A Fabulous Dinner Party at My Home...

This New Year's Eve my husband and I hosted his Mother for her Birthday.  We had a very intimate dinner of 5 and wanted to make it extra special for her since New Year's typically rules over her day.  Here are a few pics from that night at our home and my rules for throwing a fabulous dinner party at home...

Atmosphere is everything!  Set the scene..lighting is key.  You can't really tell from this picture but I have two lamps on either side of my credenza against the back wall and my chandelier dimmed down very low.  Always put dimmers on your overhead lights, it's so easy and can transform the look of a room  (thank you mom for teaching me that:)

Flowers, Crystal, Wine and Candles and more Wine and Candles are My Musts!  Publix always has beautiful hydrangeas, lilies and gladiolas.  I rotate between those three and they are all super cheap!  Pick up Crystal pieces from TJ Maxx and Homegoods.  Mix and Match to keep it from looking too Traditional.  I buy candles in tealights, votives, and sticks from Wal-Mart.  Go with Un-Scented for a Dinner Party.  And with wine, I recommend going to your local wine shop.  We have an excellent new place here called Bottles that is a discount wine shop like Total Wine.  With their expertise, you can find a great red or white for around $10 a bottle.  

A nice little touch is to print out a Special Menu especially for someones Birthday! This is so easy.. I did it on Word, changed the font and color to a Chocolate Brown, and printed it out on a Thick Cream Resume Paper.  

I used Mirrors  under my centerpiece of flowers and candles and also as place mats.  These help reflect the candlelight and give the room a soft glow..so pretty!  These are something you could definitely pick up from Wal-Mart or Target. Just make sure they are frameless.

I took picture frames that I already had and put in pictures of my mother in law with family.  I lined them up across my credenza with candles in crystal votives.  I laid a silk runner across the top of the credenza to dress it up a bit.  I've also seen these at TJ Maxx and Homegoods.  This is a good way to bring color into the room.

I added New Year's Party Hats and Blowers around the table.  You can add different things depending on the "theme" of your dinner party.  It's always fun to have props:)

I love breaking out my wedding china and flatware!  My thought is if you have it, use it!  Mine is all dishwasher safe so there's really no reason not to utilize these pretty pieces.  If you don't have a set of fine china, no worries!  Check out thrift shops for vintage sets.  They are just as beautiful add some character to the dinner table.  I especially love my old school champagne glasses that are rounded instead of a flute shape.  These give off a more vintage look which I love and you could probably find some for a steal at an antique or thrift shop.

Always have a dessert!  I went with a mini cake from Publix and added a fun topper and candles for the birthday girl.  These cute cakes serve around 6-8 people perfectly and it was delish…tasted like a wedding cake!  

After Singing Happy Birthday to the Queen of the Night...

I "crowned" her with one of my old Tiaras from my Pageant Days.  She loved it!  What girl wouldn't right?

~It was truly a very special evening.."Fit for a Queen!"~

Beaucoup D'Amour, 

Megan