Janie and I hopped on a plane last week headed to New York to spend the evening with the B List at a party hosted by Colin Cowie. It was so much fun to see Colin in his element. He made a comment at one point during the evening that he can see an entire room at once, no matter where he’s standing: it’s true. There are no lulls in conversation or dry glasses in his presence. He’s an attentive and gracious host.

If you haven’t already checked out Colin’s website or signed up for his newsletter, you must. I love this video, in particular, housed on his site from the TODAY show where Colin discusses key tips to creating holiday parties:

*It’s about no fuss, being resourceful and spending time on presentation

*Focus on creating interesting pairings and stations devoted to the match, such as a south of the border station with tequila cocktails and southwestern appetizers

*Put a card in front of each dish so guests know what they’re eating and drinking

*Go vertical rather than horizontal with decor, as it can take up quite a bit of space

*And, not included in that clip, but passed along at the party: invite colorful guests. The more interesting your guests, the more interesting the party.

Colin talked a great deal about the industry, blogging and what is in store for his company, including the expected launch of a new app. Meanwhile, cocktail architect,Yusef Austin, engineered two signature cocktails, while we listened to music styled by Donna D’Cruz. White Mischief was clearly the darling of the night. A recipe is below.

pictured left to right: Jackie Weppner of Merci New York, Janie Medley of The Bride’s Café, Vané Broussard of Brooklyn Bride, me, Colin Cowie, Christy Weber of Junebug Weddings, Ami Price of Elizabeth Anne Designs, Anne Chertoff of From “I Will” to “I Do”, Mixologist Yusef Austin and Amy Atlas of Amy Atlas Events