Some people are just naturally good at starting (and holding up their end of) conversations in social settings. From partying with people they’ve just met, to mingling with colleagues at an office event, they’re chatting up a storm […]

Halloween party trends come and go. One year you may see an overwhelming number of scary clowns (remember that bad, bad year?), the next about a thousand rats and their favorite slices, and the next all the poor […]

Is there anything better than a themed party? If you’re a kid about to celebrate a birthday, probably not. If you’re a parent of that kid, you have cause to celebrate too, because planning and throwing a simple themed […]

Birthday parties often fall into two distinct categories: those that are fun for kids (bounce house, petting zoo, maybe someone leaves crying), and those that are fun for adults (cocktails, gourmet fare, maybe someone leaves crying). But over […]

As anyone who’s ever cringed while serving a dozen ramekins of flat soufflés can tell you, preparing for a dinner party can be a lot of work. Or, it can be a wonderful last minute adventure, which is […]

Even if you’re not much for adventuring and exploring, you can still enjoy the great outdoors—just throw a party. We asked Mary Katrantzou, a hostess known for her great outdoor soirees and for the kind of glamorous outfits […]

When it comes to throwing a full-circle themed kids’ birthday party, wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to turn your house into a playpen? The solution: a change of venue. We went looking for just the […]

There are four Saturdays in the entire holiday season. Seriously. The good news, though, is that there are plenty of other opportune times to host a holiday party—you don’t just have to wait until the weekend. If you’ve […]

Grandmothers are bastions of fine manners, and ours always had strong opinions on drinks—mixed, shaken, stirred, and especially spilled. A consummate hostess, she taught us that putting one’s guests at ease is the golden rule of giving a […]