Dinner Parties of Yester and Yore...

I am a sucker for dinner parties.
I love the fact that it lets me get together with my friends and I love the fact that they are informal.A pizza,some wine and you are good to go.No cleaning up.No frills.

Having said that,I must admit I am a secret "Fancy Dinner Party" lover.

The chance to sit down to fine bone china laid out on some lovely table linen with a nice creative centerpiece and there is no wonder I am a fan!

My fascination for china,crystal and fancy dinner parties started when I was quite young.When all dinner parties were fancy!

My dad worked on the plantations and we predominantly lived in these lovely and quaint British bungalows (many of which have now been converted into home stays).

I actually stayed at places that looked like this!
(This is courtesy Google though)

Parties at our place almost always involved sit down dinners,with warm plates(Yes!) and actual courses.You know the entree,dessert and stuff.
I also remember that the kitchen had a switchboard with names of all the rooms of the bungalow and they lit up when the bell from the corresponding room was rung.
This was so that the butler could go to the correct room when the bell was rung.(Much like the "Call the air-hostess button" on the flight).
My mom used to have a bell switch under the table during major sit down dinners,like when the Goenka's came down for dinner.(They came with their own personal chef and insisted on watching live Kathakalil shows on our lawn basically they wanted the works!).

Anyway,when the first course would be done with, mom would press the bell with her foot and it would light up the tiny dining room bulb in the kitchen and set the next course in motion.
And to the guests at the dining room it just seemed like perfect timing!

I remember mom getting out the best crystal and making a big deal out of the kind of whiskey glasses she thought the occasion demanded.
The ice bucket had to be chinked up and the best flowers from the garden were brought in.
Flowers were arranged in each room and even the bathrooms.

I know all this is mostly over the top.And admit that with our busy schedules and cranky housekeepers doing all this is virtually impossible!
But then again if mom could do all this before she had access to the internet and Martha Stewart!I think I can bother with a few little fineries the next time I call some friends over for dinner.

I saw these lovely and easy ideas online today and thought of sharing them.

Lime slices and Perennials

I am absolutely in the mood for lime these days considering the heat!And this looks reasonably simple.I may have to exchange the Perennials for some Hydrangea.But I think it will still look as pretty!

Lemon Slices and Yellow Roses

I love the green theme in this one.So summery and so easy!

I also came across this lovely site that has amazing deals on luxury home decor.I already have my eye on some crystal that's on sale :).

Go wild!

Anyway a happy evening spent surfing through bright and colorful pictures and promises made to myself to pay a little more attention to the way I lay my table for my next dinner party and I think I am ready to call it a night.

But before I go I must leave you with a table setting I did recently for my daughter's second birthday.(It doesn't hold a candle to all the beautiful stuff out there,but hey it proves that I do try. Occasionally.)

My "squareish" black and white plates.
My Ice bucket which chilled the champagne
Black stemmed wine glasses
Crystal whiskey glasses 

 I wish I had made a nice black and silver centerpiece.But I remember I was down with a bad cold and fever then and getting this itself done was a BIG Deal!

Tomorrow....Bed Linen!(Kidding!)