Madame Shock recently sat down to draft a manifesto regarding what to bring and what
not to bring to a party host or hostess. But in the spirit of Christmas she has decided not to lecture, admonish, or browbeat - we all know the rules, right? Well... maybe she'll write that missive afterall... It's just that she's a tad foggy from a marvelous little soiree last night and hasn't the strength for numbered lists at the moment.
She would never leave anxious party-goers hanging, however, no matter how hungover. So Madame Chic has graciously agree to discuss only "the classics" until Mme Shock has sufficient recovered:
- Flowers - does it even need to be said? Self-contained (never bring them without a vase or pot), low-odor (please don't clog diners' senses with heavy scents), and, if they come from your garden, pest-free! Madame Chic once choked down an entire 7-course meal in sheer terror of the earwig that had crawled out of the centerpiece and under her plate...somewhere. She still shudders delicately at the memory.
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| Richard Donnelly's handmade delicacies |
- Chocolates - parfait... unless you know the hostess to be diabetic: small, portable, beautiful, delicious (the chocolates, bien sur, pas the diabetic hostess....). Madame Chausseurs has been showering lucky hostesses this season with the most delectable boxes of handmade goodies from Donnelly Chocolates. A mixed box of Spicy Chipotle, Chinese Five Spice, Saffron, Chai, and Hazelnut Gianduja morsels - all in dark chocolate or truffle versions - practically guarantees a repeat invitation. (Although -it pains Madame greatly to have to spell it out, she has taken on this task and must see it through to the bitter end: no mass-produced chocolates that can be purchased in supermarkets and chain drugstores, s'il vous plait.)
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| vintage scarves from Echo, Jugoslavia tourist board, and Schiaparelli |
- Wine - everyone loves wine! Except those in recovery or staunch teetotallers. So know your audience before showing up with a bottle of your finest. After that perfunctory recon, any good-quality wine is always welcome, but the enticingly unusual or small-label bottles are of course more impressive. And take care with presentation - a bow is good, an unusual gift bag is better, and something highly unusual - like the vintage scarves Madame Chausseur collects - is best. Madame has a general thing against scarves when worn by anything other than wine bottles (ah, perhaps that story later...) but you must admit they make charming one-of-a-kind gift bags. She collects interesting specimens in her travels for just such occasions, and is particularly fond of her 1960s-era "Jugoslavia" tourist scarf (shown above, center). After all, dahlings, nothing says chic like a gift from a no-longer-existing country.
