We had friends over on Saturday night and we wanted to sit out and enjoy watching the evening draw in before it gets too cold to sit outside at night. I set about the table with not much forethought and had forgotten to buy any flowers from the market so I ended up scooting round the Beach Cottage with a basket filling it up with things I could use and grabbing some hydrangae's from the garden whose colour was not quite right, but this is not about being perfect right?

And that worked well, picking out a few things that kind of went together. The putty stripe, white and shades of cream and white of course is a regular theme around here but 'don't fix what ain't broke' don't they say?

And for me it certainly works, not too much fussing, just layering it on and then adding some shells and some candles.

For a time here at the cottage I was somewhat reluctant to have people over, for me 'entertaining' conjures up scenes of stressed-out-women-with-souffles in the kitchen, I like rather to think about having friends over for a casual meal. Which I spose is what it's all about here overall, casual living, casual decor…

And for me I think the key is simplicity, who wants any more stress, right and more than just simplicity for me it's mood depending on life, schedules, budget and time, but although I like simple I too like effort. I don't know about you but walking into someone's home when they've made some effort to set a table, perfect or not and light a few candles makes me feel that wonderful fuzziness that I guess is being on the end of hospitality

I've had a few messages asking, so here's what works for me

roughly plan the meal once the invitation has been accepted and once you've set it DO NOT SWAY FROM IT, you want pizza have pizza, do not start elaborate planning of courses that will send you into a spin, I've done this before and it's led to me having to lie down in a darkened room

know your limitations, I am no baker or desert maker, I normally ask the guests to bring a desert or buy something like a French Apple Tart from the patisserie or just have cheese and biscuits…at the moment I am the not-so-reluctant baker and am gradually building up a repetoire of eye-shut-recipes

use other people's knowledge – search the net for easy menus, easy 'entertaining' ideas and what I did for this one is phone a friend – a very good friend of mine pulls off hospitality with what seems like little effort, she likes to cook similar things to me, likes to dress the table, but with not too much palaver, so I swiftly got on the phone to her last week and asked her what she's been cooking lately and what's good – we poured over the same cookery books each end of the phone, rating what she'd tried… which led me to the pudding and it was a true delicious no-brainer of a success!

do-ahead – I hate to sound all apron-wearing-boringly-organised but I try to prepare ahead and find recipes that can be put in the oven a coupla hours before they arrive, can be slow cooked all day (love love love my crockpot) or if my brain cannot go to thinking about a menu I stick chickens into roast surrounded in little fat-laden roast potatoes, you won't find too many complaints there and you'll have a cottage oozing fragrant domestic-bliss. I steer well clear of pasta, stir-fry or anything that requires me to stand in the kitchen and stir, watch or foof. To lose the stress I need the security of something sitting in the oven, me happy in the knowledge that it's just there and ready

lose the starter/entree – buy bits and bobs from the deli for a loaded platter, a wedge of cheese/sausage or of course posh chips or a tub of dip and some pitta

I don't like the idea of some regimented itinerary of tight planning but if I can I do set up earlier in the day and there's no fretting involved just a bit of ya know clarity – I go through what I might need during the course of the evening and shove it all on a side table or on the counter – the dishes for the food, extra glasses, coffee cups, cafetiere so it's all out and I won't be delving around on my knees in cupboards looking for the milk jug

delegate, delegate, delegate – those kiddos can get the basics on the table, Miss Beach Cottage made the desert for this one, Mr Teenage Beach Cottage set the lighting and the candles, Mr BC did the shopping (oh yeah people I am so there!)

get the beverages sorted, stacked and cooled and keep em flowing & if all of the above and all else has failed have a glass of wine, or as in my case, beer

We had a Thai curry from Jamie Oliver, not something I would normally have but I just fancied shoving it all in a pot at the beginning of the day and forgetting about it and that so happened…we started with a platter of crostini and ended with Nigella Lawson's Sticky Toffee Pudding.

And as the teenagers round here say, easy as pie

blogged for the tablescape event at betweennapsontheporch, thanks Susan

surfing, holidays & beach kids

G'day bloggers, hope your weekend was a good one.

I spent the last day of the Easter school holidays for a spot of surfing down the beach with the Beach Cottage kiddos, and although Autumn is certainly cooling us down here in Australia, our local suntrap was nice and warm. The day truly sparkled, the surf wasn't very big and we just hung out down there for a coupla hours…I bumped into a few of the other mums from school and just chatted – nice doing that isn't it?

When I got home, after a cup of tea, I took a look around what is this old cottage and thought that tomorrow when those kiddos aren't here, this place is gonna be tidy, yeehaw… it often looks like a whirlwind has gone through or a bomb has dropped round here…

So I snapped a few pics as I tidied up and smiled to myself, (though people, please to not read this to mean that I was gayly humming a tune as I picked up) but more because in my old life I certainly did not go round picking up wetsuits off the floor, sweeping sand from the hallway, knocking over the surfboard leaning on the wall, or picking up books from the sofa outside on the deck and sunhats from the sitting room…it made me realise, in a funny sort of way just how much our day-to-day life has changed since our huge move to a new life by the sea.

And it crossed my mind how most of these little places around this tatty old cottage have treasures picked up for pennies, finds that a few years ago I certainly wouldn't have come across – sofa, cane chair, screen, baskets and the list goes on…I wonder what treasures you found over the weekend?