Nothing Exceeds like Excess - Especially when it comes to a Theme Party

If some is good, more is always better...

Pineapple theme dinner party makes a punch!

I can't help myself when it comes to planning a party - I just love a theme.  No matter how large or small the gathering, I've got to center it around some theme or motif.  Maybe you feel the same way?

A theme provides focus to an event, a conversation starter, and a raison d'etre (reason for being) for the party.  For many, a holiday creates the impetus for the event like Easter, Christmas, or Rosh Hashanah.  Adding a theme to holidays or casual get togethers creates additional layers of fun.  Whether your theme is a color palate, a motif, or seasonal accents, a theme makes an event memorable.  

An early snowstorm hit Denver in early September, so our al fresco dining plans had to be moved inside.  It's been a long time since we have had friends over for dinner, so having another couple dine in our home last week seemed like a really big deal.   Big deals mean my little brain goes to work on a theme.  

If you know me, you know that I just love a pineapple!  Not just any pineapple, but a Williamsburg Pineapple.  Since the early 18th Century, pineapples have been used in art, architecture, and ceramics to represent welcome, hospitality, and inclusion.  Jim Glanville of the Radford (VA) News Journal published a 2018 article tracing the state symbol of Virginia to Scotland.  

Today, pineapples ebb and flow through home decorating and design accents.  Pineapples can be architectural, traditional, whimsical, tropical, and contemporary.  I've got pineapples inside and outside - from my doorbell and house numbers, home accent pillows, crystal and glass, Christmas ornaments, flatware and serveware, and even a pineapple fountain in our backyard!  I've also lived in the South, where I truly learned the art of hospitality!  For me, a pineapple embodies classic design and is an outward demonstration of my intrinsically deep-held belief of showing hospitality to all.  

For this evening's gathering, I pulled out every Southern recipe from Par 3 Tea-Time at the Masters and pineapple I could find!  Our appetizer course served in our family room included this fabulous Hot Bacon Cheese Dip served on my ceramic pineapple tray with buttery crackers.  I used this pretty crystal pineapple vase to hold the flowers our guests brought and it's just perfect.  The little wooden spoons have gold pineapples as does the spreader knife.  Even the Williams Sonoma (circa 2005) wine glasses have pineapples decorating the stem of each glass.  

Cute wooden appetizer spoons with Pineapples

   

At last, it was time for the main event!  Our kitchen table was set with every pineapple I could come up with.  This informal setting combines a little bit of bling (like our Herend "Golden Edge" china and Wallace "Rose Point" sterling flatware) with traditional and fun pineapples.  From the placemats and napkins (from Pomegranate Inc), to the little glass pineapple candleholders and stemware (both from Williams Sonoma), the table boldly proclaims "Welcome to Dinner!"  Mixing formal elements with informal or casual pieces is like mixing jeans with pearls - a perfect blend! 

I love using "the good stuff" whenever I can.   Saving pretty linens, dishes, and glassware for special occasions limits your opportunity to enjoy it.  There's nothing better than a fine meal served on pretty dishes.  And, using fine china, silver, and glassware enhances your experience - even if using it for take-away Chinese food or pizza!  Afterall, isn't every day a reason to celebrate being alive?  

Each place setting has a vintage ceramic pineapple napkin ring - and aren't they just the prettiest pineapples?  These were a holiday gift last year and I am so happy to have the chance to use them!

Even our salt and pepper shakes are pineapples!  I know - enough with the pineapples already!  But this theme is just too good to stop! 

For dinner, we made Shrimp and Grits from the same cookbook - Par 3 Tea-time at the Masters.  My dear friend Mary Eleanor serves this for Christmas Eve supper - it's a Southern traditional dish that is hearty, warm, and scrumptious.  There was not a morsel left!  We used wild caught shrimp and stone ground grits from Mount Vernon for this dish and it was as good as Mary Eleanor's!  My chef husband asks me to remind you to soak stone ground grits overnight to make them cook them perfectly.  Don't forget to use good bacon and add a little Crystal sauce to the recipe - it makes all the difference!

Our evening was as warm and welcoming as it could be - perfectly befitting our motif!  There's nothing better than a theme party!