With summer in full swing, I’ve already hosted two parties and attended three. I came out of this social whirlwind with new insight into what makes a successful party and what doesn’t. It boils down to two things: simplicity and innovation.

Ah, yes - simplicity! I learned this the hard way. I was throwing a high school graduation party for my daughter and invited a group of people over who had never been to our home before. Something about first-time guests opens a wide path to anxiety, doesn’t it? Everything has to be perfect. Like many hosts, I forgot why these people were coming to the party - to relax and enjoy our company.

A week before the party, I decided to build a little shade structure in the backyard to create an exotic ambience. I scurried around trying to locate supplies and an available carpenter. Two nights before the party, I rounded up a carpenter, but he only had a few hours to do the work. I was ready to move full steam ahead when I stopped and took a deep breath. “Wait a minute!” I said to myself. “What are you doing? This is nuts! This isn’t fun and it’s definitely not simple! I canceled the carpenter and decided to simplify so I could enjoy the party, and my guests could enjoy a relaxed host. I already have a nice yard, and all I needed was a few simple touches to make it party-ready. Here are the lessons I learned about hosting a party, lavish in feel and simple in execution:

1. To really simplify your party planning, make use of technology. You can save yourself hours of shopping and planning time by using the Internet for recipes, supplies, themes, and decorations:
   
   
• Do your shopping on the Internet to save time and avoid hectic shopping malls. Not only can you research and purchase the best products and services at the best price, but everything can be handled in the comfort of your own home and at a time that’s convenient for you.
  
  
• Try online invitation tools. Evite is a free online event planning service that lets you choose an invitation that coincides with a party’s theme and also include important information such as driving directions. Evite also provides a simple way to track who is attending and the number of people they’re bringing.
  
  
• Every get-together provides memories that should last a lifetime. Camera phones are a great way to capture the moment with pictures that can then be easily e-mailed to friends and family.
  
  
2. Create magic with what you already have. The enchantment of summer parties is hosting them outdoors. Figure out easy ways to turn your yard, driveway, lanai, or porch into an oasis using plants, water, lighting and intimate spaces.
   
   
• If you don’t already have plants, buy several to put in pots, and arrange in a way that creates a room.
  
  
• Add lighting with bamboo poles by placing them into pots and stringing lights from pole to pole.
  
  
• Create a simple water element by placing floating candles in a low, wide ceramic pot or metal tub.
  
  
• Transform a picnic table by adding a swath of festive fabric.
  
  
• Borrow enough chairs for everyone, and organize them in conversation groupings. To provide simple shade in a corner, place more dowels or bamboo poles in the pots, and string fabric over three or four of them to create an exotic and intimate ambience.
  
  
• For more outdoor ideas, type in “alfresco parties” in a search engine like google.
  
  
3. Think theme – it simplifies food and design decisions. Here are a few ideas:
   
   
• Romantic garden party means floral patterns and twinkling lights.
  
  
• Tropical can include Tiki torches and Polynesian or Caribbean food.
  
  
• Consider an old-fashioned all-American barbeque.
  
  Simply type “theme parties” in a search engine and you’ll have plenty of great ideas. Recently, a friend used an Internet search engine to find everything she needed to throw a ladybug party theme for her two-year-old’s birthday. You can also check out books such as Weekends Away Without Leaving Home, published by Conari Press.
  
  
4. Make simple food look lavish. You’ll feel like you’re indulging your guests without exhausting yourself. The trick is to use fresh ingredients and uncomplicated recipes.
   


• Make the easy appetizers (dips or bruschetta) and buy the complicated ones (frozen Spanikopita).
  
  
• Serve a basic main course on skewers (looks fanciful) and offer a meat and vegetarian option such as marinated chicken and tofu to barbeque.
  
  
• Make simple dipping sauces for the skewers and your guests will feel like they’re in a foreign restaurant. You can find great sauce recipes online.
  
  
• A fresh green salad can be gussied up with roasted or plain walnuts, dried cranberries, cut pears, fresh mozzarella balls, raspberries, or even edible flowers.
  
  
• Serve vegetables raw with interesting dips.
  
  
• Buy the most time-consuming items such as quality crusty bread and pre-made chocolate Bundt cake. Make your own simple raspberry sauce to serve with the cake for a delectable and incredibly easy dessert. (Put frozen raspberries in pot, add a little sugar and orange juice and heat to warm.)
  
  
5. Keep drinks simple. Unless you have someone who volunteers to be bartender (not a bad idea for a shy guest), skip the blender drinks. It’s much simpler to offer pre-made summer coolers such as Sangria or the ingredients for non-blended margaritas.
   
   
• For margaritas, set a table with the tequila, triple sec, and bucket of ice and let guests make their own.
  
  
• Offer easy, festive, non-alcoholic beverages like fruit punch.
  
  
• Dress up the drinks with little umbrellas. It’s little touches like this that go a long way. You can buy drink umbrellas and a load of other party equipment very inexpensively by searching the Internet.
  

Brought to you by Qwest Communications and Janet Luhrs. Janet Luhrs is author of The Simple Living Guide and Simple Loving, and editor of the newsletter, Simple Living. For more information, visit www.simpleliving.com.