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8 Quick Entertaining Must-Haves for the Impromptu Guest

Always be prepared for the unexpected guest. Whether it is a friend stopping by after work or neighbors gathering on the front porch for an impromptu drink, here are a few tips so you are always party ready.

15 Items Every

Powder Room

Needs

Whether you are entertaining overnight guests or friends just dropping by, the powder room is the one area all will ask to visit. Have you taken inventory of this part of your home lately? Make your bathroom boutique beautiful by implementing our top points below. 

Gifts Ideas for
the Mom in Your Life

May can be a crazy month with the chaos of end of school activities, home projects, and travel plans. But we need to hit pause for one day to celebrate the special mom in our life. With hearts of gold and putting others before themselves, we have gathered a list of ideas to help you honor the special lady in your life.

Gather Around the Table this Easter

A few years back my husband and I attended a play that was an adaptation of the classical movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which originally starred Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy. It was a beautifully written, and quite comical, story based on the difficulties families faced in the 1960s with inter-racial marriage. The scene that stood out the most to me was when the son was trying to bring both families together for dinner. In the last line of the last act, he turns to his father and says, “Dad, we need you at the table.” With that, the father joined the others, and the audience was left with the understanding that healing had begun.

My 10 Favorite 
Hostess Gifts

Giving a party requires a great deal of work. If you have been fortunate enough to be included in a festive soiree, it is nice to arrive with a gift for the hostess. The typical present will cost anywhere from $15-$100. What you spend will be determined by your relationship and the type of event. Is it a formal dinner? A backyard BBQ? Also, when possible, know the likes and dislikes of your hostess. If she is allergic to flowers, you probably will not arrive with a bouquet in hand.

How to Create
a Tablescape
in 8 Steps

1. Choose the table. Will you use a round that seats four or a rectangle that seats twelve? This decision will determine your centerpiece.

12 Tips on Dog
Etiquette

Warmer weather will be arriving soon, and I am seeing more of our four-legged members making an appearance in the dog parks and on walking trails. With pets taking more prominent roles in our lives, I thought it would be good to brush up on basic dog etiquette and ownership responsibilities.

Let's Celebrate

Meeting friends for dinner after work, grabbing coffee with your girlfriend or just ordering pizza on a Friday night with neighbors. We all have a deep desire to be connected in a world that often forgets the importance of relationships. Many of us have the desire to entertain, but we let our circumstances keep us from extending hospitality. Often it revolves around our lack of confidence in our ability to host events. I get this!

The Art of
Toasting

A toast may be offered in any setting and made to an individual or a group. Increase your confidence at your next social gathering by learning the ins and outs of this ancient tradition.

A Party Idea
for Each
Month of the
Year

A perfect entertaining year for me would be hosting a different themed party each month! Will I do that? No. Will I dream about it? Yes! If I cannot have a party every 4 weeks, I can at least help my Lisa Lou family with ideas so hopefully a few of you can carry the torch of hospitality for the rest of us.

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  • Writer's pictureLisa Lou
    • Jan 16, 2020
    • 2 min read

Be Intentional/Be Present: The Commercial Shoot in My Home

Each year my husband and I come up with one word that we use to define us and shape our behavior for the following 12 months. The past two years, I kept the same word, but I also cheated and chose two words: Be Intentional; Be Present. I don’t want to go through the motions of life always responding to the whirlwind. I want to live each day with intentionality. I want to be-in-charge of my life (but always one step behind God!). I don’t want others telling me how to live my days. I do this by living by the words: Be Intentional.

I also don’t want to miss out on life. I do this by being present with others. If I always stayed home, turned down invitations or did not “show up” in the lives of the people around me, then how can I have an impact on those in my sphere of influence? I can’t. I need to: Be Present.


Today was an exciting time in our home. It was the third time we have been asked by others if our home could be used to film a commercial. This, by far, was the biggest of my three experiences. The commercial crew was here from 9:30a.m. to 8p.m., and they were fabulous! They were so kind and very precise in putting my home back exactly like they found it. I could have said “no” when I was approached about another filming, but that would be a missed opportunity to live by my chosen words. I was able to have some great conversations with people I had never met, all because I was willing to: Be Present in the lives of others and Be Intentional with my actions and words. I thought you might enjoy a few behind-the-scenes photos from the day.


Yes, that’s the couch from my game room sitting in my kitchen.


All paintings were removed from the walls and the furniture placed in another room.


My dining table used to be here.


From Colonel:

Today was very exciting. I got to see a commercial filmed in my home. I almost caused an accident, though. I thought the commercial people had used my tennis balls without asking me. I went over to retrieve them back! Uh oh, those weren’t mine. I kept my favorite toy with me, for security, the rest of the day.


Behind the scenes at the commercial shoot. Wow! It takes an army, and hours of filming, to create a 30 second ad.



The driveway became the staging area for snacks and electrical equipment.

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