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Coffee Station for Holiday Entertaining

by | Nov 20, 2014 | Decorating Inspiration, Holidays, My Life, Seasonal Decorating & Entertaining

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Coffee Station for Holiday EntertainingThanks to Nespresso USA for sponsoring today’s post!

Recently on The Inspired Room I’ve been talking a bit about getting my home ready for the holidays and entertaining. While I love love LOVE creating a warm ambience for our own family (RIGHT? That’s the BEST!), there’s something special and giving about creating that space for inviting others into our home, too. I think it’s a gift to others when you open your door to friends and treat them to a special time of festivity in your home.

Coffee Station for Holiday Entertaining

Coffee Station for Holiday Entertaining

I know the thought of “holiday entertaining” can seem daunting. I mean, even the WORD entertaining sounds a little frightening to me, like people might expect you to do something amazing to entertain them (I don’t know what we think people expect of us, juggling? ice sculptures, guitar solos? I don’t even know why we worry so much!).

I’ve hosted all kinds of gatherings from bigger ones with 100 people in my house to smaller get togethers with just another family or two. Every week we host gatherings at our church, too, and while it might seem “effortless” if you just show up, I know it’s no easy task to be ready to serve people food and coffee and make the environment warm and welcoming. Even if you are keeping things simple, there are many details that go into hosting any type of event.

Coffee Station for Holiday Entertaining

I’ll let you in on a little entertaining secret. Even if you just focus on feeding people and offering them something to drink, most everything else will fall into place. You don’t have to have everything all perfect like we sometimes think we do. Right? It’s about connecting with the people, not about impressing them.

But with that said, you know I’m totally into creating a bit of the ambience and experience, so while I always keep things simple and don’t let myself stress out, I do like to create special little moments at every gathering.

In fact, it’s those special little details I create that actually make me feel totally at peace with “entertaining” because I KNOW I will enjoy it, people will have a good time and it will leave them with a pleasant memory, in spite of all my entertaining missteps and lack of hostessing perfection.

Coffee Station for Holiday Entertaining

And you know coffee is one of my love languages, so a coffee station is always a great place for me to start every day (and every afternoon, let’s be honest) and every event I ever host!

Recently I was at a local store checking out new coffee makers. My daughter Courtney has a Nespresso so she was certain I would love one. I had tried to steal her Nespresso milk frother awhile back so she was trying to convince me to get my own! :). While we were at the store, we saw this VertuoLine machine. The clerk offered me a cup of coffee to try it. The first thing that blew me away was the “crema” it created on top of the coffee. OH MY HEART, it was good. I felt like I had just had a cup of coffee with CREAM it was so thick and frothy. I was in heaven!

Coffee Station for Holiday Entertaining

When I returned home, I had an unexpected email from none other than Nespresso, offering to send me a machine in my own home! Did they know I just tested their machine that day? Unlikely! But it felt like a real Christmas miracle…so of course, I said YES. I couldn’t open the box fast enough when it arrived two days later. I set it up all fancy on my counter and made my first cup of coffee.

You guys, it is SO EASY to use, so delicious and I still can’t get over that frothy deliciousness on top. And if that wasn’t enough, it came with a MILK FROTHER! I now have MY OWN MILK FROTHER! My daughter no longer has to hide hers when she sleeps at night. The Aeroccino+ Milk Frother is crazy awesome, it’s quiet, easy and makes perfect frothed milk. You’ll love it, I promise.

You can make little espressos, fancy lattes, the Nespresso does it all!

My next big goal in life (after I finish decorating for Christmas and writing my books that is) is to learn LATTE ART. You know, I want to know how to make pretty leaves and hearts on top of my coffee. Maybe someday I’d even advance to portraits of Mona Lisa on top of my coffee. I tried the basics shapes, believe me. And the result wasn’t what I dreamed, so I need more practice heheheh.

Coffee Station for Holiday Entertaining

Anyway, I’m in love with my Nespresso :). But while I think it is great fun for me to use, I also think it’s the PERFECT way to jazz up your holiday parties. I mean, if I have fun making coffee all by myself in my jammies every morning, can you imagine setting this little baby up on the counter for a Christmas brunch? I mean, honestly.

It’s a PERFECT holiday entertaining experience and it’s so easy for you as the hostess!

Coffee Station for Holiday Entertaining

Just set out an assortment of the little capsules (SO many tasty choices! Put them in a glass container so guests can choose!), some milk and your pretty cups next to your Nespresso and milk frother and you’ve got a party! You could even add some peppermint syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg or chocolate sprinkles! OK, maybe put out some croissants too. Then you are GOOD to go. Guaranteed success.

>>>Go check out the Nespresso machines <<<and see what one you might want for Christmas! I’ll wait while you look, then come back and tell me what you like and if you think you might set up a coffee station for the holidays! I love looking at all their Nespresso machines, they have such lovely designs and colors! 

So what do you think, are you gonna set up a coffee station for the holidays?

Even if you just set one up for yourself, I know you’ll love it as much as I do :).

Coffee Station for Holiday Entertaining

Just so you know, you can get one for yourself or for a gift with a special five day sale or a year end promotion!

Here are the details on the Nespresso Sale:

1. 5 Day Sale (11/20/14 – 11/24/14)

Details: 25% off machines (excludes Inissia machine)

2. Year End Promotion (11/28/14 – 1/31/15)

Details: $100 Club Credit with machine purchase of $199 or more.

28 Comments

  1. Brenda Kula

    I love your coffee station! The mugs are so pretty. I’ve had a coffee station for years, no matter where I’ve lived. Right now it is on a potting bench I painted red!
    Brenda

    Reply
  2. KATHYSUE

    I have the Nespresso coffee maker and the frother, and you are so right It is crazy good. I have been doing something simple for myself every afternoon I just heat half a cup of milk and then pop in the vanilla pod and it makes a delicious drink with just a sprinkle of cinnamon!! Try it, I think you will like it. That is without the frother, it is nice and creamy with the crema on top. YES I do the same thing, I have a coffee station when I entertain as well. Falalala!!
    Kathysue

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      YUM! I’m SO EXCITED about this! :-) I will probably OD on coffee now just trying out options.

      Reply
  3. Irma

    We just put our house up for sale. While I was bringing some order and decluttering of the kitchen counter I had this space that needed something inviting. All of a sudden I thought of your coffee station and voila! It looks great and everyone said what a super idea! Thanks,Melissa!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      That is AWESOME, I’m so glad you were able to create one. I have so much fun with mine (obviously hahah).

      Reply
  4. Lauren Baxter

    I love the coffee station idea!(and yours..of course) Even a hot chocolate station would be awesome for the holidays as well! I’m in a small basement apartment and we usually go to someone else’s house for entertaining BUT I adore this idea and am trying to create my own (with limited counter space). I have a Kuerig and I bought a stand with a drawer for my coffee, I’m sprucing it up with a coffee station chalk board sign and I am trying to find a mug holder likes yours! We use it every morning before we’re off to work and on weekends for a hot treat!

    Reply
  5. KristenG

    Coffee station for the holidays! Ha! I have one for all the days! It happened by accident when I got new countertops this summer. Moving the k-cup machine temporarily to my antique wicker table gave us the idea. I now have a rack of mugs, sprinkles, and a glass canister of hot to go cups. Guests are charmed, and hospitality is enhanced. A Nespresso would be a fabulous addition! I’d be happy to give the Chrome Vertuoline package (with the milk frother, of course!) a happy place to live.

    Reply
  6. Jess

    I love these machines! I dog sit for a family a few times a year, and they have one. It seems so indulgent and fancy to have an espresso in the morning! For myself, I’d love the Chrome Bundle Vertuoline — which would allow me espresso and frothed milk! Yum! Peppermint mocha here I come!

    Reply
  7. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life

    This looks so pretty and I love the idea of everyone being able to help themself.

    Reply
  8. Karen Farber

    Your coffee station is a dream come true! & so is Nespresso offering to send you one just as you were thinking of buying one! Wow it was meant to be! I need to try this beautiful little machine and make some room to set up a mini coffee station in my apartment!

    http://www.littleblackshell.com

    Reply
  9. Kathryn G

    I’ve been admiring your kitchen with a coffee station for awhile. I had one but put everything back into the cabinet when I discovered that I had a 5 year old who loved the sugar bowl. I kept wondering why the sugar was crusted to the antique spoon. LOL So now I just do temporary stations when I have friends over. :-)
    I love the chrome one, but all of the machines are gorgeous. I would love to try one, so far not even Starbucks can compete with my French Press.

    Reply
  10. Megan

    What a timely post! I have been thinking about getting one of these machines for a while now. I will definitely be putting one on my Christmas list now or maybe just forwarding this post to my husband lol. I set up my daughter with a coffee station for her birthday and it was a big hit. I think its time for me to get my own.

    Reply
  11. Christina Rodriguez

    I love your coffee station too. I did one in a rental that I staged and the client loved it too. I am still working on mine at home. I just bought a new tray/platter to corral all the stuff that goes into the coffee. My husband saw the picture of yours and said we need one too. So one day it will get finished! lol

    Reply
  12. Richella Parham

    We LOVE our Nespresso. We’ve had a Keurig since 2005–I bought our first machine from SkyMall, if you can believe it–and it’s fine for a quick cup of plain coffee. But for the GOOD stuff, we turn to the Nespresso. The crema it creates is just amazing, isn’t it?? You kind of get addicted to it! Luckily, when we were on vacation this summer, we rented places to stay–a chateau in Normandy and an apartment in Paris–and BOTH places had Nespresso machines! :)

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      That crema is the best part for me! :-)

      Wow, that’s amazing that they had the machines in a CHATEAU in Normandy? and in Paris (and lucky you to have gone there this summer!!!)! The best cup of coffee I ever had in my entire life was in Paris! :-) So so good.

      Reply
  13. Jenna

    Great idea! Love the chrome one you have :)

    Reply
  14. sasha

    Get out!! I JUST posted saying that I have begun drinking coffee for the first time in my life at age 39 and I also confessed that I love watching latte art youtubes! This makes me adore you even more.

    Reply
  15. Regina

    Congratulations on your addition to your coffee station! Lucky you! My husband and I are both avid coffee-drinkers and we also have a coffee station. Guests know that our policy is “our coffee is your coffee, so help yourself!” :)

    Reply
  16. linda

    Yes, the secret is feed, and welcome. Peoplle just want to be appreciated adn we can do that by a warm welcome, listening and good food. Love your mugs!!

    Reply
  17. Martha

    Over the years I have gone from hosting the typical wine and cheese to hosting a coffee night. Many benefits to this – no one worries about driving home (no taxis in our rural area), coffee is not as costly to serve as wine, our children don’t associate having a party with needing alcohol, and guests are always pleasantly surprised at the alternative. I set up 3 or 4 regular coffee machines, brew a variety of flavours (complete with little labels) and have a pretty tray with cream, chocolate sticks, cinnamon sticks and some Irish cream. I ask everyone ahead of time to bring their favourite mug – that way I know I won’t run out, no one gets their cups mixed up and it’s a bit of a talking point to see people’s personalities through their choice of mug! Then there’s the snacks…..mmmm…

    Reply
  18. Cynthia @ her lovely nest

    great timing on this post! you’re so right it’s not about being the perfect host/hostess but more about being welcoming. and for me, nothing says welcome like a coffee! if the Mona Lisa finds herself in the foam, that’s a great bonus :-)

    Reply
  19. Deanna

    Hi Melissa,
    Love your blog and have been reading faithfully for a year. Where is your mug holder from? It’s great!
    Deanna

    Reply
  20. Angelika

    At first glance, I thought those capsules were Christmas ornaments! how festive they look :)

    Reply
  21. Michele

    A lovely person donated a Nespresso to the hospital unit that I work on. I went looking for pods and was disappointed that the pods don’t seem to be available in stores. With 12 hr shifts, we are hooked on coffee :)

    Reply
  22. Kelly

    Where did you find the coffee mug stand?

    Reply

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