Game Nights have been around for ages, but a couple months ago Hubby and I threw a Wii Party.  We invited a bunch of friends over, hooked up the Wii and went for it.  And you know what?  It was a huge success.

Wii Resort was particularly suited because the games (unlike Mario Cart) seemed to be done well by both sexs.  In fact the ladies really threw down, except in archery where the men scratched through.  But the real fun was the friendly competitive spirit brought out in everyone, and the accompanying comments.

We had some chips and dips, some sandwiches, desserts, some frosty beverages and a darn good time.  Everyone brought a snack and it was just a fun day.  Not an expensive party (unless you don’t have a Wii), but something we will be doing again.  The big hits were Haberno pepper jelly with cream cheese on crackers (which may have been popular more for the sake of ego, but I thought it was pretty tastey), and a pizza dip on bagel chips brought by a friend which was *I think* a layer of cream cheese topped with pizza sauce topped with mozarella cheese then baked.  Really hit the spot.

Which once again proves that you don’t need a fancy smancy party to have a rollicking good time.

As a note- one thing I liked was that we had a decent size group and that it didn’t become a couples competition and because the focus was on your ability to do a variety of games there was something for everyone and no one felt alienated or mad at the end of the day.  I always hate leaving game nights feeling like not everyone had a pleasant time.

I am rather partial to the scent of lavender.  For me it is calming and soothing.  I have often stated that my quality of life would be better if my whole world smelled of lavender, and since recently I have needed a few extra ways to relax I decided to take a couple steps towards making that happen.

If I had time I would jet off to Nemacolin Woodlands Spa for a Lavender Kur- consisting of a nice lavender body scrub, bath and massage with lavender lotion application, but alas no time for that.

So in the interim I am using the Lavender Bath and Shower gel and the Lavender Lotion sold by Crabtree and Evelyn.  The lotion doesn’t leave you greasy and only has a light scent so it isn’t over powering.  I also like their bath and shower gels because it doesn’t over dry your skin.  The most important thing to me though is they don’t mix the lavender scent with vanilla, because while it is nice to cook with, I really don’t like the two smells mixed.

I then  extended the foray into a life of lavender by purchasing for myself some laundry detergent and sachets from Sweet Grass Farm, which I really like.  The great thing about the laundry detergent is that it is a more natural detergent than your store brands so it is great for sensitive skin.  Also it is low sudsing so it can be used in high efficiency and front load washers.  And they leave your clothes lightly scented, and the environment better off.  You only need about 1/8 of a cup for a load, so at that rate it is just a tiny bit more pricey than your normal store detergent.  I buy normal detergent for Hubby, and do his separately, and since so many of my clothes are dry cleaned it really lasts me a long time.  The sachets can be used for multiple rounds of drying or they can be stashed in a drawer or closet.  I have one in the drawer of my pajamas that has really made everything smell lovely.

When I was at Landsdowne Resort they had lavender eye pillows for guests and I really liked the scent as I was falling asleep, so I bought a couple lavender diffusers for the bedrooms, so my guests can enjoy that same soothing scent to fall asleep.  The diffuser is $29.95 so it is a little less than those at Pottery Barn and other stores, and the refill fragrances are only $11.95, so you can reuse them easily.  I am big on having a nice smelling house, I think it is part of having an inviting environment where people feel welcome.  So I like to have diffusers because there isn’t the hazard of lighting a candle in another room and forgetting to blow it out.

If I really wanted to go all out I think Sweet Grass Farm’s Lavender dusting oil and cleaning spray could really fulfill the wish, but I don’t think overwhelming Hubby with Lavender all at once in that big of a quantity would be good for the overall cause.  But it is a consideration for the future.  Sweet Grass farm also has some other really nice clean not over the top scents if you aren’t as partial to lavender.  And the scents aren’t overwelmingly powdery or floral so they don’t overwhelm your senses it is justa  subtle, fresh scent in the background.

So today I was a little down.  As someone who loves to entertain, being broke after paying for a wedding, and having your house out of commission for a bit while contractors are working is a bit hard.

But then I remembered something.  I am Katelin Taylor and never have such small things kept me from having a great time hosting friends.  I have been a broke student most of my life.  And I have plenty of friends who have even offered to do the hosting if I plan the event, or invited me to do cool stuff at their place (props to one of my coolest friends in Baltimore that suggested we make Ginger Ale from scratch together.  You can find the recipe and instructions here.   Some of the ingredients may be a tad bit pricey, but you don’t need to much of them and think how fun it will be.)  So Yay my gracious friends, and the spirit of innovation.

Then I thought to myself that you my readers might like to know how to entertain well, even if you don’t have somewhere to entertain or much cash on hand.

So I decided to post a few suggestions and an offer for you to give me other ideas:

Picnic at a park.  Yep all the cool kids are doing it.   It is all over the message boards.   Even restaurants are having backyard grilling like this event at Evening Star Cafe:

The Big Summer Backyard BBQ
This Sunday At The Evening Star Cafe
Sunday, June 14 | From 12:00 – 7:00
Join us outdoors at the Evening Star Cafe this Sunday for a fun neighborhood afternoon full of food, beer, wine and friends. We roast a whole pig or two, serve housemade hot dogs, corn on the cob, seafood skewers and cool summer soup – along with fresh lemonade, a slew of craft brews, and at least a half-dozen of our favorite summertime wines.
Open Fire Pig Roast
Homemade Red Apron Hot Dogs
Shrimp Skewers & Fresh Corn
6 Craft Beers On Tap
6 Summertime Wines
Tons Of Fun For Everyone
All are invited and theres no fee to attend. Tickets will be sold for all food and drinks at the event and yes, we’ll have a tent just in case it rains. For more information, call 703.549.5051. Reservations are not necessary.

So call up some people and check out some of the great parks Arlington has to offer.  We live in Ballston and have a park that allows grilling and has picnic table a block from the house.

Bon Air Park on Wilson Boulevard has picnic tables, grills, volleyball, tennis, a walking and bike trail, even a playground- so your friends with kids might actually come.  Arlington Parks Service has a great sight where you can look up park features, rent space online, even reserve a tennis court.  I think they have a great website that is really useful, especially this time of year (when it doesn’t thunderstorm every night of course).Â

Low on the moola?  Catch another great trend that is resurfacing: potluck.  Throwing a swank shindig can be expensive, but when times are tough people want to see each other more than ever.  The bonus is summer potluck is easier and cheaper than any other season.  You can make or even buy great pasta or potato salad relatively cheap.  Hot dogs, sandwiches, lemonade all pretty easy on the budget.  And everyone has a friend who makes awesome brownies for any potluck they go to.  I never snub the great American tradition of Hotdogs on the grill, and sometimes a sandwich can be pure heaven, so hey why not.  Just try to communicate with people so you don’t have twelve seven layer dips and offer useful cheap items for people struggling for ideas.

Have other great ideas for hosting people either sans place, or sans moola?  Please post or email me.  I will feature other ideas and tips as they come to me and would love to hear what you are doing.  Bonus points if you hit both criteria.

I would say a little birdie told me this, but then I would really seem to talk to birds a lot, so let’s just say I heard by word of mouth that a lot of you really adored the snacks sets.  Really what isn’t to love about them?  They are adorable.  But then I heard another truth, many of you are cabinet challenged.

Trust me I may not seem like I understand this, what with my love of anything for entertaining, but until mid-June when I have my counter-top extended slightly so new cabinets can be installed in the unused space where they put an area for a bar (we don’t use a bar we eat at a table like civilized people), I do have only moderate cabinet space.

I don’t want to give up chic for function, it really isn’t my thing but a girl can only have so much china that will fit in her small apartment.  So I have brought you a compromise.  I found this when I was strolling through a wonderful little kitchen shop in Sonoma called Sign of the Bear.  It is a lot like a William Sonoma or Sur La Table, but in cute country general store format.  Anyway if you are in Sonoma it is a must stop little place.  Conveniently enough they ship too, so I have a nice little box of goodies that they shipped home to me being held hostage in the package room downstairs.  Anyway without further ado:

The Wine Glass Plate Clip.

So these really aren’t as cute, but with my China pattern that is white and silver they wouldn’t look THAT bad, nor would they on plain white plates or black plates.  They are small enough to throw in a drawer with your wine tags, bottle stopper and cork screw (which I know you have a drawer for).  And really their functionality is so great, I think the fact that they aren’t as cute as the snack set may be able to be overlooked until you get more cabinets.  See girls, there are always solutions.  Always.

Now they can’t be used with flimsy plastic plates, which in all honesty you shouldn’t use unless you have a very large group size and in that case you shouldn’t have enough of these to go around so it should all work out.  You can get these in multiple places, The Container Store has a pack of six stainless steel ones for $14.99 which seems to be a pretty good deal.

These from WineOpeners.com are a bit cheaper, but are not as nice in quality.  I mention them because you can buy in bulk and get them printed with a logo or picture.  I know many of you in the DC/Arlington area throw big corporate functions so I thought I would mention them as a reference.  How nice would it be to receive this at a big function?  I promise I would take mine and hubbies home to use.  You could also get them printed with a cool picture to make them a nice present.  Even better might be a wedding favor if you are having a reception that doesn’t have a sit down dinner.  (Sorry I love weddings, I could spend my whole life planning weddings if only it paid as well as my current profession)

This Wedding Wednesday I am exhausted, absolutely exhausted…

Wedding portraits last weekend, this weekend is an endless list of things to finish so this week Wedding Wednesday is going to be short and sweet:

Make-up.

You have a couple choices airbrushed make-up, having a salon or spa do your make-up, get it done at a cosmetic counter or do it yourself.

Air brushed make-up:

If you are going to do this make sure you get it done by someone with a good reputation.

In the DC area I suggest Rodney Pinion at Andre Chreky.  Pinion uses an airbrushing gun to gently spray tiny droplets of color onto your face. The results are very natural: Even those with a fear of foundation will love it. You can get base, blush, eyeshadow, and even brow tints, all of which last for ages, go on remarkably evenly, are hypoallergenic, and won’t clog pores.  The bonus is it photographs really well because of the even matte finish.

Having it done at a Salon or Spa:

I am not very good with make-up.  I don’t normally wear it and putting it on scares me a little.  So I trust the professionals.  Again reputation is key.  Not only should they have good make-up, but a good knowledge of what will photograph well.  Sparkly powder or eyeshadow with sheen does not photograph well.  I recommend splurging on this a little more than you regularly would.  Find someone who does this often, who has good credentials and does this often.  People that work often with people being photographed really helps.  I recommend when you do your make-up test to do some photographs, and really scrutinize the look.

Having it done by a cosmetic counter:

I really don’t recommend this unless you can test the results.  Although, I had a great experience last weekend at the Bobbi Brown counter at Belk in Charlottesville.  I didn’t have a salon to do my make-up for my wedding portrait because it was in Charlottesville, not the Greenbrier and I didn’t drive down from the city.  Luckily I found someone really experienced.  If you go this route, you want the make-up woman who is older and has worked there forever, not the young thing, but their make-up should look good. They will have done a lot of make-up, they will know the product and have a good eye.

Also choose the brand carefully.  You should probably go with what you normally use, but consider your look.  I find Bobbi Brown to be very natural.  They don’t have a lot of bright colors and that would look odd on me, who never wear make-up.  Really I think natural brides look best.  so unless you really want a “look” you might consider going that route.  Certainly don’t switch to a brand you have never used.  Many people are allergic to cosmetics.  Mom is allergic to blue eyeliner from Lancome, I am allergic to a lot of Clinique products.  But I think looking at the make-up and testing the products you will find something you can use.  this bonus is so you can learn how to apply it and use it for the honeymoon.

Make sure to ask if they have any sample products like these online that you get for free with an order:

Do it yourself:

Don’t… just don’t.  Unless you are getting married out in the middle of nowhere.  If you do go get your colors done and buy the products they recommend that you don’t have, especially correctors and concealers.  Practice, practice, practice.  But really you are going to be so stressed out, do you really want that added pressure?

So think about it, test it out and find what works for you.

Readers these Totally Bamboo products are dishwasher safe, food safe, made from renewable, sustainable products and naturally anti-microbial.  I got a beautiful bamboo cutting board from here for the MIL to be for this reason.

Now you can get one too at 20% off. They also have free shipping on orders over $50.

They have trays, plates, cutting boards, frames, bowls and even kitchen and bar carts.  See some of my favorites below:

Green-lite Large Oval

Malibu Groove

Soft Zebra Small Plates

And the nifty bar cart, perfect if you have a large house, lots of events and an extra $1,000.  So obviously not a need of mine, but McLeaners any takers you have HUGE houses where you may need an extra bar?  It is by far cheaper than building an extra bar.

Anyway readers Totally Bamboo has awesome high quality products that are a good price, even before the discount.  I really recommend them.  What other wood cutting board is naturally anti-microbial, dishwasher safe and harder than maple?  These really are superior than any other wood, plastic or other material for cutting boards.

Sometimes being a good hostess is about feeding people quick!

Dominoes and Papa John’s might keep a younger crowd happy, but most of us want something a little more sophisticated.  For the more discriminating pizza connoisseur try Z Pizza, pick your own toppings from a long long list or take one of their creations.  It is all organic and they have gluten free pizzas and wheat pizzas, they even have soy cheeses.  (And actually they have good salads too, darn wedding diet.)

As I live in Arlington I wanted to share with you all some great places to feed people fast with excellent food good enough that you won’t feel bad about not cooking.

One of the best places with a quick to-go pickup in Arlington is Liberty Tavern.  Call ahead and convientently pick-up great food, like the Vermont pizza or the frisee salad.  They offer homemade breads and locally sourced foods.  On this wedding diet it is nice to have a good salad to go, or roast chicken with veggies.

Another great option for take-out is The Italian Store.  They do catering of warm Italian food or their fabulous subs.  And close-by is the Lebanese Market Taverna which has a full host of great Middle-Eastern treats to-go.

If you don’t have any time to go pick something up, get someone to deliver to you!

Dr. Delivery is a favorite for us.  You can order from over 100 restaurants including Guajillo for great Mexican mole, El Pollo Rico for addictive chicken, Kabob Palace for great Kabobs, Mexicali Blues for good burritos and Minh’s for great Vietnamese and they will deliver it to hungry you or your guests!  You can even save your credit card info online, or your Fiance’s for quick ordering.

Another similar service is Take-Out Taxi.  They have some similar restaurants and some different, like California Pizza Kitchen to impress any little one with pizza far better than Papa John’s.  You could also get fried chicken from Flavor’s Soul Food, Levante’s for good Portugese food, Paya Thai and Raaga for great Indian, along with so many more.

So next time you need food fast, remember these great places, and your guests will be super happy.  Hungry Fiance’s will also be happy to have good delivery, and so do their enfianced who are too tired to cook sometimes.  So hopefully you enjoy all the great good food that you can get delivered right to your door or car.

So as a good kind-of-boss and friend, I am always in search of cool, but not too expensive gifts.  Often I will bring flowers in a nice arrangement, or a nice bottle of wine for friends who enjoy that kind of thing, but often I like something a little more girly or personal.  For girly girls, often times I pick up stuff at antique stores or during sales.  I always have a bag of small nice gifts, and can normally find something in there for anyone.  A great place to find those things is the Eastern Market.

I love the market, I love the interaction with local artisans, I love the fresh fruit and I love the selection of meats and cheeses.

I really love the card stand at the Eastern Market.  It is in the flea market section.  You can get all sorts of cards from $1.00 to $3.00 and even the $1.00 cards are nice.  I always flip through them and get a bunch of birthday cards, a few wedding cards, a couple baby cards and a couple get well cards.  I use blank cards for thanks you and other occasions, so I get those as well.

Another artist I really like is Amy Marx, her sea glass jewelery is really pretty.  I really like the connectors she has made that you can use to turn her bracelets into necklaces, that makes them very versatile.  Here is a sample:

Chris Water’s has very cool chopsticks and Asian ceramics.

Had Matter Art makes the coolest keyholders.  I really like the ones with funny prints like cows or hula girls.  I also like the collage ones like the one below.

You hook you keys below, and put little things like your extra garage pass on the shelf.

I also absolutely love the arrangements by Blue Iris.  They are modern and chic.  I think anyone would be supremely happy to get one of their arrangements, and they would instantly make a room look put together.

Man Made Design’s which makes very modern earrings, cufflinks and pendant’s has an etsy shop!  Find their beautiful and modern gifts like the aqua cufflinks below… they are super cool and a favorite color of mine.

But my very favorite is Turtle’s Webb.  A humanities major like me who took jewelry classes in college and fell in love with it, unlike me she makes more of a living out of it… someday.  I love her metal flower earrings.  I have ones similar to these below that are cooper and silver, I get compliments on them almost everytime I wear them.  I once saw gold ones that were phenomenal that I would love to have.  I really think this jewelry is so distinctive and creative.  My grandmother used to grow these flowers in hanging pots that look a lot like the flowers in her design so that is one reason they really hit home to me.  I can’t think of the name of the flower now, but maybe it will come to me.

You could also get some lovely cheese, fruit, bread in the Market itself.  The flea market has so many lovely gifts.  There are so many vendors I can’t even remember the name of like the box guy who has small boxes with cartoons and pictures on them.  The vendor who has super cute linens which look very April Cornell.  I love a day at the market I find things for me, and I find things for others.  All in all it is a great time.

And bonus if you get there early you can get bluebucks at Market Lunch, they are yummy blueberry buckwheat pancakes.  They are worth the wait.  If not then get a crabcake, they are one of the best in the city.

So it is time for orchid lovers in the area to slowly bring their orchids out of hibernation, introducing them back to orchid fertilizer, taking them outside for the nice sunny days.

I love orchids.  I am by no means an expert at growing orchids, but I enjoy mine.  For someone who travels often it is nice to have flowers that won’t die when not watered for a week.  Also getting your orchids to re-bloom is an event of immense pleasure.  The flowers are so delicate and intricate.

If you love orchids living in DC is such a joy, the United States Botanical Garden always has an orchid room, but in the Spring they always have a huge orchid exhibit.  This year is Orchids Through Darwin’s Eyes.  I highly recommend this exhibition.  Here is another link to the event.  The exhibition continues through April 26th.  Last year I was stunned by this blue orchid:

Afterwards when your obsession continues and you desire a source for beautiful orchids and then the knowledge to keep them alive I highly suggest Orchids for You in Vienna, Virginia.  Which has a plethora of varieties some pictures of their flowers are below.

They will help you learn how to re-pot your orchid, how much light they need, how often to water, how to mix your fertilizer.  And they have many specials, so if you think you might kill one, it’s ok, they have sales, don’t buy the expensive ones first.

So I  know earlier this week I posted a tea cup, so I may seem a little tea obsessed.  I should clear the record that I am only minimally tea obsessed.  I am actually going to a tea this weekend, and it had me thinking about tea, that may be the reason for all the  tea thoughts.  If your only experience with tea is Lipton or the normal Bigelow, you have not experienced tea.  I like using loose leaves that you can get bags to use it in or get a tea-maker.

We have an older version of this Teavana tea-maker.  Quite frankly, I don’t know if this one looks better or not, it only makes 4 cups.  Ours says it makes 8, but really in a mug makes 4, but a tea-maker is nice and handy.  You can add sugar or honey to the carafe and then put over ice to make iced tea.

I think a tea-maker of some type that you can put loose leaf into is essential for good tea, even if it isn’t this super duper fancy expensive one, that has a timer like a coffee pot.

I think one of the reasons I am minimally tea obsessed is that tea is a gesture of love:  iced tea in a nice pitcher for family, hot tea when you aren’t feeling well, and if you are English the tradition of tea in the afternoon with friends.

So if you don’t have the moola for that one think about this one, the bonus is it is beautiful and much cheaper so this is my pick, if I broke my tea-maker tomorrow.  You don’t even have to have a pretty teapot or carafe, because it is pretty.  Imagine it with the flowering bloom teas (the ones that when put in steeping water unfold into a pretty flower).

Next up is the tea itself.  I like the looseleaf variety Wegman’s has, I think it gets good turnover, Teavana of course is really good and then there is also Teaism, as well as, a host of small places and online stores.  I highly recommend the Peach White Tea at Wegmans for the best iced tea when added with a little honey when it’s warm to dissolve the honey . Jasmine pearls are also another favorite for hot tea.

So remember coffee is coffee, but tea is versatile, flavorful and something all enjoy, or even pretend to enjoy with stuffed friends at a table,  from the time we are little girls till now when we are still little girls at heart.  Enjoy.

P.S. If you want to really give a special little someone in your life a good experience the high tea at the Four Season’s in Georgetown or the Mayflower is really nice, a truly Madeline-esqe experience.  I want to take my two little cousins when they come and visit over the summer.