If you are ever in need of entertaining ideas, then the lady to go and see is Entertaining Extroidionaire Jenn Sbranti. She’s The Hostess With The Mostess and her website & blog serves up some of the yummiest entertaining ideas, products, and recipes! Jenn took a few minutes to “entertain” us with some of her favorite inspirations for hosting a great party, as well as some insight on how Hostess With the Mostess came about.
JuBella.com: What was the inspiration behind creating hostesswiththemostess.com, as well as your blog & what things would you like to achieve though them in the future?
Jenn Sbranti: The idea behind hostesswiththemostess.com started when I personally felt the need for a resource like this but wasn’t able to find it. I’ve always loved planning and throwing creative parties, so when my friends starting hitting the era of bridal showers and baby showers, I was excited to host a lot of them myself. I started to search extensively online for cool partyware and creative ideas – but rather than finding “idea” websites - all my searches kept landing me at online stores that sold the same frilly or cheesy-looking partyware designs – painted baby booties and cartoon teddy bears for baby showers, old-fashioned wedding bells or “fancy” floral patterns for bridal showers, etc.
My personal taste is much more on the modern/contemporary side – and I just wasn’t finding that type of inspiration despite hours of searching. I turned to books next, but there didn’t seem to be a lot of great books relating to baby/bridal showers either – and some of the cool ideas that I did find in books were hard to recreate because it wasn’t clear where to find the elements pictured or they were way too expensive.
So, being a graphic/web designer and a big believer in what an amazing, accessible information source the web can and should be, I started thinking that I should try create a resource like this myself. After talking to a lot of others about the idea, I genuinely felt the need for an online resource where people could go to get inspired about party planning and not only find actual ideas that are unique and stylish – but also be directed on where to find the things they need. Planning parties and get-togethers should be a creative and fun experience for the host or hostess, and not overly stressful as it seems to often become. “Hostess with the Mostess” sounded like a fun, memorable name for a company… so, fully expecting the domain name to already be taken, I still decided to check it out just in case. Lo and behold it was available! So my husband and I decided that it must be fate, reserved the domain name and trademarked the name on the spot – and decided to go for it!
Once we started actually getting into planning and developing the site, we realized what a huge undertaking it was going to be and that the timeline wasn’t going to exactly happen “overnight” like we wanted it to – especially since we had to keep our “day jobs” in order to pay the bills and get the startup capital we needed. So we thought that starting a blog might be a good way to reach out to people and start getting some buzz going while the main website was being developed. Never did we expect quite as warm of a welcome as the blog received – and of course we couldn’t be happier about it! Without the blog, we wouldn’t have had an audience to reach out to when the website launched – and it’s opened up a lot of other doors as well.
The first stage of the website finally launched in April 2007, and we have so much more we want to do with it and add to it – including things like message boards, interactive party planning tools, wish lists for our fabulous finds and fabulous gift sections, and even online invitation functionality. Our goal is to have a full-fledged interactive party planning resource that is extremely stylish, loaded with visual inspiration & imagery, and extremely helpful information.
JuBella: Favorite 5 on-line shops/boutiques for hosting gifts?
Jenn Sbranti: www.wrapables.com, www.wishingfish.com, www.redenvelope.com, www.patinastores.com, and www.perpetualkid.com
JuBella: In your opinion, what are 5 key elements one must haves to host a
memorable party?
1. A Theme – even if it’s as simple as a color theme or theme based on the type of cuisine you’ll be serving such as an Italian dinner or afternoon BBQ. Having a theme to guide you makes it easier to make decisions regarding partyware, decorative accents, and food & drink options – and it also creates a more festive atmosphere for guests – giving them the feeling that they’re at a “special” event.
2. A Signature Drink: whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic – a signature drink with a creative garnish adds a fun element to the party and is a great opportunity for a cool beverage display.
3. Good Lighting: I’m a sucker for white twinkle lights and break them out all year long for outdoor parties – not just around the holidays! Colorful paper lanterns, candles, disco balls (when relevant) and dimmed lights are great for controlling the party “mood” as well.
4. Food & Drink “Stations”: Rather than having all of your food and drinks in one place, create a few smaller stations around the room – to encourage mingling and movement – and stop potential traffic jams!
5. Great Music: that coordinates with your theme – keeps the festive energy up and the party going!
JuBella: Could you share with us one of your favorite recipes for casual
entertaining?
Jenn Sbranti: This appetizer is going to seem ridiculously simple but it always gets devoured first at get-togethers:
Sesame Cream Cheese & Crackers:
Ingredients: 1 cube cream cheese, soy sauce, sesame seeds, & water crackers.
Directions: Place cream cheese in the center of your serving plate. Pour soy sauce generously over the cube. Cover thoroughly with sesame seeds. Serve with water crackers. Done!
JuBella: Favorite books & magazines about entertaining?
Favorite books: Simple Stunning Weddings by Karen Bussen, InStyle Parties from InStyle Magazine, Easy Entertaining by Darina Allen, and Celebrations from Real Simple.
Favorite Magazines: Real Simple,Cooking Light, and pretty much everything from Martha Stewart Omnimedia – especially the Weddings, Living, Everyday Food, and Kids magazines
JuBella: What are some of your favorite flowers and/or arrangements for the
dinner table?
Jenn Sbranti: Tight bunches of flowers are always best for the dinner table – and make sure to keep them low if you plan to leave them on the table during dinner. I love china mums, button mums, and gerbera daisies – or gorgeous cymbidium orchids – either stemmed or floating in clear glass bowls.
JuBella: What has been one of the most unique gifts that you have given or
received thus far?
Jenn Sbranti: For father’s day I’m actually giving my dad a personalized steak branding iron. This is a fun, unique gift for someone that loves cooking and grilling. You can have one created with your loved one’s initials or a full monogram, using 2-3 letters.
JuBella: What do you love most about the art of entertaining?
Jenn Sbranti: The chance to be creative – especially when there’s an out-of-the-ordinary theme – and the reaction from guests when they come in and are excited about what they see.
JuBella: Thus far what has been your favorite table setting that you have
styled?
Jenn Sbranti: I love Hawaii and anything tropical – so the http://www.hostesswiththemostess.com/themes/bridal_showers/love_in_paradise/ “Love in Paradise” table setting is probably my favorite so far. It can be used for a bridal shower, engagement party, or an anytime celebration if you just take out the “LOVE” letters. I feel like there’s a good mix of both modern style and elegance here – and it’s the perfect setting for a good Mai Tai!
JuBella: Share with us your favorites of the following:
Dinner: Fancy: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/miso-salmon-with-cilantro-salsa Miso Salmon or http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001681seared_ahi_tuna.php Seared Ahi, Cranberry/Walnut Spinach Salad, warm French Bread with butter, & Grilled Asparagus. Casual: Chicken Enchiladas.
Dessert: Kimo Pie (a Hawaiian favorite!) or Strawberry Shortcake.
Beverage: Cocktail: Red Wine or Margarita on the Rocks Mocktail: Strawberry Lemonade.
Appetizer: Fancy: Bacon-wrapped Scallops, Casual: Pigs in a Blanket or the Sesame Cream Cheese mentioned above.
Oh I am sure that if you had an Amy Atlas spread to adorn your next gathering, you would be quite the hostess about town! Don’t you just love these magnificent dessert tables! Filled with sweet colors, tasty sparkles, and decadent textures…oh my! So with the holidays coming up, you might want to go all out with your dessert tables. Whether you can hire Amy herself, or do a Sandra Lee or Hostess With the Mostess Tablescape, or just create your own style, creating a whimsical dessert table will make your family and friends feel super special and you get a chance to show off your crafty talents!
