Not Just For New Year's

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Happy New Year!

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Here are just a few photos of NYE dinner with friends at our casa. These ideas could easily be translated to birthday celebrations or other festive occasions!

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Inexpensive party hats were used to hold the menus as mentioned here. The 1' circles were either colored paper or excess printed area from the menus once I cut them to size. Use all your scraps!

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As you know by now, I also reused my Christmas centerpiece and worked around it. Hitting the after holiday sales allows you to nab things such as the "NYE disco ball" ornaments on the napkins and the gold trim used in the party horns in the champagne glasses. Pickings are getting slim but this is the best time of year to stock up!

A menu cut down to create a simple coordinating New Year's greeting on the bar, and ribbon from the napkin treatment down the center of the table keep things cohesive.

Finally, I wish I would have gotten a few more shots and photographed all the food, but here is proof that you don't have to slave away in the kitchen and do it all. (Granted, my husband did cook the actual meal. Which, for the record....delicious.)

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Store bought items can be jazzed up, too, though with a little creative plating. We all know it's about presentation. Not that the desserts from Whole Foods were bad on their own! Tasting dishes from World Market and Pier 1 were combined with leftover cut out circles to create a dessert trio that anyone can put together. Seriously.

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I hope you all have a fantastic year and this gives you some ideas for your next celebration!

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Cheers,

Amy