Every year that JB has worked for his company we’ve had a client party.  For the first few years of his business, we did a party in the office around thanksgiving.  That was good, but I just felt like a party in our home would be more fun.  Plus we can offer wine in our home, which lightens things up I think (:  … It sounds funny, and though I don’t do much to help my husbands business, I still find myself calling them “our clients”.  I am truly invested in their life and try to brainstorm ways to let them know how appreciated they are.  Having them over in our home, letting them into our mess, even if it’s as clean as it’s gonna get …. I feel they get to know us, and we get to know them, on a more personal level.  

{These adorable Boston Terrier invitations c/o Dixie Design }

this year for our cheese board, I used wrapping paper.  Usually I do butcher paper and write with a chalk pen.  I couldn’t find my chalk pen so I just made little tags.  Someone asked over instagram what cheeses and accoutrements  we went with.  This year, we had:

• Fig Goat Cheese
• Blue Cheese
• Triple Creme Brie (my absolute favorite)
• Toscana aged with red wine
• Parmesan
• blue cheese
• smoked gouda
• Salami
• blue cheese stuffed olives
• black olives
• honey, and red pepper jelly.
• a few different kind of crackers
• two different dips
• in the past I’ve put chocolate, grapes, and nuts out here as well.

JB grills the best turkey ever.  He uses Killer Bee seasoning on it, and it’s gluten free (which a lot of spices aren’t!) so it’s great for any clients with allergies.  Side note:  if your husband likes to grill I cannot recommend this spice enough.  SO GOOD.   So we had that, with aloha rolls, cranberry sauce, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes.  We also had Pulled pork for sandwiches too.  Nothing fancy but filling.

I know that my old business in events, has helped me tremendously with all of this stuff.  I feel pretty relaxed about it all.  If they see a mess somewhere, that’s pretty much life, right?  I try to have the house as picked up as possible, and I welcome them all to take a peek upstairs or wherever if they want to.  This is as clean as my house is getting, so they may as well take a look when it’s like that.  (:  I also always think of the Kate Spade quote “Making others feel at ease, is the essence of etiquette”.  And I truly believe that a host that is relaxed and having fun, will have guests doing the same.  It’s taken me a while to learn that though!