Your Holiday Party ... and Your Sun Sign!
Amp up your role as hostess or host this year by throwing your best holiday bash yet! Based on your Sun sign, here's a sleighful of holiday hosting ideas sure to resonate with your nature.

Aries

Keep things short and spicy by serving cocktails and hors d'oeuvres rather than a formal sit-down meal. Your fiery nature loves activity, so be sure to create space for a dance floor as you decorate in bright colors.

Taurus

Quality counts, so keep your guestlist short so you can splurge on decadent drinks and snacks. A low-key get-together ensures you'll have time to catch up with friends. Make sure your party space is comfortable with soft lighting -- and even softer pillows!

Gemini

Since you're a social butterfly, host a drop-in party -- and encourage guests to bring a friend. Deck your place out with wild decor, and keep the music edgy but low to encourage conversation.



Cancer

Quality time with your inner circle matters most, so host a cozy dinner party. Home-cooking fits your

Have guests coming back for more - and more, and more - with these fresh new additions to the drinks table. By Kim Haasarud, REDBOOK.

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Sometimes you have the perfect stocking in mind to make your Christmas special, but you just can't seem to find it in a store. This is where a "Do It Yourself!" type attitude (and some fantastic tutorials!) comes in handy. I am determined to make our Christmas stockings this year and in my search for stocking inspiration I came across quite a few cute Christmas stocking tutorials and I thought I'd share my favorites here with you. If you're looking for a more personalized take on Christmas stockings this year, look no further than these great DIY Christmas stocking tutorials to get you inspired! - By Lauren Hartmann

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Don't go to your next holiday party empty-handed! And don't spend a fortune buying a gift either. Instead, try whipping up a gift for the lovely hostess in no time at all. Your gift will stand out among the other store-bought items, and the fact that you made it will show you're truly thankful for the invite. From cute tea-cup candles to sweet-smelling bath salts, the list I've come up with has a gift idea for any kind of hostess. Click through for 7 DIY gifts for hostesses! - By Jacinda Boneau

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Decorating your home for the holidays doesn't have to be some flashy ordeal, with lights and tacky DIY decor gone awry. The key, I think, to nailing the perfect and classiest indoor decor is knowing which parts of your home to focus on. Take the mantel, for instance. You can make a big statement by just dressing that ledge above your fireplace in holiday style. And doing so is simple. If you're not sure where to start, don't fret. I've rounded up a handful of gorgeous and festive mantel ideas that are sure to inspire. Click through for 7 charming holiday mantels! - By Jennifer Hadfield

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Season ten of 'Top Chef' is in full swing, and the show’s long-time host Padma Lakshmi is still having a ball. Aside from her outrageously popular reality food competition show, Padma is a busy lady these days.  We had the chance to sit down with the stunning brunette to catch up on 'Top Chef,' her recent feature in 'Playboy,' and her entertaining tips on how to throw a great party. 

[Related: Embarrassing Party Hosting Mistakes to Avoid]

Padma’s main gig, hosting uber-popular reality show 'Top Chef,' gives her great reward. She says the best part of her job (other than the food of course) is that she gets to talk shop with some amazing chefs like Jean Georges, Daniel Bouloud, Thomas Keller, or Eric Ripert, to name a few. If she could hire any chef in the world as her own personal chef, her picks? Eric Ripert or Daniel Boulud, of course.

How does the brunette beauty stay in such great shape having constantly to taste-test food on her hit show?

How to make life easier when remodeling your kitchenAfter 13 years, it was time to remodel our kitchen. Our appliances were beginning to fail, the counters were scratched and the cabinets showed years of wear and tear. After much planning and saving, my husband and I decided 2012 was finally the year for a new kitchen. Since we have two kids, we were worried not only about the expense, but how we could minimize the impact of the remodeling process on our everyday lives. Being careful planners, we naively thought we could manage it like a work project. We did a budget, researched the best appliances we could afford, hired private contractors and finalized the design. My husband was the supreme project manager, with neatly organized contract folders, timelines, and spreadsheets. He was constantly going back and forth between the different vendors to ensure everything was on time.

Of course, as any person who has remodeled their kitchen will tell you, things have a way of not going according to plan. There are so many moving pieces that