I love a good party. But a good party can turn bad quicker than a hot knife through butter (to quote a Southern colloquialism of my dear Alabama born-n-bred Granny). But it seems that people are a lot less willing to open their homes to friends and neighbors in true party fashion nowadays. I blame the host gift (or lack thereof) for this!
I'm originally from the South, Alabama to be exact, and to show up to any type of function down there without some kind of present in hand would have you as the main topic of the town's gossip for weeks. I remember one Christmastime where my Granny and Papaw (grandmother and grandfather) hosted a simple holiday open house. Of course, there were no invitations, texts, Instagrams or Facebook posts about the party. My Granny simply told the next door neighbors and word spread like Kudzu (another Southern saying). Now, in the marketing world, we call that "word-of-mouth" advertising, and yes, it still works.
Countless people arrived at our door that evening, all with a host gift. Some brought store-bought cookies, some handed over homemade candies, some brought canned preserves (jams/jellies) and some baked cakes. Of course there were the jars (not bottles) of homemade wine or 6-packs of beer. But everyone brought a little something because the rationale of the guests was that this family cleaned, decorated, bought food/beverages and opened their home to their friends and family and neighbors, the least the attendees could do was to offset the cost a little by bringing a treat.
I hosted a party like this a while back and the most interesting thing I got as a hostess gift was a box of pine scented pinecones. At first I thought it an odd hostess gift, but then that simple box of pinecones became the centerpiece of the food table and the scent of pine filled the room with the loveliest aroma. I will never forget that simple gift that our neighbor plucked from her front yard (we were living in Georgia at the time -- Georgia Pines are notorious for scattering pinecones throughout your yard right before you are about to mow the grass). They were the perfect hostess gift!
What I am saying here is that you don't have to buy an extravagant gift for the host of a party but bring something. Bring flowers from your garden, bake a cake, regift a bottle of wine (I do this often) that you think the host might enjoy, or pick up pine cones from your yard and toss them in a pretty box.
Most hosts will tell you that you being at their party is enough. While I am sure you are loved and cherished among your friends, family and neighbors, it shows a lot about your character when you go above and beyond what is "expected of you" (i.e. to show up to the party) and bring a gift to show your appreciation to the host for being invited in the first place. And if you need some ideas, here are a few of my Hopkins favorites:
Cookies, cakes or pies from Driskill's
Table centerpiece from Glenrose Florist
Gift certificate to Samba Restaurant
Tickets to a performance at the Hopkins Center for the Arts
A pretty bowl or other antique from Antiques Bel Air
Car Wash coupons from Sunshine Car Wash
An ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery
A book about Hopkins' history by the Hopkins Historical Society
A great CD from Bud's Music Center
A personalized serving platter from Hillary's Hand painted &Personalized Gifts
A gift certificate to Abby's Bargain Boutique
European sweets from Paradise Market Russian Deli and Grocery
You are very welcome to add more below!
