Paperwhites … mine are growing nice and tall in the punch bowl I planted them in a few weeks back.

I love the crisp white of the flower.

It’s a good reminder that spring is on its way, as I walk by our piano and see these beauties standing nice and tall.

But … what’s the secret to getting them to stand so tall and pretty, without falling over?

F I S H I N G L I N E !!!

Clear fishing line.

Tie a piece around the middle.

You can barely see the knot.

And no one will even know!

If you planted bulbs this winter, have you thought about using fishing line, how are the bulbs growing, and would you share a picture of them over on my Reluctant Entertainer Facebook page?

I’m so happy to announce the winner to Nester’s Winter Giveaway Day who won the KitchenAid® 13-cup Food Processor:

Congratulations to …

Debbie Smith

When we examine our families, we’re likely to find the roots of who we are.

Last month I received a very special Christmas gift from my sister, Di, one that I’m reminded of daily because it’s in my dining room, in black letters, up high on the wall. And the cool thing is, the 3 of us girls have the same vinyl words on our dining walls. (My sisters and I at Christmas.)

The family prayer on my Dad’s side of the family, one we sing every time we are together, is scripted out in black vinyl ink, stretched across one wall in my home.

The words remind me of my grandparents and family. I’m not sure where this song/prayer originated from, except I grew up singing it with my Dad’s family, and later my Mom’s family incorporated it into large group prayers.

One of my early memories of this song was at a family reunion in Turner, Oregon, where my Grandfather and his large extended family (the ones who were still living; he had 20 brothers and sisters–yes, 2 mothers) gathered together for a weekend of celebration.

Before each meal, we’d sing the Friesen prayer.

God is great and God is good, And we thank Him for our food …

Hundreds of family members gathered. I was young; I probably only intimately knew a handful of cousins, but the experience was impacting and binding.

My dining space before I added the vinyl wording.

My niece, Lisa, the creation behind the project.

The final “Amen.”

The finished product.

When we examine our families, we find the roots of who we are.

And those roots anchor our kids.

And their kids.

And their kids’ kids.

Written words can capture the senses, and they give us a feeling of belonging.

Do you have anything in your home that, as you walk by a certain room or space, reminds you of family?

(My niece is very talented and has her own little biz going over at Dabrowski Designs. We did not use a company as she created this herself. She also used a straight line laser level to get the “perfect” line.)

I’m crazy about the “fresh feel” of January and putting all the Christmas stuff away, tidying up, thinning out, simplifying … it just feels good.

My husband and I went to a few after-Christmas sales and I picked up my annual fresh Paperwhites.

What are Paperwhites?

Paperwhites belong to a group of Daffodils that are easily grown in a pot or vase indoors. Their large clusters of pure white flowers arch above graceful, blue-green foilage, and their perfume fills a room with fragrance. Paperwhites require no preparation and are absolutely foolproof. When bulbs are planted in early December, they will flower in 4 to 6 weeks.

Mine were planted the last week of December, so I’m counting down the days!

Now the fun part for me is that this year I planted them in a … tah-dah … punch bowl.

My cousin passed down to me her punch bowl set with 12 dainty cups, which actually match my Dollar Store goblets. I love how she had me in mind when she was thinning and cleaning through her stuff.

Yes, I was looking for something big, pretty, and that would hold all of the bulbs (I planted 3 boxes).

I love how the lip comes in, and it will hold them nice and tight as they grow taller and taller.

Follow the directions on the box.

They started looking like this.

But in 5 days time, grew to look like this.

I wanted to post about this now, because there’s still time to grab some after-Christmas sales and get your bulbs planted.

Maybe in your punch bowl, now that the holidays are over!

Let’s all share pictures of our beautiful bulbs in about 6 weeks, okay? (Here’s what I “re-potted” last year, not Paperwhites, but pretty!)

I’ll be sharing mine!

Do you plant winter bulbs in December or January, and what are your favorites?

After Christmas we hosted a small gathering in our home for our daughter, who’s headed to Carnegie Hall in 2012 with a group that she plays violin with. It’s an exciting time for our family!

I’ve already been in the entertaining mode, but since Christmas was passed, I wanted to add an element of freshness and greenery.

I fell in love with the lemon cypress plants at our local grocery store and the price was right to have them inside, decorated, and then be able to plant them outside in larger pots in a few months.

To get ready for about 25 people in our home, I pulled out the white dishes that I’d be using for the spread.

Paper napkins and plates from the Dollar Store.

I added green ribbon to the plants and placed them in a white dish (since I will be planting these in our courtyard, I did not want to buy pots for the plants, an additional expense.)

Placed them around the house.

Used pictures of old-violin-days.

We brought out our daughter’s first violin that she started playing at age 4.

A memorable night, we were grateful for the gift of music, old and new friends, and the effort our daughter put into her concert.

How to care for lemon cypress trees
From what we’ve been told, these pretty little plants need a TON of water. But I took some info from the web on how to take care of them if you want to read up on them before you purchase them. They are so bright and cheery and really fun to decorate with!

Indoors
Keep your lemon cypress tree near a window where light is plentiful. During colder months, consider using a light box to give it light. Keep the soil moist, especially during the winter. According to Indoorplantcare.com, new lemon cypress owners often make the mistake of watering their trees using only tap water. The lemon cypress needs water with properly measured fertilizer for nutrition.

Outdoors
Lemon cypress trees are accustomed to a fair amount of heat. About 68 degrees is best. Caring for a lemon cypress outdoors requires maintaining a frequent watering schedule and ensuring that the tree is properly fed and trimmed. Indoorplantcare.com suggests planting lemon cypress in a somewhat acidic mixture of compost. Adding a little clay or sand to already fertile soil will keep your lemon cypress growing year after year.

Are your Christmas decorations down, and how do you plan to refresh things up this month?

What I love about this time of year is bringing nature into the house for decorating, because it’s beautiful and mostly free.

Don’t you love rose hip branches? Pottery Barn sells them, and they are beautiful, but I bet you can find a local biz that will sell the fresh live branches to you. Or, better yet, find a local bush that you could trim some from yourself.

Nothing is better than real (I’m not a big fan of the faux red berry branches).

In our town, Pennington Farms sell the branches from their property, or Terra Firma Home in their store.

Last year I had fun arranging them in our home.

This year I bought double the amount of branches and used them in different ways.

It’s also elegant to decorate a simple table.

How about the window sill?

Little bit of dessert stylin’.

Add to your beverage area if you’re hosting a party.

One simple branch along with a curly willow branch.

Hang glass tea light vases from the branches.

Last night I took a quick picture of my kitchen counter.

I wrote about bringing the great outdoors (and greenery) in last year.

And look what my friend Kristin made and brought to my house. Beautiful. I love handmade gifts!

But this year I’m all about the rose hips.

What kind of natural items do you use for decorating at Christmas?

This post is linked to The Inspired Room’s House Tour/DIY Linky party!

Apples, Apples, Apples.

Such a simple, inexpensive, and beautiful way to decorate during the holidays.

Decorating with seasonal fresh fruit is easy, colorful and interesting. You can start with holiday greens as the base, and then mound or arrange the apples in interesting containers.

On the counter – add a wreath to a large white bowl and fill with apples.

Apples and evergreen topiary – HGTV.

Outside – my front porch.

Creative wreaths – BHG.

Make your own centerpiece – BHG.

On the mantel – my friend Melissa’s house in Seattle.

Enjoy a scented wreath – Paula Deen.

Hang from the trees – holiday cheer from Plant Talk.

Apple candle holders – BHG.

Dried apples – ambience with tea lights.

What clever ways will you be decorating with apples this holiday season?

Our friends came for dinner last weekend and I challenged myself to dig through my box of autumn decorations and use what I already had in setting my table. And also add some little autumn touches around the house.

How many times do we entertain and run to the store to buy something new?

It doesn’t have to be that way.

One less trip to the store gives me more peace of mind when I’m entertaining.

- Find a tablecloth that works well for the season
- Pull out your entertaining dishes
- Iron up the cloth napkins
- Set the table early using what you have
- Keep the centerpiece simple
- Light the candle and take a picture before your guests come

Many of you know my philosophy of using standard white dishes year round, and adding seasonal accents to make every gathering in our home special and unique.

Along with pumpkins on the porch and autumn wreaths around the house, it’s sometimes the “little touches” that remind us of the season.

Pillar candle on the kitchen counter.

Simple leaf in a tiny vase.

Small black napkins in various places.

Fall-ish pictures of kids from “the old days”.

Touch of fall greenery.

Seasonal pictures of your own food, framed.

Do I ever worry about what people will think? Yes.

Did I worry about my tablecloth not being long enough on the ends (I bought this for my old table which was smaller)? Yes.

Did I think about my menu and second-guess myself? All the time.

But what I’ve learned to do, and what I want to encourage RE readers to do, is to push past your fears and remember this:

The heart of hospitality is wherever people feel loved, cherished, and valued.
(-The RE)

A stylish table can add to the evening, for sure, but it’s not everything.

What little reminders help you keep entertaining simple?

Warm connections can start when your guests walk up to your front door.

Whether they’re coming for dinner, to pick something up or drop off, to grab a child, to drop off a kid, maybe even drop off or pick up a quick meal, no matter what, your front door area is important.

Everyone’s front porches are different, and my area is rather small, so I choose to keep it simple.

This fall, I chose beautiful mums.

Pumpkins.

And turned over buckets to add height. A garden bucket and a Home Depot orange bucket (color tied right in).

It’s colorful, seasonal, was very inexpensive, and it says to my guests, “Happy Autumn,” when they come to the door.

Warm connections also begin the minute you open the door, with a smile, with the words that come out of your mouth, and the way you make a person feel.

Can you remember a time you felt welcomed, right at the door?

If you don’t have time for seasonal decorating, how do you make your entry or front door area welcoming?

If you missed previous days to 31 Days of Warm Connections …
Day 1: Secret Ingredient to Warmer Connections
Day 2: Bringing the Beauty of Autumn to Your Table
Day 3: Multi-Generational Pear Applesauce
Day 4: Canning Suncrest Peaches with a Friend
Day 5: How to Find Contentment
Day 6: Encouragement with Easy Pear Cobbler
Day 7: Bush’s Garbanzos, Chicken, and Quinoa Soup for a Sports Family
Day 8: More About Others
Day 9: Technology Versus People
Day 10: The Table Experience with Bush’s Beans
Day 11: Dreaming of Autumn Guests
Day 12: Gathering Around a Homemade Life
Day 13: Sisters in New York City
Day 14: Giving to Those in Need
Day 15: Enjoying Everyday Sounds
Day 16: Life’s Small Moments
Day 17: Well-Designed Kitchen Counter
Day 18: “Now Time” and 5 Years at RE
Day 19: Taking a Chance and Chocolate Caramel Bars
Day 20: Harry and David, Nostalgia and Hospitality
Day 21: Even in a Messy House

And be sure to check out the rest of the 31 Day Participants!

When the weather turns cold, our kitchen is the go to place for gathering our plates, filling them up, and eating together as a family.

Sometimes we eat around the table, other times out on the back patio (heater), upstairs in the family room, or even in our cozy living room.

It doesn’t really matter where.

Since my Dad designed our kitchen–with a curved overhang of the island, just right for 3 stools–I do believe he had “conversation” and “warmth” in mind.

Easy-designed kitchen counter:

-We made it extra long
-Wide open space for an abundance of food
-Plenty of room for stacks of plates
-Perfect for bodies leaning in while sitting on stools
-Intimate for conversations

I also love decorating “big” on our large center island:

Cut branches with stunning Fall colored leaves. A reminder of the changing season and a cozy season to come.

It’s not every day that nature delivers a thousand red leaves on the soon to be naked branches of trees.

-Snip or cut branches
-Find a large vase
-Add rocks or something to weigh it down with
-Stick the branches in (rocks)
-Add water

And then enjoy the stunning, drop-dead-gorgeous glow, right on your kitchen counter!

Warm connections come from something as simple as … a well-designed kitchen counter.

When’s the last time your freshened up your kitchen counters with a reminder of the season?

If you missed previous days to 31 Days of Warm Connections …
Day 1: Secret Ingredient to Warmer Connections
Day 2: Bringing the Beauty of Autumn to Your Table
Day 3: Multi-Generational Pear Applesauce
Day 4: Canning Suncrest Peaches with a Friend
Day 5: How to Find Contentment
Day 6: Encouragement with Easy Pear Cobbler
Day 7: Bush’s Garbanzos, Chicken, and Quinoa Soup for a Sports Family
Day 8: More About Others
Day 9: Technology Versus People
Day 10: The Table Experience with Bush’s Beans
Day 11: Dreaming of Autumn Guests
Day 12: Gathering Around a Homemade Life
Day 13: Sisters in New York City
Day 14: Giving to Those in Need
Day 15: Enjoying Everyday Sounds
Day 16: Life’s Small Moments

And be sure to check out the rest of the 31 Day Participants!

Setting a beautiful table is one of my favorite elements of entertaining. I don’t get stressed or frazzled about it, simply because I don’t over-think it.

The table is the least of my worries. It’s not going to make or break the evening, even though it does provide a sense of ambience.

The food, the conversation, the people … I really think it’s our attitude, words, and encouragement that we give or that others give us that make us better people.

As we begin to enjoy the change of the seasons, natural light taking on a golden glow, we can bring out the candles, take a walk and gather the simple beauties of nature that can add a touch to the table, or in my case, pull off to the side of the road when you see a beautiful tree and pick up a few leaves.

If we slowed down and took a look at the simple things around us, we’d have calmer attitudes about entertaining and practicing hospitality.

Capturing the moment comes when we bring the beauty of autumn home by gathering a few reminders.

One easy step to enjoying the stunning colors of a fall leaf by placing a few under the goblets on your table.

When’s the last time you took a stroll through nature and brought it back to your table?

If you missed Day 1 …
Day 1: Secret Ingredient to Warmer Connections

I love to keep a black pedestal with a vase of flowers from my yard on my dining table.

This week it happens to be mini pink roses from the side of my house. They are climbing roses and easy to maintain.

And beautiful to bring inside.

My house gets stale just like yours. Papers pile up, shows in the entry-way, dust, the floor (oh, boy!), and the vases of flowers need freshening up. I usually get on a cleaning frenzy and change out the flowers when I’m cleaning house. And I will say I’m a bit more motivated to “spruce up” the house when dinner guests are coming.

Hospitality is about making others feel warm and welcome. It’s never perfect, but when your heart is right and your eyes are off of yourself, it’s beautiful to experience.

Do you take advantage of the flowers growing in your yard?

What’s on your dining room table or kitchen counter this week?

(If you’re wanting to know about the plaque in my dining room (above), you can visit Red Letter Words, here!)

When our friends came for dinner, I didn’t get around to setting the table until 10 minutes before they arrived.

I used my standard gray tablecloth, that has become my all-time favorite now. I quickly set the table, and grabbed the black and white napkins off of the back patio area. And of course my Dollar Store goblets.

I looked around my yard to see what was in bloom. Right before me were 2 gorgeous lavender bushes.

How to Create a Centerpiece Using Lavender

1. Fill a low-line vase with water.

2. Cut lavender at different lengths, around 6-8 inches long.

3. Lay the lavender around the perimeter of the vase.

4. Enjoy the beauty.

The table came together in less than 5 minutes.

By the way, I just love lavender and green together. It reminds me of my bedroom as a little girl where I grew up right outside of Medford, Oregon – green shag carpet and purple walls. I shared my room with my sister – she had the clean side, I had the messy side – but the good thing is we each had our own closet.

The closet at the house we grew up in still has the brown label with my name inside.

I know many women say they are “not” creative, but really, you just have to look around at nature and see what you can snip and capture in a vase of water.

Sometimes we don’t have the time to sit and enjoy our backyards and summertime plants, but when we bring them a little closer, like to our dining tables, we can’t help but enjoy the beauty.

I often find myself staring at the centerpiece, as simple as it can be!

When’s the last time you looked around your yard and brought something beautiful to the table?

For the first time since we have lived in our home, my husband and I decided to move our outdoor dining table to a different space for entertaining.

It was so easy and created a new experience for us all.

We moved the table out by the garden.

I added a small side table for water and for overflow of platters.

Snipped a few lilies from the closest flower bed.

Used MyDrap large dinner napkins, folding them in half.

I loved the large, clean, crisp look.

We moved the tiki torches closer to the entertaining space.

The table was set and ready for a great night.

I think we need to be reminded that it’s okay to break the rules with summer entertaining, to realize that we sometimes get in a rut with the standard barbecue served casual buffet-style.

It’s great to move things around, to change things up a bit.

To take our modern, casual, informal lifestyles and add a spin of elegance and creativity.

Have you recently done anything different or creative with your summer entertaining?

Thinking ahead to October, I’m going to be participating in Nester’s 31 Days of Change series coming up! I’m so happy she invited me back, and if you want to join with a topic that inspires you, during the month of October, feel free to jump in with your blog! My topic last year was: 31 Days to Stress-Free Entertaining.

My topic this year will be: 31 Days of Keeping the Family Together.

What inspires a happy family and how we can stay connected during busy times with 3 teenagers and the holidays just around the corner. I hope you’ll join me in October as I post for 31 days straight, but better yet, why don’t you start thinking about your topic? There will be different ways to link up. It’s going to be inspirational, I can feel it already Thank you, Nester!

Now and then I like to share a little decorating tip, and one that is my favorite is really simple, and elegant.

I think back to how my mom decorated in the 70s, and she always brought nature inside. We lived out in the country, so it was very common for her to cut pussy willows or cat tails and bring them into the house or on to the front patio as a part of the decor.

I love the simple look of a curly willow. You’ll find these in Pottery Barn and maybe you’ve wondered where you could get them?

At your local florist you can pick up fresh (plain) curly willow branches for very little money.

What I did was call ahead to our florist and ask when the fresh ones would be arriving.

I only bought one single stem, for a tall, narrow vase in my living room. I think I paid about $4.

Here’s a tip to make the willow bloom and last for a long time.

Use a hammer to pound (crush) the bottom inch (2.5 cm) of the stem for maximum water absorption. Place in a vase of water. In a week or two it will start to sprout.

Beautiful!

I do love the simple, yet elegant touch of a single curly willow.

I also bought two branches of other greenery while I was at the florist. I’ll you have to do is ask, and sometimes they’ll just give them to you.

What’s a simple touch of nature that you like to bring inside?

We have an enormous array of OxEye daisies blooming in our front yard right now.

So many that I cut down a whole plant and placed them in a bucket.

They’re on the back patio for everyone to enjoy.

If you keep the water fresh, they’ll last a long time, and they’re very elegant for entertaining.

Here are some tips on these “wild flowers.” They seem to be a little bit invasive (just a little bit? LOL).

Almost everyone loves the OxEye Daisy, and it’s established in all 50 states and in Canada. But many states consider this flower a weed, so check to see if it’s allowed in your area. Common roadside daisies grow anywhere, including in wet spots, and form tough big root masses with large blooming clumps. You can plant the seeds anytime, and expect bloom after one full winter.

I love the few weeks when they are all in bloom, but my favorite daisy is the Shasta daisies!

Do you have daisies growing in your yard this year, and if so, what kind?

I love how joyfully Independence Day is celebrated in America. As we celebrate our freedom, we also get to flaunt our pride with vivid red, white and blue colors!

If you’re entertaining on July 4th, it will probably involve a barbecue at home, a picnic at the fireworks, or possibly a small dinner party.

By this time in the summer season, it only seems natural to bring the fun outside by setting a patriotic table or serving area for your guests.

Setting the Mood with Red, White and Blue

Remember that simple, fresh food can really add to your table, even if you can’t afford stylish accessories.

-A large bowl of layered blueberries, strawberries, and whipped cream.
-Insalata Caprese Salad (Mozzarella, tomato and basil) served on a white or blue serving plate.
-Red pepper slices served with blue cheese dip, on a dark blue platter.
-Blue tortilla chips with red salsa.
-Blue Jell-O with raspberries or strawberries layered, topped with whipped cream.
-Star shaped cookies with white frosting, sprinkled with red and blue sugars.
-Pies with star-shaped dough pieces baked on top.
-Fill small half-pint canning jars with red flowers.
-Add or piece flags together for table runners.
-Buy small flags at the Dollar Store for backyard potted plants.

Adding a splash of color to your entertaining area and also to the food brings a festive mood without any extra effort.

How will you be decorating your table or entertaining space this holiday weekend?

Last week as I sent my son out to set the patio table for a barbeque with a few friends, I noticed one thing that in past years I would have fixed right away, even if it meant me taking everything off the table, and then resetting it.

Do you see anything a little different here?

Yes, the tablecloth was wrong side up with the tag showing!

I decided not to make it right, because it really didn’t matter.

I can honestly say that looking back over years of entertaining, I fussed too much about things that are ridiculous to even think about now. Things that others would never have noticed–only my critical eye.

It’s not only a lesson for me, but for my kids, that “things don’t have to be perfect” in order to enjoy your guests.

I left the tablecloth exactly how it was. I didn’t point it out and he never knew.

I grabbed a few flowers to set in the center of the table, including a flower from the chives.

We enjoyed a fantastic cool spring tiki-lit night, good food, great friends … and a imperfect table.

Do you struggle with perfectionism? How do you think it affects your children?

I absolutely love Spring, especially when I get to clean off our back patio and start dreaming about long, hot, summer nights of entertaining with family and friends.

What I love about our outdoor entertaining space is that there’s not much I have to do.

When we bought this house 6 years ago, it was here for us to enjoy. Our plan is to eventually replace the 8 foot slider with French doors, but that is down the road (when children are through with school and college – like a zillion years away).

For now, we don’t let that stop our entertaining moments. Things will never be perfect and that is okay.

I think we all have to fight off stagnation and either move things around or freshen things up. We can decorate the same way, year after year, or we can try new ideas. I try purposely to see things with fresh eyes, and keep a good attitude about the things that I have.

If we focused on the things we don’t like about our homes, we’d never say “yes” to inviting people in!

There’s plenty I’d love to change about our side-yard area, one “dreamy” idea would be to add an outdoor kitchen. We’d put it to good use, but I also know it’s far from reality.

For 5 months, our outdoor space is like having an outdoor family room that’s larger than our indoor one:

-We purchased our sectional 5 years ago and it has held up excellently in the elements.
-Love the reversible cushions that can change the design of the room.
-We took 2 coffee tables from our “old set” and put them side by side, adding a table runner to make it look like ONE table.
-Spray painted the $2 yard sale lamp black and added a new shade.
-The other items came from home stores on clearance or was very inexpensive.

Cozy–a place where our family hangs all spring, summer, and fall–we have about 6 months of togetherness.

Freshening up the back area:
-Blow the back area of dirt, dust, and leaves
-Clean off the tables with Windex
-Move pictures around
-Add a table runner
-Put a tray down
-Add a Springy wreath, and some kind of decor item that ties in with the outdoor theme
-Place pillows around that also tie in

And enjoy the moments.

No matter what the size, what do you love about your outdoor space?

One thing about blogging is that you generally receive nice comments (99.9% of the time), and then an occasional comment that is really critical. If you’re a blogger, you know what I mean.

I so appreciate my faithful readers here at RE who know me and what my blog and message is about. Thank you!

Recently a reader said my “blog” and a “table post” was too bright and colorful, that my dishes were too-perfect, and she said I paid too much for my asparagus – which made me smile, because I bought it on sale right before Easter! (Ha! How did the reader know what I spent?)

Imperfect and inexpensive is what RE is about:
- I love a bright and cheery table.
- I most always use what I have in the house, this time, flowers from the yard (leftover roses from my daughter’s bouquet), and apples we are going to eat!
- If you notice, my son set the table and the silverware were placed in far from perfect order and spacing.
- I never pay too much for asparagus. I usually shop “what’s in season.”
- My white dishes are 20 years old in June this year (when my husband and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary).
- My tablecloth is from Wal Mart.
- Paper napkins were left over from last year’s Easter meal.

Should I add that I shop at the Dollar Store? I love my $1 goblets.

Enough said …

Beautiful is a must, but expensive rarely happens in my house.

Moving on to the centerpiece …

Whoever thought you could mix fruit and flowers?

How to Make a Fruit and Flower Centerpiece
- Decide which tablecloth and napkins you’ll be using
- Choose a fruit that matches your “setting.”
- Stack your fruit on a plate or bowl, into a tier.
- Look for flowers that will match your “setting.”
- Cut the stems short and place in the holes between the stacked fruit.

So beautiful and simple.

Do you have a Springy, simple and easy centerpiece that you’ve recently made for entertaining table?

This week is one of my favorite weeks of Spring. I really love preparing for Easter.

I enjoy planning the Easter menu, thinking about the table, and cutting fresh flowers from the yard because our tulips are always in bloom.

This year I won’t be shopping for “new” tablescape items, because I’ll be using what I have from last year’s Easter table setting. I even have enough beautiful paper napkins left over, so I don’t plan to spend a dime on any added fluff.

Nature has enough fluff of its own, and I believe we need to think more in terms of nature when we set our tables.

Besides, nature is FREE.

10 Steps to Setting a Beautiful Easter Table

1. Count the people who will be attending Easter brunch or dinner.

2. Decide if you plan to serve buffet style, family-style, or if you plan to serve your guests individually.

3. Whether buffet style or serving your guests individually, you can squeeze more guests in around the table.

4. If you plan to serve “family-style,” then your guests will need more elbow-room because of making room on the table for the food.

5. Make sure your table cloths are pressed and ready for use. You may need to push 2 or 3 tables together.

6. Have your kids help you count out and get out the stemware, dishes, and silverware.

7. Make sure you have “springy” napkins for use. And remember, using paper is okay!

8. Have your children help you set the table, if they are old enough.

9. Look at the table and count out how many low-level mini centerpieces you’ll need and gather your vases. If you need to borrow, don’t be afraid to ask family, friends, or even your neighbors for what entertaining pieces you may be missing.

10. Cut fresh greenery and any blooming flowers from your yard and make mini arrangements. If you don’t have flowers, ask a neighbor or a friend if you could snip a flower or two from their property. That is all you need if you have greenery.

RE TIP for easy entertaining: Set your table the night before Easter Sunday, so it’s all ready when you wake up Easter morn. It’s one less thing to have to think about.

Entertaining in a frugal way really helps lessen the stress-level. It restores sanity to what could be very expensive, without sacrificing and taking away from the joy of the season. You can still have style, and focus on the reason for the day – and it really helps to set the table the night before

Will you plan on setting your table the night before Easter this year? And what about asking your family to help?