About Us

My name is Jen House, thus the blog name- “Housepitalities”. Cute, right? So, who am I, other than someone who can come up with a clever blog name?  Well, I ’m a wedding planner by trade, a pretty successful one if I do say so myself - www.momentsintime.biz - I produce intricate, detailed and insanely gorgeous events. I’m also a floral designer, self taught, which is truly so much fun, and so limitless in terms of allowing my creativity to flow. And, guess what? I have one other creative outlet- cooking! I LOVE to cook and enjoy spending every spare minute in the kitchen. It’s my favorite place on earth. A friend recently called me a “triple threat”. I can plan, I can design and I can cook. Look out Martha, here I come. At heart, my favorite thing in the world to plan, “produce” or create is an intimate party or meal with friends at my home. After all, that’s where it all began for me. I decided I wanted to be an event planner when I realized my friends were getting annoyed that I was constantly inviting them over for a “wine and cheese party”, holiday party or a “Sex and the City” dinner party. I needed a way to channel this energy, and boy were weddings the way to do it! Now, after 5 years of planning fabulous events, I’m going back to my roots. I’m spending more time helping plan parties and simple gatherings and I love it! People have been telling me to write a book for years, and while that’s on my radar, I just don’t have time to sit down and write a book right now. So, I thought I’d start blogging and share my tips, tricks and ideas on how to be a brilliant hostess, eat like a queen and surround yourself with things you love. Here you’ll learn a little bit about what makes me tick, my secrets for being affordably fabulous and a trillion little short cuts that will make your life a heck of a lot easier. From cooking, to party planning, to floral design and even shopping tips---I’ll feature it all. You won’t want to miss a thing!

Edibles

My tastes are a bit eclectic, yet classic. I like my food the way I like my music. If you were to plug into my ipod right now you’d jump from Mozart to Jay Z. Pearl Jam to Enya. Ray Lamontagne to Madonna. Frank Sinatra to The Roots. I like all music and I like all food. I was a kid who liked beets and creamed spinach for goodness sakes. I always ate what was in front of me, cause my momma told me to! Dinner time was not a negotiation and therefore I learned to appreciate all types of foods at a young age. I was the weird little kid who ordered a ribeye and a baked potato while out to dinner, while every other kid was ordering chicken tenders. I tried escargot when I was 8, and then I constantly begged my parents to take me to the seafood restaurant where I first had them. Most kids are begging to go to Pizza Hut, not a fancy seafood restaurant! Don’t get me wrong, I loved Pizza Hut too! And McDonalds and heck, even school lunches had some redeemable qualities! From simple and standard foods to fancy and finicky, I loved it all! No food snobbery here, but these days I’d definitely consider myself a “foodie” (whatever that means) and appreciate a great meal more than most. My tastes are still eclectic for sure, croque madame is on the menu one night and a jazzed up, yet classic tuna noodle casserole the next. My husband rarely eats the same dish twice. He’s my guinea pig for sure!

Soirees

I’m known to plan an elegant dinner party one week, featuring high-end fare and marvelous wines, and then throw an “Ugly Christmas Sweater Party” with keg beer and simple snacks the next. I love to have fun. I love good food, and I love to have those I care about enjoying themselves. I get such a charge out of creating an ambiance and hearing things like “oh, you know you’re going to eat well and have a great time at one of Jen’s parties”. Truly, that is all I need to hear. Hostess gifts need not apply….just tell me you had a blast, loved the décor and ate well, and I’m all smiles!

Everyone should live a life full of friends, food and festivities! I know I do. If you share my sensibilities, “Housepitalities” is the blog for you. Stick around and check back often, it’s gonna be a fun ride!

Fantastic Finds

I am the girl who finds the best restaurant nobody knows about, or the knock-off necklace for half the price at a boutique I stumbled upon on a random afternoon stroll. I will search to find the website that shows you how to make that amazing party favor that would have cost you trillions to buy, and I won’t rest until I find new and creative ways to package a gift or present a dish. I love DIY projects and new perspectives on old classics. On this blog you’ll get “fantastic baby finds, cooking finds, clothing, freebies, book recommendations, you name it. I’m an endless resource for things that will make your life more fun and more fabulous.

So excited to start this wonderful ride and hope you’ll share your party planning tips, recipes and all things that make your life more fabulous! Stay tuned……