Thoughts for Thursday : Throwing a Dinner Party

Sorry I'm late! I have an excuse for being so behind on the blog this week.  I've been a busy little bee working on the house projects that I talked about last Friday!! It feels SO GOOD too.  

Did you know that throwing a party at your house is the best way to motivate you to get shit done??? It is.  I have already knocked out half of the 5 projects I talked about plus an extra project in our garage that I will share with you one day soon!  I tried to snap as many pictures as I could last night before our dinner party because the house never looked cleaner or prettier.  Honestly, I didn't snap enough because I ran out of time; but I did get a few good ones.  

You see those mirrors on each side of the fireplace? They finally got hung this week.  It's been 9 months and it feels so good.  They used to just lean against the wall on those demi-lune tables, but they became dangerous once Brody was mobile.  We had to take them down and stare at the blank wall for the last 4 months or so.  It makes the room feel so much more complete now that they are up!  I can give a big thanks to my Momma for making that happen :)

I decluttered the living area a bit and added a few pops of Fall decor and it felt so good!! 

We sat 10 people at our dining room table (we brought a few more chairs in) and it really didn't feel too crowded.  I love knowing that we can have everyone sitting at the same table.  

You know that fine china you register for at your wedding and rarely use?? Well I broke it out for the dinner party and it was so much fun and looked so pretty.  Sadly, our formal dinner plates haven't arrived to my house yet as it took me over 2 years from our wedding to finally order them.  #pathetic. But we had a great alternative and no one even noticed.  

I posted this photo of the bar on Instagram {@homeofmalones} last night and you all loved it!!  It was fun getting such a positive response from all of you that it made me even more excited to share the rest of the photos with you.  

We had an amazing meal, but sadly I did not get very good photos.  This was a lobster cheesecake appetizer with a side of melon that was heavenly.  

And I only got one picture of some of the guest from the actual party and it's not a very good one at that.  But it is of me and my brothers so that makes me very happy!!!

I had so much fun getting ready for this party with the help of my Mom.  I can't tell you how good it made me feel to have my house clean, a reason to organize and decorate (I finished the office and can't wait to show you), gorgeous flowers all around, and family and friends to share it all with.

Here are a few quick tips for throwing a dinner party:
- Prep as much as you can ahead of time
- Have fresh flowers
- Light a candle in the bathroom and put a small vase with a flower if possible
- Light candle
- Make sure wine or champagne is chilled if needed
- Use place cards at the table (mine weren't put out yet when I took those photos)
- Make sure table is set before your guest arrive
- Play soft music through TV or stereo system
- Try to relax, have fun, and enjoy your guests!!

What am I missing??  What do you do to prepare for a party or even just when guests come over to your house for a casual gathering??

Grab the button below and link up to Annie and Natalie  on your Thoughts for Thursday post.  

Use #thoughtsforthursdays on Instagram and tag us @homeofmalones and @eastcoastnat.
Link up starts at 6am EST. 

Follow us on Bloglovin' too:

Home of Malones and East Coast Chic

<center> <a href="http://homeofmalones.blogspot.com/search/label/thoughts%20for%20thursday" target="_blank"><img alt="Thoughts for Thursday" src="http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu98/lauraleigh925/home-of-malones/thoughts-for-thursday_zps5b440953.png"/></a></center>

An InLinkz Link-up