Get the party going

One of life’s true gifts is having guests tell you “I had the most wonderful time!” or “best party ever…” as they give you a goodbye hug at the close of a gathering. Even if they’re embellishing a bit, you feel good, right?

It’s natural to want family and friends to be happy when they’re in your home. This commonality underscores a major finding of our subscriber survey: For a large number of readers, the ideal home

is one that is welcoming. More important than its size, style, address or value, the perfect abode needs to be gracious.

To celebrate this fact, we put out our “welcome mat” and invited in a plethora of story ideas for entertaining at home. Our first arrivals were tea-infused cocktails and martini tables. Then homes and landscapes—all designed to pamper and delight both family and guests—joined in. A behind-the-storefront look at HF Coors—the Southwest’s Wedgwood—also attended and brought Ellen DeGeneres mugs, which were the hit of the party. With the gang all assembled, our talk turned to insights for novices and experts alike: When it comes to entertaining, focus on your guests’ experience. Simplify until angst-creating details fall away. Embrace our natural environment as a unique element of your social event. And, most importantly, host from the heart.

July 25

Some of the best ideas for entertaining at home come from dining out. That couldn’t be more true than tonight’s collaborative dinner at Cartwright’s in Cave Creek. The all-Arizona ingredient event was a culinary and sensory journey. Sam Pillsbury brought his award-winning wines; chef-owner Brett Vibber and guest chef Tamara Stanger surprised us with every course. Photographer Steve Thompson captured the ensuing fun.

July 5

Before recipes are included in stories, we make sure they work and produce deliciousness. Today, our staff taste-tested three summer’s-end cocktails, which introduced us to pairings of tequila, rum and ginger beer with herbal and black teas. Who said work had to be all work? Read the story here.

July 12

Received this email regarding yesterday’s photo shoot at Scottsdale’s Main Dish with owner Matthew Boland. Fun is the word. See our story here.

Dear Karol,

Good morning, and thank you for such a fun afternoon!! You and your team are so much fun to work with! We appreciate you thinking of us; it is always fun to collaborate.

—Matthew

August 11

As the proud media partner of ASID Arizona North Chapter, we produced for the first time a special publication of all the 2018 Design Excellence Awards winners. Executive Editor Rebecca Rhoades and Managing and Copy Editor John Roark attended tonight’s gala, and Rebecca shared our congratulations to all the participants and awardees from the stage.

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