Good Things for Easy Entertaining By Martha Stewart

Gift - recipient was excited and pleased.

This is one of my favorite books on entertaining. I love all of Martha's stuff and this one is one of my favorites. Anyone considering entertaining on any scale should pick this up and read it!!

In spite of Martha Stewart's recent troubles, her legacy continues with this splendid book. It is fresh, intelligent and packed full of great tips and ideas for the entertainer who wants to make a splash without spending a fortune. The thing I like about Martha Stewart's approach is her emphasis on simple abundance--the notion that you can achieve good results through creativity and ingenuity. I think those who want to criticize Ms. Stewart should consider how many people she has inspired through this approach to good living!

This is a great book to look at and a great source for ideas. Most of the ideas are very practical and easy to do (the tin can lanterns and the terra cotta candle holders are great examples), and even those which take more work (for example, the plank trivet) are well worth the work. There are only a few ideas here which are impractical, and at least they result in great photographs. I'm going to use some of these ideas at my next party.

I have this book on a 30-day preview and it's on a mental future purchases list. I've been pleased and excited by it. Every "good thing" from those on the endpapers to the sidebars are wonderfully do-able ideas. I'm planning to use a few (the finish-your-own-lemonade setup and flower/blossom on a napkin are two) for an upcoming birthday dinner. This book is an excellent introduction to entertaining in a new, yet only-Martha way. I also highly recommend Good Things, Arranging Flowers, Comfort Food, and Desserts, all four of them in The Best of Martha Stewart Living series as companions to this book.