the origin of the half-hour hostess
She loved to throw a great party, but it seemed, more and more, she couldn’t fi nd the time with all that was on her plate. It was too much work, too time-consuming, too stressful. She liked things just so, and if she couldn’t do it right, she just wouldn’t do it at all. So alas, she went into social seclusion, venturing out to meet friends at coffee shops or restaurants instead. But something was missing. Her inner hostess was screaming to get out. She wanted to make time with her friends and family memorable. So she let down her guard, managed her expectations, and devised a plan to make party-giving fun again…and with that, the Half-Hour Hostess was born.
why we entertain
Southerners, by nature, are serial socializers. Blame the heat for this communal habit. It forced our great-grandparents outside to seek a breeze on the porch while sipping iced tea or a spirited cocktail, and that often led to impromptu gatherings of neighbors and passersby. The porch gave way to air-conditioned dining rooms and planning a sit-down affair that
might take weeks. Save-the-date cards and invitations would be sent. Place settings and centerpieces painstakingly arranged and the menus designed to impress. Exhausted yet? While the urge to entertain remains (by now it must surely be imprinted in our genes), the thought of
hosting a party is intimidating. In our frenetic lives it just seems easier to connect anywhere but at home. It doesn’t have to be. It’s time to get the party re-started! Toss aside the formalities and forget weeks of planning. Entertain 21st
century style! What’s old is new again…welcome the return of the impromptu get-togethers that started it all on those porches long ago. If it’s Thursday morning and you have an itch to have the girls over tomorrow night, go ahead and make some calls, send some emails…make it happen! You can host a fun and festive gathering with minimal effort.
2 Cozy Gatherings
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