I think entertaining friends is a great way to share yourself with them. Through your home decor choices to what you serve, when you invite people in, you are letting them get to know you more intimately. Here are some simple, unique entertaining tips to let your personal style shine through while having a great time with friends.

I love succulents as much as the next person. But I have a black thumb plus I don’t like to be dirty. I don’t know how to replant plants in to decorative pots and every time I decide I’m going to do it, I buy a huge bag of dirt (why don’t the home improvement stores sells a half bag???) that just sits there for a year before I throw it out. What I’ve started doing instead is just adding a little pizzaz to the pots the plants are sold in. I make sure to leave the bottom free so the water can still drain out. Here, just a little bit of Mod Podge and some bright fabric make these pots a little more fun. I have these all around my house and it not only makes the house feel more lived in (plants really are miracle workers) but I can show a bit of my design style in the colors and fabric patterns that I choose.

I don’t know about you but I am NOT made of money. I love to shop but shouldn’t. So I try to look at things that are around the house and figure out how I can use them in a new way. This “tray” was actually part of a plastic box that held candies at Christmas. I used a little Mod Podge and some cool wrapping paper to make it a custom tray. And I love leopard so this was another great way to show a little of myself. It’s not heirloom quality by any means, but it totally passes as a tray and when I think it has done its job, I can throw it out and not feel like I’ve wasted money.

I love candy. My husband and I don’t take ourselves to seriously so I love to have candy to put out when friends drop by. Candy makes people happy. And even when someone is on a diet, they will still reach for one piece of candy. Pretty much any candy will work but I like to use the opportunity to pull out some unique candy that you can’t find everywhere. These cinnamon milk dreams are pretty and delicious and were picked up on my recent trip to Portland. Not only am I sharing something new with my friends, but I’m sharing a little bit about myself and my love of traveling and finding new things.

And even at the most casual of gatherings, you should serve sparkling wine. Don’t save it for a fancy occasion. Serve it on a Tuesday afternoon. Because most people don’t. You don’t have to spend a ton on a great bottle. Find one that you like and share it with your pals. A lot of people like to play it safe and serve what they think most people like or what they know they like. But I like to take that risk of serving something new. Sure, there have been flops. Which has made for some pretty fun memories.

I’ve recently become obsessed with essential oils and have been wanting to try them out in all different ways. YOU GUYS! The wild orange oil in sparkling wine???? AMAZING! The lavender was thumbs up emoji too. Do things different. (Just be careful ingesting the oils and always follow directions on the bottle! And only ingest pure oils like those from DoTerra). The oils paired perfectly with this sparkling wine from Kim Crawford.

Kim Crawford is one of my favorite wine brands. If I could only drink their Sauvignon Blanc for the rest of my life, I’d be a happy lady. But this sparkling wine is definately a new favorite. It’s crisp and dry with a vibrant fizz. If you see it in the store, pick up a bottle and try it for yourself! Their motto is “Undo Ordinary” which I adore and is how I try to do things in my own life. Ordinary is fine. It’s just so much more fun to color outside the lines once in a while. For me, it’s next to impossible to not be creative. Sometimes I think my personal motto should be, “Can’t leave well enough alone.” But that makes me, me. And my guests know this. And embrace it. (I think.) How do you entertain differently and let your personal style come through?

*Kim Crawford sent me a bottle of their Fizz Methode Traditionnelle to try.

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