Hostess Gift Ideas

If you are like me, you always want to be creative and bring the right gift for a dinner party or a weekend invite … but I usually wait until the last minute and then make myself crazy trying to find something unique! I was talking to a party planner friend of mine, Melissa McNeeley, the other day and here is her expert advice:

For gift giving in general, I like to give things that a) I would like to receive and b) something that one usually doesn’t get for themselves. Some of my favorites:

Tea towels-- I personally can’t get enough of these beautifully designed towels. I think it’s fun to pick them up when traveling, to have on hand as a gift for a host, because of their unique variety. I love the Swedish designed ones – let’s face it, those Swedes are all about design in everything they do.

Serving spoons/forks- how many holiday dinners have you had to use an old soup spoon or burnt wooden spoon for the mashed potatoes because you needed one more serving utensil? I never buy them for myself and so wish I had more. ??·

Flowers- an obvious choice, but who doesn’t love flowers? I think small bouquets are the nicest for dinner parties. Something as simple as hyacinth with a pretty ribbon tied around them.

Homemade pie with a pretty (perhaps jadeite) pie plate as part of the gift. Cobblers and crumbles are super easy if you aren’t Martha Stewart in the baking department.

Whenever you ask “what can I bring?” and your host says “oh just yourself,” don’t believe it! Always bring something. Even if it’s a bottle of wine…NEVER go empty handed.