Belly's

IT'S A PARTY

My brother's wedding was last week, and it was fabulous. His gorgeous bride (now wife) made it even happier and prettier, with her amazing smile and personality... And I... I'll confess I did shed a tear (or a few hundreds). After all, my younger brother, whom I used to tell I'll turn one day into a frog, has reached his "prince" day.

Tacky sweetness overload aside, we're hosting a dinner party in honor of the newlyweds tomorrow, and as always- I get everything done at the very last minute.

Here are the dishes I just washed (by hand, all 90 of them)

And here's a glimpse into the theme

Can you tell I was inspired by chinoiserie, Eddie Ross and My Marrakesh's Maryam? Come back tomorrow to see more!

---

UPDATE:

The party was last night and it was a huge success! Really, it was beyond fabulous. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures (yeah, I'm beating myself up) but I'm told one of the guests did- so all hopes for bragging are not lost:)

3 tips for hosting a casual lunch

I've always loved having guests over, especially for a meal. for me, the combination of cooking, decorating the table and providing food and entertainment to people I love equals pure fun. And I've been in "hosting mode" especially since our move. So the second I made my job deadline last week (it seems like months ago somehow), I invited my extended family for an impromptu holiday lunch.

Here are my tips for having guests over for a fancy lunch without losing your mind over it:

1. Try the unexpected- The event Kelly Moore hosted in NYC made me want to layer different patterns and textures. I just threw together some tableclothes, that you won't necessarily pair intuitively. Some candles on top adds interest, and a trifle dish filled with etrogs (citrus fruits) as a centerpiece? Unexpected and you get amazing scent as a bonus.
2. Use your best- What are you saving your best dinnerware for? And the silver? This is just the occassion to bring them out and enjoy them.
3. Make do- In a perfect world, I'd have a pantry filled with rows and rows of fancy cloth napkins, extra dinnerware (a la Martha stewart)  and of course, gorgeous dining chairs (preferrably these). But we live in reality, and paper napkins and plastic chairs it is... Don't let the facts discourage you from hosting! Just prop 'em in the best way you can, and when you get better equipment - you can always invite your guests again.

Do you have any good tips for hosting?