This week’s posts will be all about the German-Swiss Dinner Party I hosted on Friday night. It was, of course, inspired by our July trip to Munich, Germany along with the Swiss bus tour and Rhine River cruise.

There were two things in particular that inspired me to host the party. The first was these Swiss Canton flags that we saw in towns throughout Switzerland.

I searched high and low until I found a set to buy for myself. I picked up a set of Swiss national flags while I was at it.

The second was this darling menu on a skillet that I spotted in Germany. You know I had to do this!

I went to Goodwill and found two pans for $3 each and used one for the dinner buffet …

… and the other for the appetizer table. All I did to prep them was brush chalkboard paint on the center of each pan, let it dry, write the menus in chalk, and set them in plate stands.

There was also a “fall” aspect to the theme, even though it was about 90 degrees when the party started at 6:30. A bit warm for my taste, but it worked out fine.

To create the look I wanted, I needed hay bales. My neighbor, Lisa, whose daughter rides horses, suggested Scottsdale Livestock for the hay. They deliver, but the delivery charge was $25 and three hay bales cost only $27 ($9 each) so I couldn’t stomach paying the delivery fee. I went and picked them up in my “magic car 2.0.” 

That may have been a mistake. I’m not sure I’ll ever get all the hay out of it. Oh well, I guess that’s the cost of being frugal, OK, cheap!

It was worth it! I love the way the three hay bale vignettes turned out.

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