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Contents
Gift
Guide 2
party!
Women's
Fashions
Men's
Fashions
Where's
the Party
Party
People Gifts
Entertain
your Brain
Essentials
Goodies
Mood
Music
Boy's
Fashion
Girl's
Fashion
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three types of party people
by christina melander
1. The Perfect Party Host
Star Bright
Any intelligent host will tell you that a 100-watt light
bulb does nothing to loosen the inhibitions of guests, but
a more arresting vehicle for ooh-la-la light might be a
paper lantern. The colorful hanging star lanterns
at Sorel Vintages ($20 for small, $25 large, $10 for light
source, 3713 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 232-8482) are a stylish
improvement on the party-prominent Chinese lantern.
Long Live Wine
A delicious bottle of wine is a classic hostess gift. But
you'll really be doing your friend a favor by giving something
to extend the life of leftover wine. Private Preserve
($9.95, Pastaworks, 3735 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 232-1010)
is an odorless, flavorless mixture of gases applied to create
an inert gas blanket over the wine in a partially consumed
bottle. It prevents oxidation because the gases are heavier
than oxygen, and it doesn't affect wine quality.
From Charades to...Clumps?
At last, a game for people with large noses! Thus
reads the introduction to a party game called Nose Ball
in the tidy Lagoon Books volume After Dinner Games
($8, Restoration Hardware, 315 NW 23rd Ave., 228-6226).
The parlor shenanigans require few props--just the right
mix of goofball contestants who don't mind playing games
with names such as Squeak Piggy Squeak, Saucy Crosswords
and Clumps.
2. Party Animals
Roll and Rock
The best piece of luggage ($95, Exit Real World,
820 NW Glisan St., 226-3948) for the party person on the
go comes from a brand that may not know engineering, but
definitely knows style: Roxy. It's a roller, which is essential
since the bag is likely to be weighed down with several
pairs of shoes and an array of party duds. But the best
part is the pattern: watermelon pink printed with floppy
white flowers.
Talk of the Town
Good looks and a knack for knocking 'em back does not make
one the talk of the town. The top criterion for someone
punch-drunk on partying is skillful conversation. Gossip
columnist Liz Smith knows all about that. Her new memoir,
Natural Blonde ($25.95, Hyperion), is required
reading for career gadabouts. The dishy Texan, 77, reveals
the gritty details about those on the other side of the
velvet rope, but stays in everyone's good graces. How? Charm,
darling, charm.
Cheap Thrills
The clothes at Monkey Wear cry out for attention. Take,
for example, the selection of rock star T-shirts:
Debbie Harry projects a bad-ass glare from a black long-sleeve
number, David Bowie from colorful short-sleeve tees. The
Sex Pistols are represented too. ($30-$56, Monkey Wear,
811 NW 23rd Ave., 222-5160).
3. Party Pissers
Party in Your Pocket
For people who don't like parties, might I suggest a puzzle?
Puzzles are amusing and stimulating, and they don't require
social interaction. To some, that makes a perfect party.
Mensa Mighty Mind Benders ($12.95, The Museum Company,
700 SW 5th Ave., 223-0069) are the ultimate in brain-warping
word and number problems. The individual challengers are
packaged in a 75-card deck; choose between the Number Puzzles
or the Riddles and Conundrums edition. To gauge the mettle
of the puzzle problems, go to www.mensa.org and take the
bedeviling 30-question, 30-minute daily Mensa Workout.
Enforce This
Watch the best B movie ever: the 1976 Massacre at Central
High. In this dazzling example of lo-fi production values,
jocks beat all the loser kids into submission. That is,
until new kid David comes along and decides to right the
wrongs in diabolical fashion. At one point, David's childhood
pal advises him to "drop the loner stuff." No dice for David--and
countless other dour rebels before and since. What these
stony-faced guys and gals need is a durable pair of sweet
sunglasses. Try Gucci's Signature Rectangle model
($159, Sunglass Hut, various locations) in bad-ass black.
Sure, this best-seller is a bit of a splurge, but isn't
the revolutionary on your list worth it?
Basketful of Fun
If you can't coax your friends out, bring the party to
them. Simply head to Cost Plus World Market (various locations)
to shop for quirky, international items. Start with a basket
($5-$15) and fill it with the following good-time gastronomic
assortment: Trolli sour gummi worms ($1.39), Lindt Lindor
truffle bar ($1.79), Japanese rice-cracker party mix ($1.29),
Pez dispenser ($.99), tortilla chips ($1.99), World Market
Salsa ($3.49), Niçoise olives ($2.79), Busseto dry
salami ($3.49) and a four-pack of Guinness tallboys ($6.99).
All that for less than $30! What a party!
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