Free Emily Post's Great Get-Togethers by Anna Post

flowering branches in late winter and “force” them open. You do this by keeping the vase full of clean, fresh water until the buds bloom and reward you with an indoor spring in approximately ten days to two weeks.
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    The Simplest Arrangements
    M ake a tight bouquet using one type of flower: baby roses, small calla lilies, alstromeria, hydrangea, gerbera daisies, daffodils, lilacs, or tulips. Wrap stems with twine, raffia, or ribbon to hold tight. Cut stems evenly so flowers sit above the lip of the vase. Or choose something spectacular like peonies and add them one at a time to a vase with a small mouth (the blossoms are top-heavy; you don’t want them flopping around). Offset the height of each flower by cutting stems at different lengths so each one has its own space. Anna loves to do this with carnations, that often-dismissed flower. She also likes to repurpose the glass holders from stylish scented candles or votives, using them as vases. (Remove any leftover wax with hot water.)
    Allergic to Flowers?
    S ilk flowers are always an option, but only use those that are so well made they truly fool the eye. You can also create centerpieces or arrangements using edible combinations of fruit, nuts, and seasonal vegetables such as miniature eggplant and long green sautéing peppers. Search out exotic fruit such as Buddha’s Hand lemons and fragrant citrus like clementines, Kaffir limes, and Meyer lemons. Play with scale: Use tiny crabapples and seckel pears; richly colored pomegranates or persimmons; purple Concord grapes mixed with fresh pecans, almonds, or walnuts in their shells. Think still life paintings. For the minimalist, a pottery bowl of farmers’ market brown-speckled eggs could be all that’s needed. Forage from the roadside—but watch the poison oak and ivy! Scout out vacant lots or take a drive in the country with clippers and buckets ready for boughs of greenery. Wear your gloves and harvest teasel thistles, dock, or cattails for drama. Do be respectful and make sure you’re not clipping from a public park or someone’s private property.
    Let there be Light
    L ighting really sets the mood for your party. It’s true: Everyone looks better by candlelight, but be sure there’s enough light to see your plate! Even for daytime events you might turn on table lamps or overhead lighting if sunlight is lacking. Events that start in the early evening and go late into the night call for different lighting at different times, so be prepared to flip the switch. In the evening, a lighted house always says “welcome,” so open curtains or blinds before your guests arrive—you can always close them once the party begins. Here are some tips on using lighting to your best advantage:
O UTDOOR LIGHTING: Before the party, check the outdoor lighting. Pretend you’re a guest and walk up to your front door at night. From the curb, be sure that your pathway lighting is adequate, and that lights by the front door are in good working order. Also, check that your house number is well lit and not blocked by a car, a hanging plant, or a flag. If you live in an apartment, is the lighting in the hall and stairway in good order? If not, call maintenance.
D AYTIME LIGHTING: Use table lamps or overhead or wall lighting in a dark room or on a cloudy day. Candles aren’t usually lit during the day. They don’t really stand up to natural sunlight, and in the old days it seemed wasteful to burn candles when there was adequate light. That said, candles can certainly provide cheery warmth at a formal luncheon on a gloomy day.
E VENING LIGHTING: You need lighting in the evening, and what you choose is determined by the kind of party you’re having and the kind of atmosphere you wish to create. At a large party—a holiday cocktail buffet, say—bright and festive is the key to keeping the party cheery and upbeat. So you’ll want more lighting, perhaps not glaring overheads but plenty of table lamps and wall sconces. A more intimate