December 2011

A Home for the Holidays

Seasonal festivities and gatherings are a time-honored way to keep warm in wintertime. And now, inspiration for your next gathering is as close as your TV remote. A wealth of new programming offers just what you need to make holiday hosting all fun and no fuss.
 
Across channels such as HGTV and TLC, and on network staples such as The Martha Stewart Show, the experts know just how to get you in the spirit. Whether it's a behind-the-scenes look at Christmas parties in the nation’s capitol or the “dos and don'ts” of a winter party for the memory books, almost every facet of winter creating, decorating and entertaining is explored.
 
Ideas and advice are the main draws to these shows. On the popular HGTV show Sandra Lee Celebrates, world-renowned event expert Lee demonstrates how to create a traditional, homespun and unique environment for your next winter party while staying efficient and cost-effective. Lee has advice to spare on everything from tablescapes and food to gifts. Specials feature seasonal themes such as “Winter Wonderland Party,” “Holiday Homecoming,” “Magical Merry Christmas” and “Season of Surprise.”
 
One suggestion of Lee's is sure to save you some money: Purchasing pristine, showy and costly china, glasses or silverware is not necessary for your next fete. Instead, seek out a party rental retailer in your area and rent the pieces you need. It's less expensive and easy, and you won’t face the residual storage problems that come with adding items year after year.
 
While you may be going for a warm atmosphere, your fireplace can put excess heat into a room crowded with guests. Instead, Lee recommends filling your hearth with a collection of pillar candles to get the same inviting feel without the heat.
 
After a busy holiday season, you might be too strapped for cash to hire an event planner to spruce up your New Year’s Eve party. Not a problem, says Lee. When putting together your décor, less is more. The party will look professionally done if you edit yourself. Stick to a color palette of only two or three colors; having a color scheme in mind while you shop for your party supplies will narrow down the selection process.
 
Of course, maybe all you need to inspire you is to see how they do it in the big leagues. One of HGTV's most popular programs several years running takes you to Washington, D.C. for a “one-of-a-kind glimpse of everything that goes into creating a fun and festive holiday season at the White House.”
 
In White House Christmas, host Genevieve Gorder gives you the inside scoop on everything from menus to the elaborate decorating that goes into a winter party of presidential proportions. As you can imagine, it takes much more than a few strings of twinkly lights and a handful of candy canes to deck the White House halls. More than 100 volunteers work every year to prepare the home for a wealth of winter entertaining.
 
Think your kitchen has been bustling with a frenzy of holiday baking? At the White House, thousands of cookies are baked every year for use as party favors. A 450-pound gingerbread White House replica is first covered in white chocolate and then completely furnished to resemble the home's most famous rooms including the State Dining Room and the East Room.
 
Decorators give the colossal house a “homey” feel by pulling inspiration from natural elements as opposed to opulent embellishments. Fruit, vegetables, leaves, pinecones, wood and paper make for just the right White House trimmings—proof that similarly spectacular décor is not out of reach for the rest of us. Host Gorder demonstrates how these easy-to-find materials can create the same atmosphere in your own home.
 
This December and January, indulge your creative side (or find one you didn’t know was there) and create a wintertime environment worth sharing with the help of free advice from the professional designers, decorators and event planners of HGTV. Visit www.hgtv.com for broadcast schedules, video clips, a searchable “decorating advice and inspiration” database and full episodes of shows you can view online.