Expressive At-Home Entertaining -- Ideas and Decorative Touches from ThePhotoGuild.com

Dinner at home is a great way to enjoy time with family and friends on holidays or special occasions. With a little bit of extra time and planning, hosts and hostesses can add decorative touches to dress up the overall presentation.

Jacksonville, OR (PRWEB) February 4, 2005 -- Mixing fun and frills, the latest home décor products from ThePhotoGuild.com focus on expressive personalized entertaining. With creativity and planning, dinner is a great way to celebrate Valentines Day and other occasions, as a couple or with family and friends.

For wine enthusiasts, items that enhance the atmosphere can include bags, bottle cradles, butler vests, charms and tags, coasters, and drip collars from companies such as Wine Accents (Chicago IL). In that same spirit, ThePhotoGuild.com has launched the Carleen Collection" line of products.    

The idea of creating something special for wine bottles had been brewing for a while. The design teams preliminary versions were pretty but not very exciting. A timely introduction made the difference. With her doll making, painting, and sewing background, Carleen took the challenge and came up with new colors, designs, and fabrics for ThePhotoGuild.coms most innovative and whimsical original product.

Like wine butlers, Bacchants dress up beverage bottles with a textured surface for improved gripping and pouring. In elegant silver and gold, Bacchants also include colorful photo images on the front.

Figuring out the unique name took some time. Everything came together eventually, with a little help from the dictionary. Bacchants is derived from several words, all of which refer to the ancient Greek/Roman god of wine, Bacchus. By coincidence, the preferred pronunciation of Bacchants rhymes with decants", which describes the gentle method for pouring wine without disturbing the sediment.

ThePhotoGuild.coms professional seamstresses and staff finish each product individually, on a made-to-order basis. Two other items in the Carleen Collection combine decorative shapes and beautiful photos in a hearts-and-flowers theme to celebrate romance on Valentines Day or throughout the year.
- The Prep & Serve reversible photo apron has three heart-shaped pockets on the patterned side, for everyday use. After guests arrive, the host or hostess can switch to the photo side for a clean and fancy look. [This apron has been modified from a commercial pattern marketed by the Paisley Pincushion.
- Using another of Carleens original designs, the Showcase photo album cover includes an opening on the front that shows off a small (4 inches x 6 inches) or large print (5 inches x 7 inches). The cover fits standard 8.5 inch x 10 inch albums, with room to expand for extra photo pages. Customers can choose a heart or hexagon opening in the size they prefer.
- February full-year cloth calendars feature a flower photo and a red heart to highlight Valentines Day in the calendar portion.    

As an alternative to commercial products, hosts and hostesses may want to create their own accents and decorations. For wine bottles, the Do It Yourself Network (Nashville TN) offers step-by-step instructions to construct paper corsets. The idea is to hide the labels and encourage guests to taste different wines, instead of their favorites.

At-home entertaining possibilities range from casual to formal. A hosts ambition and budget are two criteria for determining the total number of people and the type of party thats given. Some options are a cocktail party" with beverages and hors doeuvres, a buffet-style meal, a sit-down dinner, or a wine tasting. From books to online articles, several sources describe the basics, whether one persons in charge or two are sharing the experience. The following are helpful pointers to get things started.

- Beverages & Serving Space: For big parties, leave open areas in places that guests are likely to congregate, especially where beverages and food are served. Over a three-hour span, plan on two or three glasses of wine per person (8 - 12 ounces).

- Decorations & Presentation: Use favorite collectibles and other objects on the table. Mix-and-match or scatter-and-group bottles, candles, flowers, paper creations, place settings, etc. If the pickings are slim, choose a luscious dessert as the centerpiece. Complement the arrangement with music thats soft, sassy, or something to fit the mood.    

-Food & Timing: In winter, fresh foods make a health and hearty meal. One option is to combine seafood (clams, cod, oysters, salmon, etc.) with vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, leeks, etc.) and fruit (apples and citrus). Several winery web sites post seasonal menus and recipes, as well as wine selections. Preparing food ahead of time or early in the day allows hosts to relax and enjoy guests as they arrive. A gratin dish is easily made in advance and quick to reheat before serving.

About ThePhotoGuild.com
ThePhotoGuild.com is an online marketplace for custom and standard photo gifts and products. The line includes: album covers, aprons, cloth calendars, giclee prints, note cards, posters, tote bags, t-shirts, and wine bags.

Contact Information:
Irene Green
ThePhotoGuild.com
800-490-9313 or 541-899-9983
http://www.ThePhotoGuild.com

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Press Contact: Irene Green
Company Name: ThePhotoGuild.com
Email: info@thephotoguild.com
Phone: 1-800-490-9313
Website: http://www.ThePhotoGuild.com