To feel sad my house doesn't do dinner parties??

[bordellosboheme]

When I was a girl I wanted to grow up and live in an elegant house and throw dinger parties.

However, I have ended up in a house without a dining room.... A small kitchen, and so I've not invited anyone round to dinner in 5 years.

My next door neighbours do this every weekend..... I feel sad.....

I love the idea of a big coffee table & stools. Where do you get them?

I don't know where my mil got hers but I just googled coffee table and stool set and loads came up. I love them!

op the sort of people who think their company abc dinner parties are fantastic are usually the ones who are all about impressing and not about the fun.

you sound lovely. food on laps, as said in a coffee table or on a picnic cloth on the floor. lots of booze. fantastic.

Picnics and barbeques in summer, carpet picnics or take-aways on knees in winter.

We have friends round a lot, but I rarely have "dinner parties", (too much stress and expense, and we all have young kids).

Oh PLEASE have a dinner party, even if it;s sitting on bean bags on the floor round the coffee table, I LOVE going to other people's houses to eat even if it's just beans on toast!

I'm not inviting myself OP

You all sound great. I'm inviting you all around for dinner Indian, tapas etc on coffee table with bonfire it is
Thank you for restoring my confidence. I just tonight invited my friend and son around for informal sunday lunch. Thanks to you guys...

P.s. Valium I wish you were inviting yourself. You sound nice

Have invited my friend and her son for Sunday lunch!
Any ideas for an easy one? At mo am thinking of whole chicken in oven

How are next door managing to have dinner parties every weekend; is their house not identical to yours?

Whole chicken in the oven, baked potatoes or crusty bread and salad!

I would SO come too

Floggingmolly theirs is a big executive home! They're social climbers ours is a tiny bungalow next door.

Valiumredhead that sounds like much easier than a full roast! Great idea!

So pleased you've invited some guests. Chicken, jackets and salad sounds delicious. What are you doing for pud? I always make chocolate brownies and ice cream when I'm having adults and kids over. If you want to make it fancier I make hot fudge sauce to pour over.

Or apple crumble can be made in advance.

Ooh choc brownies and apple crumble both sound delicious options! Now, how do I get the confidence to think she is thinking good things about my house and not OMG? I can't be objective as its my house.....

It's your home. Stop giving a shit what people think about it. If you like this friend then she is a nice person, if she is a nice person she will be happy to receive such a lovely invitation. I don't go to friends' houses to judge their homes ( ok well sometimes I like a good nose, I'm only human) but to enjoy their company.
You will have a lovely time I'm sure.

Wash the windows, hoover, dust, put some flowers in a vase, once the room is aired light a smelly candle, so you have a hint of nice smell.

I like a table cloth... Sorry, it's where I come from, Sunday is lunch with a white table cloth. I have a red one for Christmas and a yellow and lime green one for summer sunday lunches.

The rest is....pot luck! I tend to serve mezze type of food, cutlery in a big bunch given to children to set (haha), I jug of water with lemon, wine....everything is on the table, might be a cultural thing again, but I don't really clear the table for ages, for the people to be able to keep picking at stuff if they wish, bring a tray with a coffee pot and mugs. Children have dessert on a picnic rug in the middle of the room, leaving space for adults at the table.

I work by the principle: I'm hosting till you arrived, once you're at the table, feel at home. I am a feeder, not really a hostess, I like to enjoy my food and the company, catching up with people, the food is an excuse to gather round.

If I have lots of people round I often lay everything out in the kitchen so people can help themselves and just have cutlery and drinks on the coffee table.

OP - I make a point of avoiding the sort of twat person who would judge my house and not just come to see us.

We don't have a dining room but we do have a decent-sized living room and kitchen so gate leg tables are your friends.

Plus - an informal supper is much more fun than a stuffy old "dinner party".

I love my house. Many of my friends quite openly say that they love visiting it but could not live in it full time. Fine. I don't actually care if people like it or not. They can go sit in the garden by the BBQ pit.

I love having parties : often just tray after tray of nibbles, pleny to drink and good company

Love this and marking place

What's wrong with a fork supper.

If people are about your house, politely point them in the direction of the front door. Honestly, life's too short. Provide good food and great company, and if that isn't good enough for the people you have invited then they don't deserve you.