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Getting swanky - the unpretentious cocktail party

Men dressed in black tuxedos, woman adorning brilliant dresses with diamonds the size of walnuts on their fingers, clinking glasses and Sinatra crooning away in the background. Most cocktail parties are so ridiculously filled with egos, stuffy attitudes and high noses. If that’s not your idea of a good time, then join us and learn some ways on how to throw a swanky cocktail party to remember.

Eye appeal
One of the great reasons to throw a cocktail party is to have the all too rare occasion to get dressed-up. We’re not talking about sending out invitations with the mandate of tuxes and gowns. Remember, that is what is to be avoided. Dressing up should be fun and the less snooty the better. Encourage your guests to arrive in creative fancy dresses or in a thrift-store formal type of way. Make sure that you have small costume accessories for those few guests who always turn up wearing their normal everyday clothes.

Listening aids
For the traditional party, music is pretty much there just to set the tone of the party. However, a party can become good fun if you can inspire a bit of dancing later on. The key is to start the party off with some ambient type of music, switch over to some lounge music on occasion. After a couple hours, start to ramp the volume and mingle in some dance tunes. Keep the volume at a level where conversation can still transpire. Later in the night when conversation has all been but forgotten and bodies start to merge, fully pump the music, dim the lights, and let nature take its course.

Happy birthday - Not

Put away the balloons and streamers. Save them for your 6 year old niece’s or nephew’s birthday party. Swanky parties are about keeping it simple. Your goal is to keep people moving around and mingling. This usually means keeping them on their feet and off their butts. A couple comfortable seats are ok. Giant sofas are not. Put away any extra furniture that makes your mingle room reminiscent of a obstacle course. Space is a cocktail party’s friend.

If space is a cocktail party’s friend, then lighting has to be it’s companion. Never use green lighting. Let’s repeat that - never use green lighting. And if you live in a econo-box apartment that uses white overhead fluorescent lighting - for heaven’s sake turn them off. Nobody looks good in white fluorescent. Try to get some kind of low lit ambience thing going on. If you can use some candles then go for it. Make sure that they are ensconced in glass to avoid getting that natural light started, otherwise known as a fire.

The center of the cocktail party is of course the BAR. Having 2 bars is ideal. Have one set-up as a do-it-yourself area, where your guests can make their own drinks like gin and tonics, vodka and tonics, whiskey and cokes, and the debauchery standard: tequila shots.

Don’t have a bar? Don’t worry: Have a look at the KegWorks.com Maximizer Portable Bar. The Maximizer Portable Bar is perfect for any environment whether inside during a party or poolside entertaining friends. It combines all of the features you expect in a premium bar at a very affordable price. Its sleek design blends in with any d?cor and its smart construction offer many features to make serving easier.

The ergonomic 2-step bar and countertop is designed for ease of drink preparation and serving and the large 56″ serving area keeps condiment caddies within reach without blocking prep area. Maximizer’s durable sold molded countertop is easy to clean and includes a convenient molded-in bar mat well. The Built in cutting board makes it easy to do last minute condiment preparation and can be removed for thorough cleaning. Six bottle stainless steel speed rail included.

The swanky party is the opposite of a presidential affair or some high white collar gathering. Swanky parties are fun and if done correctly are a whole lot of fun. You’re guest list should exclude those who can’t define swank or don’t own anything velvet or of thrift-store lineage.

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7 Principles of Decorating Ready for a room redo? Use these pointers as a guide. Balance Is Everything. Use a mix of light and dark, big and small, patterned and plan for decorative harmony. Shop at Home. Gather up the things that you love now in your home and use them to create a favorite new space. Do a Quick Change. If the prospect of redoing a room seems overwhelming, start with a quick project. Success on a small scale like this will give you the confidence to tackle larger projects. Emphasize the Smart Choices. If you use a dramatic color, use texture and interesting furniture arrangements to make the room’s decor equal to its color. Correct for Color. Neutral walls and window coverings may be a room’s downfall. Warm up your space with a fresh soft wall color and dramatic window treatments. Details Make the Difference. Create a comfortable space using hand-me-downs and stray pieces from other rooms. Make It Your Own. Whatever you do, create a look that reflects your style and taste. From redoing a small entryway like this to moving every piece of furniture in a house, make sure you’re creating something personal and comfortable for you. And when you’re tired of a look, change it again! Click here to shop BHG.com for accents, furniture and more to decorate your home! © Copyright 2004 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Throwing a sports fan party - the tailgate.

Tailgating has become on of the great traditions of America. No, not the tailgating you’re thinking about when you follow the car ahead of you with less room to pass between than a fly. We’re talking about the one where there is enough food to feed a few football teams.

Planning for this type of party can be a bit difficult because of the fact that it’s on the road. It requires a slightly different approach than the typical backyard barbeque party. The biggest factor: preparation. It’s pretty simple to run inside to grab the missing mustard when you’re having a backyard party, it is quite another thing to be stuck in a packed-in parking lot with mustard nowhere in site - except maybe of course on the next guy’s table.

Picking the proper portable grill is essential. At the very top, the king of all tailgating grills is the Crown-Verity TG-1 The Tailgate Grill. This grill will make you the hit of the entire parking lot causing a long stream of admiring passersby - make sure they don’t drool on your burgers.

Just hitch up the Tailgate and take your cooking skills anywhere there’s a road or trail. Then fire up all the cooking area you need over six independently-operated burners. Built-in insulated stainless steel wells keep beverages, dishes or garnishes cold…even in the hottest parking lot.

Crown-Verity grills are like nothing else on the market. They offer the discriminating buyer every feature imaginable, including 18 gauges, commercial grade 304 #4 stainless steel throughout. And 850?F of cooking heat in less than 10 minutes, with the top down. Make sure that you have both takes full because this much power uses a lot of fuel.

Besides planning there are a few other things to do. If you are an avid camper than you probably already have a good idea of what’s needed. As with most outdoor functions, make sure that you have plenty of fluids to drink. No tailgate party would be complete with having some kind of beer.

Making sure that the beer stays cold is top priority. Even with your deluxe grill - your friends will flee your tailgate if the beer is warm. Second to keeping the beer cold, is making sure that you have enough of it to make even the heavyweight drinkers forget about the game. Best way of making sure of that is to get a keg.

You have the deluxe grill, the keg - now keep the keg cold with a Tailgate Kegger Kit from Kegworks.com. The kit includes a tap for the keg as well as a thermal bag to lock in the cold crispness and keeps the keg’s temperature stable. The pump cylinder is made of steel and is 8″ long. Plastic faucet head w/hose. Example Beers: Budweiser, Miller, Coors Light, Sam Adams, Fosters, Labatts, Molson, Milwaukee’s Best, Busch and just about anything brewed in North America.

Tailgating is the perfect way to meet people that share your similar interests, and are as crazy about sports as you are. Plus, everyone at a tailgate party wants to have a great time. Remember that there is an air of competition in the parking lot. People will go all out to show off their cooking skills by preparing some pretty interesting dishes. But don’t worry, with the above gear you will be the talk of the game.

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