In Cynthia Rowley and Ilene Rosenzweig’s new book,”Swell: A Girl’s Guide to the Good Life” (Warner), entertaining is not an event for the wringing of hands–unless it’s to wash them. It’s attitude (not snobbery, my friends), style, willfulness and inspiration that will get you through it. That and, we’d like to add, entertaining a lot. Observing traditional holidays is the glue that keeps families and friends together as they come and go–the ritual of times we’ve come to expect and embrace.
Seasoned hosts do traditional very well; they also do impromptu very well. Rowley and Rosenzweig celebrate the “imperfect” partygiver. In other words, don’t fret too much. If you do it their way, no one will know you’re not the host with the most. It’s a matter of thinking quick on your feet, using the everyday things you have in your home, being crazy creative and just doing it. And any event is worth celebrating: The authors suggest oyster season in September, the first day of summer in June or “The Facts of Life” cancellation anniversary in November.
And that’s the charm. If you entertain often, you’ll entertain well.
In this issue, we offer some guides: a round table with food experts about trends; three entertaining stories involving a 40th birthday, a housewarming and the nouveau Beaujolais; William Rice’s offerings of Champagne treats beyond drinking it; tabletop ideas for Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa; Web sites catering to food and entertaining; and a few Chicagoans who share their plans for the start of the millennium.
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Life is a celebration. Have a party.