BACCHANAL HOW-TO

Party season has arrived. Is your table ready? Our columnist outlines her own personal holiday gathering hotline.

- By RITA KONIG

I always leave my holiday party planning too late into the season. I don't know what it is, but one minute it seems like crazy talk, and the next minute it's past deadline to have anything really special made. So this year I am planning next year. But I made sure to find enough to make festive entertaining feel as such in the meantime.

My first port of call for getting in the mood is Houses & Parties, the most cheer-inducing site on the internet, full of party chic and fun. Rebecca Gardner is everything you could dream of in a Southern hostess. This year my basket is full of her red and green twisty candles for the table, her foil-wrapped candies and peppermint sticks, her marbled wrapping paper and crackers. She has little beeswax pine cone firelighters that will be in a basket by my fireplace if they don't find their way into people's stockings. I'm very keen on the vintage St. Louis red twist decanter on my bar, and she always has the best cocktail napkins (such an easy way to add some holiday cheer to the house). If you're starting from scratch you can go all in here with china, glassware, and linens. I'm also longing for the year when I put a party hat or tiara at everyone's place setting, and I so wish I had a child young and amenable enough to put her in a Christmas nightie with elf ears and shoes. Gardner is also selling large golden foil sacks this year—amazing for wrapping those impossible presents, like bikes and golf clubs.