New Year’s Eve is one of the more daunting holidays of the year. Going out can be crowded, expensive and disappointing. Throwing a party at home seems overwhelming, too, especially when it comes to decorating in a way that is striking and memorable, but neither excessively labor-intensive nor crushingly bank-busting. It’s tempting to just turn in early and skip the stroke of midnight all together.
Yet what if being the hostess with the mostest could be easy? What if throwing a party at home could be fun? We imagine that it would be be super special to invite our nearest and dearest to our place to welcome another year if only we could relax and enjoy the festivities
Perhaps we can. Just over a year ago, Pam Mortenson and Sandy Edman started Table Décor and More with this very intention in mind. With backgrounds in event coordination, the beauty industry, decorating, fabric and marketing, the old friends channeled their talents to create exciting, festive décor with little muss nor fuss. While Mortenson had always loved to decorate the dinner table for her family’s special occasions, it occurred to her that not everyone had the same enthusiasm or visual sensibility. To keep the planning easy, Mortenson and Edman designed ready-to-use, quickly assembled tablescape kits and included party consulting and delivery in the package. The materials in the kit are washable and re-usable for your next party.
The response has been positively effusive. According to Mortenson, “Our passion is to revive the lost tradition of bringing families and friends around the table to create lasting memories,” and she thinks that New Year’s Eve is an excellent time to embrace this kind of meaningful, personal experience.
Mortenson is full of inspiring ideas for a unique New Year’s Eve party. One appealing suggestion is to form a gourmet cooking club and ask each guest to cook a dish that is part of a multi-course meal. This adds the fun of group participation without burdening the hostess with undue stress.
A theme is another key ingredient in throwing an effortless, exciting party. Table Décor and More has a list of themes at the ready but is always eager to come up with something new. One custom theme they created for a customer was Prom Night. The tablescape is a little retro, a little kitschy and most everyone can relate to it. Other possible New Year’s Eve party themes from Table Décor and More include Silver Snow, Winter’s Garden, Charlie’s Choice and Hallelujah. Along with the ready-to-go tablescape, picking a few key color elements helps set the mood of the party and gives you visual guidelines.
Both Mortenson and Edman stay current with entertaining and decorating by watching design shows, reading magazines and simply paying attention to their surroundings. Edman pores over Pinterest to keep up with trends. “We are constantly thinking,” says Mortenson. “It’s non-stop.”
They vow to stay off the beaten path and incorporate unusual materials. “It’s so much more than flowers and dishes. Hammered metal is a big trend now,” says Mortenson, “and we’ve been incorporating things like old hat boxes. It’s really limitless to what we can do!” What’s more is Edman and Mortenson are ever sensitive to budget concerns and work hard to achieve reasonable prices.
So what’s holding you back? Start calling your friends and family now. New Year’s Eve party at your house this year!
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