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Saturday, January 17, 2015

A Winning Formula For Easy Entertaining

 

Ribbet Edit simple entertaining

This week was a fun week for me I got to spend time with two life long friends that I had not seen for awhile.

It is so amazing how you can just pick up like you saw them the day before.

That is how good friends are. I consider myself very blessed to have some wonderful lady friends, friends of the heart, chosen family, soul sisters.

Both days were talking marathons, we talked for 5 hours straight, and to be honest we probably could have talked even longer if time would have allowed.


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One of the days was spent here in my home, talking and visiting in my family room. 

It was a rather cold dreary day so the fireplace was ablaze, and we stayed warm and cozy in my little home.

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On my kitchen bar I always have a tray of some sort with bowls of nuts and dried cranberries. 

It is such an easy thing to do, and it is out every single day, whether we have guest or not. 

In fact my friend asked if we always had it set up like this and it felt good to say, “YES!”

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 The other thing I do is always have soft music playing in the background, and candles are lit. None of this takes great effort, and to be honest it is such a habit I don’t think much about it at all. 

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Each morning I get up, make a cup of coffee, and as it is brewing, I turn on the ambient light, light the candles, and turn on soft music. 

I am not sure when I started doing this. It is obviously a very long time ago, because it is now a way of life.

basket tray full of goodies
(Large basket tray filled with seasonal goodness)

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The other thing I try to do is to have fresh flowers, whether it is greenery from outside, or a flower that is blooming in the yard, or a grocery store bunch, I like to have life in my home with real flowers and plants.

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(a simple sprig of fern in antique bottles on the window sill)

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Another easy way to have snacks out for your family and your guest.

You will notice it is really nothing fancy at all, it is just displayed nicely so that makes it feel special.

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It is amazing how a touch of greenery in a white vase makes a beautiful, clean, fresh statement in a room.

These are all such simple things to do, and these are things that my guest will inevitably comment on, and ask me if I do this all the time. I can always answer with a, “YES!”

Ribbet collage Summer Flowers and tomatoes

With the cold, and dreary months ahead of us, do this for yourself, family and friends. 

It is like a dose of good medicine!!

 
 

5 comments:

Woodside Park said...

All of your touches are so gracious, warm and inviting, Kathysue!! You are a very thoughtful hostess. It is always lovely to spend time at home with good friends. Happy weekend :)

Liz@ HomeandGardeningWithLiz said...

Good thoughts for the winter months and all year long for that matter! Love that inspiration "all I want to do is make things look nice" I feel that is me all the way! I love to have candlelight accents in the evenings too and I'd love to have fresh cut things from outdoors but my environment doesn't allow for that all the time. It's so true about enjoying the little things in life! Have a great rest of the weekend!

Debbie Petras said...

Beautiful simple touches make such a difference. I love your ideas!

Unknown said...

Beautiful presentations, Kathysue. I have always done small things like this (learned from my Mom) and am surprised when people comment about things like a candle burning in the powder room just to light the way or turning back the sheets for my family and any overnight guests (my daughter recently mentioned this and how she does it automatically and her boyfriend teases her) and always, always, fresh flowers! It does not take any money to have a beautiful and gracious home. Thanks for sharing.

Teresa Hatfield ~ Splendid Sass said...

It looks so pretty, Kathysue! I am glad that you were able to spend time with old friends. It is nothing like it.
Happy Monday.
Teresa
xoxo