The scenario: you don't drink alcohol, but you're having people over who do. What's a teetotaler to serve? 

I love my Soda Stream and I love having sparkling water on the table at my dinner parties. What I don't love are the plastic Soda Stream bottles plunked down in the middle of my carefully arranged table. Our very own Faith Durand offered me the perfect (and perhaps obvious!) solution.

When I decided to host a casual yet elegant weekend brunch for my book club, I knew immediately that the main dish would be a quiche. For me, quiche is the ultimate special brunch treat, combining flaky, buttery crust with a rich yet light egg custard studded with flavorful mix-ins — in this case, sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil and tangy bits of goat cheese. And while it seems like a lot of work, most of the prep can be done ahead of time, leaving you with plenty of time to get dressed and relax on the morning of the party.

As the host of NPR's All Songs Considered, Bob Boilen knows music. So when it comes to creating the perfect dinner party playlist, who better to ask than the man who listens to thousands of songs every year? His playlist, as told to House Beautiful, is pretty great — a terrific mix of artists (Jeff Buckley! Jónsi! LCD Soundsystem!) and styles to keep the party going.

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.

When it comes to easy and crowd-pleasing appetizers, cream cheese will always have your back. Spread it on toast bites and top with sliced radishes for an elegant hors d'oeuvre or warm it up with beans and spices for a party dip. Whatever the scene, whatever your need, cream cheese is your willing and able ally in the appetizer department.

Last month we launched a new monthly series, Gatherings from The Kitchn, showing you our own dinner parties, large and small. We started off with Faith's cozy and communal Italian polenta party, and this week I'll be sharing a brunch I hosted for my book club, a bright weekend gathering full of fresh spring flavors, make-ahead recipes, and a fun, book-themed table setting.

We have an occasional dinner party dilemma at our house: we really want to gather our friends together and make cocktails and prepare just a few quick things, but the thought of making a full meal often proves to be a deterrent. So a few weeks ago we came to a sort-of solution: invite friends over a bit later in the evening so they're not expecting a full meal. We still have the chance to prepare a few snacks, my boyfriend Sam can make cocktails, and everyone will be happy. Or will they?

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.