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Party Planner

How to Throw a Party Without Getting Hit On Monday morning, you decide to invite a few close friends to your place for dinner on Friday. By Tuesday, one friend asks to bring his new sweetheart, another has a cousin coming in from Cleveland, and by Wednesday your casual little get-together had burgeoned into a full-blown dinner party for eight. Or maybe little Billy, whose birthday party is set for Saturday, comes home from Stevie's birthday bash the week prior insisting that he's just gotta have the same dragon-shaped astro jump or the same clown with the exploding shoes as his friend had. Or the stripper you hired for your brother's bachelor party, the string quartet you paid to play at the wedding ceremony and the DJ who's supposed to spin "Close to You" and "The Macarena" at the reception all cancel, claiming poison oak, arthritis and a nasty build-up of ear wax, respectively. To make matters worse, you have a big presentation to give at work, and it's your turn to drive the day-care carpool this week. Which leaves you with your lunch hours to make the arrangements necessary for you to be able to hold your head high in your social circle. First things first: Consult the Yellow Pages, with its listings for folks who'll cater a luau, track down that certain Elvis impersonator or come tidy up before and after the main event. Once you have them on the line, though, it's up to you to say what you want, when you want it and how much you're willing to pay. What follows is advice from the pros on how to help them help you, as well as hints for those occasions when you want to DIY. Catering Theme and Decor Housecleaning Entertainment [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]