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The perfect guest room
In my experience as both a guest and a hostess, the happiest guests are those that have their own space, the luxury of idleness and are met by a relaxed hostess. Nothing says welcome as much as a well...
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Creating an inviting guest bathroom
The guest bathroom is often a showcase of color coordinated towels and ornaments that shout, “Don’t touch me” to the passer by, and to add insult to injury, every guest often feels that a speedy exit...
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Savvy guide to large group entertaining
The Savvy Host is back with a fabulous guide to large group entertaining. If the thought of hosting a large groups sends you reaching for a Mimosa the second you don your apron, rest assured that with...
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Top Tips for Successful Seating Arrangements
Large family gatherings always create a buzz of excitement from the volume of conversation that floats around the table and carries around the house. However, for a great many of us, this comes from...
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Stocking a family friendly bar
Hours of menu planning frequently go into delivering the perfect Thanksgiving dinner: the gracious host never overlooks the vegetarian guest, or the favored guest who simply adores roasted beets....
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A new twist on the traditional guest book
The holidays are upon us: guests are ringing door bells, hostesses are clicking their heels and before we know it, the merriment will turn into hibernation and the memories of those festive nights...
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Creating a well-dressed table
When creating the perfect dinner party or celebration, nothing is more inviting that a well dressed table…and no one knows how to dress a table better than the husband and wife team Aleah and Nick...
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The Art of Scenting Your Home
Creating a clean and fresh smelling home does not always equal hours of dusting, polishing and scrubbing (although it does help), smell plays an equally important role in creating an inviting home. And...
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The Hostess Journal
Between my household management book and vast collection of guest books, it should not surprise you that I also keep a hostess journal. As a child, I watched my grandmother use a variety of books to...
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Mastering Modern Dining Etiquette
Dining etiquette has changed little since the Victorian’s re-invented table manners, however modern dinning etiquette brings a mix of relaxed practices that often confuse the most socially responsible...
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The Gracious Toast
Adding a toast to a dinner with friends, family celebrations or a special event is a great way to commemorate the festivities and those in attendance. Toasts are typically incorporated into special...
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How to end a party in style
Everyone loves hosting a great party, and for the most part many of us are happy to keep the party going as long possible, but what about those times when all you want to do is reach for your bed and...
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Latest Entertaining & Design Trends
Decor and entertaining trends follow a seasonal path that is often intertwined, and while I prepared for a recent summer party I could not help but acknowledge that the season for relaxed entertaining...
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Advice to the reluctant entertainer
Entertaining at home should be second nature; however modern demands on our time coupled with the massive promotion of picture perfect menus send many of us reaching for a wine glass at the mere...
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How to calculate your beverage needs {& a Peppermint Martini Recipe}
For most people, attending a dinner party is more about enjoying the people than, the food or drink, but making sure that you have plenty of all 3 on hand is a guaranteed way to host a successful...
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Kitchen Gossip with Aleah & Nick Valley
Aleah and Nick Valley This month I’m gathering around my kitchen table and chatting with some of my favorite enetertaining and cooking experts to find out what inspires them, how they live in their...
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Overcoming Dinner Party Disasters
After days of planning, hours of cooking and moments spent rearranging the floral display while you anxiously await your guests to arrive, the last thing on your mind is the wine reduction sauce...
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Dinner Party Serving Styles
My first dinner party was a feast of pasta, garlic bread and wine in a tiny London flat that hardly had space for a kitchen table, let alone 4 adults trying to enjoy a dignified evening. My husband...
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Thanksgiving Table Tactics
Compared to many families made popular on reality TV, my family is dull, dry and lacks the gusto to make for captivated viewing… but I adore them nonetheless and find comfort in the fact that the...
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A Picture Perfect Anniversary Celebration
I am a hopeless romantic, to say that I am in love with love is an understatement. I weep at sappy commercials, cry at weddings and feel my heart tug when I see old married couples holding hands like...
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5 Tips for stocking a family bar
If you know me, you know that I will plan my holiday bar as well as I plan my holiday dinner. But for some of us, hours of menu planning frequently go into delivering the perfect Thanksgiving dinner...
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How to host a baking party
Exactly one year ago this month I put on my big girl pants and tossed out all my instant cake boxes…I was going to learn to bake if it killed me. I am anything but a rule follower, so baking and I...
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