<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  Christmas is about tradition but to make it memorable, convention needs a twist. In getting ready for this year&amp;#039;s guests, take inspiration from how the entertaining experts plan for their own holiday house parties. How would a party planner display his dining table, a professional chef prepare for a family meal, or a lighting designer illuminate his home? Here three of my nearest and dearest colleagues tell how they celebrate the season and how to add a little spice to tried and true displays. A Party Planner&amp;#039;s Table Display  Preston Bailey, the design wizard behind many of the celebrity events of the past decade, is a dear friend. Whenever he&amp;#039;s invited me into his home, I&amp;#039;m always blown away by the d\u00E9cor. He and I are in complete agreement that a holiday table requires a bit of flair. &amp;quot;I always suggest having at least one dramatic statement. At this time of year, get a small Christmas tree and put it right in the center of your dining table! And instead of covering it with ornaments I would use white orchids to decorate it. In the kitchen, I like to mix cinnamon sticks, cloves, all spice, and nutmeg all together and put them into a pot of boiling water so when my guests arrive\u2014the first thing that hits them is that comforting smell.&amp;quot; A Chef&amp;#039;s Preparation Guide  Another close friend is Katie Lee Joel, author of the wonderful cookbook, The Comfort Table, and the entertaining correspondent for the CBS Early Show. She has an almost otherworldly ability to make her guests feel at home when they arrive and a gift for turning a group of strangers into friends. As an expert hostess, Katie is emphatic about a few things. &amp;quot;Always, always, always, plan and shop way in advance. This gives you the leeway to make changes in the menu if you wish and limits the amount of stress enormously. I also make sure that I am completely finished with cooking and set up at least an hour before my guests arrive. I like to take my time getting ready so I feel calm and look my best when I open the door. A hostess that is happy with the way she looks is a confident hostess.&amp;quot; A Lighting Designer&amp;#039;s Illuminating Touches Ira Levy, owner and the creative genius behind Levy Lighting (Levylighting.com), a company that creates magnificent lighting for all sorts of events, has a lot to say on the subject.  &amp;quot;The light source of choice for this holiday and the future is LED. The colors are crisp and really sparkle; when used in quantity, they make for a great installation. I utilize the least expensive ones I can find and sprinkle them in abundance onto tabletops, fireplace mantels, window ledges, practically anywhere. For barren walls and doors, I buy double stick tape and I like to design a simple message or scheme. To enliven a table, I&amp;#039;ll mix them into a clear bowl of glass beads or crystals. They are so versatile and lightweight they can be quickly adapted to any design.&amp;quot; The Celebrity Eventiste&amp;#039;s Holiday Home  I&amp;#039;ve been the event planner for Kevin Bacon, Billy Joel, the Rockefellers among other stars and have had the pleasure of being named &amp;quot;Best Wedding Planner&amp;quot; by New York magazine and trendsetter of the year by Modern Bride. When I throw a holiday bash at my house, I definitely want it to scream &amp;quot;festive.&amp;quot; I drape both the perimeter of my garden in Christmas lights (which are visible from the interior of our house) and the window boxes out front. While I realize white lights are typically considered more elegant, I like the childlike aura that exudes from brightly colored bulbs, \u00E0 la the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. For my holiday buffet table, I use glitzy silver and beaded cloths as under liners and LOTS of candles there and everywhere in the house.   Marcy Blum, Celebrity EventisteMarcyBlum.com "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/life-culture/entertaining/tips/a607/insider-entertaining-53471/>