Party Planning Basics: Vol. 1

The Presentation

So you want to plan a party? Me too! Party planning is a ton of fun... if you are a super-nerd who is obsessed with making lists and planning things down to the last detail, loves cooking, cleaning and cramming bunches of people into your home. So basically if you are me, party planning is a ton of fun! Not everyone shares my penchant for cleaning products and perusing countless grocery stores for the perfect ingredients. With that in mind, I will be writing posts with time saving tips and tricks to throw parties that the Barefoot Contessa herself would be proud of!

Today's post addresses one of the most important aspects of throwing a party. Presentation. Presentation can make or break your party. Anyone can throw some crackers on a plate with cheese and pour wine, but to make a lasting impression on your guests you need more in your arsenal than that. 

Enter statement serving pieces. The jewelry of your party or canvas of your culinary masterpiece. Statement pieces can be whatever you want them to be. Sparkly and luxurious or simple and sleek. Make your presentation an extension of your personality and you will create a cohesive look for all of your parties. The best part is, you don't need to sacrifice an arm and a leg to get quality statement serve ware. A mix of heirloom serve ware and new pieces I bought myself make up my burgeoning (albeit eclectic) collection. Below are some of my favorite pieces along with tips on how to expand on your personal entertainment collection.

Legacy Pieces:

My Grandmother Jane's salad set. These bowls just gleam don't they? 

This salad service was my paternal grandmother's. As the wife of an Air Force Colonel, she knew how to entertain in style. She had the most beautiful china, crystal, and serve ware and she always impressed with her presentation. She passed away when I was five years old and my Aunt inherited her stunning collection. When I got married, my loving Aunt gave me several key serving pieces that I am now obsessed with! I am fortunate to have family members who gifted me with these precious heirlooms but before my marriage I scouted yard sales, antique shops and estate sales to find the pieces that started my collection. If you don't have any inherited pieces (and my heart bleeds for you if you don't!), scour the aforementioned venues for your anchor pieces. To skip to advise on second hand buys scroll to the bottom of this post.

eBay/Internet Finds:

These vintage glasses are  Fostoria Platinum Wedding Ring champagne saucers. 

My sister introduced me to the wonders of buying antique, quality dishes. My favorite china and crystal sets I have ever seen belonged to my Grandmother. When my sister inherited her china, she began expanding it by purchasing pieces on eBay for a song. She kindly gifted me with eight place settings of my own to build upon (#weddingpresentsrule!). I bought the glasses in the picture above because they match my Grandmother's wine goblets. Between the two of us, we have some lovely china and crystal. Not everyone cares about or needs/uses china and crystal but you can buy platters, soup tureens, pitchers and anything else you want. My advice when shopping on eBay (or similar sites) is to define your style, seek out quality brands and watch them until the price is right. Doing a google search on what quality antique, vintage or even modern serve ware will last is the best way to start. Once you have established a style, isolated the brands you want, and set up watches on eBay, you will be well on your way to starting a beautiful collection of your own at a fraction of the cost of buying new. Look for sellers with plentiful reviews that rank 4 stars or higher. You can get so much more bang for your buck when you search and patiently wait for what you want. Stalk your prey... then strike!

Target Buys:

Four of the dishes in this picture are Target pieces. Can you find them?

Ahhhh Target... the emblem of all basic white girls. The foundation upon which millennial women build their homes, closets and styles in general. The space holds all your heart's desires (for a price). I routinely visit Target. Okay, okay, you caught me. I visit Target a lot. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SEE ME THERE EVERY DAY!?!?!?!? Okay, okay, okay! I will come clean. I do go to Target almost every single day. Yes, I am basic. And yes, I am painfully aware of this. But if an borderline (???) obsession with Target is wrong, than I don't want to be right! I buy a lot of stuff from Target but I never pay full price. I mean NEVER. I select my mark, I observe it in it's natural habitat, I patiently wait until the time is right, then pounce! Meaning I watch until it goes on sale or, better yet, clearance. Target has a neat system that, if you hack it, can make everything cheaper. I am sure you have seen it all over Pinterest, but in case you haven't, here is a rough breakdown: 

• In the top right corner, the red sales tag will have a number indicating the percentage of markdown on that particular item. Look for this number to tell you at a glance what kind of discount you are getting. 
• The sales price contains a clue. If the sales price ends in a 6 or an 8 (i.e. $19.96 or $6.98), than the item will be marked down again. If the item in question has a decent stock remaining and if you can stand the idea of potentially losing out on it, than wait. If you LOVE it than don't wait. The heart wants what it want. 
• If the sales price ends in a 4 (i.e. $5.94), than the item has been marked down for the last time. All other price endings are arbitrary numbers assigned at random. 
• For more tips and TONS of advice and coupons for shopping at Target visit my favorite (non-affiliated) Target site allthingstarget.com. This site is legit! It has saved me SOOOOO much money over the years (which enables my addiction). 

Consignment Stores and Thrift Shops

This lovely piece was a consignment store find. BASK IN IT"S GLORY MORTALS!!!

Say what you will about Macklemore but the dude had a point about Thrift Shops. You can find ANYTHING in thrift shops, consignment stores and yard/jumble/garage sales if you are willing to keep an open mind and shop. I do not like aimless wandering. When I go to a store (yes, even to my beloved Target), I have a list. I like to go into stores knowing what I am there for, so thrift shopping is... unique. I HATE felling like I am wasting time but this kind of shopping can, and usually does, yield beautiful and extremely well priced purchases. With a little imagination and a LOT of patience, second hand shopping can be your golden goose for presentation. 

I hope this helps you in your search to become the ultimate host of a party! Keep an eye open for more Party Planning Basics in the future.