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Become A Party Planning Diva 
Visualize Your Way to Better Party Planning (1st in a series) 

Italian in origin, translated literally - diva means goddess. 

Whether it’s a sonnet by Shakespeare or a classic ballad by Maxwell, your cocktail party should resemble a work of art.  Like most works of art, it should evoke a variety of responses in a variety of guests.   All favorable, of course.

Your canvas begins with your home.  Treat it like your palette and let the creative process begin.  Take the time to have your home thoroughly cleaned at least 2 days before and no more than 5 days before the party.  Clean too soon and someone messy (i.e. husband, kids) is sure to wreck havoc.  Clean too late and you may not be able to find the time to schedule help.

Even if you don’t normally treat yourself to a housekeeper, treat yourself at party time.  This will alleviate undue stress and give you time to tend to more important party planning tasks.

If your guests have not been to your home before, have the housekeeper clean every nook and cranny, as guests will thoroughly inspect the place.  If they have been to your home before, prepare a cleaning list that includes only those areas of your home accessible to your guests during the party.  You can tidy up the other areas yourself.

Have your housekeeper pay special attention to the following areas:

·        All bathrooms and powder rooms

·        The kitchen and all food prep areas

·        Buffet, Bar and Entertainment Areas

Once your home is clean and ready to receive guests, you’re ready to begin the process.  Mix your favorite cocktail, sit in each of the rooms and envision the party going on around you. 

This quiet moment will give you an opportunity to anticipate what your guests will see and feel.  How fantastic is that?  Unfortunately, this is a step that is too often skipped.  Don’t make the same mistake as the other bad party planners that have gone before you.

This transcendental moment will pay enormous future dividends.  Enjoy the cocktail and let yourself be transported to a place in your subconscious where your guests are eating, drinking and having a fabulous time.  Take the time to see the party unfold.  As you do this, it will become glaringly obvious what you need to do to make the party fabulous in every way.   From food presentation and placement to room logistics, the space will begin speaking to you.  Be still, in the moment and just listen.

You’ll be surprised to see how close your projections mirror the actual happenings at the party. 

I can remember every single cocktail party, dinner party or holiday party that I’ve ever hosted.  I can also recall how close the real occurrences were to my imaginations of the very same parties. 

My parties always take shape in the abstract corners of my mind and evolve into beautifully defined works of art.

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