When I was a little girl, I spent about as much time dreaming up my life being a hostess (I kid you not) as I did about being a mom, writing books, being filthy rich (this one cracks me up) and generally having the best life ever. If I told you how much time I thought and dreamt of these things, you’d think I was a weird kid. Okay, I was definitely a weird kid.
I don’t think of myself as a very traditional person in many ways. But I do feel fairly traditional when it comes to etiquette, hospitality, and and creating a warm and welcoming environment. For those who are new here, you may not know that I have a love for many things “Mid-Century.” My love of this time includes glassware/barware, some furniture, some decor, clothing (that I can’t wear), jewelry, and most of all . . . the love of entertaining.
Side note: Mid-Century is an all encompassing term that people tend to use incorrectly. Most of the time, they say “Mid-Century Modern (MCM)” for all things Mid Century. I happen to love MCM furniture and architecture. But there are many things that fall under the overall umbrella of Mid-Century. Some are modern, some are not. As an extra side note, there is much about that time in American history that I find deeply offensive. There are things I love.
There are some styles I don’t care for – such as “Mid-Century Regency.” It’s also known as Hollywood Regency and it’s generally…too much. Mid-Century Colonial is also a bit much, but I happen to own two furniture pieces from that time, just the same (both originally owned by my grandparents). But I digress. One thing I wish the U.S. still had was its dedication to gathering, entertaining, and hospitality. We do this now. But sometimes it seems “community” is harder to come by and we certainly don’t go to the lengths my grandparent’s generation did. They hosted family and friends and when doing so, went to a great deal of effort.
They planned menus and thought about seating and prepared special food and drinks. My grandparents had game nights with their friends (that the kids weren’t invited to participate in). I don’t know if they played other games, but I know pinochle was one favorite. They got dressed up. It was a whole thing. My mom said that if they went to someone else’s home, my grandparents got even more dressed up and my mom and aunt would go in their PJs (so grandpa could carry them straight to bed when they got home).
In thrift and antique stores (just about anywhere) you can see signs of the effort this generation went to, when entertaining. I buy pieces every so often. One of my favorites from that era are “snack plates.” If you’re a wine person, you’re likely accustomed to a more modern example of these (but for wine glasses and snacks) if you attend wine events. But from the Mid-Century era, they’re much prettier than what we might find at a wine festival for instance. I adore them. :) Some are crystal and very dainty – and others are wood or plastic. Another favorite are the serving dishes for appetizers, snacks, relishes, etc.
What’s the point, you ask? While I may be listing some of my things for sale on Etsy, soon, I’ve got a nice little collection of these things and think often about how I will use them in my future business. :) I also spend a lot of time thinking about how little I share the things that inspire me (but make me uniquely me). They are things I love and though they seem frivolous, in some ways, I’m passionate about them too. Being a host – or opening your life, home, or even your office (I had lots of experience with this on my last job) to others, is an opportunity to gift the people you care about or run across – a moment of rest, peace, good food, and a little break from the rough and tough that surrounds us every day. We move at a pace here in the U.S. that is not sustainable. Slowing down and offering a moment of something lovely and welcoming, is such a gift. It’s one of the reasons I hope to someday have an event venue/bed and breakfast of my own. I’ve spent years dreaming of it.
I recently finished “The “Little Book of Hygge” by Meik Wiking. I enjoyed it, as I expected I would. There were some great reminders throughout the book about the kind of life I want to live. I am working toward a more hygge lifestyle. And while a hygge life doesn’t require a bunch of things, I did finish the book convinced that careful curation of things can be hygge. But along with that, there was a great deal about a slower more satisfying pace and making time for the people and things you love most.
I hope to take the time to share more of that here, which is the point of this whole post. In my tiny 865 sq ft apartment, much of my small collection of glassware and entertaining pieces are packed in storage 5 hours away. But I’d like to share when I can, just the same. There is an element to entertaining or hospitality, that certainly feels very trivial in a broken and messed up world. I am extremely passionate about injustice in the world and there are times that feels weird compared to this urge I feel to make things beautiful or to make people feel at home.
But that’s why it’s so desperately needed. Our bodies and souls need a place of peace and rest. And it would help if we could start with making our tables longer.
Writing in the Margins 