Ideas & Tips — Celebration

Whether you're the consummate host or hostess or just starting to entertain, your home bar is a crucial ingredient in your recipe for success. Here are some tips for making it as sophisticated, chic and stylish as you. Bar cart  Don't hide pretty tumblers and stirring spoons away in the cupboard! Instead, arrange them in a stylish display on a retro-chic bar cart. Include objects in a variety of sizes and shapes for visual interest. A sophisticated candle holder adds a nice touch! Detailed decor By honing in on design details you can make your next cocktail hour shine. Elegant touches, like beautifully designed...

At no time is champagne more popular and widely consumed than around New Year's eve. The bubbly beverage, and its many less expensive counterparts like prosecco, are integral to many people's New Year's festivities. But how much do you really know about this iconic beverage? Here are some fun facts about champagne we bet you've never heard: Champagne bottles used to be ticking time bombs. Back in the early days of champagne production, the process of fermentation was not particularly standardized, meaning that occasionally the pressure from too many carbon dioxide bubbles forming would cause bottles to explode. This earned champagne...

'Tis the season for hot chocolate, and if you're a real fiend for sweet, hot beverages, you can find a way to fit it into almost any situation. Need something to wake you up in the morning? Dark hot chocolate will do the trick. Looking for an easy dessert? You guessed it, hot chocolate. Here are just a few of the many variations on the hot chocolate theme. See how many you can make before the new year: Milk chocolate peanut butter hot chocolate: For those times when you want to eat a peanut butter cup, but don't want to go...

In many parts of the country, a hint of fall crispness is already in the air. If you are excited about the changing seasons, now is a great time to start packing away your summer decor and preparing your home for autumn. One of the most elegant ways to observe the arrival of fall is to throw a themed dinner party. Here are some tips for setting an autumnal table: Centerpieces: Arrange a selection of small pumpkins and other brightly colored squash in our lovely stainless steel wire basket for a seasonally appropriate centerpiece. You can also place branches of...

Blood Marys are an acquired taste that manages to retain a strong fan base because there are so many ways to make them. The abundance of ingredients leaves room for adjustments that are just slight enough for the drink to retain its name while presenting a different drinking experience.  Invented in 1920s Paris by French bartender Fernand "Pete" Petiot, the beverage grew into an international phenomenon when he moved to New York City to work at the St. Regis Hotel. There, the drink took off and spread around the world through the many St. Regis chains.  Here are a few of the Bloody Mary...