Bulletin Board Stress-Free Holiday Entertaining

Lynn Lilly, founder of Craft Box Girls, loves a good holiday party.

STRESS-FREE HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING

The holidays have arrived, which means it’s time to get into the entertaining spirit. If you’re out of practice, don’t fret; we have you covered with some tips from DIY and lifestyle expert Lynn Lilly, the founder of Craft Box Girls. Read on to get the Buckhead resident’s insight into stress-free holiday entertaining.

Plan ahead. Get ahead of stress by planning festivities a few weeks out, so when it’s party time, you can enjoy the celebrations alongside family and friends rather than from the kitchen. I’m a goal and schedule-driven mom and business woman, so when it comes to entertaining, I treat it like I am planning for a work project. Create goals and deadlines for yourself.

Get the kids involved. My daugh-

ter is so much happier when she feels a part of the festivities. Find activities kids can do that will contribute to the celebration. These can be as simple as coloring place cards while you prep the meal so they stay out of the kitchen or inviting them to help decorate desserts. Ask for help. When planning your celebration, think about the most time-consuming parts: cooking, setting up, running errands, etc., and ask friends and family to help with those ahead of time. Husbands make great assistants, too. Your friends and family will appreciate your asking for their help ahead of time instead of last minute.

Individual servings. People are still

easing into celebrating in groups, and as a hostess, you want to make it as comfortable as possible for everyone. Think about menu items that can be served in individual containers—salad in a jar, charcuterie cups, hand pies—to avoid shared serving utensils. If you have menu items that need to be served, have one person handle the serving.

Keep it simple. Don’t crowd the celebration with too many activities or a structured schedule. Keep it fluid and relaxed. Many families and friends have not been together much, so they’ll want time to catch up and enjoy each other as much as the food and festivities.” n craftboxgirls.com, @craftboxgirls

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Cover up that Kleenex box’s lackluster exterior with this Weezie tissue box cover. Made in India of 100% cotton, it’s available in a variety of prints, patterns and solids with piping along the edge to match your home’s decor. Punch it up with personalized embroidery, a specialty of Atlanta-based Weezie Towels, a company co-founded by Buckhead resident Lindsey Johnson. Available for $40 ($15 additional for embroidery) at weezietowels.com, @weezietowels.

AWARDS

Drumroll Please…

Design Excellence Awards

The American Society of Interior Designers Georgia Chapter (ASID GA) has announced its 2021 Design Excellence Awards winners. Best-inShow recipients include Michael Habachy of Habachy Designs (commercial category) and Melanie Turner

Habachy Designs was recognized as Best-in-Show for its work on the Icon Buckhead.

of Melanie Turner Interiors (residential category). Savannah College of Art and Design student Seoyun Bae was also recognized for her design of Excelsior Academy, a private school for students with learning or physical disabilities. For a full list of gold, silver and bronze commercial and residential recipients, visit ga.asid.org.

Southeast Designer of the Year Awards

Hats off to the Atlanta finalists in ADAC’s 2021 Southeast Designers and Architect of the Year Awards. The residential category included The Design Atelier, Whitney Ray and Joel Kelly of Wyeth Ray Interiors and Joel Kelly Design, and William Peace of Peace Design. Kelley Harris of Harris Interiors and Smith Hanes Studio were recognized for contract design. Architect finalists included D. Stanley Dixon Architect, Harrison Design, Historical Concepts and Summerour Architects. For a full list of finalists and winners, visit adacatlanta.com