December for most of us is a whir of merry-making including parties,open houses, and soirees. Many of us act as both host & guest, i’ve rounded up a few creative ideas you could use for this year or next:
As a host:
Consider invitations you designed yourself like this clever postcard I recieved from my friends who have hosted a turtleneck and eggnog party(affectionately named the Neck ‘n Nog) every year for the past five:
or try a no hassle email invitation from Paperless Post
Get decorations you can use all year round, rather than just the holidays- take some ideas on decorating from previous posts in our series to focus on the mantle or the tree. We decorated the office with balls of mistletoe strung from ribbon at each cased opening. Use the holidays as an excuse to spruce up the house and host a party. Consider new pillows or a pretty lamp for the foyer table.
As a guest:
Check out this fabulous article “Holiday Guest Behavior Guide” over at Real Simple. I love the idea of shopping locally for hostess gifts. What about a gift certificate to the English Garden for a holiday floral arrangement?
What are your holiday hosting plans?