The Last Minute Party Girl

Hip tips for fabulous fetes on little money and even less time When the budget is tight and the schedule even tighter, what's a party girl to do? How can she whip up a swanky soiree they'll be dishing about at the watercooler for weeks to come? With The Last-Minute Party Girl, how can she not? A quick dip into this savvy, sassy entertainment guide will inspire any harried, just-got-home-from-the-office hostess to new heights of fabulousness. Whether an elegant sit-down dinner or a finger food feast, everything required for a party with panache is covered, including innovative invites, cool cocktail creations, and must-have munchies. This ultimate guide to sensational, spontaneous entertaining includes: More than 100 recipes for impressive but easily doable dishes Decorating tricks Emergency supplies for the party-girl pantry Quick refreshers on hostess etiquette Industry insiders' favorite cost- and time- cutting tips

From invitations, party favors, decorations, music, games, food, and drinks, --this highly entertaining cookbook will serve as any fun-loving girl's personal manifesto for new ways to live and to celebrate life.

29-year-old Hope Reed didn't pull the trigger. But a simple choice landed her behind bars, and now she is literally fighting for her life. After her car broke down, Hope accepted a ride from two neighbourhood thugs. Later they were pulled over and arrested for a deadly convenience store robbery - and Hope was arrested too. Brendon Reed stood by his wife after her arrest. He took out a second mortgage on their house and wiped out the family's savings for her defence, but now years have passed and Hope's chances of acquittal are beginning to look grim.

Celebrity journalist Amelia Stone is the quintessential L.A. party girl. She goes to Hollywood's most exclusive, star-studded events, where she rubs shoulders (and occasionally more) with celebrities, stays out until all hours of the night, and indulges in the ultimate sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll existence. In short, she's got everything a party girl needs: the looks, the job, the lifestyle. And oh, yes, the out-of-control coke habit. But it's hard to keep topping your own outrageous exploits, and after losing her job, her friends, and much of her mind (not to mention waking up in the hospital after combining five Ambien, four lines of Special K, and an inestimable amount of cocaine), Amelia makes the drastic decision to end her drug abuse. Sobriety, she finds, has its rewards: she starts seeing the man who could be her Mr. Right and gets hired by a big-name magazine to write a column detailing her wild adventures with the celebrity party crowd. And who could write it better? After all, she has plenty of experience to draw on. There's just one little problem. Overnight, Amelia Stone has become the new face of Hollywood nightlife, and her editors—who don't know she's come clean—want her to play the part. As her popularity skyrockets and the film and TV agents start calling, the lure of her former fast-and-furious lifestyle begins to pull at her. Faced with the most exciting opportunity of her career, she must now decide to either save herself—or salvage her reputation as the ultimate party girl. Acidly hilarious and achingly honest, Party Girl is a harrowing ride through the world of Hollywood excess with a heroine who's deliciously flawed. Whether snorting coke or crying in rehab, hooking up or breaking down, Amelia Stone makes her way across the treacherous grounds of addiction, self-destruction, and recovery without ever losing her sharp wit, unapologetic candor, or odds-defying optimism.

The room smells of sweat, smoke, beer, and longing. The music pulses, the lights flash, and Kata and Ana dance. For a moment the raucous crowd is tamed, and together the two girls soar above their lives. But then the deafening applause sends the dancers crashing down to earth, back to the gang wars, the gunfire, and the only way of life they know. In a neighborhood consumed by violence, every day may be a gang member's last. And sometimes the only life you can hope to save is your own.

When life hands her lemons, she makes a French martini. Life is one big party for event planner Isabel Serranti. Armed with cell and laptop, she’s game to field any fete–including her next nearly impossible gig: an impromptu themed party. Five hundred guests? (No problem.) On a country estate? (Lovely!) Near her girlhood home and hosted by her infamous childhood tormentor Simon Monkwell? (Uh-oh. . . .) Luckily, Simon is away for most of the planning, which leaves Izzy to cope with his kindly, eccentric family and their curious secrets. But when Simon–looking good enough to eat–makes a surprise visit, he’s not quite the wretched oaf she remembers. And he needs her help to pull off something daring that requires clever planning, devious imagination, and a lot of panache. Naturally, they’ll be working together very, very closely. . . . “Hilarious and touching.” –Romantic Times, about Playing James

Party plan selling offers a great mix of making money with having fun by selling your products or services at a party. LET'S HAVE A SALES PARTY provides a complete step-by-step guide on how to do it, with tips for both the newcomer and the old-timer who wants to further expand the business. The book includes tips on how to: choose your product and company, develop your sales pitch, recruit prospects for your party, plan a great party, increase your sales, expand your business by creating a sales organization, and more. It provides practical information on: avoiding the mishaps that befall some party plan sellers, creating advertising to help you find hosts and customers for your parties, developing a presentation and a marketing campaign, finding a host, choosing a location, planning the menu, mastering a solid sales pitch, building to a strong close, asking for the sale, taking orders, getting referrals, confirming orders, and managing deliveries. Additionally, it offers expert tips on how to avoid scams and choose a reputable party plan company, a directory of major party plan companies, and more.