Cut the Cheese!

One week closer to the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011! This time of the year is filled with parties and get-togethers - plenty of occasions that call for a little "thank you for having us" hostess gift. Last week I started a little mini-series on great hostess gift ideas. Each week I'm featuring a different category of hostess gifts that I keep on hand for any last-minute needs. Last week was all about VINO. This week, perhaps you'd like some cheese to go with that whine..I mean wine :)

Let's face it, as many times as wine is given as a *go-to* hostess gift, cheese is offered by said hostess as a *go-to* party hors d'oeuvre. Whether it's a cheese tray straight from the grocery store or a gourmet selection of aged fancy cheeses accompanied by fruits and nuts, there is usually cheese to be found. No, I don't actually keep CHEESE on-hand (well I do but it's for eating, not for gifting). But I do keep cheese accessories! If you are giving one of these items as a gift and you have time, go to your local cheese counter and pick something up to go with it!

My favorite cheese markers are these from Pottery Barn. My little cousins gave them to me at my bridal shower - they are dishwasher safe and even come with a pen!

I also like these cheese markers from Crate & Barrel. They are inexpensive, they go with everything, and you can write on them to label whatever cheese you like. These are dishwasher safe too like the PB ones- you can't beat that!

Is that made with cow, goat or sheep's milk? These animal markers need no explination. Available on Etsy from Pepper Sprouts.

Also available on Etsy are cheese markers made from vintage silver flatware.

There are several sellers who carry these in all sorts of cheese varieties. I'm sure you could even request a special kind if you don't see what you like! Try Wooden Hive.

And get a load of these BEAUTIFUL (and Eco-Friendly) handcrafted cutting boards! Made by David Wolfgram of EcoHardwoods.

These Slate Cheese Boards are another great option instead of a wooden cutting board. The Cheese Knives pictured here are my favorite. I have these exact ones from Crate & Barrel.

[SIDE NOTE: I am superstitious like woah so I don't give knives (or scissors) as gifts if I can help it. I was raised to believe that giving knives (or scissors) as gifts symbolically *cuts* the relationship with the person you give them to (or receive them from). The good news is you can counteract the bad ju-ju! Just PAY the person who gives them to you (or get paid if you are giving the gift). A single penny will suffice, it need not be full price or a large sum, but the act of paying for the gift means it wasn't a gift and the relationship is safe.]

I'm planning to do a little Christmas shopping after work and before I get back to my ottomans. You can bet I'll have my eye out for hostess gifts too. Hopefully I can behave myself and not do any personal shopping while I'm out!! Okay, maybe a few new holiday decorations won't hurt!

Ciao!

I'm ready

...to start talking about C-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s! I've been avoiding it like the plague. Not avoiding Christmas, but avoiding the Christmas talk. It was just too soon for me. Now there's less than a month to go(aaaaaahhhhhh!) and I'm finally ready.

We've decided not to put up our tree this year *gasp*. It would take up waaay too much space and it's kind of a pain-in-the-butt. Somehow I end up putting it up, taking it down and putting it away all by myself. Since our apartment is so small (well not really, but compared to our old place it might as well be a shoebox) and our BIG tree (yay for Garden Ridge! Which is BACK in Richmond and totally worth the 2 hour drive from DC) is tucked away in storage, Executive decision: Have a Charlie-Brown tree this year. A REAL, small tree. Did you really think I was going to have a Christmas (not just any old Christmas but our first Christmas as a married couple) without a tree?? Um, NO.

But it has me thinking and dreaming of how to decorate a tiny little tree...

I used to decorate my tree in pink like this one before Chris and I moved in together. Somehow, I don't think he would appreciate the color choice this year!

(via thedailygreen)

This one can be planted after Christmas is over! I love this idea for a child's first Christmas. They get their own special tree that can grow up big and strong in their own backyard! My parents planted my first Christmas tree and I can still see it when I drive past our old house!

Depending on the size tree we end up with, our foyer table might be a good spot for it. Or I might do a boxwood tree (made from clippings) and put it there instead.

And this one is pretty - I'm a sucker for color-themed trees even though I love all the colorful and sentimental ornaments. (That's a post for another day)

And just because I can't resist...

Here are just a few BIG tree pictures that I love.

I'll stash these ideas away for next year =)

 (pictures via here and here)

I'm dreaming of a Tequila Christmas!...

I *heart* Neiman Marcus (and Horchow and Bergdorf's). The Neiman's Christmas Book just came out. The theme this year is 50 years of His & Hers. It's a super cute concept. I enjoy seeing what the big gift items are each year. Always things that are completely extravagant and 5-6 figure price tags or more - totally not in my price range. But, fun to look at! This year they have a 2011 Camaro - a Neiman Marcus edition Camaro. What do you think?


But my favorite gift item that I would LOVE for someone to give me? The party planned by none other than Colin Cowie himself!

Colin Cowie will plan a party for 75 guests in your home, Chef Todd English will cook up some divine delights for you to munch on, all while you sample Tequila Avion cocktails created by mixologist Yusef Austin and listen to the sounds of DJ Donna d'Cruz. All this can be yours for the budget-friendly price tag of $125,000.

*Keep Dreaming, Kat*


Check out the Neiman Marcus flip book online if you didn't get your own copy at home!