arrived for a party. In the rain. We had people tracking paint in the house from their shoes!

I also planned a “surprise” birthday party for Steve one year, the day of his birthday (and only had hours to cook, clean, and invite people). I was so overwhelmed by the things that I told myself needed done that really were minor in hindsight, that I had to “unsurprise” Steve when I asked him for help getting them all done!

Yeah, poor Steve.

So, just remember that no matter how simple, great food and conversation seem to fill in the “gaps”, and by the time everyone settles in and eats, the atmosphere is what you want it to be, and no one will notice if you wiped down your baseboards or not.

When we had just moved into one of our first farmhouses, we were short on cash but I wanted to spruce up the place and make it feel special to Steve’s sister when she came to visit for the first time. So, one of the only “splurges” that I made (aside from the food) was new hand towels and a shower curtain for the bathroom. It wasn’t much, but, it was all that I could do and I reasoned that she would go into the bathroom at some point. I was so proud of those hand towels!

I feel a little silly now baring that here, but, it’s the truth, and I still believe that we don’t have to break the bank purchasing huge items to make a statement. All of the “little things” that we buy and accumulate over time add up once placed in their assigned spots to make a huge STATEMENT.