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"      This pretty-in-pink soir\u00E9e just blushes with style, thanks to celebrity event planner Colin Cowie.    Scarfing down French onion dip while watching the game may be your idea of a good time\u2014and yes, that sort of party certainly has its place\u2014but sometimes you have to up the ante. We know you run ragged this time of year, so we&amp;#039;ve come up with a slew of smashing style ideas for two distinct fetes that you can pull off with the slightest bit of effort and expense. Here, celebrity event planner Colin Cowie gives us a nudge in the right direction. You can kiss those Saturday-night sweatpants goodbye. Pretty-in-pink cocktail party     Ever been all dressed up with nowhere to go? If your inbox isn&amp;#039;t exactly overflowing with e-vites, host your own party. It only takes one successful evening to inspire your buddies to follow suit. Before you know it, you&amp;#039;ll be booked into next season. REINVENT A SHADE Cut a few ribbons of varying widths so they fit all the way around the shade, then secure with double-sided tape. This only takes about 10 minutes, and when the party&amp;#039;s over, just peel off the tape\u2014carefully. SEND A FORMAL INVITE A simple phone call or an e-mail will do, but a handcrafted creation will make your party stand out. Fold thick pink paper into a 4-by-6-inch card. Either write the details with a thin metallic marker, or get creative with computer fonts. Finish it off with a silver ribbon. CREATE A VIGNETTE to greet your guests as they arrive. Pull any old table into the foyer. Adorn it with things that scream your theme, like paper cocktail napkins, votives, and pink drinks. A mirror will amplify the mood. DRAPE TRANSLUCENT FABRIC over a white tablecloth or around a plain vase to add a splash of color to the room. We used a fun bubblegum hue. LINE A SERVING TRAY with\u2014brace yourself\u2014wrapping paper. We cut eye-popping magenta paper into a circle to line our circular silver tray and make the glassware more glamorous. It won&amp;#039;t bust your budget to pick up some rolls of good-quality wrapping paper and see what works in your space. MAKE IT BLOOM The morning of, pick up a few bunches of your favorite flower. We&amp;#039;re obsessed with pink gerberas\u2014they look great stag or in voluptuous arrangements. We used superslim olive oil bottles here, but vintage pitchers, mason jars, and wine bottles\u2014sans labels\u2014also look exquisite. Your guests will do a double take, if you add vibrant food coloring to the water. FILL A BOWL WITH ORNAMENTS It&amp;#039;s quick and thrifty but looks ultraswanky. A clear fruit or salad bowl works best. Don&amp;#039;t have ornaments that fit your color scheme? Pick up a can of silver glitter spray, and go wild on random, around-the-house items: walnuts in their shells, lemons, even lightbulbs.  Dinner for Two    Treat yourself and your main squeeze to a candlelit dinner, Moroccan style. This decor is about mixing materials and alternating patterns and solids. Bring out any sultry objects you&amp;#039;ve been itching to use\u2014odds are, if it&amp;#039;s blue, orange, deep red, mustard, or brown, it&amp;#039;ll work well. TRANSFORM PICTURE FRAMES INTO TRAYS Cut up crazy Moroccan fabric to fit under the glass of two standard 11-by-14-inch document frames. Go ahead and use them to eat on, in lieu of a table. PUT FASHION UNDERFOOT Overlap a few soft area rugs\u2014especially if you have hardwood floors\u2014in various patterns and hues. It&amp;#039;ll make the space more intimate. MIX AND MATCH materials for platters, plates, and bowls. Fill any copper, dark wicker, and wood containers you have laying around with tasty finger foods, such as olives, dolmades, hummus, baba ganoush, and pita bread. DITCH THE DINING CHAIRS and kick back on a few overstuffed floor cushions. You can fake ones that match by pinning any old jewel-toned pillowcase around a cushion. FLOAT CANDLES AND FLOWERS in an odd-shaped vessel. Peach-colored roses lend a tropical feel. The more candles, the better\u2014it&amp;#039;ll only up the romance factor. CREATE AN IMPROMPTU TABLE for extra surface space. Cover a stack of coffee table books or even a sturdy crate from the farmers&amp;#039; market with fanciful fabric. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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