Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Entertaining

by Lilly Pulitzer, Jay Mulvaney

More than just the woman who created the fashion empire that bears her name, Lilly Pulitzer exemplifies an attitude, a casual sort of elegance, a style called "affluence at ease." Lilly and her clothing wholeheartedly embrace color -- she made famous the pink and green combination -- and her love of vibrant hues and bold prints led the New York Times to recently call her "a major force in prep resort wear for forty years." But Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau is also almost as well-known for her entertaining as she is for her fashions. A tribute to her insouciant lifestyle, Essentially Lilly is lavishly illustrated and peppered with anecdotal memories of a life filled with color. Joined by her family and close friends, Lilly recalls the parties, the decorating, the food, and the fashion that have been part of her life in Palm Beach since she arrived there in the 1950s. With sections devoted to each part of the day, Essentially Lilly captures a variety of social events -- from a sunrise sail to a beach supper under the stars -- and imbues each with singular "Lilly style": Mellow Yellow Mornings -- start the day off easy with a walk on the beach or a luxuriously lazy breakfast in bed. Take some friends out for an early morning sail or a country club brunch. Round off the morning hunting for a one-of-a-kind treasure at a local flea market. Think Pink Afternoons -- rev up the middle of the day with a bridesmaids' lunch, a birthday cookout, or a charity tea. Perhaps you'd rather relax with a fruity pool party or a "just-looking" stroll down Palm Beach's fabled Worth Avenue.True Blue Evenings -- gather your friends together for a festive cocktail party or a romantic beach dinner under a full moon. Maybe it's a deep woods campfire that appeals to you, or watching a movie out under the stars, or just a simple pizza party for your family. Essentially Lilly presents memories and menus, beautiful photographs and dazzling illustrations as well as dozens of recipes and entertaining suggestions to make your own get-togethers as successful as one of Lilly's famed parties. Best of all, Lilly offers her spirited advice "Just relax and have fun -- and be an individual," she says. "It's better that you enjoy yourself than it is to get it right." Good rules to live by. "LILLY PULITZER trademarks and logos are the property of Sugartown Worldwide, Inc. The book, including the design on the cover, are Copyright © 2004 Sugartown Worldwide, Inc."

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Art, Food

192 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book: color always cheers me up, and flipping through this book automatically brightened my mood. That said, the body of this book is only so-so. There are a couple recipes I'd copy-down, and some of her entertaining exploits provide inspriation, but it reeks of self-promotion. Several of the chapters don't even provide any real 'advice,' just a pseudo-chapter about shopping or some such. So while I enjoyed this book, I'm glad I only borrowed it from the library and didn't buy it. Now if only I'd photocopied some of those beautiful pictures...

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is billed as being written partly by Lilly, it's really more about her. Plusses: the recipes actually look like something that I'd eat, I'm a huge fan of LP prints, it was great knowing a bit of personal back story, the book itself is visually pleasing, and being that I read this in winter it was a welcome reminder of color and entertaining to come in the more on season for such things. Minuses: Like do people of color not exist? Because this book included absolutely zero, and that's a huge minus. Cuban cuisine and music were noted but would it have been so hard to include some actual Cuban people? I grew up with Lilly, and it's not just worn by preppy white people. Major disappointment in the representation in this book (also it's fairly modern, early 2000s, and not a 'product of the times' so don't even try to defend it using that). Other disappointments, not enough attention paid to table settings or how to incorporate prints. For a guide to entertaining, it was a disappointment. For a bright, cheery, coffee table book, it was exactly that. Not all bad, but could have been way better.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a darling reminder of my preppy/yuppie days

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is clearly by people with more money than most of us have, the recipes are accessible and many of the ideas for parties are doable. This is a fun book!

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Ava Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Muffy Kroha · Rating 2 out of 5]

A big let down- Hardly worth it for people who long for a comprehensive documentation of her fabrics and fashion- They give you a little, and what they give is good, but the rest is a dumb ass entertaining guide- What a snooze! Who cares? Most of the current stuff is just ok and that comprises most of the book- I wish someone would make a real fashion book!!!! She had that period in the swinging sixties that had some crazy mod outfits- I have a pant set that is Alexander McQueen worthy bumster hip hugging with open venise lace up the side and all the way down the front so you can see your tan lines- and I mean ALL of them- underwear is NOT on the agenda-and you know I am a bitch that loves to show off a tan line!
The best part about my copy of this book is that my Mom's best friend had it autographed for me in Palm Beach and Lilly wrote, " Muffy! Where the hell are you???" I thought that was pretty funny!

[Deidra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't belong to a country club, nor do I have a pool or a large yatch. Not my kind of entertaining.

[Kirsten Parrish]

Great recipes and fun to read!

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected this book to carry more of her designs, but it was mosly photos of table settings, floral arrangements and other interior scenes.

[Kelly Holbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun & colorful! Has me wishing for summer!

[Maryam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and pointless, unless you host lots of theme parties.

[Shara Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book. I think from reading the other reviews they don't get it. The book is just fun just like the Lilly lifestyle is supposed to be.