The Seven "Ps" of Party Planning

 

 

 

 

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Greetings friends! 

Thank you for subscribing to my blog.  I am hoping that this can be a place where not only I share, but you participate too. I love hearing about your dining adventures as well as sharing mine.

This week I am going to share the Seven P’s of Party Planning that I incorporate into every party or dining event I host. I will elaborate on each one in the weeks to come. I invite you to join in as we ponder ways to make events delightful for others.

The Seven P’s are:

Pray-Plan-Prepare-Present-Perform-Post Party-Pleasantly Ponder

 

Pray:

First, with any party or event, I take the time to sit with the Lord and I ask him to help me make it an event that will make each guest feel comfortable and special. I ask God to give me creative ways to incorporate this into my planned event. I ask Him to give me eyes to see things I might not see, or ideas I might not think of but are needed. I ask for direction or a theme and find that in quick timing He provides me with a place to begin, whether it is a person who needs special care, a table design that will creatively challenge me, or a menu that might bring much pleasure, among many other things.

On my nest post, I will begin the process of planning a party. That is quite a lengthy list, but an important and essential one. If you feel like doing so, I’d love to hear what you think about hosting or attending parties in general. What are your favorite aspects of parties?

Until next week remember: Whatever You Do, Make It Delightful!

Do You Have The Gift of Hospitality?

Hospitality is a Gift

 

 

 

 Hospitality: The quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, and generous way. 

To me hospitality is a way of blessing others by making them feel special, loved and valued. I am not scholarly, nor do I possess the wisdom of judges and doctors, but I do know how to love others. I desire that I keep this quote in mind whenever I have someone into my home:  “Entertaining seeks to impress, hospitality seeks to bless.” Jen Wilken.

Planning a meal for friends and family can be extremely fun, satisfying and is a way to extend hospitality to the significant people in your life.  These days, when so many people choose to have group events at a restaurant, it is a welcome change to be invited into someone’s home to enjoy a dining experience with friends, family, and old and new acquaintances. 

A more personal alternative to meeting in a restaurant is hosting the event in your home.  If you are anything like I am, I love having people in my home.   The walls in my home echo the special times that have occurred over brunches, lunches, teas, dinners and other parties.  I derive great pleasure in making someone feel like they are special people to me.

The most important factors are that you desire and prepare for everyone to enjoy the experience of dining in your home and plan for them to feel like they are significant people in your life.   To that end, I have learned that planning events for the special people in my life includes six basic elements.  I call them the “Seven “Ps” of Hosting a Party”.  I invite you to come read along as I demonstrate how I plan and carry out dining events in my home.

Do you feel comfortable having people in your home?   Do you get excited or a bit stressed at the thought? Stick with me and you will be hosting parties that delight you and your guests!

 

You're Invited

I will be writing a series of blog posts about planning and executing parties and events in your home that will delight your guests. I hope you will join me and add your own ideas, helpful hints and tips, and questions as you read along.

 

 

 You're Invited

Are there any other words that get the heart pumping like those?  The anticipation that wells up inside of us, the thought of spending time with other interesting people, the joy of knowing that you were thought about and included in something special, the delight of finding something out of the ordinary to wear, and of course, the glee of indulging in unique party fare,  all come to mind when I read those words.

I LOVE to give parties.  I love everything about it.  I love the planning, decorating, the anticipation, the research, discovering,  choosing a menu, trying new recipes, the grocery shopping, the baking, preparing, presenting, conversation, indulging, selecting and listening to music, choosing themes and building events and environments around them, and everything that is involved in having friends and family over.

I have been hosting parties for as long as I can remember.  I just love being around people and creating fun events, delighting them with surprises, hearing their stories and listening for ways I might bless them.  I imagine it is also a way for someone who loves to decorate to be able to continue to do so once one’s home is completely decorated.  It’s a phenomenon.  I can’t be changed.  It’s in my DNA as they say. 

Many years ago, I started collecting Vintage glassware, mostly Depression Era glassware, tea ware, china, and serving pieces of all kinds.  A beautiful glass excites me and I love to share such beauty with guests.  If one is going to have a collection it might as well be something beautiful and useful. I tell you this because I want you to know just how I transformed entertaining others into a life-long pursuit.  I so enjoy sharing beauty, delicious food and fun conversation to bring delight to others.

I always say, “I don’t know everything, but I know some things”. Within these pages are my developed formulas, recipes (from me and others), pictures, ideas and documentation of what I’ve learned from hosting hundreds of parties and helping others to do so.  I hope these pages will inspire you to discover the creativity you have within and the joy that results in sharing it with others.  The more you host parties, the better and more creative you will become.  Think outside the box.  Use things for purposes they were not originally intended for.  Search magazines, cookbooks, Pinterest, Google, and other experts, as well as amateurs, for unlimited ideas.  Make things your own creation by adding your own personality and touch to whatever you do.

You will soon be known as the “hostess with the mostess”.  I promise you, if you follow the ideas presented within this blog, you too will hear the oohs, aahs, and wows from your guests too. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Accept help. Learn and improvise from your mistakes. Enjoy people.  Don’t hesitate. Have fun! 

My goal in composing these pages is to be something of worth to you. There are so many publications out there and we can get strangled trying to read them all.  I desire this publication to be worthy of the time you indulge in reading it.   I hope you enjoy the things I share as much as I enjoy composing it. Additionally, I hope you will contribute from your own experiences. Always remember “Whatever you do, make it delightful!

 

 This is the introduction to a series I will be featuring about "How to Host Parties or Events" in your home.