Essentially Lilly by Jay Mulvaney, Lilly Pulitzer (2004)

I sent this to college with my daughter and the girls are getting a good look at a strong woman: an iconic business leader, mother and entrepreneur. It's beautiful and witty, just buy it. Don't forget Lilly's Entertainment book either, you'll be just as pleased.

I found this super helpful in getting ideas and for throwing parties! The unique parties sorted by color really make it fun to read. I never thought about throwing an outdoor movie party before reading this book. It would be fun for those of you who like to entertain.

How can you not love a book based on Lilly? From looking at older pictures of Lilly to seeing styles from a decade ago, you can't help but get a smile on your face. In addition to fun and colorful illustrations, you also get recipes that sound delicious. A great buy for any Lilly lover!

This book is both fun and frivolous, and I love it for its fashion illustrations. I thought it was an interesting twist that a book that claims to be about entertaining would even have fashion illustrations, but I suppose is not surprising considering that Lilly Pulitzer is famous for her colorful shift dresses. The illustrations in the book are charming. The photographs in the book are beautiful as well.

I concluded that this book is actually more of a book about style (or lifestyle) than it really is about entertaining. It does actually have recipes, but I'm not sure that anyone would buy this book because they are looking for a cook book. I think it would appeal more to fashion enthusiasts who appreciate Lilly Pulitzer's sense of style.