Setting a Table - Step 3 to Planning a Dinner Party

Setting a table is the most fun for me because I enjoy the creative process of choosing and combining china, place mats, napkins and glassware. The party I was planning was for my husband's birthday. Since the focus was his birthday, I decided to choose colors that I knew he would like (gray, black with an exciting plum accent). Here are some tips that I use when setting a table:

1. Set the table either the night before or several hours prior to grocery shopping and cooking. You do not want to be rushed when being creative.

2. Choose the colors that work well with your theme. If there is no particular theme, but maybe just a special occasion, then choose colors that you think would be appealing for the guests. In this case, it was my husband's birthday, and I wanted colors that would be pleasing to him. With his gorgeous head of white hair, I thought of gray and wanted something that had those shades. I chose gray, black and plum as an accent.

3. Begin with the place mat (or table cloth). Choose a color that works well with the china. If your china is complicated, it may be best to choose a place mat that isn't as busy. My plates were simple, so I chose a mat with more design.

4. Pick out a charger that matches the china you are using. With gold rimmed plates, choose a gold, brown or black charger. The charger serves as a liner to the dinner plate, and the salad plate as a liner to the soup bowl.

5. Pick a napkin with color to accent the plates and mat. Napkin rings are fun and make the napkin look great. Open up the napkin and pull the napkin through the ring from the center of the napkin.

6. Take your silverware and set the cutlery from outside in depending on the course you are serving first. Example: the salad fork is on the outside of the dinner fork because it is used before the dinner fork.

7. Glasses come next - consider how many glasses of wine you are serving for each course and place them to the right of the dinner plate. Put each wine glass on the right side of the water glass. The order of glasses would be from left to right: water, white wine, red wine.

8. Choose flowers that pick up the colors of the table, but always include accent colors to give the table a punch. Keep your flowers low so that your guests can see each other. Add fruit or stones in your vases to make it interesting.

9. Lay votive candles all around the table surrounding the flower arrangements. I found these great crystal holders that made the candles look beautiful.

10. Final step is to go around the table and be sure that everything is evenly positioned. Place mats straightened, dishes in the center of each other, cutlery straight, napkins pulled through the napkin rings evenly and fluffed, votives and flowers evenly positioned throughout the table.

http://www.martaperrone.com

Are Tech Savvy consumers ready for a laundry room upgrade?

We all think about relieving the tedium of everyday chores, just the other day I wrote about the new automated floor cleaning system Mint.

Now news just out from Whirlpool that their new top loading Vantage line ($4000 for a washer/dryer pair) has 33 settings for clothes, blankets and even shower curtains all on a very cool iPod like touch screen.

Bosch, Sears Kenmore brand and LG are among an array of manufacturers coming out with new machines making the laundry room the next battleground for your already stretched credit/debit cards.

My 5-year-old Kenmore’s have 23 settings (I counted) so you can see how the ante is rising. I have at times even gone adventurous with my machines, washing items that claim Dry Clean Only, only to find them cleaned perfectly minus the $10+ cost per item at my local Dry Cleaner.

My laundry room is not the first place I bring guests when they come over, but if you have a need for blackberry or lemongrass shaded appliances I have an avocado side by side fridge just waiting for my Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks to thaw out.

Drunk with Kids in the Car

When a Nanny or Housekeeper wants to work with a family, it is imperative that she/he provides the family with a driving record. Can you imagine putting your child in a car with a Nanny who has a DUI or speeding tickets, accidents and other violations? Recently in Phoenix, the worst nightmare happened to a couple who had their nanny pick their children and take them to a pool party where she proceeded to drink large amounts of alcohol. She then struck a car and instead of stopping, she fled the scene of the incident. When the police finally caught up to the car, the nanny resisted arrest. The Nanny's blood alcohol level was .201 - triple the legal state limit. The Nanny now faces 3 felony counts of aggravated and extreme DUI. The due diligence you do on every candidate is extremely important. A Nanny may be wonderful, experienced and well-referenced; however, you must still do the driving check, criminal check, and complete background investigation before signing an employment agreement.

http://www.martaperrone.com