The Little Things

I just moved. I have a great new place, and I intend to stay here a while, but I really needed some new furnishings. It’s the little things that can really tie a home together, you know? So I’ve been shopping around and I’ve found a couple of things that have given my apartment that final touch.

For example, an iron floor candelabra. It’s perfect for my bathroom, and I can light the candles and turn off the lights whenever I want to de-stress and take a bubble bath.

Then there are a few tabletop accessories that I’ve bought that really make home feel like home. My crystal fish bowl is a great place to keep candies on the entry table. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll put potpourri in the fish’s mouth. I like this item because it gives me freedom to do with it what I please.

And finally I found a nice glass beverage dispenser. I usually keep it filled with lemon water, which is good for the throat and the voice, making it sound more resonant. But the couple of times I’ve had friends over, I fill it up with a punch or sweet tea. It’s one of those tabletop accessories that’s very practical. But perhaps the most practical part of these items is that they serve to make my house feel like a home.

Make Mother’s Day One to Remember Forever

If you aren’t aware, Mother’s Day is May 9 so you’d better get shopping. I don’t know about you, but I feel like every year it gets harder and harder to think of creative things to send my mother. I mean, how many times can you give someone new pajamas? I know flowers seem like the obvious gift, but not for my mother. She hates getting flowers. She thinks it silly to spend so much money on something that is going to wilt in a few days.

So this year, I’m opting for the surprise gift. I know she’s expecting me to show up to brunch with a new p.j. set, but after 20 years of getting pajamas for Mother’s Day, I think she can stand to get something different this year.

I decided to get her some new tabletop accessories and beverage dispensers for when she has her friends over for dinner and bridge, and a dozen crystal roses. The crystal roses are a beautiful alternative to real flowers, because they’re everlasting. Classic Hostess also has a single long stem rose, as well as multi-colored spring flowers. It’s great because they come with a vase and wrapped in a gift box.

The best part is you can get 10% off your purchase of $85 or more or 15% off a purchase of $275 or more.

Host the Perfect Dinner Party with Stylish Tabletop Accessories

So, you want to host a dinner party for your friends, but you’re stressing out a little? The key to a great dinner party is to keep things simple for yourself.

Host your party on the weekend so you have a whole day to prepare, and don’t try to invite everyone in your address book to prove how popular you are – keep it manageable with six to eight guests.

You don’t need to provide your guests with silver service and spend all your time rushing between the dining room and the kitchen. Go for a more relaxed setting, and consider having guests help themselves to food and drink.

Choose a menu that can be prepared well in advance so you’re not frantically mixing cake batter while your guests are finishing their mains. And don’t try to impress your guests with soufflés or steamed lobsters if you’ve never attempted them before; go with your tried and tested dishes.

An easy way to impress your guests is with stylish tabletop accessories and barware. Choose serving dishes that complement your culinary creations, and bring some elegance to the table by serving your wine in Ravenscroft Decanters and your homemade brews in a beverage dispenser.

The soup’s ready to be reheated, the cake’s sitting on the counter looking beautiful, and the roast chicken is in the oven. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy the party.

No Bridal Shower is Complete Without Good Food and Drink!

Bridal showers are a fun time for women to get together to celebrate an exciting time for their friend, the Bride.

A successful bridal shower has three components: Gifts, Games, and the Food and Beverage selection.

I know personally, the main highlight for any type of shower I attend is the food selection.Yes, don't get me wrong, I’m thrilled about my friend’s big day, but let’s be real—the shindig would be a lot less appealing if there wasn’t food and a nice beverage selection to get things started.

If you’re throwing a bridal shower, you have to have some great hors d'oeuvres and a wide variety of drinks in beverage dispensers. Glass beverage dispensers are more than just a utility, they can really add to the décor of your party and tie things together.

I went to a really lovely bridal shower where beverage dispensers were used, and I was really impressed with how beautiful they looked on the table. There were three: one for water with lemon, one for iced tea, and one for lemonade. They all had gorgeously cut cocktail lemons floating. I was so impressed with the dispensers that I asked the Bride’s mother about where they were purchased, and went out and got some for my upcoming cocktail party, they’re perfect for Margaritas!

A Multitude of Drink Dispensers!

If you’re looking for drink dispensers, you may have a vague idea of what you want. The thing is, there are more than just your standard hexagonal glass beverage dispensers out there – oh yes. www.ClassicHostess.com has a range of drink dispensers from every style and era.

If you like retro novelties, they have light green, bell shaped drink dispensers which take me straight back to the 60’s and “I Dream of Jeanie.”

Or you may prefer something a bit more classic – of course they have options for such tastes. Small etched apothecary glass beverage dispensers are perfect for those small dinner parties or for any small batch of liquor or punch.

Cylindrical beverage dispensers are a medium between the retro and the classy; they are great for any style of kitchen and even include an ice chamber. Holding two gallons, this drink dispenser is ideal for keeping the kitchen stocked with fresh lemon water.

A white ceramic beverage dispenser is the perfect touch for an outdoor garden or backyard, and if you have a smoking room or a bar that needs a liquor dispenser or a specialty Nascar pump drink dispenser, your needs can be met by shopping www.ClassicHostess.com.

Got To Have Barware to Make A Proper Drink

I’m a bartender, which is one of those jobs that can easily extend into your life at home. I can incorporate my skill set to make delicious drinks even when I’m entertaining at home. While having alcohol is obviously important, another aspect of making drinks is barware.

If I don’t have a shaker, I may accidentally get martini on my walls. Straining is made easier with the proper tools, and having a stirrer always helps. Sectioning fruit for garnishes is pretty difficult with an ordinary knife, and what about ice? You gotta have an ice bucket because, as all good bartenders know, ice makes the drink.

Sometimes if I’m having a bunch of friends over and we’re having mixed drinks, I’ll use my barware to make a big batch of a specialty drink, like a dark and stormy. Then I’ll put it in a glass beverage dispenser and people can serve themselves. That way I can relax without having to be on my feet making drinks the whole time.

A bartender without the right tools is like a surgeon without a scalpel. So even if you’re not a bartender, having the right barware can send your drink popularity through the roof.

Spring is in the Air!

Ah spring is nearly here. Can you smell the flowers opening? Hear the birds chirping? See the soft breezes blowing in the trees? Taste your favorite ice cold beverage from a brand new glass beverage dispenser found on www.ClassicHostess.com? I can. And you can too! If you buy today you can save 10% on every order over $55 and be prepared before the spring rush really hits!

Yes, right now is an excellent time for preparing for the new season. Spring cleaning is always important, but so is spring shopping. If your kitchen is tired of being old and dusty, vamp it up with some new tabletop accessories! Or if you are planning a springtime extravaganza, do it right with some choice barware. Spring decoration is always appropriate, especially when you work with Gracious Goods for your fine ceramic and iron line needs. Gracious Goods has flatware and dinnerware, serving pieces, cake stands, canisters, jar sets, and dozens of other accessories that would really complement your kitchen just in time for the changing weather.

So start your shopping today because time is of the essence when it comes to decorating and playing hostess, and before you know it, it will be summer!

Beverage Dispensers Help Keep My Kitchen Clean

I’ve been a mom for a while now and there is nothing worse than seeing a bunch of rowdy kids run in to my kitchen after playing outside with dirty hands and runny noses making a big mess. Opening up the refrigerator, touching the juice containers – it’s no good. I tell the kids to wash their hands when they come in, but do they listen? No.

So no matter how many times I say it, they still come in and stand in front of the refrigerator, touching everything, leaving the fridge door open. I’ve had enough. I decided to get a beverage dispenser from www.ClassicHostess.com to pour some water or some juice in so that when they enter the kitchen, I have cups ready and they don’t have to dirty up the whole place.

And the nice thing about these beverage dispensers is that when the kids are at their friend’s houses and I’m entertaining for the night, they work really well to hold whatever it is the adults are drinking, whether it’s lemon water, or a nice punch I’ve concocted. These beverage dispensers really are a godsend – I always keep mine stocked full with whatever it is I’m thirsting for, and whatever it is I want the kids to drink.

Turn Your Home Into a French Chateau With the Gracious Goods Collection

Any hostess knows that having the right set of tabletop accessories is crucial to the atmosphere of the party you’re hosting. Certain dinner wear sets, go better with certain occasions. This can be a little troublesome for the active hostess wants her kitchen cabinets stocked with dinner wear, barware, and drink dispensers for every occasion. If you’re looking for a dinner wear set that has classic French beauty, straight out of Versailles, you have to check out the Gracious Goods Collection on ClassicHostess.com.

This beautifully and artfully crafted line is gorgeous and yet durable. The ceramic and iron line of dinner ware, barware, beverage dispensers, and canisters really add an elegant flair to your table and kitchen, that you can be sure will last for years to come.

The Cream Dinner Plates with Broquade Border paired with the Scroll Style Metal Chargers are a really unique, yet classic look for any type of dinner party. To match, there are Scroll Style Salad Bowls and Plates. A beautiful centerpiece for the table could be the 12 inch Cream Ceramic Bowl with Pedestal. The Ceramic Cups with the matching scroll metal base and the Fleur De Les flatware set would really finish the look and create beautiful table settings. To set the mood for those evening events, Gracious Goods even has a Scroll Style Convertible Hanging Chandelier, ideal for candles.

Essentials Of Tabletop Accessories & Etiquette

If you really want to avoid some major social embarrassments when you get invited to a dinner party, there are a few rules you should follow! Here’s a short list of the things you should and shouldn’t do, brought to you by the dedicated staff of Classic Hostess!

You should always place your napkin on your lap when you are first seated at the table and you should place the used napkin at the end of dinner on the place setting.
Be sure to compliment the host on his or her tabletop accessories, Are they using elegant beverage dispensers? Ravenscroft decanters?

When wine is serve, offer to open the bottle. If you are opening champagne, do it away from the table, and place a towel over the cork. While you might let it shoot out at your house, this just isn't well-mannered in public!

If there is a glass beverage dispenser on the table, and it's not near you, don't reach across the table. Instead, you should ask politely for the water, or whatever is in the drink dispensers!

Lastly, always thank the hostess for the meal and compliment them on at least one food item that they made!

To get yourself familiar with some tabletop accessories such as barware, GG canisters or Gracious Goods products, visit our website.

Tips On Setting The Perfect Table Using Tabletop Accessories!

If you've had dinner parties in the past, which I'm sure you have, you may have noticed that your table needed a little jazzing up. But, where does a person start? What should be the main attraction? A lot of people think it starts in the actual table they choose from, but I think you can quite literally have ANY table - it's the stuff on the table and in the room that's really going to jazz up the room. First and foremost, you have to choose from tabletop accessories. Which ones you choose is completely up to you, but the ones I suggest are beverage dispensers, barware, candleholders and a vase for your flowers, yes you should have flowers!

If you’re thinking about serving wine, I would suggest the Ravenscroft decanters! Having barware items, like this one, is always important because you know that guests love their alcohol...

You can always add some little DIY bar items and use barware items like coasters, corkscrews, decanters, ice buckets, stoppers and shakers. Just because you don't have a "proper" bar doesn't mean the Bar Police are going to come arrest you. Have fun with this! If you see an end table, bureau or a height table that looks like it could become a bar - go with it!

Easy fix. To see more of our tabletop accessories like GG Canisters and Gracious Goods, visit our website.

Start Valentine's Day in Style with Gracious Goods

If your love life is lacking in Valentine’s Day traditions, let me make it easy for you: breakfast in bed. Everybody loves to wake up to the fragrant smell of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, next to warmly buttered toast and eggs cooked just the way they like them. And the fact that your loved one prepared and arranged the entire thing makes it all the sweeter (or more savory). To really make it count, present your culinary efforts on a Versailles Cream Ceramic Tray by Gracious Goods.

Why should you buy a new tray? For one thing, it will remind your special someone of your romantic gesture whenever they see it in the cabinet or out on the table. And besides, with such fine workmanship and design, you should probably buy it anyway! The Versailles tray will complement any meal, with its beautiful ceramic surface and burnished bronze handles.

Best of all, you can even throw in more items from the GG Versailles collection of tabletop accessories. I love the Versailles tea products from www.ClassicHostess.com, including a ceramic tea pot, square tea tray, and sugar and creamer bowls with coordinating sweetener box.

Make It a Special Valentine’s Day with an Elegant Decanter and Glass Bouquet

Valentine’s Day is all about traditions – dancing to your song, drinking the wine you both enjoy, and giving her a bouquet of her favorite flowers. But traditions don’t have to be exactly the same every year. In fact, with the right accessories, it’s easy to mix it up. For example, you could serve the same type of wine you had on your first date in one of many luxury decanters instead of out of the bottle.

Decanters are available in so many different styles, from sleek and modern to timeless and classic, so it’s easy to show your special lady you know exactly what she likes. Trust lead-free crystal for the safest experience, as is used in decanters made by Ravenscroft and other brands.

And of course, what would Valentine’s Day be without flowers? Every woman loves a bouquet of roses – that is, until the flowers wilt and it’s time to throw them away. Nobody likes to think about what that might symbolize.

However, you can avoid this problem entirely by buying your lady a red bouquet of glass roses, complete with authentic green leaves. These beautiful gifts will glimmer in the candlelight next to your decanters and last as long as your love.

Hosting A Dinner Party On A Budget!

Just because you are hosting a dinner party doesn't necessarily mean that you can't have the greatest dinner ever. There are actually quite a few ways to really fancy up not only your food, but your actual party as well especially when it comes to the overall "theme" of the party and your table. For food items you could go for something like a mixed salad (which they sell already packed on the store) and a nice balsamic glaze dressing - I like using a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and S&P for mine.

You could also consider a fish of the day as well this is usually sold for a sale price which means you could ultimately service 4 or more people and not break the bank! As for the theme of the party it's really important that you "dress" up your table, this is going to make an immense difference! Try different tabletop accessories. This could be anything from beverage dispensers and some really stylish dinnerware to something really simple like a bouquet of flowers or napkin rings.

For example, when you offer your guests a drink, it doesn’t have to be in a plastic bottle. Try and spice up things with a cool glass beverage dispenser:

The point here is to not overdo it, but to make a stylish presentation of your table. The table is going to not only be a focal point for your dinner, but also a conversation piece as well which could even bring up some really nice conversation too! You don't have to work hard when it comes to hosting or cooking a dinner party - simple little additions to the food and the table could really end up wowing your guests!

Top Tips for Hosting a 2010 New Year's Eve

Having a New Years Eve party at your house may seem a little more stressful than one would like, however, if you follow a few simple tips you might spend a little more time enjoying the festivities and a little less time worrying. First off, I think it's important to realize what the host (you) should be responsible for. YOU are responsible for decorating the home, inviting the guests, making some of the food (please make it easier on yourself and ask other people to bring stuff too!), and serving people (this doesn't necessarily mean waiting on them hand and foot!).

As for the decorating, I would not only go for your usual New Years Eve banner, but if you plan to sit at the dining room table for your dinner, you should also consider sprucing up your table as well with a few extra tabletop accessories. These can be utilized however you see fit. I bought a table at a clearance furniture store about 2 years ago that fits approximately 25 people. It's a HUGE "Bruce Wayne" table which is fantastic for my large family and it's stunningly beautiful. In my case since I know I have a lot of people coming I would try to buy doubles or quadruples of specific items like beverage dispensers and barware.


This way everyone's not reaching over each other and knocking over things! Also, consider flowers. I know this could be considered a little fancy schmancy, but I love flowers. I think they totally dress the table and depending on the season, in this case winter time, you can still get some really nice plants and flowers. Try poinsettias, unless you have animals! Also, to set the mood try candleholders, wine decanters (buy a few!), and some new plates, dinnerware and silverware. This doesn't need to be a thousand dollar table, you can place a few objects into eyes view and make it really pop without spending a ton of money!