Dinner Party

Back in March. Michael and I signed up for "Suppers for 8" through our church. The idea is that 8 people trade off hosting duties (in pairs) for a dinner once a month. May ended up being our month and today was our day to have the two other couples over (wait, 2+2x2 = 6, not 8! Yes, the other two folks have never showed, although we have reached out to them repeatedly. Anyway . . . ). The hosts are in charge of the main dish and while the otherss are supposed to bring sides, desserts, etc. Now, I know you probably think I am here to rave about what I made for the main dish and while it is true that the pulled pork sandwiches and Boston baked beans were delicious (along with a crudite platter with hummus), I actually want to brag about my table setting! Whaaat? I wouldn't say I am known for my table decorating skills - in fact, I've never really put together a fancy table before. To be honest, this table isn't that fancy either, but it was all from my own self - which is pretty amazing considering the decorating gene definitely passed me by!

I made the burlap runner several weeks ago. I guess I can't really take credit for that idea, since burlap in all its guises is quite popular in the home decor blogosphere right now, so I know I saw the idea online. Really, it was quite easy to make - I just sewed together two pieces to give me the right length and then stitched with a decorative colored thread all the way around to prevent the edges from unraveling more than I wanted them to. The place settings were my own brilliance, however. They were precipitated by the gorgeous boUquet of flowers Michael gave me last weekend. Mid-week, the stem on on of the Gerbera daisies broke about halfway up. I took the flower out anD put it in its own small vase. While I was cleaning up the kitchen this morning, I saw that Gerbera and suddenly inspiration struck! Showy flower centerpieces are lovely, but they are a) expensive, b) take up a lot of room and c) inhibit eye contact across a table and therefore stilt a conversation. But a little flower at each place? Perfect! And then make them into place settings? Even better! I was able to pick the 6 vases up at Michael's for $1.20 each and the flowers were $5. So for just over $10, I was able to brighten up the whole table - plus, I can use the vases again.

Dinner was a blast as was Apples-to-Apples afterwards. It's been so nice to have these dinners and to start making friends here in NOVA. We have decided that, even though the group has officially ended (since all of us have hosted once), we want to continue meeting. The next get together might even be at a bowling alley . . . !