June 18, 2013

May 11, 2012

Party Thyme Quick Tip: Dining Table Seating Options

So you are having a big dinner party or other event in your home where you need extra seating. What to do? You can always rent dining chairs from party rental companies. Or you can start of collection of inexpensive, easy-to-store temporary seating. You want a nicely made chair that doesn’t take up too much [...]

April 27, 2012

Party Thyme Quick Tip: Table Options for a Garden Party

So you’re having a party in a few weeks. Weather permitting, you plan to use the patio, but you need another table or two. What to do? You can always rent tables from party supply companies. But why not just move a casual inside table outdoors? Just make sure the sky is clear if you do [...]

April 20, 2012

Party Thyme Quick Tip: Partyware

If you entertain more than 12 guests frequently, consider purchasing a couple of dozen (or more) basic, inexpensive wine glasses and plates for large party occasions. No need to get red wine glasses and white wine glasses. I recommend a glass with a medium sized bulb to accommodate red or white. Look for a price [...]

April 13, 2012

Party Thyme Quick Tip: Take Note

If you entertain frequently, consider keeping a diary of your parties. Information like who came, what was served, and quantities of food and beverage left at the end of the evening can prove immensely helpful for future party planning. Let’s say you have a cocktail party every fall.  At the end of the evening, take [...]

April 4, 2012

Party Thyme Quick Tip: Mosquitoes

Time to take the party outdoors! The temperature is mild, the jasmine is fragrant and the evenings are just lovely. That is, until you get attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. So before your bash, don’t forget to douse the perimeter of your outside space with backyard bug spray. Get aggressive in the fight — burn [...]

March 29, 2012

Party Thyme Quick Tip: Experiment with Seating

experiment with seating

Depending on the type of event you are hosting, parties are a great time to experiment with different seating configurations in your home. For example, maybe you need to arrange for a kids table in a dining room, or desire more seating in a living room.

March 24, 2012

Party Thyme Quick Tip: Bistro Lights

entertaining tips

Christmas lights aren’t just for the holiday season. Get more out of them by stringing them across your outdoor entertaining space or wrapping them around tree trunks. This creates a festive ambiance any time of  year. My patio is not very well lit and the easy solution was to string these bistro lights, which I [...]

March 8, 2012

Party Thyme Quick Tip: Table Talkers

conversation starters

Table talkers, those question cards housed in a small box, are a great way to get everyone involved in the conversation around the dinner table. These conversation starters are especially fun at large, multi-generational family gatherings, where you might even get shy cousin Susie to open up, and learn something new about great uncle Peter. [...]

March 1, 2012

Party Thyme Quick Tip: To Buffet or Not to Buffet

Entertaining Tips

When hosting 12 people or less for a dinner party, sometimes it’s easier to serve plates in the kitchen instead of having guests serve themselves at a formal buffet. Why? Sometimes it’s hard to get folks to step up to the plate (pun intended!) and start a buffet, meanwhile the food gets cold. That’s a [...]

February 24, 2012

Party Thyme Quick Tip: The Dishwasher. Empty It. Before the Party.

Party Thyme Quick Tip

Let’s face it, emptying the dishwasher is a chore. But you know what’s worse than that? After the party, when you are ready to load only to open it and discover — ugh — it’s still full of clean dishes! So this week’s entertaining quick tip is to remember to unload the dishwasher prior to [...]