Bonjour everyone! I’m thrilled to be a guest blogger today on Or so she says!
My name is Bree Johnson. I’m an American currently live in Calgary Alberta Canada.
I’m married to my Canadian husband Brandon Johnson and have 2 year old twin boys Greyson and Harrison and a brand spankin new {8 day old daughter Chloe’}
I’m an event planner and I own my own company called Mod Events and Co. I also love to travel, blog, go antiquing/ junk yard diving and craft.
I currently write two blogs- my own personal blog about remembering the little details that happen in life called Finding Bliss and an Entertaining Event planning blog called the modsblog.
One of my favorite things in the world to do is plan events. It’s my job and also my passion.
So I thought I’d pass along some things I’ve learned from my event planning classes that you can apply to
anything your the hostess of! Be it big or small.
{The Secret to great Entertaining is to engage all 5 senses }
This is one of the First things I learned in my Event Planning classes.
For someone to experience something profound you need to engage as many of the senses as possible.
Smell-When guests walk into your house they’ll get a first impression- For those of you who have been to Disneyland- this is one of their marketing tactics. You smell things all over! Also in show homes, many home builders put the same scent of reed diffuser in every one of there show homes to create a good atmosphere as soon as you walk in. So to set the stage you can burn a candle {get a scentsy warmer if your concerned about candles}- or boil some orange peels/cinnamon sticks,cook some cookies, febreze air effectsare another fav of mine!
Sight- For me It’s all about color- I love making the colors of my house match my events- that’s why I have neutral furnishings and I accent my colors in pillow throws and art. The best way to transform a space is by revamping reusing and recycling items for a different color scheme. For instance I have a white pillow that I will cut out something themed from felt for every event I do at my home- it changes with the season- and felt costs maybe a dollar or two- I will also paint and repaint canvases- use a 40 percent off coupon at Michaels to get canvas , then you can buy either dollar store paint or mis-tints from a paint store. {mis-tints are half as much} I find if you have parties done in a color scheme it will make it a lot more cohesive. It will also create a larger impact.- I’m a fan of monochromatic or analogous schemes- once you get more than 3 colors it can start to look tacky. Lighting is also huge- turn on your fireplace-replace your bulbs with black lights or colored ones- use up-lights to highlight certain areas- you can get these at Ikea. Take lamps from different parts of your house to use for different occasions.
Taste -I’m by no means a cook, I love to bake -and I have a few dishes that are good but I find if it’s for a party food can be a huge factor to whether or not your guests have fun. So either host a party with someone else who is an awesome cook- or order things from the deli/farmers market /meat shop/Costco. It will make your stress go way down! Also check for guests food allergies- for instance my hubby is allergic to nuts and it’s hard for him to trust things at parties. So its nice to ask. And makes the guest feel that much more relaxed.
Touch –touch is important when entertaining believe it or not! Add some throw blankets textured napkins or chair covers to your decor. Make a little gift you can give to people as they leave. This makes the guest feel welcome in your home. I love to make goodie baskets for guests that come overnight. Complete with some toiletries, magazines, something to eat, bottled water some fresh towels, all put into a basket on their bed. I also love to fold my toilet paper and hand towels so they look like the hotel ones- just fold the two corners under so it makes a diamond point. You can find tutorials for napkin/towel folding here on you-tube. I know- kind’ve funny but its the little things that make a difference. Invest in good linens for your guest room- Having your guests get a good nights sleep can make a huge difference in their happiness factor.
Sound- Music can always set a mood- why do you think almost any event you go to will have some kind of music? it sets the tone of how you should feel when you are there. I tunes has a great feature on their radio where you pick the genre- they have tons of stations with different themes and its free as long as you have the internet, an I- pod and speakers. You can also borrow cds from friends or go to the library.
{3 More Current Fav’s}
*Borrow what you don’t have. My motto is reuse reinvent and recycle! When you’re young and just starting out in life, you’re probably short on décor, dishes and table linens. Ask to borrow from a friend or family member.
*One of my new favorite thing are events on a small scale- they keep me entertained while I’m still juggling a newborn and don’t want to take on a wedding again quite yet. So We have one of those old fashioned dinner groups- you know the ones your grandparents talked about going to. We picked every first Wednesday of the month to hold a dinner party for 5 couples. You can decide which day works best among your friends. Then everyone takes a month. You can then design the dinner around a certain theme. So far in our dinner group we’ve had a Mexican Fiesta, An ugly sweater party, a funny white elephant dinner party, a Valentines Amazing Race Dinner Party and numerous ones with the theme being the type of food country it’s from. Super easy Super fun and a great chance to have some quality time with your significant other and your good friends!
*Split the cost and responsibility! Plan a shower with a couple friends and have each one focus on what they are great at. My friends and I “our mod squad” do this all the time. One will do the graphic design one will cook one will take pictures and one will decorate. Makes the planning a lot less stressful.
-Bree
Mariel
Owner & Author at Or so she says...
Mariel (mahr-eeee-elle) is a mother to six, wife to one. Loves homeschooling, golfing, cupcakes, traveling, cuddling, non-fiction books, gardening, James Taylor, family time, and a sexy wedge. This is her blog. Enjoy!
@orsoshesays
Blogger, Promoting Motherhood, Creativity, Great Ideas, Good Food, and Family Values. http://www.oneshetwoshe.com
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Great advice! Your dinner parties sound so fun
Thanks for the post!
Mariel
Thank you Bree! I just became a homeowner, and I love having friends and family here, but I get so stressed because I realized I don’t have a clue how to entertain! I’m thinking of posting this on my refrigerator for my next party! Good tips. Very helpful.
Thank you Bree! I just became a homeowner, and I love having friends and family here, but I get so stressed because I realized I don’t have a clue how to entertain! I’m thinking of posting this on my refrigerator for my next party! Good tips. Very helpful.
Great post Bree! My son’s birthday is coming up and I will be using some of your ideas!