Creatively Getting Ready for Dinner with Friends

Getting ready to host a dinner for friends is one of the joys of entertaining.  I absolutely adore creating a menu, choosing linens, setting the table with a mix of interesting dishes, and creating a centerpiece.  Every time I have guests over my table has an entirely different ambiance.

I recently had two friends, Beth Flaherty and Phyllis Campbell, and my sister, Carol Swindler, over for a meal.  The vegetarian menu included zesty carrot, sweet potato and coconut milk soup, a fruity quinoa salad served over spinach, ziti with sun dried tomatoes and kale, and lemon bars.  I will share these recipes another day.

Today I will describe how I set the table and share a picture of my friends and sister:

My sister is wearing black, Phyllis is in the gray and Beth in the pink flowered sweater.  We had a wonderful time dining, talking and laughing together!

When selecting the linens, first I decided to go with a green tablecloth and denim runners.  The runners I made by hand and I added a kind of a Sashiko (running stitch) design to hem them.  I didn't want the lines to look perfect, but rather folksy, so I stitched them without first marking a chalk line.  Here is a closeup:

Here is the runner on my buffet:

I wanted the centerpiece to look refreshing, since it was a warm day, so I decided on a white bowl for the Ikebana arrangement and added gray, black and turquoise rocks in the water.  The unopened bud is a gorgeous peony in pale pink and the arrangement felt crisp and cooling:

 For a candle, I used one of my homemade ones (I could share that creative activity another time) and I set it inside a metal holder, like this:

I definitely want to host many dinners for friends, because not only is the party fun, but the fun I have being creative before the party starts brings added dimension to life.

Until next time dear friends, be creative!