party

Sold in a set of four, these lovely Ink Blot Plates can be the entertainment as well as the tableware at your next dinner party. Each plate has a unique blot at its center, along with a "haiku-like saying," such as "Dueling Roosters", "Compassion Among Species" and "Unlikely Event." The sayings are meant not to caption the blots, but to provoke further thought about what the designs might contain. The plates are made of porcelain in the US and were designed by Kathleen Walsh .

One additional bonus of using these at a party is that your guests will be sure to clean their plates to reveal the ink blot design in full. Price: $220.

Is it already time to start thinking about holiday entertaining? It must be, since retailers are well on their way through fall and into winter goods. The Mauviel Copper Champagne Bowl would make a fantastic presentation at just about any party from now through New Year's. It is a 15 3/4"x8" unlined copper bowl that is meant to be used to chill bottles of champagne or wine for serving. The outside of the bowl, as well as the base, is finished with a clear, protective varnish to preserve the shine of the copper and the bronze handles on either end make it easy to transport. The bowl can hold up to 6 bottles of wine with ease. Price: $299.

Is it possible to have too many puzzles in the house? Probably, but that doesn't mean that I like the design of these DNA Tables any less. Far less difficult to assemble than the human genome, the series of tables is comprised of four different table styles that can be fit together in a variety of ways to make a larger, more useful table that bears an uncanny resemblance to a strand of DNA. With metal bases in silver or chrome and brightly colored tops, the tables do look a bit like they would fit in at a 50's diner, but that's part of the appeal, since they're visually much more interesting than many other cocktail tables you'll find. Prices range from $695 to $795 per table.

While the Cool Ice Jewels are a nice touch of icy bling for drinks, sometimes something a bit larger is needed to really add flash to a party. Ice sculptures are nice, but they take lots of planning. It's so much easier just to make one at home using an ice mold. Simply fill up the mold and use it as a centerpiece, filled with candles or flowers, or as a serving bowl for fruits and ice creams. Just like a full-blown ice sculpture, it will catch the eyes of all your guests, like a giant diamond on the table. Use food colorings to add jewel-like colors to the tablescape, or freeze flowers or fruits right into the mold. Price: $29.99.

The jeweled wedge sandals from Christian Lacroix are billed as being the "ultimate summer party shoe" and they are certainly bold enough to add flair to any outfit. The heel comes to a 100mm point and is completely encrusted with tiny crystals. The top of the sandal has narrow, buff-colored straps and is accented at the ankle with a big, satin bow. Be sure to wear these shoes with an understated dress, because they're sure to get a lot of attention. Price: $1,636.31

We love the Cartier LOVE line, but not as much as New York, apparently. The city actually declared yesterday to be "Declare Your Love Day" and the CEO of Cartier presided over the opening bell at NASDAQ Market Site (4 Times square), which was rung by Sarah Jessica Parker and Spike Lee. "Declaring your love" with Cartier involves buying some of their products, of course, and the company released the LOVE charity bracelet for the occasion. It features a pink gold miniature LOVE bracelet on a silk cord that comes in one of eight colors, each representing a different charity. $100 from each charity bracelet sale will be given to the charity it indicates. The bracelets, listed below, should be available at Cartier boutiques and online.

• Salma Hayek – Human Rights Watch– White Bracelet
• Scarlett Johansson – USA Harvest– Baby Pink Bracelet
• Ashley Judd – YouthAIDS – Red Bracelet
• Spike Lee – Kanbar Institute of Film and Television / Graduate Division/Tisch School of the Arts/ NYU – Purple Bracelet
• Edward Norton – Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust – Green Bracelet
• Sarah Jessica Parker – UNICEF – Blue Bracelet
• Michael Stipe – Mercy Corps / Gulf Coast Recovery – Black Bracelet
• Liv Tyler – The Breast Cancer Research Foundation – Deep Pink Bracelet

The company also threw a star-studded party to spread awareness of their new product - and the causes it supports.

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Working over a grill can take you away from guests at a backyard cookout, since heat and smoke are not generally what people want to gather around. Of course, if you have an electric cook-top built into your table, you avoid all the downsides of grilling, while everyone can pitch in and prepare delicious food together. The Cook-N-Dine tables, like this Dawson Teak Table, all have a stainless steel cooktop embedded in their center. During operation, the electric cooking surface on the table can heat up to temperatures of 430F and also sinks down slightly due to a patented process as it cooks the food. The outside of the table, the dining area, is completely unaffected by the cooking process. While Cook-N-Dine makes tables that are all metal, this table is one that is a modified version of a design by Ascot Teak. It comes in two heights, 30 and 40-inches, and is 59-inches in diameter. It can be used indoors as well as outdoors, so you'll be able to make the most of your table year round, not just during the summer grilling season. Prices (on sale) starts at $3922.

Victoria Beckham is hosting a huge auction at her pre-World Cup, "Full Length and Fabulous" party on May 21.   She has managed to get together over £2 million of luxury items for the sale, the profits from which will all be donated to Unicef. The items up for sale include a £1million diamond necklace from Asprey, his-and-her diamond-encrusted watches from Jacob & Co., valued at £600,000, and a £300,000 limited edition Bentley.

The bash will be hosted at the Beckhams home, dubbed Beckingham Palace. James Brown and Robbie Williams are performing for the 400 A-list guests, while top chef Gordon Ramsey will be doing the cooking. The guest list includes Prince Charles, Elton John, Liz Hurley, Tom Cruise and, of course, the rest of the English World Cup football team.