Happy Holidays!

[image via]

Happy Hanukkah, merry Christmas and wishes for a fabulous 2009!

I'll be on vacation and traveling from now through the New Year so look for regular posts to resume in January. Here's to a 2009 filled with excellent entertaining ideas and inspiration!

Elegant Appetizers

You can never have enough appetizer recipes, especially around the holidays with multitude of parties and get-togethers. Consider serving a few of these delicacies at your upcoming holiday gatherings.

- Tea Smoked Chicken

- Lemon Grass Salmon Canapes

- Shrimp with a Chile-Cilantro Rub

- Asparagus, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Galettes

- Spanish Tortilla

- Grown-up Ham and Cheese Finger Sandwiches

- Vegetarian Dumplings

- Miniature Sweet Puffs

Christmas Table Details

Adorn your Christmas tabletop with lovely place cards or place setting decorations. Here are several DIY ideas to inspire your holiday tablesettings.

- Paper plate angels
- Crepe-paper bells
- Vintage scroll with holly
- Christmas tree place cards
- Green bow napkin decoration
- Holly jolly place setting
- Candy cane place cards
- Paper tree place cards
- Tree-shaped napkin rings

A Glamorous New Year's Dinner

There's nothing quite like the elegant combination of black and white. It's sophisticated, timeless and, in the right setting, so very glam. So, what better combination than black and white for an extravagant and glamour-filled new year's eve dinner.

The images above all come from a 1940's inspired home collection by Ralph Lauren. (via Toast and Tables)