Hello everybody! I have a food blog (http://www.dinneratchristinas.com) that I've maintained for almost a year now. Through the blog I've met a whole community of lovely women, some of whom live very close to me (I'm right outside Chicago).

I've arranged for a blogger meet-up potluck function at my house Sun, Sept. 13th and everybody has RSVPed that they will be able to make it. There will be 5 women, plus myself.

The problem is that our house is in a constant state of construction. I live with my boyfriend and before I moved in, he hired a dumpster and gutted the house - literally - down to studs and started over. The kitchen, living room, and 2 of the 3 bedrooms are done, but the rest of the house is in pretty bad shape.

I've already explained to them the construction issue, so that won't be a surprise, but unfortunately it leaves me with a hostessing problem. Smack dab in the middle of our dining room are 4 desks with computers for my boyfriend's computer game addiction and his weekly game-night with buddies.

My options now are:

*Outside hostessing on the patio, which is very nice and we have a beautiful table/chair set. I'm just worried about the weather, if it will be too chilly (we keep getting days in the 60s) or rainy/windy.

*Hostessing around the island in the kitchen. There are only 4 bar stools, though, so I feel like it'd be kind of cramped and would make some people feel uncomfortable if they need to stand. Also, the potluck would need to be layed out somewhere, so if I lay it out on the island it might not leave enough room to also sit and dine there.

*Bringing a dining room table that is currently being used as a desk down to the middle of the living room. This way I can set it ahead of time and make it look presentable and beautiful. There would be enough room to set out dishes, and also enough room for chairs to fit all around comfortably. I just worry if it will be odd to have a dining area set up in the middle of the living room, parked between the couch and the TV? Would it be awkward as a guest to attend something like that?

*Foregoing the dining table in the living room and setting the food out on the island, have people grab their plates, and dine around the coffee table in the living room. This seems rather informal to me - more of a football crowd style and I always hate balancing a plate on my knee while eating myself, so don't want to have to put guests through that!

Right now I'm thinking I'd like to possibly explore the dining table in the living room option. That way it will look nice and inviting when they enter the house, but leave the option open to move the party outside to the patio if it's nice out.

Does anybody have any opinions or advice for my situation? This is the first time I've hosted anything like this at my house, as I haven't lived on my own very long. I want my guests to feel comfortable in my house, even though parts of it are in disarray.

Thanks so much for any advice/tips!!!

Christina :)