How to make things look better than they really are.

For my first post I thought I would talk about something that I took me a while to learn. In fact I
am STILL learning this but at least I know it is important. And that all important skill is... (Drum roll please) Presentation! Are you disappointed? You shouldn't be. Many people overlook this simple way of making things look better than they really are. I mean, a frozen pizza served on that little piece of cardboard it came with is not nearly as appetizing as a frozen pizza served on a serving platter.

It is especially easy to do this with food. When I was growing up my mom usually just put the pot on the table. I thought people only used serving dishes for parties or special occasions. When I got married my husband was horrified that I tried putting a pot of food on the table. I didn't get it but I indulged him. Now I am the one who insists on using a serving dish of some kind.

I first realized how much difference presentation makes a few years ago at a church service project. Everyone had brought "fixin's" for sandwiches and piled them on a table. We were moving to a new church building and were all busy cleaning out closets and taking loads of junk or garbage to various locations.

As lunch time approached, I noticed that the table was literally a pile of food so I stopped what I was doing and tried to organize it. I thought I had done a good job of sorting everything out. It wasn't pretty but it was functional.

About the time I was ready to go back to work an elderly sister came over to the table. "This won't do at all." she said with more enthusiasm than I appreciated. Then she proceeded to open the paper plates and began rolling slices of lunch meat. Another lady came to help us and in only a few minutes the table looked as though it had been catered.

I was beside myself with shock. Everyone commented on how nice it looked and how wonderful everything was. It was hard to imagine that this was the same table of food.

From then on I tried to think of how I could make something look better just by arranging it differently. I still don't have the hang of it. But I try.