We received a note from a reader named Peggy, who sent us these photos of the loveliest family heirloom: A hand-embroidered seasoning chart. Want to hear her story about this beautiful heirloom? 

Last weekend, I made a purchase that I'm pretty sure will change the way I serve cheese forever.

This week we're sharing the second party in our Gatherings from The Kitchn series, an elegant, make-ahead spring brunch I hosted for my book club. I often admire the intricately-styled table settings on design and wedding blogs, but they rarely seem realistic for my budget or styling capabilities. My goal for this party was to create a table that was inspirational, not just aspirational; in other words, a table that could move from Pinterest to reality without requiring a degree in design or hundreds of dollars. Here are four concrete tips for putting together a special, stylish table on a small budget.

Jenny Rosenstrach, author of Dinner: A Love Story and the blog of the same name, summed up the last few years of her writing on the family dinner in such a funny, wise, helpful, and entertaining post last week. She laid out her 50 rules for dinner, and then her husband did the same, starting with: "When making pasta, be sure to salt the water." Want to see all of their rules for dinner? What would your rules for dinner be? 

The price of silver keeps rising. What's a southern girl to do if her pattern will never be completed? Go to eBay, of course. Sterling looks better with age, like you've had it for a while and you know how to use it. But the prices on eBay aren't really any better than anywhere else... unless you aren't afraid of monograms.

I love washed linen napkins. They are incredibly soft and absorbent and their rumpled look suits my casual style. They can be ironed if you want a crisper look, but they are truly beautiful if you just smooth and fold them when they come out of the dryer (or off the line). Their only downside is the price, which can run as high as $30 each. But if you're like me and also appreciate frayed edges, then you can have six linen napkins for half that price, with no sewing involved. Read on for how to make this happen.

As a cook, I am quite naturally drawn to the garden, the place where all cooking begins.  But having spent the vast majority of my adult life in cities, I'm not so well-versed in the mysterious ways of soil and plants.  I can never tell if those yellowing leaves mean the plant is thirsty or if it is drowning in my enthusiastic watering.  (I usually forget when I've last watered and so therefore tend to overcompensate.)  Gardening is just not instinctive to me and in fact, I have no problem self-identifying as a black thumb.  But that hasn't stopped me from starting a garden this spring.

My sister-in-law is a genius, one of those mothers who always knows how to have a good time while maintaining decent parenting technique. She started "F Friday." The children think the "F" stands for "fun." Their parents know it stands for the chance to slack off, not worry about making dinner, and hang with their friends. This is how it works.

I hate spending money on things I rarely use, hate burning through the disposable instead of investing in the reusable, and hate finding space for party decorations and supplies in my small apartment closets. And yet...I love hosting parties that are well-equipped and nicely decorated. How to host large gatherings without breaking the bank or having to keep lots of party supplies crammed under my bed? Enter the communal party supply collection, or as one  of my friends dubbed it, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Party Supplies.

This schoolhouse-inspired dining room is so fun, with its floor-to-ceiling world map, vintage chairs, and purple (!) dining table. If this inspires you to paint your own dining table (or other piece of furniture) consider this tip from Jenny Brandt, the table's owner...