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Hospitality, it has been said, is the art of making your visitors feel at home, even when that's where you wish they really were. Whether you're invited for dinner or the whole month of July, it's nice to show your appreciation to the host and hostess with the most and mostess.

gift ideas  (excerpted from Present Perfect)  

See also: gifts for cooks, gifts for outdoor cooks

As a houseguest, you can't help but observe your host's taste in food, home decor, literature, and music. Use these clues for selecting appropriate gifts.

To adorn the table of the hostess on your gift list, give a dessert plate stand, centerpiece, table linens (tablecloth, placemats, runners, and napkins), place card holders, trivets, candlestick holders, chafing dish, serving trays, or napkin rings.

Flowers are a nice dinner hostess gift. Send them the day of the dinner party or the day after with a personal note. As a courtesy, do not take cut flowers to a dinner with you. It puts the hostess in the awkward position of leaving her guests to search for a suitable container.

The Crate & Barrel catalog is filled with items perfect for the hostess, many of them exclusively designed for Crate & Barrel. Choose from interesting stemware, dinnerware, vases, wreaths, pitchers, centerpieces, fondue sets, and serving pieces. Phone: 800/323-5461.

Food items such as homemade jams, chutneys, or pickles from your pantry, flavored vinegars, chocolates, or other food indulgences your hostess can enjoy after the party make wonderful hostess gifts. Desserts and food items the hostess might feel obliged to serve at the party should not be given.

A gift for the host's children or household pet would also be well received. (See Children, Dogs and Dog People, and Cats and Cat People.)

Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts for Every Occasion is filled with ideas for hospitality presents and many other creative gifts. In addition, you get tips on gifting etiquette, shopping, wrapping, special presentations, and much, much more. To order the book, click here.

NEW!  To start shopping for gifts right now, click here.

Have any hospitality gift ideas you'd like to share?