Hostess Gifts on Shine

Not just another pretty vase

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Who doesn't love a fresh bouquet of flowers? And when the garden is in full bloom, there's nothing nicer than giving (or keeping!) fresh cut flowers that are ready to display.

10 perfect and affordable hostess gifts

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The crazy weeks have arrived. In the midst of checking things off our holiday list, living our everyday lives and getting end-of-year work projects completed, we can hopefully look forward to a holiday party -- at someone else's home. It is a wonderful thing to walk into a beautifully...

Thanksgiving Countdown: A Day-by-Day Guide to Getting it DONE

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<img alt="" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/phugc/31fGNPQ7HACe/photos/2f6cfd0392322587bb76bb46ee5f1212/ori_d771b343889658.jpg?ug_____DPGCDihRr" width="300" align="left" height="300">Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays to host guests, but there is no denying it requires tons of preparation...

Party Favorites: Wine gift tags

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I don't know why it is that there are so many tacky wine-related accessories out there—I shuddered at the wave of wine glass charms that flooded the market a few years ago (apologies if you didn't; it's a personal, irrational shuddering)—and although I like the idea of cute wine tags to add to hostess-gift bottles, they are often lacking in the style department. Leave it to (previous Blog Crush of the Week nominee) SwissMiss to find some that are actually funny and charming. Popptags come in a set of 6, each with a different message, like, "Nothing says thank you like a bottle of wine I know nothing about." Ah, it hits so close to home! All that's missing is one that says, "I picked this just because I thought the label was cute." $19.99, popptags.com [via SwissMiss]

(Click through to see the rest of the tags.)

7 hostess gifts to keep your invitations coming

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An invite to friend or family's summer home for a weekend or meal is one of life's simple and most luxurious experiences. In all cases, a gift of thanks is a necessary display of gratitude and the best guarantee to get a repeat invite!

1. Alessi's blue parrot corkscrew conceals a practical party tool within a beautiful exterior. $54, conranusa.com