sources and inspiration...
Crocker, Betty. Betty Crocker's Entertaining Basics; Learning to Entertain with Confidence. New York: Hungry Minds Inc., 2001.
Stewart, Martha. Entertaining. New York: Clarkson Polter, 1982.
Warner, Diane. Diane Warner's Big Book of Parties. Franklin Lakes, N.J.: New Page Books, 1999.
Also a special thanks to Dara Bogdanoff, Avanti Kallianpur and Ashley Pasion for contributing recipes.