These colorful tapas bowls are really making me want to throw a tapas party, or at least put together a few small appetizer servings. I love the design and the clear glaze. How great would they look spread out on a table?

You may not think you know Normann Copenhagen, but chances are you'd recognize a few of their classic pieces. (Remember this peeler? Or this tea egg? Or these fun beater whisks?) Fans of modern design also know that you can find Normann Copenhagen pieces at stores like Horne, Huset, and The Modern Shop, but the brand has its own online webshop as well where you can peruse and purchase the full beautiful line.

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.

A few years ago I was looking for a simple, classic tablecloth I could use for both everyday meals and informal dinner parties with friends. I found it in the grey and white stripe tablecloth from Fog Linen Work. The tablecloth is kind of rustic, but lovely in its simplicity. And it washes beautifully.

A good serving tray is an essential piece for any host/hostess. Besides saving you the trouble of making multiple trips to and from the kitchen, serving trays are also a nice decor element when set up on a sideboard or coffee table to corral appetizers, drinks, or dishes. Here are five handled versions we really like:

I love entertaining, whether it's a small group on the porch, a crowd for Frogmore stew in the kitchen, or an all out bash with 150 of our closest friends. (That last one only happens once a year.) All of our parties have one thing in common: my favorite blue pottery chip-and-dip dish. Nothing says "party" at our place like pulling that dish out of the cabinet. Along with most of my fellow southerners, I believe every gathering needs food for dipping! That dish has seen a lot of action.

How do you store your dishes? It's probably most common to keep plates, bowls, and cups in overhead cabinets, but if I had the option, I think I'd much prefer a deep drawer, particularly one that's divided by a few wooden dowels, like you see here. Neat, organized, and generally easier to lift a bunch of plates out rather than get those plates down. What about you? Do you have deep drawers in your kitchen?

Certain desserts — a fruit crumble, a smooth pudding, a scoop of homemade ice cream — are best served in a bowl, one that's not too big, not too small. Here are 5 that are just right:

When I started planning the polenta supper I shared with you earlier this week, I immediately knew I wanted a huge board for serving. My husband and I considered making one ourselves from a sanded piece of lumber, but we didn't have the time or space to work on it. So I turned to Elizabeth Bryant and Andrew Gray of Gray Works Design, whose boards I've long admired. The board they loaned me for this party was the most beautifully crafted, custom-milled slab of silver maple. It was a far cry from the rougher sort of board we would have made; this one had so much more beauty and character. 

It made me think of the role that one beautiful, handcrafted piece can play in a party or in the home; real craftsmanship is always a joy to encounter. To get more of Gray Works' perspective on this, I chatted with Elizabeth a little bit about their approach to sustainability, inspiration, and the tension between the wild and the domestic.