Hostess with the Mostessfeatured

Does the idea of holiday entertaining give you massive anxiety? Panic attacks? Cold sweats? Simma down now. The key to holiday entertaining is enjoying time with your guests and not stressing out. A little style and grace, and an eye for details don’t hurt either.

Recently, Houzz asked me to do a roundup of my favorite items to entertain with this season. (If you haven’t heard of this home design site, it is positively addictive – think Pinterest meets your design fairy godmother.)

Here they are…20 items that will make your holiday entertaining fun and pretty! Like you! These would also make wonderful hostess gifts:

1. Special Edition Slate Cheese Board – $30 (Brooklyn Slate Co.): Want to know what’s super classy? A well laid out cheese plate at a party. The slate comes with soapstone chalk so you can label your cheeses right on the tray. Genius. Stay classy.
2. Rosemary Topiary – $49 (VivaTerra): Piney and herbaceous, I love the scent of fresh rosemary…and this must be the most creative way of incorporating it as decor. I’d totally use it to cook with too throughout the holidays.
3. Ceramic Tea Tower – $27 (VivaTerra): Cute and space efficient! This set is like a pretty porcelain nesting doll…that will serve you tea.
4. Stacked Optic-Glass Beverage Server – $110 (Horchow): Because options are good. And so are pretty floating citrus slices.
5. Wine Barrel Stave Bread Bowl – $95 (VivaTerra): Beautiful lines, gentle curves, and a wholesome rustic feel…I love everything about this piece. And, I love love love it that it is made from a recycled wine barrel. It’s kind of romantic thinking about its former life aging wine.
6. Wine Cask Lazy Susan – $128 (Iron Accents): Another brilliant way to re-purpose old oak wine barrels…turn it into a lazy susan! I mean, really, who doesn’t love a lazy susan. I like that the original imprint of the winery of origin is left on the cask, giving it character and a nice sense of history.
7. Olive Boats (set of 2) – $34 (VivaTerra): I recently went to a restaurant that served warmed, marinated olives as a starter and was instantly smitten. Why haven’t I thought of that before? I made a mental note to make them at home and these lovely olive boats would make the perfect vessel for them.
8. Cut and Paste Cutting Boards – $21 (Klaus Hackl): I like to put my guests to work when they come over, especially if they’re the first to arrive. I’ve found that people feel more at ease if they can help in the kitchen. And I get free labor. Win-win. I also like the elegant porcelain/maple combo here. I could totally see this on my table with big slices of country loaf and honey butter.
9. Round Cocotte (Staub): Adore. I want to stuff these Mini Round Cocottes with mac and cheese! Single portions of eggplant parm! Mac and cheese!
10. Beast’s Feast Platter – $128 (Anthropologie): A fat golden goose needs to go on here. (Or turkey, or roast, or anything meaty and juicy…)
11. “Man” Boards – $70 (Canvas): I have a thing for wooden cutting boards. I feel like I can’t have too many. This massive one is so beautiful to me and could do double duty as a cutting board or serving board.
12. Reclaimed Coconut Shell Bowls by Bambu – $11.21 (Olive & Myrtle): These colorful bowls are made from coconut shells! How fun is that? These would be great for snacks — think roasted nuts, dips, popcorn, candy…
13. Fresco Filigree Serving Set – $28 (Anthropologie): So pretty. I’d make a big salad just so I could use these.
14. Split Decision Pie Pan – $17.95 (The Spoon Sisters): Because why have one kind of pie when you can have two?! This split-personality pie pan was made to ease the anxiety of indecisive people like myself. Also love the “lift & serve” feature.
15. Bodum Chambord 12-Cup Coffee Press – $48 (Amazon): Your guests will appreciate this gigundo French press. It makes 12 cups, and it is way more stylish than that clunky ancient coffee maker you have somewhere collecting dust.
16. Glass Domed Cake Plate/Punch Bowl – $30 (Williams-Sonoma): It’s a domed cake stand, no it’s a punch bowl, it’s both! So smart, so multi-tasking.
17. Prinsenhof Pie Dish – $36 (Anthropologie): Oh. So. Pretty. I love the cheery sky blue and the crimped edge, but most of all, I love it that as you eat more and more of the pie, more of the beautiful design on the inside of the dish is revealed.
18. Beverage Tub on Stand – $49.98 (Home Depot): A celebration is not complete without a big tub of cold bubblies! I like the look of the copper here, and having it free standing on an iron stand allows for more counter/table space.
19. maru by WASARA Dinnerware – $8 (Branch): Wow, disposable tableware has come a long way. Made from 100% tree-free renewable materials (sugar cane fiber, bamboo, and reed pulp) these plates are biodegradable, compostable, and elegantly designed.
20. Freshly Baked Treats Kit – $11.99 (Kitchen Kapers): Send your guests home with some sweet treats. Now that is Hostess with the Mostess material. These vintage-y labels will be the perfect touch for your homemade goodies.