Three: Make Your Table Beautiful.

I'm extremely superstitious about friends giving me knives. And I have one rule: no paper napkins, however casual a meal. But it's time to widen my repertoire in style around the table.

Over the last years and months I've been very inspired by a number of visual stimuli. Beautiful China. Cutlery holders in silver and wood, such as this nifty idea from the city of Huy's restaurant Li Cwerneu. In the blogosphere, there are Joanna's tulips, Tanna's color in a dream kitchen, and Ilva's linnens.

I'd also been urged to live less as a traveler in transit in my own home. Adding up both, the result is my current preoccupation with the elegant table. A table that enhanceth happiness. One that tells my fellow eater: I value your presence, it is worth a little celebration.

So, not only deck the hall with holly. Color, vintage items, fine linnen, wood, plates, cutlery: anything goes. Work in progress, and a very fun thing to work on.