Creating the right dining atmosphere for a dinner party

Tonight we're having some friends over for a dinner party. I'm working on creating an atmosphere that is both elegant enough for a Friday night dinner invitation and also casual enough that people feel comfortable putting their elbows on the table and laughing loudly. These are my favorite kinds of dinner parties.

The table is set with silver (faux) chargers and candelabras. The china is simple and white with more pattern in the salad plates. The crystal is lovely and real. And the napkins are the one thing that adds a bit of color to the table.

The candelabras, or chadelabras as Sandra Lee of Semi-Homemade calls them, were a great find. They have such classic lines, yet are obviously not trying to be silver or pewter. They say elegant and fun and very approachable. The best part is that they were only $14 at my local discount retailer. As always, new candles are being used and they were lit and allowed to burn for a minute or two to give them that "I'm not a new candle" look. My mother always taught me to do this.

The music tonight will be light jazz playing softly in the background. I find that everyone appreciates this, whether your taste lends itself to classical, rock or blue grass.

And to enhance a fall feeling, when the dinner plates are cleared, the guests will find a lovely and colorful fall leave on their charger. (it also will distract the eye from the fact that they are not perfectly polished!)