{"id":10467,"date":"2011-12-07T10:56:32","date_gmt":"2011-12-07T15:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uncommongoods.com\/?p=10467"},"modified":"2011-12-07T10:57:35","modified_gmt":"2011-12-07T15:57:35","slug":"host-holiday-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/2011\/host-holiday-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Party Hosting Perfected"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s the most wonderful time of the year! \u00a0We&#8217;ve got<a href=\"http:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/holiday\/christmas?t0=holiday&amp;t1=christmas&amp;sale=0&amp;view=all\"> gift-giving<\/a> covered, but we&#8217;re leaving the party planning to other experts. \u00a0Take a look at some ideas we&#8217;re building on and borrowing from in order to host the perfect holiday get-together.<\/p>\n<p>Set the scene for your party with DIY decorating ideas from interior designer and stylist Matthew Mead, who shared his tips with blogger\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.centsationalgirl.com\/2011\/11\/in-the-spotlight-matthew-mead\/\">Centsational Girl<\/a>. \u00a0His number one piece of advice? \u00a0Keep it simple, which will help both you and your guests feel at home.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.centsationalgirl.com\/2011\/11\/in-the-spotlight-matthew-mead\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-10590\" title=\"matthew-mead-cranberries-on-table\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/matthew-mead-cranberries-on-table-564x370.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"548\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/matthew-mead-cranberries-on-table-564x370.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/matthew-mead-cranberries-on-table-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/matthew-mead-cranberries-on-table.jpg 596w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 548px) 100vw, 548px\" \/><\/a>(Image courtesy of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.centsationalgirl.com\/2011\/11\/in-the-spotlight-matthew-mead\/\">Centsational Girl<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Once the table is set, fill it with delicious dishes to impress your guests. \u00a0Food blog 101 Cookbooks has a comprehensive collection of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.101cookbooks.com\/archives\/holiday-recipes-recipe.html\">holiday recipes<\/a> to draw inspiration from, including hearty dishes like this <a href=\"http:\/\/www.101cookbooks.com\/archives\/hazelnut-chard-ravioli-salad-recipe.html\">Hazelnut &amp; Chard Ravioli Salad<\/a> and festive snacks such as these\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.101cookbooks.com\/archives\/buttertoasted-hazelnuts-recipe.html\">Butter-toasted Hazelnuts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.101cookbooks.com\/archives\/hazelnut-chard-ravioli-salad-recipe.html\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10562\" title=\"raviolisalad_winter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/raviolisalad_winter.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"545\" height=\"365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/raviolisalad_winter.jpg 545w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/raviolisalad_winter-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/raviolisalad_winter-185x124.jpg 185w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 545px) 100vw, 545px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">(Image courtesy of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.101cookbooks.com\/archives\/hazelnut-chard-ravioli-salad-recipe.html\">Heidi Swanson<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t let your dinner table take all the attention &#8211; just because you&#8217;re staying in doesn&#8217;t mean you can&#8217;t dress up! \u00a0Refinery29 has a variety of outfit ideas, ranging from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.refinery29.com\/celebrity-holiday-party-looks\">celebrity-inspired looks<\/a> to key\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.refinery29.com\/fall-trend-burgundy-clothing?utm_source=feed&amp;utm_medium=rss\">bold red\u00a0piece<\/a>s. \u00a0Just don&#8217;t fall prey to any of these common <a href=\"http:\/\/www.refinery29.com\/worst-holiday-fashion-trends\">holiday faux pas pitfalls<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jcrew.com\/womens_category\/skirts\/alinefull\/PRDOVR~49794\/49794.jsp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10482 alignnone\" title=\"swish\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/swish.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"393\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/swish.jpg 393w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/swish-125x125.jpg 125w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/swish-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/swish-45x45.jpg 45w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 393px) 100vw, 393px\" \/><\/a>(Image courtesy of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jcrew.com\/womens_category\/skirts\/alinefull\/PRDOVR~49794\/49794.jsp\">J. Crew<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">For a comprehensive guide to hosting a holiday cocktail party, the Drinks team at Serious Eats has compiled a complete <a href=\"http:\/\/drinks.seriouseats.com\/2011\/11\/cocktail-101-how-to-plan-a-cocktail-party-stocking-mixing-ice-glassware.html\">how-to for hosting<\/a>. \u00a0Michael Dietsch suggests crafting and creating signature cocktails in advance, anticipating 1-2 drinks per guest per hour, and stocking up on bagged ice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/drinks.seriouseats.com\/2011\/11\/cocktail-101-how-to-plan-a-cocktail-party-stocking-mixing-ice-glassware.html\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10481\" title=\"20111107nibbles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/20111107nibbles.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/20111107nibbles.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/20111107nibbles-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a>(Image courtesy of <a href=\"http:\/\/drinks.seriouseats.com\/2011\/11\/cocktail-101-how-to-plan-a-cocktail-party-stocking-mixing-ice-glassware.html\">Jennifer Hess<\/a> from Serious Eats)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Close out the night with a variety of Christmas cookies to serve as dessert or to give as parting gifts. \u00a0Bree Hester of Baked Bree is sharing 12 weeks of Christmas cookies, including these unique <a href=\"http:\/\/bakedbree.com\/hot-chocolate-cookies-ii-week-2-of-12-weeks-of-cookies\">Hot Chocolate Cookies<\/a> and the Canadian classic, <a href=\"http:\/\/bakedbree.com\/nanaimo-bars-week-9-of-12-weeks-of-christmas\">Nanaimo Bars<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bakedbree.com\/hot-chocolate-cookies-ii-week-2-of-12-weeks-of-cookies\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-10571\" title=\"hot-chocolate-2_4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/hot-chocolate-2_4-564x403.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"548\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/hot-chocolate-2_4-564x403.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/hot-chocolate-2_4-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/hot-chocolate-2_4-85x60.jpg 85w, https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/hot-chocolate-2_4.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 548px) 100vw, 548px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">(Image courtesy of <a href=\"http:\/\/bakedbree.com\/hot-chocolate-cookies-ii-week-2-of-12-weeks-of-cookies\">Bree Hester<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">And if you can&#8217;t share the joy of the holidays with friends and family in person, make sure to send along season&#8217;s greetings with an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/product\/word-search-holiday-cards?source=blog\">uncommon card<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/holiday\/christmas\/stocking-stuffers?source=blog\">stocking stuffer<\/a>, or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/gifts\/collections\/personalized-gifts?source=blog\">personalized gift<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s the most wonderful time of the year! \u00a0We&#8217;ve got gift-giving covered, but we&#8217;re leaving the party planning to other experts. \u00a0Take a look at some ideas we&#8217;re building on and borrowing from in order to host the perfect holiday get-together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":10571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[506,66,61],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10467"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}