My sister is the hostess-with-the-mostess. She always fixes up her guest bedroom as if the Queen herself was coming for the visit (hmmm…I just realized that she thinks I’m as fussy as a queen). I love to check out the basket of goodies she leaves on the cedar chest at the end of my bed. It’s usually filled with hand cream, chocolates, bottled water and the piece de resistance–new magazines!
photo courtesy Restoration Hardware
If you want to show your guests how much you look forward to their visit, put some extra care into setting up the guest room. Or, if you really don’t want them to ever come back, or even stay at all, tell them there’s a super-sized spider living in the room that might hiss and rear up on its back legs if they go near it or even look at it sideways (actually happened to my best friend who was visiting relatives in Australia).
I just had to take a break from typing to have a giggle fit! Australia is now crossed off my bucket list! Who am I kidding? I took it off the list 20 years ago when my husband described a hiking trip when he stumbled upon a rather large snake going across his path–he couldn’t see its head or its tail…that’s how big it was!!! This blog post has gone crazy!
Ahem…I’ve composed myself and we shall carry on. Here are some rather dignified ideas for hosting your guests. I’d just like to qualify myself by saying that this is a wish list, not necessarily what I will achieve every time someone comes to stay (just sayin’…don’t get your heart set on it).
I have a nasty little secret. I love using other people’s shampoo when I go for a visit. So my first choice for spoiling guests would be a nice little bottle of shampoo. I’m madly in love with anything by Lollia.
photo courtesy Lollia
Where there’s shampoo, there has to be fresh towels. It’s handy that I have a warehouse full of them at Nicole Jane Home!
When your guests just can’t tolerate one more minute of your company, they can retreat to their retreat and forget their troubles by immersing themselves in some great magazines.
My other dark secret is that I generally sleep really well at someone else’s house. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I like to experience different bedding. If you can afford it, and you like your guests, I’d recommend really lovely sheets.
photo courtesy Restoration Hardware
I’m a fresh flower fanatic, so I would definitely, if nothing else, make sure my guest had a bouquet to enjoy!
photo courtesy Country Living Magazine
Make sure they have some wickedly good snacks to munch on, or I …er…they…won’t come back!
photo courtesy Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut
Once your guest has eaten all that chocolate, I’m pretty sure they’ll need some fluids. I just love bedside water carafes and glasses–they’re just so refined.
photo courtesy Apartment Therapy
When I have guests, they have usually traveled a long distance and made a very special effort to come here, so I like to go the extra mile and thank them. I love to send them home with a little something to remember the trip. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, just something that took a little thought.
photo via A Gift-Wrapped Life
If you ever want gift-wrapping inspiration, visit A Gift Wrapped Life. It’s full of gorgeous ideas!
