I threw a little birthday dinner for myself, at home, for 18 friends last week and it turned out to be a magical evening!   Having friends over for dinner on a weekday always brightens up a lack-luster week, and taking the time to add formality to the table with place cards, menus (or dipping your own beeswax candles!) etcetera, really changes the whole mood of the evening.

All the guests were artists in some shape or form, and everyone contributed to the evening with their presence, or their craft.  The amazing girls from the Cake Opera Co.  brought over show-stopping cupcakes that were featured on my collection of pressed-glass cake stands that date to the late 1800s.    My classically-trained musician friends grouped together with their instruments (including a harp!)  to put on an intimate, after-dinner session and I made 18 little programs that detailed the music played, complete with was seals on each one.

Everyone had a wonderful time, and we mutually wondered the next day if it had all been a dream…

Photos:  Christian Humphrey