Wine & Cheese By the Sea!

Perfect after a day spent at the beach or on the water. A little wine and cheese before dinner watching the sunset. Here are a few serving ideas from By the Sea Decor to make your entertaining simple with a beach decor twist.

Let's start with the wine . . . the Tropical Palm pattern of etched glassware comes in so many sizes for your wine preference, including the new tumbler-style. If wine is not your drink of choice, the martini and champagne glasses are beautiful. Also available in everyday glassware and tumblers.

Our Granite Cheese Server has metal seahorse handles and comes with a starter set of paper napkins and a small cheese server. Natural shell tidbit plates are the perfect size to hold hors d'ouevres . . . or wonderful tapas. Pass out linen hand-printed cocktail napkins from Isola Bella in a myriad of patterns and colors. A nice large shell platter with rope handles can be used for whatever else you serve.

After this wine and cheese gathering, dinner may not be necessary!

Coastal Decor Bakeware - Oven to Table

Okay, I may be slightly obsessed with all things coastal , but . . . we were happy to find this new bakeware collection that will take your best entrees from the oven, right to your seaside table. Available in either a rectangular or square baker, this milk-glazed casserole dish is embellished with starfish. Available in 9 1/4" square and 13 1/4" x 9 1/4" rectangle.

If you need something little more formal at your beach-side gathering, try the aluminum casserole servers from Belaverra available in both 2-quart and 3-quart sizes. Each glass baking dish rests inside an aluminum tray highlighted with seashells. Perfect functional and decorative accessory for your dining table.

I think my lasagne will definitely taste better in one of these coastal decor baking dishes!

The Stockings were Hung by the Chimney with Care -- Day 20 of our Holiday Gift Guide - Stocking Stuffers!

Okay, those stockings are hanging . . . what to put in them to bring a touch of the sea??? How about a few brass mermaid or seahorse wall hooks to hang towels or keys?? Or, personal size salt and pepper shakers for the table . . . available in pewter as a starfish, or as natural shells. Isola Bella cocktail napkins fold nicely into a stocking and are available in so many different colors and styles. Our natural shell tidbit plates are well, just adorable and useful too! All in stock and ready for immediate shipment (check our website to see which Isola Bella cocktail patterns are in stock) just in time to fill those stockings! Remember, our 10% coupon code SLEIGH expires on 12/22.

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire - Day 17 of our Holiday Gift Guide - Nautilus Wine Cooler

One of our favorite coastal gifts of all time. A silver nautilus wine cooler ($74.99) to hold your favorite holiday beverage, all year long! Add a set of our beautiful hand-printed linen cocktail napkins from Isola Bella in perfect seaside styles, then cross this person off your list! Choose from these patterns in stock and ready to ship: red coral, blue anchor, orange pineapple, blue waves, aqua scales. In natural linen: white urchin or white sand dollar. Use our 10% SLEIGH coupon code through 12/22. Leave the gift-wrapping to us!

The Pineapple as a Sign of Hospitality

Okay, so I knew that pineapples have long been a symbol of hospitality, but I was not quite sure how they got there! Well, before blogs, twitter and facebook, the primary means of entertainment and gathering of information for Colonial Americans was actual visitors in the home!

Christopher Columbus discovered the pineapple on the island of Guadelope in 1493 and named it "pine of the Indians." Eventual trade between the Caribbean islands and America was rather slow, so it was quite an achievement for a hostess to have a pineapple to offer guests. The pineapple, when available, ended up as a centerpiece on many dining tables, and later served as dessert for guests. Overnight guests were usually treated to a bed with pineapple carvings as a further symbol of hospitality.

The concept of hospitality was central in the lives of Colonial America and the pineapple symbolized the warmest welcome a hostess could extend to her guests. The pineapple has remained a hospitality greeting and can be found on so many decorative pieces.

Line a few of your dining room chairs with some of our fabulous pineapple pillows to extend a warm welcome to your holiday guests! Social networking is great to help us keep in touch, but getting together with friends (with or without the pineapple) well, that's what its all about!