One of my favorite things about the warmer weather in Southern California is being able to enjoy movies outdoors. Fortunately in LA, there are a lot of outdoor screenings in public parks, museums, and unusual settings like Hollywood Forever Cemetery. But if you're more about entertaining at home, and have the space, there are a plentitude of options for creating an outdoor movie screening setup...

This is my niece, Lu, who is about to turn three. She also just became an older sister, so her mom (my sister-in-law) isn't exactly in party planning mode with a newborn. To help her out, and because I'm a nerd for all things fun and pretty, I volunteered to throw Lu's birthday party this year. 

I spent many years of my youth stacking and un-stacking chairs in church basements and cafeterias and have a special fondness for the ubiquitous colorful chairs found in those spots. Here are some contemporary examples with a similar vibe, perfect for small space and outdoor entertaining. 

Cocktail shakers with recipes printed on them are excellent space savers for your bar or tabletop. With these, there's no need to store and fumble with recipes. The best of the bunch is the shaker featured in the main photo by Kikkerland. It is printed with pour markings so don't need a measuring cup or jigger either.

On first glance, the events in my new book The Art of the Party are large and extravagant, but the truth is that those events are filled with smart ideas that utilize inexpensive, highly accessible, every day materials that can be lassoed for parties of any scale – even a dinner party for six at home! 

Whether you’re trying to remember that catchy song you heard at a party the night before or you're just searching for new artists, there are some excellent song-searching and discovery tools available online. I’m always searching for new music sources to refresh my playlist and these are my current three favorite places to find new music...