Styling for Entertaining: 8 Simple Steps, 12 Miracle Makeovers

""If you want to whip your house into shape or even just get the place clean, throw a party!"" That's the premise behind Coelho's second book, a fun volume devoted to domestic makeovers for entertaining. Following an introductory chapter with eight""easy"" steps for getting a place party-ready in a day or less, Coelho focuses on preparing four spaces commonly used for company (living room, dining room, patio and lawn) with three different themes in mind. Coehlo's eight steps--from thinking about the occasion to styling the food and table--are designed to be accomplished in one day, though certain steps require ongoing attention. For instance, step 4 involves creating a style board; the author suggests""pasting, tacking, or sticking small items to the board that have inspired your style. These may include fabric swatches, small ornaments or accessories, paint samples, tear sheets from magazines, pictures from your Style File, and recipes and food photos that can fan the creative flame."" In other words, it's not so easy. But the themes, such as a star-spangled summer celebration on the patio, are imaginative and the results--for anyone with time to follow through--will likely be beautiful.