Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Becoming Patricia 5
How to be Lovely 35
Diet 38
Exercise 42
Gilding the Lily 42
The Ritual Bath 46
Best Dressed 49
Casual 52
Cocktails and Evenings Out 52
Stockings or No Stockings? 55
When Did You Buy That Bra? 55
Caftans 56
Ask the Expert: Cathy Horyn 59
The Perfect Fit 61
Accessories and the Fur Flip 61
Tiaras 63
Jewelry 64
Gloves 65
Monograms and Family Crests 66
Decoding the Dress Code 67
Maintaining Your Wardrobe 69
Traveling in Style 71
Let's Behave 75
Here Are a Few of My Favorite Things… 80
And My Least Favorite Things… 82
And Then There's the End of Western Civilization… 83
Smart is the New Sexy 85
How You Speak Says it All 87
Getting it Write 90
An Up-to-date Contact List 91
A Stationery Wardrobe 91
Reading is More Fun than Sex 95
What's in My Kindle? 96
Like, Love, Marriage…and Everything in Between 99
Ask the Expert: Carson Kressley 105
A Fine Showmance 112
When You Think You've Found the Right One …Think Again and Again! 114
Ask the Expert: Georgette Mosbacher 116
Setting the Stage 119
Bedrooms 128
Ask the Expert: Michael Kelcourse 130
The Light on the Piazza 131
The Collector in You 132
Finding Your Style 136
Ask the Expert: Mario Buatta 136
Good Housekeeping 139
Organization 144
Ask the Expert: Joan DiPietro 145
Let Me Entertain You 147
Raising the Bar 152
The Infamous Dressing Drink 154
Dinner Parties 157
Ask the Expert: Carolyne Roehm 162
The Return of the Cocktail Party 169
Ask the Expert: Katie Lee 171
Everybody into the Pool (Especially Shep) 176
Entertaining on Holidays and Special Occasions 181
Easter 189
Horse Sense for a Kentucky Derby Party 190
Patricia's Party Recipes 193
A Good Ol' Southern Crab Feast 198
The Hostess Gift-Go Beyond the Candle 201
My Life Right Now 205
Pet Tales 207
The Reality of Reality Television 213
Acknowledgments 223