summertime, and the partying is easy

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A reader who did not give a name (let's call him/her Shirley) requested ideas for a summer solstice party. Shirley says, "There will be families with kids of all ages there. Any suggestions on activities or anything for that matter?"

The longest day of the year (this year it falls on June 20) sounds like a great reason for a party.  Traditionally, in various countries, this day is celebrated with bonfires, fireworks and parades, but any outdoor party is perfect for helping you enjoy all those extra minutes of sunlight.

Check out our party guides for great tips for outdoor fun:

• Picnic party ideas
• BBQ party ideas
• Beach party ideas
• Tiki party ideas
• Pool party ideas

I can't resist making a plug for my people, the Swedes, who are known for their great midsommar celebrations around the summer solstice.

You may need to be Swedish to appreciate that we spend hours dressing a maypole in flowers and leaves and then doing folk dances around it where we pretend to be little frogs, but a big smorgasbord filled with open-faced sandwiches and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is a welcome addition to any summer party. We also like to fill the day with relay races, bocce and other outdoor games people of all ages can enjoy. And a little ABBA playing on a warm summer night is never wrong.

Anybody else have any ideas for Shirley?

let's do the time warp again

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I can't wait to go out on Friday night and see the parade of stilettos on their way to the Sex and the City movie.

This movie is becoming the pop-culture event of the year. How big? Bigger than Oscar parties. True story! According to Evite data, more invitations will be sent for a SATC party than are sent for watching the Academy Awards, which is usually our biggest movie/TV-related event of the year.

Have fun, everybody. I raise my cosmo to all of you who are having SATC events and writing in to tell us all about your fabulous plans.

So, riddle me this: What other kinds of movies do you plan events around? Harry Potter? Star Wars? Indiana Jones? Are you as excited about Mamma Mia as I am? Do you count the number of times you've seen Rocky Horror? (I'm at 12.)

Also, feel free to share any embarrassing moments in your movie-going history. Don't worry; you're among friends. I'll start.

I was so obsessed with the original Hairspray movie (I heart you, John Waters!), I got my friends together to see it several times and even dressed up as Penny Pingleton — we're talking ponytails, T-shirt decorated with a  giant "P" and sucking on a fireball. The movie ushers started calling me "Penny" every time I came in.

popsicles, all grown up

Food on a stick? Love it. Dessert on a stick? Genius. Cocktail on a stick? Sign me up!

Alcohol’s resistance to freezing makes actual cocktail popsicles a near impossibility, but the margarita ice pop recipe from Bon Appétit is the perfect work-around to this problem. Simply dunk your favorite pops in a solution of your favorite spirit, and you've got yourself a pop-tail.

Since I’m more of a rum kind of gal, I like to make strawberry daiquiri ice pops by editing the recipe as follows:

• Get strawberry ice pops instead of lime. My favorites are Edy’s/Dreyer’s Whole Fruit Bars.
• Switch out the tequila for light rum.
• Instead of dipping the edge in salt, go for something sweeter. I take ¼ cup of granulated sugar plus the zest of a lime and blitz it for a few seconds in a food processor. The result is a sweet-and-tangy garnish on your pop-tail.

Now, these ice pops aren’t going to pack the same punch as a margarita on the rocks or a blended daiquiri, but they are a perfect icy treat to serve at your backyard bbq this summer. And I think the strawberry daiquiri pops, with their girly color and fruity sweetness, would be a welcome addition to the spread at any Sex and the City party.

question of the week: graduation songs

It's graduation season, a time for closing books, and long last looks must end. And, of course, there is the song. You know the one. When it came on, the girls said "Awwww" and did a group hug and the guys went "Yes!" and gave a meaningful fist pump.

It's your song. The one you played at every party around graduation. The one that made you promise your fellow grads you'd always be friends and things wouldn't ever change. The one you cranked in the car and sang along with at the top of your lungs.

And when you hear it years later, it still makes you smile. At my high school, it was Alphaville's "Forever Young." And secretly, with my closest girlfriends, it was "We'll Be Together" from the Grease 2 soundtrack. And no, I'm not at all embarrassed about it.

So grab your cheese knife and slice through these sentimental, nostalgia-inducing (perhaps nausea-inducing) favorites. Vote for as many songs as you like, and add a comment with any songs we forgot.

twiigs.com...

favors are my favorite

Sometimes I have a really, really bad attitude. For example, when I go to baby and bridal showers, there's always a little part of me that thinks, "What's in it for me?"

It's not that I'm not happy for my friends (I am!), but I have a pretty severe case of gift-opening anxiety. I'm always afraid my gift is not good enough, which, admittedly, is ridiculous because the bride/expectant mom told me exactly what she wanted on her registry. Fortunately, exceptional tea sandwiches, girlie libations and cute party favors help calm me immensely.

Here I've listed some of my favorite favors, all of them super-cute, super-affordable and sure to prompt smiles from the most shower-adverse guests.

a real ice cream novelty

Homemade ice cream? Yes, please, but yawn. Everybody with a bridal registry has an ice cream maker.

To really dish out something cool this summer, I want to serve my homemade chocolate-peanut-butter-pretzel-caramel-fleur-de-sel-surprise ice cream in a waffle cone I cooked and rolllllllled myself.

Come on, admit it. When you looked at the photo of this Chef's Choice waffle cone maker, your first thought was "Ooooh, I want one," right? Mine too. And yes, you can also buy a stand (sold separately) to put your cones in. My lifelong dream of hanging out at an old-fashioned ice cream parlor with Betty & Veronica and the gang seems a tiny bit more attainable.

i've had the time of my life (again)

Prom can easily be a victim of its own hype, but I, for one, was not disappointed back in the day. I put on my black baby doll-cut dress (it was surprisingly tasteful for the '90s, I swear!), went out for an unusually nice meal that I think involved quail, and then proceeded to dance the night away.

And my second prom roughly eight years later was just as magical. No, I didn’t start dating some obscenely younger-than-me teenager. Instead, a friend of mine decided we should all relive the memories, so he threw a tongue-in-cheek prom that was just as memorable as my first.

Here’s what my friend did — take the bits you like and adjust everything else to create the prom you wish you had.

let's talk about sex and the city

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10-4, good buddies. We read you loud and clear. Many of you (42% so far in our recent poll) are way excited to see the new Sex and the City movie. It opens May 30, as if I even have to remind you.

So you're going, obvy, but how do you turn this movie outing into the cinematic event it deserves to be? Invite your friends over for a pre-party, and follow these quick tips for Sex-ing things up:

• Cosmos are key, so shake up the cocktail by offering four variations, each named after our four heroines. Mix up the ingredients (vodka, Triple Sec, lime juice), but trade out the traditional cranberry for a different kind of juice, like mango, pomegranate, pear or passionfruit. Put out pitchers of each one and let guests pick their poison ... and their alter ego for the evening. I'm thinking passionfruit would be the perfect bevvie for a Samantha-esque night, no?
• For snacks, pay tribute to the show's fifth lady, New York City, by serving upscale takes on NYC street food and other city favorites. Think hot pretzels with gourmet mustards to dip into and mini pizzas with decadent toppings. Craving an NYC hot dog? Try one of our creative takes on the classic pigs in a blanket.
• Glam goodie bags for each guest add a splashy touch. Fill each bag with lip gloss, nail polish, mani/pedi tools and fashion mags. Any Mr. Big-esque guys in the group? Replace the girlie stuff with cigars and upscale men's mags.
• Add a heart of gold to your fashionista outfit by holding a clothing swap. Ask your friends to bring over clothes and accessories they've tired of to trade with other guests. Display items as you'd see them in an upscale boutique and your simple soiree becomes a free and fabulous shopping event. Donate all extra items to a charity and get extra karma points.

question of the week: memorial day plans

Memorial Day is early this year (next Monday!), and it's not too late to make it memorable. Vote on your favorite ways to spend the day below.

more at twiigs.com...

A Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Kinda Drink

In honor of the upcoming 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (airing on CBS on May 18; check local listings), we've whipped up a festive and fun cocktail honoring one of our favorite nominees: Miranda Lambert, who is up for Best Female Vocalist.

For anyone not familiar with country music or Miss Miranda, she's the genre's resident bad girl. And by that, I mean that you can practically get a body count from her songs.

"Gunpowder and Lead" finds her waiting with a gun and some cigarettes for her abusive ex-boyfriend to get out of jail. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" has her prowling the bars looking for her ex and his date, looking for a fight.

And then there's "Kerosene," which is all about dousing your troubled past and watching it all go up in flames. That song served as the inspiration for the Miranda Lambert-ini, which you'll get after the jump.

So grab a few friends, gather around the TV, and root for Miranda to take the top prize during the ACMs. And even if she loses, you can enjoy the warm, soothing slow burn of your Lambert-ini and have a great time.