Successful Parties

I have been a lurker on Indus Ladies for a while now and appreciate the support and advice women provide to each other here. This is my first post and hope that it is in the right sub-forum.

I've been thinking a lot about parties. I love entertaining (and being entertained) and will be entertaining a lot more once we move to a new home next month and hopefully on a much bigger scale than our apartment allowed. I've always wondered about what differentiates successful parties from the blah ones.

Can you ladies share your experiences from the parties you have hosted and attended? What went well and what didn't, and what entertainment tips and party etiquette you have learned over the years? I would love to hear your insights.