I  love entertaining! I can’t tell you what I like more, hosting and catching up with people I enjoy spending time with, or decorating for a get together? Don’t tell my guests, but decorating might win! Entertaining covers a very wide range of things. Maybe you are having a big birthday bash, hosting an intimate bridal shower, or just having a couple girlfriends over for dinner and drinks. Whether big or small, no fear, I am here to help. I am starting a new monthly column, Dining Decor, where I will share with you inspiration, ideas, tips and tricks for all of your entertaining needs, big or small. I have showed you my holiday dining decor before, but moving forward we will talk about so much more.

First off, flirty florals! It’s spring (technically, even though summer weather is here, yay!) so flowers are everywhere. They are such a fresh and energizing part of the world, why not incorporate them into your dining decor. You can use fresh flowers, silk flowers, paper flowers, or whatever your heart desires. Choose according to what fits your budget and your event size. I decided to include florals in a minimal way, while still making a statement. Big, beautiful floral napkin rings.

These fun napkin rings, atop a colorful striped plate and equally colorful placemats just scream spring. It’s a crisp look, while still being playful. To add a little more pizzazz I decided to add a white and gold charger, gold silverware, and gold pineapple glassware. It takes a floral look that could be a little young, to a more grown up, elegant state, but is not stuffy by any means.

Tips to make it your own:

• Think about budget and how often you will use the items.
• Remember that nice looking doesn’t always equal expensive. Hence my napkin rings and placemats, which were under $5 each.
• Find things in unexpected places. While strolling through an antiques store, after just getting my new placemat and napkin ring goodies, I came across these striped plates. Perfect condition, and they were a whopping $2.50, for all four. Hello, can we say good deal! Not the best place to look for matching items for a big event, but a great spot for small quantities, or things like vases and pitchers.
• Think about cleanup. Do you feel like doing a bunch of dishes? If not, go for plastic. Not boring white plastic of course, think gold, like my gold flatware and chargers (similar here). Yup, they are both plastic!
• I also chose to alternate colors for both my placemats and napkin rings, but if you like a little more of a subdued look, go with one color. Make it your own.
• Add an unexpected pop. Like a black and white striped table cloth. It matches beautifully but is unique and unexpected.
• Use what you have. I used a cute gold polka dot vase I already owned, and some fresh flowers I had recently bought, to dress up my table. (P.S. Lilies add a nice scent to a gathering too.) To add a pop of color, I added some tissue paper. Voila, new centerpiece!

If you like this post, check out this one. And stay tuned next time for Design Decor: Zingy ZigZag.

Signed with Style,