Want to throw an A-list party without spending heaps of time and money? In Style Parties: The Complete Guide to Easy, Elegant Entertaining is the one-stop guide to making every event stylish and personal, and it proves once and for all that entertaining at home can be easy, fabulous, and fun. Organized in three sections, the book includes: The basics of party preparation, including what to serve and how to create the perfect atmosphere. Complete party guides for every occasion, from dinner parties for 8 to cocktail parties for 30. A listing of the countrys top resources for food, drink, and dcor, from artisanal cheeses and exotic chocolates to flowers and flatwear. The book begins with the Basics section, which arms readers with the essentials of party planning. In thorough yet accessible detail, this section provides tips on how to plan a menu, stock a bar, set a table, serve cocktails, and feed a crowd, efficiently and with finesse. Also covered are tips on invitations, decorations, and music, which set the tone for a special occasion. The heart of the book is twenty of the most popular party guides published in In Style magazine over the last five years. Playful themes, fresh and simple recipes, sexy drinks, elegant dcor, handy timetables, and a non-stuffy approach make it easy to stay on top of all the little details. Readers can follow the guides closely, mix up elements from different guides to suit their unique vision, or simply use them as inspiration. The festivities, dreamed up by top celebrity party planners on both coasts, include: Dinner Parties: Everything from a simple Saturday night supper to a Tuscan feast and a Mexican fiesta. Holiday Parties: Thanksgiving, holiday cocktails, and a New Years Eve celebration. Theme Parties: Halloween cocktails; viewing parties to enjoy at-home entertainment, from the Oscars and the Super Bowl to favorite television programs; game night; and girls night in. Showers: Bridal and baby showers. Summer Parties: Outdoor cocktails, backyard barbeque, and luau. Birthday Parties: Dinner at home, cocktails, surprise parties, theme parties, restaurant dinners, and milestone birthdays. With its elegant illustrations and vibrant images of celebrity-studded events, colorful drinks, luscious foods, and sophisticated dcor, In Style Parties puts the fun of parties first. This beautifully designed, all-purpose, indispensable guide shows readers how to think like a movie star while organizing like a caterer. The reward is in enjoying your own party as much as your guests. And In Style Parties makes that a reality.
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Product Details
Author:
Editors of InStyle Magazine
Hardcover:
192 pages
Publisher:
InStyle
Publication Date:
October 11, 2007
Language:
English
ISBN:
1932994114
Product Length:
9.25 inches
Product Width:
1.0 inches
Product Height:
10.25 inches
Product Weight:
2.51 pounds
Package Length:
10.1 inches
Package Width:
9.0 inches
Package Height:
1.1 inches
Package Weight:
2.45 pounds
Average Customer Rating:
based on 19 reviews
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: ( 19 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 46 found the following review helpful:
Punch up your Parties! Sep 22, 2005
By Lee Mellott
"Skin Care For Wrinkles"
Instyle's latest book "InStyle Parties (The Complete Guide to Easy, Elegant Entertaining), is a step by step guide to hosting your best party!
The 192 page hardcover, coffee table sized book (10x9x1/2)describes in detail the invitations, decor and menu for a variety of parties ranging from a backyard luau to a mediterranean dinner. Other parties include super bowl, afternoon spa, baby shower, birthday dinner, thanksgiving dinner and more. The super bowl party for example suggests a buffet menu that includes chili with turkey and white beans, sugar and spice pecans, tortilla chips with bean dip and an ice cream sundae dessert bar. Make the invites by writing on card stock glued on mini football pennants and decorate with mini plastic football players and goalposts. The book tells you exactly what to do from week to week to prepare for the party.
It also suggests modifications for each party. Don't feel like fixing food? Order a platter of preassembled gourmet deli sandwiches.
There are a lot of cute, novel ideas in the book. The holiday cocktail party has you crushing candy canes in martini glasses. Oscar night suggests sending invites in film canisters. The baby shower party would have you decorating with tea lights in baby food jars and serving goodies in silver baby cups with baby spoons.
The book serves as a launching pad for ideas. The spa party suggests you consider splurging on Swarovski crystal studded spa invites..well I am not likely to do that..but using this idea I might buy some crystals at a craft store and doctor up a another cute invite. The book does give some "over the top" ideas for parties but it also gives substitutes. It all depends on your budget and desire.
The book also includes chapters with some great basic information; how to stock a bar, the decor, the table, the food and the invitations. The table section for example, details tableware. linens, setting the table, serving styles, seating and extra help.
Choc o' bloc with full color photographs of different parties and interspersed with the occasional picture of a celeb noshing on this or that, Instyle Parties is a super resource and sure to make your next event even more special!
Lee Mellott
26 of 27 found the following review helpful:
Let's get this party started Sep 20, 2005
By Joanna Daneman I can't imagine someone getting married or starting out in an apartment or house and NOT having a copy of "In Style Parties" on their shelf. If you are looking for a housewarming present or a bridal gift, this is something you really should consider.
"In Style Parties" contains basic instructions for hosting anything from a baby shower to a cocktail party, Thankgiving Day feast or a Mediterranean-inspired evening. The chapters give day-by-day schedules (what to do three weeks, two weeks, day of, etc), full menus, shopping lists, what dishes you need. Simpler versions of each party are given to make it easy if you are short on time, funds or ambition.
One chapter includes how to stock a basic liquor shelf and how to make some popular cocktails like cosmopolitans, margaritas and martinis (hint, pour the vermouth over the ice in the shaker, then pour it out; the perfect dry martini.)
The food looked simple yet elegant and the photography makes you want to dive in and write those invitations. If you are uncomfortable entertaining and want to get started, this is for you. Highly recommended
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Loaded with help for your parties! Feb 19, 2006
By Heather
"Here To Help"
This book is loaded with help and ideas, and will save even the most clueless host/hostess. You get tips for setting up your bar, decorations, and invitations. You get information about wines and beers. But the best part are the individual party ideas. There are cocktail parties and dinner parties. Holiday parties and unique theme parties. Each party comes with a schedule for planning ahead, so you don't have to do any mad scrambling around the day of the party. Each party comes with a unique "signature drink", so you can cut costs by just offering a signature drink, wine, and beer. There are recipies for each party and shortcut ideas if you don't have time or don't want to cook. There are also music ideas and decor ideas, in good detail, to really help you. No other entertaining book I've ever seen includes help with so many aspects of your party so well. And unlike most entertaining books, there's a resource section so you know where you can actually find the items featured in the parties (food, decor, etc.), so you don't see something you love but can't copy. (There is one problem, however, I've found some of their resources only sell wholesale and won't sell to you unless you have a reseller ID, which is really disappointing. They should have only included retail resources anyone can use.) Everyone who either entertains or likes to daydream about it should have this book - the ideas are unique and fabulous. I bought this book because I needed an idea for our wedding rehearsal dinner. Within 20 minutes of looking through the book I had a brilliant idea (there is no "rehearsal dinner", but I found a perfect theme party to use). I have many party and entertaining books, and this one is definitely my favorite. I love it.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A Variety of Party Ideas!!! Jan 09, 2007
By A. Johnston
"Partygoer"
I read Instyle Magazine, and always would look in the Party/Host section. How great to have a book dedicated to them. Detailed great ideas, colorful pictures for inspiration. I always lend it to any friend that is getting ready to host a party or just for fun.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Great ideas, but if you read InStyle you might not need it! Feb 28, 2009
By Ibizahippie I love InStyle and I particularly enjoyed the party planning section - I'm so bummed that they no longer have this! I've been wanting this book for so long because I've enjoyed the tips in the magazine. The books covers tips on the basics (invitations, bar, food, table, decor, hostess), suggestions and ideas for themed parties and suggested resources. There are both illustrations and pictures of celebrities at parties - I didn't like it. Such a waste of space with celebrity photos covering several pages! Lots of good basic advice on cocktails and wines, the cheese plate etc. Basic advice - but usually covered in every party planning book! The best part of this book are the theme party ideas. Lots of budget options and fun suggestions from colcr scheme, to snacks and decor. If you don't read InStyle this is a great book with useful tips and fun ideas, but if you have been reading InStyle and their party pages - there's no need for this book - there are some new ideas and suggestions for theme parties, but the best ones have all been featured in the magazine! No need for the book then!
based on 19 reviews
Punch up your Parties! Sep 22, 2005
By Lee Mellott
"Skin Care For Wrinkles"
Great ideas, but if you read InStyle you might not need it! Feb 28, 2009
By Ibizahippie
