Beauty is...

not just in the eye of the beholder, but in all the senses.

We had a few people over for dinner this weekend. Simple nibbles, everyone brought a bottle... It was meant to be one of those evenings where you enjoy good company and have a great time with minimal effort. After just coming back from holiday I was still in a 'chilled out' state of mind. I wasn't about to slave away in the kitchen, spend ages agonizing over flower arrangements and then eons more picking out the perfect hostess outfit. This time I couldn't be bothered to be bothered.

That's what I thought until the first guest called for directions to the house. And then I felt that little flutter of anxiety. OMG, how can we entertain and the house not be absolutely, perfectly... beautiful? What to do, what to do? When in doubt, whip out the props! I've found that the right lighting and a strategic bowl of fruit can do wonders for a room. And scented candles? Absolute magic.

Two lanterns just outside the front door make people feel welcome and a little bit special as they approach. Almost like you rolled out a red carpet, just for them. I cheekily snuck in a squirt of room fragrance by the entrance so that as you walk in you are welcomed by this lovely calming feel-good scent. Dim lighting creates a nice 'restauranty' ambiance and flickering candles dotted around the room suddenly turn our living room into this glamorous entertaining space. Trust me, almost anything looks glamorous in candlelight! Ipod and dock, check! Set to shuffle and turn down just so. By the time you get to the dainty canapes laid out on sleek black platters, you have no idea that really they are just little crackers with a bit of cream cheese, salami and black pepper that literally took us 10minutes to rustle up!

If you ask anyone who was there that night (apart from that weird guy with the tacky belt who looked like he'd rather be at a Timaya concert), they would all say they had a great time and the evening was just... beautiful!