FINE LIVING offers advice, projects, recipes and fun for your next Valentine's Day cocktail party!
	Be creative with your Valentine's Day cocktail-party invitations; for example, try a chocolate-bar invitation.

Party Invitations

When throwing a party, invitations are the first impression — they set the tone, theme and feel of the party for your guests. To make your invites special, tie them to the theme of your party:

• For example, since Valentine's is so closely associated with chocolate, why not consider a Chocolate Candy Bar invitation. (This project was featured on FINE LIVING's sister DIY Network's Weekend Entertaining series.)

  Note: Be sure to include the party's theme on the invitation and request RSVPs for a week before the Big Day.

• If you don't have time to create handmade invitations, an increasingly popular alternative is to send invitations via the Internet...E-vite, for example.

Nothing says Valentine's Day like red roses!

Party Decorations

Setting an atmosphere of loving thoughts and warm wishes is important to help make your Valentine's Day cocktail party special.

• Try these Valentine's Day Floral ideas from FINE LIVING Essentials.

• Integrate candles of various shapes and sizes on bookshelves and corner tables to create a warm, cozy and romantic atmosphere.

Party Favor Ideas

• Personalized CD — A compilation of your favorite love songs will become a party favor that keeps giving listen after listen.

• Cocktail Glass Filled With Chocolate — Send your guests home with a "sample" of the party with a glass of chocolates in red cellophane topped off by a red ribbon.