Hosting Diaries: The Virtues of Having an Extra Toothbrush

Entering the my-own-apartment chapter of my twenties (!), I seem to constantly be on the lookout for objects and things that would make me a better host. How can I make guests more comfortable? How do I curate a sense of home for my friends? As loving as it sounds, half of this is rooted in my desire for them to come to see me as often as possible. I love the company and I love being of service, so I like the idea of being ready with snacks, extra toothbrushes, and drinkable wine.

My last houseguest was originally only visiting for an afternoon to use my internet since they had just moved to a new place and were having difficulties getting modem-ed. Before they could get home, though, a thunderstorm rolled in and we decided on a sleepover! I discovered I did, in fact, have an extra toothbrush, and we ordered pizza and watched Mark L. Wahlberg cringe his way through a few episodes of Moment of Truth. If you haven't come across Moment of Truth yet, it's an early 00s game show where contestants reveal increasingly incriminating information about themselves in front of their friends and family. It's available on YouTube. Stream at your own peril.

It felt great to be able to offer my friend a more comfortable night than they would have had running through the rain to get to the subway station. It made me more certain that I find that kind of thing rewarding, after being able to test it out a bit, so now I'm on a mission to make my still half-furnished apartment the ultimate respite from the urban chaos just two floors down.

Lately, specific items filter their way to the top of my (extensive, vacation-mode) internet browsing. The first of these, which I came across yesterday, is this adorable gift set of soaps from Claus Porto. Not only is nice soap an objectively hospitable thing to have on deck, but the design of these wrappers is also enough to make me want to collect them like an archivist. Speaking of excellent graphic design, one of my favorite discoveries of the year, Fishwife Tinned Seafood Company, has my whole heart.

Another key staple to hosting well is obviously a nice wine, but as I am an amateur, I love the idea of leaving it up to someone else to curate it. I dream of one day being so fancy and social as to participate in a wine club like Glou Glou Girls, based in my beloved Austin, Texas. Even though I'm way out of their delivery zone now, I adore them and wish them great success. If you're in the Austin area, give them your money.

I guess what we've learned so far is that great graphic design can make anything seem like a good idea. And that there are too many delicious, good-smelling things in the world to keep track of, but it's worth it to start trying.

Around a year ago now, I wrote to you as I developed something like a theory of hotness, where you just do things that turn you on a little bit. Live a life you're really into, all that. Now, I'm branching out into a theory of host-ness, and am on a mission to make my apartment the most delicious and cozy and "come on in, make yourself at home"-type place my friends have ever seen. I may be aiming high, but I think my intentions are immacculate. Until next time.

- Helen