The Perfectly Set Table

Perhaps due to the fact that this summer I have been working 7 nights a week, but I have started to plot fun ideas for dinner parties to come... when I actually have the chance to be at home between the hours of 5 and 10 pm. 

While the smells of a din din in the works whets the appetite, so does the welcoming appeal of a well-set table. Table settings allow an opportunity for the host to set the ambiance for the night, and show guests that the efforts towards an enjoyable evening extend beyond a well-chosen menu. In my family, lots of tradition goes in to the setting of the table for one occasion or another. My grandmother "Skippy," through countless examples, how to jazz up a table and attract everyone to it. Place settings, a chic, modern, classic, or unconventional centerpiece, paired with the right china and flat-wear creates the vibe for the night. The right setting is inspired by more than propriety and functionality. Dinner in the barn? Perfect. Silver and crystal for a garden fete? Perche no. 

As demonstrated by a recent ELLE Decor online article on the subject, the best table settings somehow retain a unique and innovative quality as tradition continues and the table grows with those who feel comfortable around it. Of course a little Veuve and a great soundtrack always start things off in the right direction as well...