The end of 2010 is just around the corner, already? Time sure does fly when you’re having fun. fun We have had a wonderful year together. Looking back, it has been a year filled with new opportunities, exciting exchanges (and changes) and endless possibilities. A year when your encouragement kept me motivated me to do what I love: styling and tabletop designs. I am most grateful to you for your continued support and friendship. In the spirit of giving I decided to put together a little supplement pp to yyour dose d of Mochatini. A little b book of holiday inspiration as my way of thanking you for all the love you have sent Mochatini’s way this past year. So what’s in Mochatini’s Little Book of Holiday Inspiration? Tablescapes shop picks from Argentina Tablescapes, Argentina, a “What What NOT to gift, EVER feature from style-savvy bloggers, and more. I hope you find something to inspire your holiday entertaining. . Xo Manvi Drona-Hidalgo
From My Casa To Yours.. Happy Holidays!
Credits Content, Layout and Styling: Manvi Drona-Hidalgo Photographs: ManviDrona-Hidalgo, Paul Hidalgo, Lawrence Luk Editorial Assistance: Jordana Fyne Copyright 2010 Mochatini and Manvi Drona-Hidalgo
Downtown Chic by Robert and Courtney Novogratz
Ten Tips for Holiday Entertaining Be it a dinner party for six or twenty, or a cocktail party for fifty, these simple tips will ensure your guests leave feeling fabulous and you shining like a star. Take care of the food and beverage part of your party first. Only after you have an idea of what you are serving your guests will you be able to select appropriate tabletop pieces. 1. Get creative with your table linen. Who says you have to go crazy and blow your budget and/or your sanity shopping for the perfect tablecloth? Sure, use your fancy-schmancy white tablecloth if thats how you picture your tabletop. But if you are looking to create a unique look look for one in less obvious places like your closet. Scarves and wraps make great runners, as do floor mats and bed covers. Just make sure to use ones that you dont mind getting a few spills and stains on. Tip: look for high-end wallpapers on sale – they make great placemats and coasters and you dont have to worry about spills and stains.
2. Mix it up. Please please dont use pieces from the same design of china in your tabletop. Play around with mixing dinner plates of one design with salad plates from another. Pick completely different dessert plates too. Mixing patterns in interiors is a trend here to stay so why not do the same on with your tabletop designs? It keeps your place setting fresh for your friends and creates a completely unique look. Another tip: For larger dinner parties I tend to use less fancy dinner and dessert plates paired with nicer dessert plates. Not only does this reduce time on handwashing but guests tend to notice dessert plates more than dinner and salad plates.
3. Add a gift for each guest to their placesetting. Give your guests another reason to love your holiday party with tiny presents on their placesetting. These simple and very affordable notebooks are high on my list.
4. Keep the dinner table clutter-free. I pull up a couple of smaller dinner-table-height tables on either side to serve as a food and drink buffet tables. This also keeps table decorations like flower arrangements, candles etc from being moved around during dinner.
5. Self-serving bar/ beverage station. This goes along with trend#3. Create a well stocked bar/ beverage station. This will reduce your work load during the party leaving you time to actually enjoy your party. This is also serves as a great spot for wine and champagne that guests will bring.
6. Comfy dinner chairs. Add a cushion to each chair so your guests are nice and comfy. If you can, invest in a set of good slipcovers for your chairs to create drama and give them a cozy look. I recommend Bemz Slipcovers, they are perfect for ikea chairs and couches.
7. Light a scented candle in the bathroom that guests will use. The warm glow extends the festive feel to other areas of your home and the fragrance keeps things well, smelling good. The RED Special Edition candle by Diptyque is one of my personal favorites. I also love that 10% of proceeds from the sale of each candle is donated to Global Fund, helping provide life-saving medications to Africans with AIDS.
8. Fresh linen. Keep a set of fresh bath towels and bed linen handy for unexpected overnight guests. Of course if you have one, then make sure your guest room has fresh sheets and towels. I really love these from Sferra, though must warn you that these come with the risk that your guest might never want to leave.
9. Be open to rearranging your furniture for the party. Think about the floor plan and how you want your guests to move about during the party. I often move my dining table into my living room and move the couch to a different corner for parties so we can be in front of the fireplace.
10. Glassware. Personally, unless its for kids, I stay away for plastic cups to serve drinks. Instead of plastic serve beverages in inexpensive glasses like these from Ikea. At $1.50 for six they a great deal and keep wine tasting good. I bought tons of them for my birthday party recently and they are totally dishwasher-safe. And if you can hire help. Even for the smallest of budgets and smallest of events, good help is not hard to find. I found someone experienced and very helpful for my last party. She totally kept me stress free and I was able to enjoy the fruits of my hard work at the party.
Happy Entertaining!
Placemats, napkins and placecards from Crate and Barrel. Handmade Tablecloth with fabric from local store. Bowls from Claudia Ardelino. Buenos Aires. Argentina
Fuscia dessert plates from Michael C. Fina Vintage dessert plates from thrift store Checkered Placemat Pier1 Mother of Pearl placemat Macys
DIY herb and ornament placecards Napkins and table runner DwellStudio.com
WHAT NOT TO GIFT, EVER. When it comes to gift-giving, not everything is a GO. Ten stylish bloggers, savvy-shoppers share their big NO-NOs when it comes to gift-giving. Franki Durbin from Life in a Venti Cup says NO: Lessons – The recipient might be insulted. Things requiring plugs or batteries – Unless it's for a teenager. For the man in your life: No ties. No navy sweaters. No cufflinks. Jeanine Hays from AphroChic says NO: Dishes – I will never forget the year my father got my mom dishes for Christmas. Ugly art – Art is such a personal thing. There's nothing sadder than giving someone a print that they feel obligated to put up but that doesn't match their style at all. Monika Classen from Splendid Willow says NO: E-mail holiday cards – The last thing we need is more sitting in front of the screen. Plastic toys for kids – Toy manufacturers put tons of chemicals in plastic toys to make them Ashley White from decorology says NO: Perfume – It's really hard to know what scents a person likes, and just because it smells good on you doesn't mean it will smell good on them. Art – Just because you love Annie Leibovitz doesn't mean your mother-in-law does.
Keely from luxe + lilies says NO: Underwear – Years ago my grandfather bought my grandmother a pair of underwear that was 10 times her size. It’s still the family joke. Two years ago the same grandmother gifted me a pair of underwear that looked like she bought off a hooker.
Charlotta Ward from Space for Inspiration says NO: Supermarket Christmas hamper – Not only does anything “pre-prepared AND mass-produced” declare serious lack of taste, but it also confirms that the giver has no imagination whatsoever. Planted Christmas flower ensemble – In Swedish they are referred to as Jul grupp, or Christmas group. It’s a cheap plastic-lined basket filled with an array of seasonal flowers. Not cut flowers. No, these are planted in soil, covered by moss and frequently adorned with some horrid little trinket or big bow. Rachel Follet from Lovely Clusters says NO: Teddy Bear Lamps Astrotruf Daisy Table Lamp Butt and Face Towels Cookie inspired Coffee Tables MicroFiber Cleaning Slippers Lana Kenny from Lanalou Style says NO: Lana Lou style – Something that was really expensive but absolutely not my style at all. Artwork – Something for the home that I would hate and be expected to display. Magazines – Why get me a subscription to a magazine I don’t like?
Ashlina Kaposta from The Decorista says NO: Bad pajamas – This is just really embarrassing. Pre-packaged makeup kits – I would never wear a color in there. Big canisters of popcorn – I don’t need to be eating all that stuff.
Fiona Kelley from Fashmom says NO: Things without a gift receipt – Sort of kidding, but not really. Clothes – I, like most people, am particular about what I wear and chances are you aren't going to find something I like that fits, so better not to try. Bhavna Bhatnagar from An Indian Summer says NO: Off-the-shelf or supermarket wine. Random electronics as stocking fillers – Mini alarm clocks or beeping keychains? Anything red and green – very cliché!
Sudeepa Khanna from Milgayi says NO: Candy or sweets – I get tons of sugary treats at this time of the year and then just have to make resolutions to hit the gym to undo what I just ate! Appliances – These make great housewarming gifts, but I’m not a big fan of receiving a toaster during the holidays. Christmas sweaters – We all know it’s the holiday season, but to wear a gaudy red reindeer jumper is an absolute no-no!
Hot Picks: Buenos Aires
Casa Chic, Bed & Breakfast and a charming {Anthropologie-like} store in Palermo, Buenos Aires. Argentina.
Papelera Palermo. Handmade wrapping paper, journals, stationery and more in Palermo, Buenos Aires. Argentina.
La Pasionaria, Argentina. Soaps and bath products. Available in select stores around Buenos Aires.
Write a handwritten letter to a friend you havent talked to in a while
In the Holiday Spirit DIY festive tie-backs for drapes around the house
Indulge! It’s the season.
In the Holiday Spirit
Place fragrant lavender sachets in guest room closets
Get your guest rooms ready for out of town guests
Stock guest bathrooms with luxurious basics
Happy Holidays and A Fantastic New Year To You and Yours