Have to plan a party? Whether you're planning the social event of the season or a meeting with your book club, getting organized, cleaning, shopping and cooking can take more of your time than you can afford. Plan a Fabulous Party In No Time can make party planning easy and fun! With more than 45 different party themes to choose from, and instructions on how to create your own, you will be supplied with all the shopping lists, to-do lists and menus you'll need to plan the perfect party. Even find out how to make store-bought foods and favors look like it took you hours of intense-labor to create at home! Some of the party ideas include: * Holiday Parties * Bitter Party (with an ex-boyfriend bonfire) * Luau * New Year's Eve Cocktail Party * Wedding and Baby Showers * Housewarming Party * Retirement Party You'll be able to step out of the kitchen and actually enjoy your next party with the help of Plan a Fabulous Party In No Time.

Table of Contents

Introduction. I. KNOW YOUR PARTY SELF. 1. Know Your Party Style. What Kind of Host Are You? Time and Money: Formal Versus Casual. Attitude: Classy Versus Kitschy. Creativity: Modern Versus Traditional. Partying with Your Style in Mind. A Party for Every Budget. No-Frills Fetes. Midrange Merrymaking. Fancy Schmancy. Summary. 2. Choosing Party Venues. In the House. Meal and Cocktail Parties. Open Houses. Block Parties. Out of the House. Restaurants and Bars. Large Venues. Destination Parties. The Great Outdoors. The Park. Tailgate Parties. The Beach. Camping. Summary. 3. Party Basics. Selecting a Theme. Nontraditional Holiday Traditions. Mixing Up Occasion Party Themes. Serving Up Savory Meal Parties. Hosting a Theme-Based Party. Choosing Party Decor. Planning for Food and Drink. Understanding Party Food Basics. Planning Drinks for Your Party. Basic Tools for Dining and Drinking. Planning Party Entertainment. Napkin-Folding 101. Putting Your Party to Music. Incorporating Activities. Hiring Entertainment. Offering Party Favors. Summary. 4. Minding Your Ps and Qs. Putting Together a Guest List. Mixing Groups. Inviting People Who Hate One Another. Being a Good Host. Providing a Clean, Safe Environment. Greeting Guests Warmly. Making Introductions. Working the Room. Using (and Encouraging) Proper Table Manners. Leading by Example. Making Dinner Conversation. When Disaster Strikes. Letting Your Guests Know the House Rules. Handling Uninvited Guests. Putting a Stop to Rudeness. Managing Smoking, Alcohol, and Drug Use. Finding Love in Unexpected Places. Closing Down Shop. Coffee-Nature's Miracle Worker. Dealing with Stragglers. Thanking Your Guests. Summary. II. THE PERFECT PARTY. 5. Planning Ahead. Planning a Party Budget. Setting a Party Date. Choosing a Theme. Deciding on the Party's Venue. Drawing Up the Guest List. Sending Out Invitations. Planning the Party Food. Making a Shopping List. Calculating Final Costs. Stocking Up on Beverages. Gathering the Necessary Tools. Decorating for the Party. Planning Entertainment or Activities. Choosing the Right Music. Buying Great (but Cheap!) Party Favors. Checking Over Your Final Budget, Shopping, and Tools Lists. Summary. 6. Counting Down. Doing It Ahead! To-Do Lists. The Shopping List. The To-Do List. Mastering Your Task List. Planning It Out. Everything in Good Time. Finalizing the List. Scheduling Your Time. Summary. 7. The Big Day: Successfully Hosting a Party. Checking the Status of Your Party Preparations. Reviewing Your Task List. Handling Any Emergencies. Taking "Snapshots" of Your Party Planning. Managing Your Party's Progression. Remembering Your Manners. Serving Up Food and Drink. Monitoring the Flow. Entertaining with Activities. Closing Down Shop. Summary. 8. The After Party. Mandatory Cleaning. Safely Storing Leftovers. Doing Only What's Necessary. Day-After Cleaning Up. Thanking Your Guests. Remaining Realistic. Disposing of Other People's Stuff. Thanking Your Helpers. Summary. III. VARIATIONS ON A THEME. 9. Holiday Parties. New Year's Day Hangover Party. Valentine's Day Bitter Party. St. Patrick's Day Progressive Party. May Day Dessert Party. Independence Day Block Party. Labor Day Picnic. Halloween Costume Party. Multicultural Winter Party. Summary. 10. Occasion Parties. Birthday Parties. Birthday Picnic. Celebrating Different Birthdays. Showers. Wedding Shower. Other Types of Showers. Housewarming Parties. Office Parties. Menu. Office-Party Options. Summary. 11. Throwing a Theme Party. Clever Costume Parties. Reincarnation Party: Come as You Were. Other Creative Costume Parties. Gaming Parties. Dice Party. More Ideas for Fun and Games. Entertainment Is the Party. Pet-Together. More Group Gatherings. "Girly" Parties. Craft Party. More Girly Fun. Summary. IV. PARTY PLANNING TOOLS. A. References and Resources. Stores. Books. B. Party Tools. To Have on Hand. Equipment. Electronics. Gadgets. Pantry. Freezer. Refrigerator. Linen Cabinet. Serveware. Other Essentials. Food and Drink Calculator. Budget Planner. Task List. Grocery Shopping. Index.

Author Biography

Tamar Love is a freelance writer and editor with eight years of professional experience. In addition to writing regular features for Tana's Habitat, a do-it- yourself/lifestyle website for Generations X & Y, Tamar writes and edits for Random House and Chronicle Books and runs Cranky Editor (www.crankyeditor.com), her editorial services company. For many years, Tamar was a food writer and literary arts editor at SF Station (www.sfstation.com), an alternative web guide to the city of San Francisco. Tamar was also a staff writer for About.com, worked the news desk at Wired News and wrote features for the San Francisco Examiner, CitySearch and MyPleasure.com. Other clients have included Time Out travel guides, Food First environmental publishing, Ten Speed Press and The Sharper Image. She has edited three books on etiquette. Tamar received her Master of Arts in creative writing from San Francisco State University in 2000. A resident of the Bay Area for almost a decade, Tamar now lives in Burbank, California with her husband, cats and dogs.