Friends + Family + Life + Health

Happy New Year!

A fresh new day, a fresh new year! Hot pink Gerbera daisies perfectly represent how I feel about 2009.

I’m so happy we decided to host a New Year’s Eve party at our house this year! I made waaaaay too much food (apparently people mostly just want to eat bacon, because the Devils on Horseback were devoured instantly), but everyone had a good time, good drinks, and good cheer at midnight. We had about 20 guests, which turned out to be a totally manageable number. It’s funny how everyone clumps into a corner at parties—20 people seemed to occupy only about 100 square feet.

By 3:00am we had an empty house again, and after doing a rough clean-up, we crawled into bed at 5:00am (which is normally the time I get up for work!) feeling like death. We slept until 10:30am, which is INSANELY late for us (even on the weekends we’re rarely in bed past dawn). I can’t remember the last time I stayed up so late. Probably more than 15 years ago!

Fritz and Bruno are still recovering from the late night and the excess attention. They slept for most of the day, then passed out again after an hour of playtime. Oh, to be a dog!

I definitely see us hosting more dinners and parties at our house in the future. I had so much anxiety about showing our house to so many people (I worry constantly about the house looking dirty or people thinking our renovations are bad, etc.), but now that it’s done, I can relax a bit. It really IS true that guests don’t care about whether every detail has been attended to or if there are paint cans stacked in a spare room (or multiple sofas piled up in the office…). I need to remind myself of this! It is really a treat to share your home with friends; to cook for people and see them enjoying food, enjoying conversation, and leaving with a feeling of comfort. That is what’s important.

And so, in 2009, I resolve to stop letting my anxieties and insecurities get in the way of nurturing friendships, and to reach out to my neighbors more often.

Happy New Year, everyone!

(p.s. DiP, I am still in a hazy state of shock—did you really show up here last night?!)

Previous Post Next Post

Other Stuff You Might Be Into

31 Comments

  • Reply belinda January 1, 2009 at 11:29 pm

    i am so glad it went well. thank you so much for the invitation, i wish we could have been there. happy 2009!.

  • Reply janet January 2, 2009 at 2:10 am

    thanks for the paragraph about sharing your house when everything still seems in progress. our place is not even as far along as yours and i need reminding that really, people don’t mind!

  • Reply Lisa kjellerød January 2, 2009 at 3:17 am

    I love your blog and your home is BEAUTIFUL.
    No need for any insecurities!
    Im happy your party went so well. Happy 2009!

  • Reply alice January 2, 2009 at 3:37 am

    Happy New Year! I am glad your party went well.

  • Reply Cassandra January 2, 2009 at 4:03 am

    Oh I completely understand what you said about party host anxiety. I feel the same about people coming over and it really does interfere with the closening(is there such a word?) of friendships and stunts the pleasure of receiving guests into our home. What a great NY resolution. Thankyou, and congratulations on a successful home-hosted social event. Rest up and happy 2009!

  • Reply Kyli January 2, 2009 at 4:06 am

    I’m certain yours was a gorgeous fest! Congrats.

  • Reply jja January 2, 2009 at 4:54 am

    “t is really a treat to share your home with friends; to cook for people and see them enjoying food, enjoying conversation, and leaving with a feeling of comfort. That is what’s important.”

    I agree with this. My home is everything but perfect but people love to visit us, eat everything I cook or he cooks 🙂 and usually leave 3-4 hours later then they planned. I think excatly thing thing makes someones home an attractive one.

  • Reply fee verte January 2, 2009 at 4:57 am

    Pink Gerbera are so nice! I feel in the same mood: 2009 will be a great year.
    I wish to you and all the readers of your blog success, health and love for this new year!

  • Reply Barb F (Australia) January 2, 2009 at 6:12 am

    Happy New Year Anna! It’s great you had such a good night with all of your guests. I am the same as you and get anxious about what people think of my home, I guess because it’s such a reflection of who we are as people.

    I would just like to say thank you for opening up your home to all of us on a daily basis, you know that we all love it – and on that note, I have voted for you in the 2008 Homies! Good luck!

  • Reply Fiona January 2, 2009 at 7:54 am

    Glad it was a good time! (I have the same chair, with different upholstery, in the background of the gerbera pic.) Your table looks beautiful.

    I have the same house anxiety–like people will notice only what’s wrong with my house instead of what’s nice. I wonder where that comes from, because I feel like I’m not like that about anything other than my house. My house when I was growing up was always something of a wreck (just because my parents didn’t really care as opposed to not having the means, and my mom was always frozen in indecision) and my friends’ houses were always gorgeous and immaculate, so maybe it’s all that coming back!

    Like you, we bought a fixer-upper and have come a long way, so I guess I need to focus on the positive in 2009!

  • Reply Vanessa January 2, 2009 at 8:38 am

    It looks like a fantastic party! And your home looks great 🙂

  • Reply lindsay January 2, 2009 at 8:49 am

    Our house is tiny, under 1000sq. ft., and we avoided having parties indoors for several years. We have a huge backyard and just held all our social gatherings around the deck. But lately, we’ve decided with Michigan winters being so long, that if we want to have any sense of a social life we have to open our doors. We’ve hosted a couple of parties now, and no one seems to mind the lack of space. (Even with toddlers running around galore!) I was shocked. Apparently you don’t need a perfect home to entertain. Hooray!

  • Reply DiP January 2, 2009 at 9:09 am

    Yes we were really there!!!
    Huge quantities of GREAT, lovingly prepared food, smart red cocktails (woo woo!), nice people, visiting with friends, way too cute pups, all in a very stylish setting in a lightly snow-covered Hudson-side town… We wouldn’t have missed it!
    Thanks 1M and now it’s my turn to step up to the party plate!!!
    See you two in Lahaska in 2009

  • Reply whitney January 2, 2009 at 9:24 am

    Looks like a beautiful party–happy new year to you & all.

    I have the same thing going with my house and I like your resolution to loosen up a bit. It makes no sense to have this beautiful, evolving space and not share it with people. Good luck!

  • Reply DawnMarie January 2, 2009 at 9:44 am

    Oh my..everything looks perfect. Thank you for sharing your home and ideas with us all. A very happy new year to you. I think you have touched upon an issue so many of us have. This entertaining without anxiety is something I need to work on. I over think it and then it does not happen because I talk myself out of it.

  • Reply kim@dti January 2, 2009 at 10:41 am

    Looks like a great party and wow – the food! Happy new year Anna and looking forward to more posts of your reno projects (and your dogs…despite what some folks are sayin’, we LOVE your poochies)!

  • Reply Mary January 2, 2009 at 10:42 am

    Happy New Year! Looks like a wonderful party…..I’d love to hear more about your menu, Devils on Horseback sound fantastic!

    We squished 16 adults, three toddlers and a couple of dogs into our tiny home for a New Year’s Day brunch and after having stressed over not having enough space/not having our place “finished” it all turned out great. When friends commented that they liked our new place I did have to resist the urge to say “Oh, we need a new coffee table and we have to wallpaper and there’s an awful scratch on the floor there and ignore that bare light bulb sticking out of the socket, etc, etc” and just smile and say “thank you” instead. It’s hard not to fixate on all the things you want to change/complete but you’re absolutely right, the party guests are just happy to be there. 🙂

  • Reply anne January 2, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    Sounds like a really fun night! I too have anxieties about hosting — the house being perfect, etc. — but more and more I am realizing that it is about the people and the relationships and not the stuff. Happy New Year!

  • Reply Caity January 2, 2009 at 12:30 pm

    Looks like it was a fabulous party. And the room looks great! Happy New Year!! 😀

  • Reply Laura January 2, 2009 at 2:14 pm

    Happy New Year, Anna! Love the vase the daisies are in!

  • Reply barb blair/ knack studios January 2, 2009 at 2:55 pm

    great post!! I agree wholeheartedly!! I was thinking along these same lines recently!! Cool ……… xo

  • Reply decor8Holly January 2, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    Oh Anna, I understand that house guest anxiety too well. This year their were 7 of us and I swear you would have thought I was planning a wedding. Ridiculousness. So I ended up putting stuff back in the fridge and just telling my BFF to bring over her famous homemade pasta and another brought over snacks and we had the alcohol and chocolates and that was it. I just did some light cleaning and called it a day. I never enjoyed myself like I did this year because I LET GO. I know it sounds very AA, but LET GO AND LET GOD is so true. In my case, LET GO AND LET YOUR FRIENDS BRING THE FOOD.

    he he

    Your home looks so beautiful in these photos, but I know you don’t ever see your own home how we see it but seriously Anna it’s Swedish design magazine worthy for sure! 🙂

    x0
    H

  • Reply josh (in wonderland) January 2, 2009 at 11:36 pm

    1. i agree. guests could care less about little details. my mother clean sweeps the entire house until it is spotless for just one or two guests. whereas my best friend’s mother (or i should say my second mom) cleans up but leaves it pretty much like it always is. a little clutter and unperfection only makes the place seem more comfy and lived in. people are there to see each other and have a good time, not nitpick stupid stuff like that.

    2. is that table runner from cb2? i have a placemat from there that looks incredible similar (and i LOVE it).

  • Reply Cookie January 3, 2009 at 12:22 am

    Happy NY to you!

    Really enjoying dropping into your blog (LOVE your style) and related to your party anxiety. I too suffer excessivly from hostess anxiety, you’re on the mark, people just want to be comfy.
    🙂
    Cookie

  • Reply Richtsje January 3, 2009 at 12:09 pm

    Nice to hear that you had a wonderfull party! Happy New Year to you, too!

  • Reply chrispito January 3, 2009 at 1:57 pm

    Happy New Year Anna, and everyone else who reads D16. I’m in awe of anyone who has guests in their house. I had a NYE party once a few years ago, just to push myself to try it out. I’m so intensely private about my home (I’m a good guest though!) Nerve wracking and I survived…only promise myself to never do it again. 😉
    I also wanted to say that while design isn’t really my forte, art is and your blog is inspirational for creative living in general. All the best in 2009 for you and yours.

  • Reply Elfya January 4, 2009 at 1:32 pm

    This looks like the nicest, coziest home ever!

    made me want to walk right into the picture and have some of that good food.

    happy New year!

  • Reply Nick January 7, 2009 at 1:06 pm

    Hey there! Quick question–Where is the pendant light over the table from? I have been looking and looking for something to replace my chandelier (seen here–http://www.flickr.com/photos/nloewen/3060517854/?addedcomment=1#comment72157612289462492) and I really like yourn. Or a suggestion!

  • Reply Anna at D16 January 7, 2009 at 1:13 pm

    Nick, that’s the Hornsea pendant lamp by Mibo.

  • Reply jamo February 20, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    hey anna,
    i can’t pull up the december entries. it takes me to a index directory. am i doing something wrong or are they unavailable? your house is the coolest. love the rugs and all the eames chairs. actually jealous…

  • Reply Anna at D16 February 20, 2009 at 3:23 pm

    Jamo, I’m not sure what you mean — you can access December 2007 and December 2008 by clicking on the links in the right-hand column! 🙂

  • Leave a Comment

    Door Sixteen is a hate-free, drama-free, spam-free zone. Open dialogue is welcome, but comments designed to harm or deceive will be removed.

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Get D16 in your mailbox

    Sign up to receive weekly digests and (occasional) other updates from Door Sixteen! I promise to not bombard your inbox.