5 Things I’ve Learned About Hosting After 7 Years of Feeding Dallas

Consider this your friendly reminder from someone who has seen a LOT of parties.

1. First question: What are you NOT doing?

Before you make the giant hosting to-do list, make a NOT doing list.

Seriously.

Maybe you're not cooking.

Maybe you're not decorating.

Maybe dessert is coming from your favorite bakery.

Maybe we're finally admitting that making 47 Pinterest appetizers at 11 p.m. the night before the party was a terrible idea.

You do not get bonus points for doing everything yourself.

The smartest hosts decide where their time matters most, and hand off the rest.

2. You don't need 12 WOW moments. You need ONE.

This is one of my favorites.

Pick the thing people are going to remember.

The grazing table everybody gathers around.

The gorgeous flowers.

The entrance that makes people stop before they even walk through the door.

Or a front porch that is absolutely SHOWING OFF for fall.

My friend Heather at Porch Pumpkins is SO good at this. She can turn a front porch into the first moment of the party before anyone even rings the doorbell.

One unforgettable detail beats twelve things you stressed yourself out trying to make “perfect.”

And Dallas friends...

The people who are REALLY good at this stuff book up early.

Ask me how I know. 

3. Speaking of that... BOOK THE THING.

Yes. I'm yelling a little.

Because every year the holidays feel soooo far away.

Until suddenly they aren't.

And by the time everybody starts thinking, “Oh! I should probably book someone for that,” the person they really wanted has a calendar that looks like Tetris.

Want someone to decorate your house for Christmas? Call them.

Need a florist? Call them.

Photographer? Caterer? Event planner?

CALL. THEM.

And if holiday decorating is on your wish list, Dallas has some incredibly talented people like The Holiday Homegirl, AB’s Holiday Decor and Navy Blooms Dallas.

And yes...

This also applies to your favorite charcuterie girl. 

If it's important to your gathering, get it on the calendar before everyone else remembers it's important too.

4. “I'm having 30 people” doesn't tell me enough.

Okay, charcuterie pro hat ON. 

Thirty people stopping by for cocktails before dinner?

Very different.

Thirty people coming to your house and expecting the food to BE dinner?

VERY different.

Thirty people coming and going through a 3 hour open house?

Different again.

And 11 a.m. vs 7 p.m.? Totally different ballgame.

PRO TIP:

Guest count matters.

But how people are gathering matters just as much as how many people are gathering.

That's how you end up with the right amount of food instead of enough leftovers to feed the neighborhood... or 30 people staring sadly at one lonely cracker (don’t worry that will never happen when you book me). 

5. PLEASE go enjoy your own party.

I mean this one.

I can tell almost immediately when a host has given themselves too much to do.

Everyone else is laughing in the living room...

And there they are.

Still in the kitchen.

Fixing. Arranging. Refilling. Fussing.

Meanwhile, the people they invited are wondering where they are.

After seven years of watching people gather, here's what I know:

Nobody remembers whether every little detail was perfect.

They remember how your home felt.

They remember laughing.

They remember the food.

They remember the conversation.

They remember YOU.

So set the table.

Light the candles.

Turn up the playlist.

Pour yourself something good.

And for the love of cheese...

GO SIT DOWN. 

Your people came to see you.

That's really what all five lessons come down to.

Beautiful hosting isn't about doing more.

It's about choosing the things that matter, getting a little help with the things that don't need your personal touch, and actually being present for the reason you gathered in the first place.

And that?

That's my kind of hosting.

XO, Eileen

Hosting something this fall?

You don’t have to do everything yourself.

Whether you’re gathering friends at home, celebrating with family, hosting clients or planning something special for your team, Gifts of Graze can take one very beautiful thing off your plate — so you can actually enjoy the people around it.

And if Halloween is on your calendar...

Our limited-edition Spooky Graze serves 25–30 guests and is available for select October dates.

A little spooky. A lot gorgeous.