So You Think You Can Party?

"So, Dude... Was that a party or what!"

"Don't talk so loud... I can't feel my face."

And so goes a morning-after conversation ala "Animal House" recalling the memory of a party-hearty performance which will achieve legendary proportions at future get-togethers, ultimately reflected upon and savored amongst old friends...

But the truly great party - the kind still recounted years later - rarely happens by accident. It is a small act of theater: the right room, the right light, the right people, and a host who makes every guest feel like the guest of honor.

Here in the Valley, where the evenings cool and the patios open to the stars, the season rewards those who entertain with intention. Trade the plastic cups for real glass. Put someone in charge of the music who understands that a room has a pulse. Keep the bar simple and generous, the bites plentiful, and the introductions warm.

The secret the best hosts know is that luxury is not excess - it is ease. When the details are handled quietly and well, the evening seems to run itself, and the only performance anyone remembers is the good time they had.