How to Throw a New Year's Party

Female Speaker: You can get the place all dressed up, but a Swell house only really comes alive when you have people over. So overthrow old party establishment and end the holiday season on an auspicious note. This is what the Swell girls call, the Lots of Luck, New Year's Bash. Cynthia Rowley: Okay, so let's talk about the setup. Ilene Rosenzweig: For a Swell party, you want to go for maximum impact, minimum effort. A super simple invitation idea, glue the heads up penny on a colored piece of paper and write down the where and when. Cynthia Rowley: Good luck flower arrangement, right off the race track. Ilene Rosenzweig: Tie a lot of ticking on the champagne flute. Cynthia Rowley: Top hats and tiaras for all your guests, and don't forget, the midnight, 21-balloon salute. Ilene Rosenzweig: Happy New Year! Cynthia Rowley: Happy New Year! Ilene Rosenzweig: Now, for the food. Now, every culture around the world has some traditional food that they eat on New Year's Eve for good luck. So we put them all together for one super good luck buffet. In the South, Collard Greens are good luck, so we have little Collard Green Soufflés. Eating 12 grapes at mid-night is supposed to bring you good luck. So we made little 12 Grape Tarts, but you could easily do these on your own by just buying lemon tarts, putting 12 grapes on top. In Italy, Cotechino with Lentils is supposed to bring you not only good luck, but lots of money in the New Year. So we put those together, little Ramekins, because that makes it more portable, easier to eat. In Greece, they have a tradition when they put a little penny inside of a bread, but you could really do that with any kind of a cake, even a cupcake, take a mix. Fill them halfway up, put a little penny in, fill the rest up, easy. My favorite idea are, these twirls of long noodles. In China, eating long noodles brings you good luck. This is something that really is super easy, because you could just really do take out Chinese sesame noodles, and make a little more chic by twirling them up on a fork. I've got the Good Luck food covered. Now all we need is something to wash it all down. Cynthia Rowley: So, this is our lucky champagne bar where we have champagne and all the mixers for instant champagne cocktails. We have the Blue Bird, the Bellini and the Cranberry Champagne Cocktail. Pour them right over the dice in the glass. Come on lucky seven! Since the bridge is full, we've got extra champagne chilling out here on the terrace. Female Speaker: So that's the setup, the food and the drinks, now for the fun. On this auspicious night, use every lucky custom to help rev up the revelry, like wearing yellow panties. Cynthia Rowley: Okay, I don't know where I heard it, but I swear, I heard that yellow panties are good luck to wear on New Year's Eve. Ilene Rosenzweig: Make sure these are in the right size. Female Speaker: Throw a bucket of water out the window at midnight. Ilene Rosenzweig: Telling you, it's good luck, Happy New Year! Cynthia Rowley: Happy New Year! Female Speaker: And the Swell favorite, the 21-Balloon Salute. Cynthia Rowley: Hey wake up! Ilene Rosenzweig: Well, okay, not too loud. Cynthia Rowley: That was a good party last night, wasn't it? Ilene Rosenzweig: Too good! Cynthia Rowley: Yeah, we should have another one, only with more of everything. Ilene Rosenzweig: Or the best way to get over a party. Female Speaker: Throw another party!