We hope you enjoyed a festive Thanksgiving yesterday, like we did. We had a wonderful time with our aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews at our cousin's lovely modest sized Palos Verdes home overlooking the ocean [swoon] enjoying a multi-ethnic spread and a wide range of annual "catching up" conversations, mostly having to do with why we're not married yet (!).
At a certain point during the evening we were discussing/explaining about Apartment Therapy and how many of our own editors live in smaller spaces from the top down, with Maxwell and Sara Kate's very cozy roots to our own small-sized studio apartment we call home. Our relatives joked of forcing us to host next year's Thanksgiving party, trying to imagine 30+ people packed into a total space about the size of their spacious living room. We did note we have fit around 20 or so friends one time for a bagel taste test (Sam's Bagels on Larchmont won), but it was an elbow to elbow affair and entertaining often does benefit from a little extra space for host and guests alike. In your personal experience, what is the most people you have had over for an event you've hosted in your own home?
these counted surveys are always so poorly executed. numbers should not appear in two categories (1-10, 11-20.... NOT 1-10, 10-20...).
there is no category for 21-29 above.
view amt230's profile
One thing I've learned when hosting large groups - keep it simple. I used to use parties as an opportunity to show off my culinary skills a la Iron Chef style - complicated entrees, sides, etc, which left me way too tired to enjoy the parties.
Now I do a simple entree (typically, a meatless pasta dish), 2 easy to prepare sides, and I buy the appetizers.
view david's profile
I do big parties in the summer, when we can stay outside. So, technically not everyone is in my home at the same time.
view Kate N's profile
Typical holiday get-togethers at my (parents') house range from about 20-30 people, since all of the family lives within an hour of each other. Different circumstances all colliding together created this year's Thanksgiving roundup of 11 guests total: our smallest yet!
We have had upwards of a hundred people in the house for large anniversary parties, as well as a huge family reunion for my mom's filipino side! We had almost as much food as people packed in the house that day.
view Geno B.'s profile
I had 100 in a two bedroom in Manhattan, regularly... BRUNCH
it took a lot of alcohol to fit em all in and they stayed all day
spills and bad behavior and flirting were encouraged
think Marx Brothers movie and you have it
(NOT an heiress, though mad-cap, pancakes bacon and eggs cost nothing, just the willingness to slave... and everybody lemming-like hangs in the kitchen anyway)
one bedroom was called the California Room and consecrated to the potheads, always a minority
easy cleanup
view Philip_Littell's profile
it was a host equivalent of a triathlon. endorphin RUSH believe me
view Philip_Littell's profile
I apologize for show-offy California Room detail. TMI and bad manners on this great blog. truly sorry.
ph
view Philip_Littell's profile
We had over 100 at our house once, and the party lasted over 12 hours. Eeek!
view melodie-nelson's profile
We hosted about 75 for a chili party, but it was pretty easy. I found myself the recipient of about 6 pounds of chili verde, so I just made 120 cornbread muffins and 5 pies.
view brittanykate's profile
That photo is like a couple Renoir paintings come to life:
http://www.artsofinnovation.com/Renoir_party.JPG
http://blogs.princeton.edu/wri152-3/s06/mgawrys/images/renoir.moulin-galette.jpg
view nashdp's profile
Philip - Yours sounds exactly like the kind of party I want to attend! I just hosted 20 people for a sit down thanksgiving in my tiny little LA bungalow - two tables, two turkeys, turned my coffee table into a seating bench with pillows, and used butcher block paper as the table cloth, complete with cups of crayons that people used to write what they're thankful for this year. Guests arrived at 5pm and didn't leave until after midnight, especially when it turned out that one of my friends does handwriting analysis. Another good use for the paper table cloth.
view pugluv's profile