(::::3 1. 10LIDAY

A GEM
OF A GIFT

art fa r

4

DECEMBER 10 & 11

Saturday 10 am-5pm
Sunday 11am-5pm

Oakland Community College MO
Orchard Lake Road at 1-696
Farmington Hills, Michigan

THE '60s MUSICAL
S.W. 4.k

B e-boppin' fun

E xciting

Mike Rothfuss

Glass Vase

David & Joyce
Petrakovitz

Ceramic Plate

E nergetic

H ilarious

Carol Roeda

Folk Art Sculpture

u ts
t
hildren under 12 free
ree Parking

Impressive

V ibrant
E ntertaining

$1.00 off single admission
with this ad

Presented by the Michigan Guild
ofArtists and Artisans, sponsors of
the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair.

The Guild

313-662-3382

JN/GG .

What A Great Gift
at

97°anke oarigns

Better than gelt,
give a
Gift Certificate
to Beehive,
The '60s Musical,
now playing
through Jan. 1

Combining our exclusive Euro-clips with
one of our many innovative earring charms.

She'll love them!

32611 Franklin Road
Franklin, MI 48025
(810) 855-5525

FOR TICKETS CALL THE

GEM THEATRE
(313) 963-9800

(810)

645-6666

Set The Scene
For Dinner
Parties

SHARON ACHATZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

S

etting the scene for a suc-
cessful dinner party has as
much to do with creating a
mood as a menu.
Sure, food is at the forefront of
any such gathering, but there are
many other opportunities for cre-
ating an appetizing ambience as
well. Since much of the dinner
party will be centered at the
table, it's only logical that how
the table is set — its linens, chi-
na, silver, centerpiece — helps
determine the party mood. Mu-
sic also plays a pivotal role.
Sometimes food, table decor
and music coalesce to suggest a
theme — a night at the opera, a
garden party, a trip around the
world. At other times, the ele-
ments can be an eclectic mix of
whatever whimsy pleases the
host.
LIVELY LINENS
Table linens lay the ground-
work for a well-dressed dining
table. While tablecloths of
damask, linen or lace most often
are the choice for formal dinners,
tables for informal functions of-
ten are adorned with whimsical
print cloths, place mats or even
the quaint charm of an heirloom
quilt or length of ethnic fabric.
Whether tablecloth or place
mats, table linens come in any
number of materials and in every
conceivable color and pattern —
finished with a simple hem or
skirted with a ruffle, embroidered
or layered with lace. As for place
mats and table runners, consid-
er forgoing standard cloth vari-
eties in favor of dishcloths, pieces
of batik or other colorful fabric,
and rattan or antique-tin serving
trays.
It's also fun to remember that
cloths and place mats are not mu-
tually exclusive. Place mats used
in conjunction with table runners
and tablecloths can create inter-
esting pattern and color combi-
nations, as well as serve to
protect a valued or difficult-to-
clean cloth.
Aside from the cloth or mat
consideration, the color and print
of linens selected help determine
a mood as well. White creates an
air of crispness, freshness and for-
mality, while other colors and
patterns offer more room for in-
dividiml and thematic expression.
Consider the use of road maps
as place mats for a bon voyage
party, a red-checked cloth for an
Italian fest or bright-yellow and
orange linens for a summer bar-
becue.

Monochromatic designs also
can suggest themes. For a gar-
den party, consider the visual ap-
peal of grading shades of green
from its darkest hues to its light-
est. Begin with a floor-length
tablecloth of forest green overlaid
with a smaller square cloth of
light moss green. Then, introduce
a still lighter shade of green with
napkins or a center runner.
In addition to colors ranging
from bolds to pastels, consider
mixing and matching patterns
and prints such as florals, plaids,
stripes and checks. Various looks
can be achieved by topping a pat-
terned cloth with solid-color place
mats or vice versa, and by using
matching-print or complemen-
tary solid-color napkins.
The presentation of napkins
adds another decorative dimen-
sion — whether finished off with
a stylish napkin ring or smartly
folded. Many books on enter-
taining provide directions for nap-
kin-folding techniques, but for
today's looks, simplest often is
best. A napkin folded into a fan
shape and tucked into a goblet
provides an elegant frill, as does
a napkin tied into a loose knot
and draped across the plate.
TANTALIZING
TABLEWARE
Atop the table linens is an as-
sortment of tableware — dishes,
glasses, silver — that generally
is selected to either coordinate or
contrast with the linens.
A monochromatic table of vary-
ing green hues, for example, could
be set with classic garden-theme
or ivy-pattern china. It also could
sport a more experimental look
— continuing the color-on-color
theme by layering green plates
of varying patterns.
Many china and stoneware
manufacturers have facilitated
such layered looks by offering
collections that feature different
coordinating patterns intend-
ed to be harmoniously mixed
and matched — a floral with a
geometric, for example, or a
large floral with a petite floral
pattern.
The same affect can be
achieved through the careful se-
lection of tableware from a vari-
ety of different manufacturers.
The secret is in a common mo-
tif, coloration or shape to link the
pieces together.
One good way to build such a
personal collection is to begin
with a full set of plates in a neu-
tral color — white, cream or black