Paper, Plastic of Fine China?

The tea parties I've given in the past are testament to my love for decorating a beautiful table but, overall, I'd say my entertaining style leans way more toward the casual, bordering on thrown together at the last minute. This didn't really hit me until yesterday when my sister-in-law Jody was showing pictures of her birthday celebration in November. Friends had gone to a lot of trouble to do a fall themed luncheon for her and the results were spectacularly beautiful. Yes, it helps that I was looking at fall mums, warm colors and pumpkins - all components of the autumn season that I dearly love but still, there was no denying the effort taken to present something very pleasing not only to the stomach but also to the eye.

One of my problems is that I have plenty of very fancy serving pieces and, on the other end of the spectrum, a cabinet full of mostly mismatched paper goods for use out by the pool...but not much in between. So yesterday, when I wanted to put all my appetizers out on the serving counter, they went out in a hodge-podge of Tupperware and cheap plastics I could find. This is the same kind of serving arrangement I usually end up doing when small group comes every Tuesday night and when guests come over to eat or socialize. 

After I cleaned up from the late Christmas celebration, I thought back on Jody's pictures and silently resolved to care a little more about presentation of the foods I present to groupings coming into this house. I don't know that I'll take the time and effort for every small group gathering but maybe I can resolve to pull out all the stops for this group once a month. 

As for my family and friends, I'm now looking ahead to Easter and thinking of what I'll serve and how I'll present it.

                                                   (One of my favorite tea tables)