I feel like I ask this every year, but how can it possibly be the holidays already? 

This is the season of opening our hearts and homes, reconnecting with friends and family and doing our best to grab some relaxation and downtime. I was at a dinner party not long ago, and the topic of memorable evenings came up. It wasn’t in the dreaded “let’s go around the table and say a little about ourselves” format. Rather, spontaneously and spiritedly, we all began sharing stories about the most remarkable tables we have had the honor of being seated at. 

As one who finds superficial small talk tiresome, this conversational arc was fascinating to me. From romantic dinners beneath starry skies, to impromptu get-togethers scavenging whatever was on hand, to glittering gatherings planned months in advance, everyone had bookmarked singular soirees in their memory banks. What were the ingredients that made a get-together perfect? It may have been the food, the setting, the company and/or the conversation, but often it was some indefinable something where everything just clicked. I love finding myself in those perfectly shared moments where it all magically comes together.  

I have hosted dinners that I believe my guests still recall in a good way. I also have a disaster or two under my belt, when my best-laid plans have gone wretchedly awry, transitioning, Jekyll and Hyde-like, from welcoming hugs and optimistic anticipation to forced smiles, limp handshakes and hasty exits. You just never know. 

Wherever and with whomever you find yourself this season, my wish for you is incomparable memories that you talk about for years to come. 

From all of us at Phoenix Home & Garden, here’s to happy holidays and a safe, healthy and remarkable new year.