Evening star., 1938-12-24
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Initiative and Originality
Count More Than Money
In Good Party>Giving
Holiday Gatherings Need Not
Be Formal or Expensive to
Provide Amusement
Provide Amusement
BY JOAN FORTUNE and NORTON

PROVIDE AInuSeInel
BY JOAN FORTUNE and MOI
Money isn't everything! Initiati
the big three of social success-can
pocketbook. A snack at Hamburger
at the Ritz. Having fun around tt
dates, not dollars.
It's the fun you have that counts
Now that you've bought present
dollars to spend for good times may:
be scarce. So we have rounded up
a number of ideas and plans for in
formal gang gatherings which will
cost little or nothing in actual cash.
Some of them merely mean doubling
up on engagements-making two
out of one.
Twilight Tea
Is Amusing.
Invite the gang to drop in at your
home after packages have been
opened, dinners consumed and that
stuffed feeling banished by sleep or
exercise. You won't have to worry
about entertaining them because
they'll want to talk about what
Santa brought them, what Santa
brought Mary and Tom and Bill
and about holiday plans and activ-
tiles. The Yuletide season will pro-
vide plenty of tea-time chatter.
Just add congenial gathering
place and plenty of tea and coffee.
But don't mention food!
Ask your best friends and their
dates" to drop in at your home for
coffee and dessert before the big
dance. Here again you won't have
to worry about providing entertain
ment for your guests. It's seldom
necessary to entertain people while
they're devouring ice cream. cakes
or cookies and slipping coffee.
For 60 or 80 minutes your guests
can get a good look at each others
new clothes, catch up on the latest
social chatter and go into a huddle
on who dances with whom-and
when. They'll enjoy going to the
dance in a crowd, too. You'll re-
ceive plenty of deserved credit for
starting the evening off in a big
way.
Give an Informal
Dinner for Four.
Give an intimate little dinner
party for two couples-you and your
best and another couple. Plan a
simple menu. but make the table
attractive with candles, the best
tablecloth and the best silver and
dishes. Soft candlelight will add
glamour to the pleasant occasion,
making your guests forget that
they're eating practically the same
things that they'd get at home. It's
not what you do but how you do
it that counts most!
After dinner adjourn to the living
room for games or "just talk" Per-
haps you can try some Of the new
games that Santa brought younger
brother or sister. Your guests will
probably enjoy going juvenile for
an hour or two.
Organize a skating party. II
there's ice to skim along on, well
and good; but don't let the con-
trariness of the thermometer put an
end to your plans. If there isn't
ice, whizz around on roller skates.
A roller skating party in December
is a novelty that's sure to click.
Warm clothes, of course.
Then. when you're cold and tired,
take the gang to your house
straight through the living room
and out into the kitchen. Put
aprons on the girls and let the fell
lows convert paper bags into chef
hats Bring on eggs, milk and fry
ing pans, or a griddle, pancake bat
ter, syrup and knives, forks and
plates. Let your guests have the
fun of making their own refresh
ments. Just give them little choice
and provide the 'makings.' They're
sure to get kick out of going do
mestic!
Snack Party for
After the Movies.
Invite two or three couples to join
you at the local lunch-wagon after
the early show. It won't be neces-
sary for you to have much cash to
pay for few hamburgers and mugs
of coffee. It's a novel way to handle
the refreshment situation.
Or gang up somewhere for an old
fashioned taffy pull. If your crowd
have never tried one in somebody's
kitchen. you've all been missing
something. Just ask Mother and
Dad.
incidentally, Mother and Dad will
be glad to turn over the house to
you, will be glad to help you enter
tain easily and WELL if you'll give
them a break during holiday time
More often than not, parents
aren't old fogies. They want you to
be happy-to have fun and get
around. They're not going to ask
you to stay at home and miss the
fun.
But they shouldn't miss all the
fun, either. Thoughtfulness and CO.
operation on your part, to help them
to have good times, to get away
from their responsibilities once in
while, will make a big hit-now,
next month, and always The holi-
days may be just so much torn It's
sue paper to them unless you do
something about giving them
pleasure.
How about giving them the best
present of all-the fun of playing
with Voll-at y0llr invitationo