How To Throw The Perfect Party
March 22 -- The following excerpt comes from Laurin Sydney's new book, Why Bother? Why Not : A Hollywood Insider Shows You How to Entertain Like a Star, in a Snap!
Buy your copy of Why Bother? Why Not!
Chapter One
Your Presents Are Required
In my "biz" I've often had to buy gifts for the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Steven Spielberg, and Michael Jordan, to name a few. What can you possibly buy the person who has everything and who can charge anything and everything for him- or herself?
Once you've conquered this assignment, choosing that gift for your ex-husband will be a piece of cake. And the good news is, you don't even need to mortgage your house!
When I had to buy Audrey Hepburn a thank-you gift for a favor she had done for me, I packed a Tiffany bag with one dozen of her favorite New York bagels (poppy seed, by the way). They were from H&H bagels (2239 Broadway, New York, NY; 212-595-8003), who will FedEx their bagels to wherever you live. It was Breakfast at Tiffany's for $4.95 and she loved every bite.
I interviewed super hoopster Michael Jordan about his men's perfume line and agreed that the scent was like sex in a bottle. I later emptied a bottle of the aphrodisiac and filled it with a subscription to a provocative magazine — a tailor-made present, all in good fun. It was a slam dunk.
And speaking of "Taylor-made" presents, when Elizabeth Taylor jetted to the south of France to host her annual AmFAR event, an Hermes leather bag filled with lilac roses awaited her in her villa (this was obviously not courtesy of 1-800-FLOWERS).
When you're having trouble finding just the right little somethin', don't, I repeat don't, go shopping. First sit down and think creatively. In the realm of gift giving, ingenuity is priceless.
And for Pete's sake, if you're not going to listen to me and you're on your way to the store to buy a tie for your boss, at least drop a tie around a wine bottle with a note that says, "Tie one on for your birthday." You may not get a raise, but you will get an honorable mention!
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