Dear readers It’s time to get into the party spirit, says editor-inchief Liz Morris

If you are into party prep details, such as the invitation, the size of the canapés, the shape of the ice blocks and the correct candlelight, you will appreciate that wedding magazines fuel this obsession exquisitely. And I know that, five minutes into browsing through Martha Stewart Weddings, I will feel desperate to host a summer lunch in an old barn somewhere with peacocks and lambs and black ice-cream cones. The fantasy is fleeting, but the desire to create a stylish space where people will enjoy themselves can easily consume me for a very satisfying half an hour.

In real life, hosting is hard work. More so if it’s not your comfort zone, but I’m hoping that Life & Soul (page 47) will inspire you to embrace your inner event organiser and invite a group of friends or a crowd home in the next few months, because once you know how, it’s a very satisfying feeling (that lasts well over half an hour) to tap into a personal spirit of giving.

The food part of parties is covered in Gourmet, a magazine in its own right, at the back of this issue, so when we call this the entertaining issue it’s a justified claim, from cover to cover.

The homes in this issue too have a breezy sense of fun, from The Wild Bunch, Margherita Missoni’s Italian home, to easy flow as seen in Street Cred, or on the other hand beguiling contained spaces such as the grass courtyard and kitchen of Sunshine Sanctuary, whilst shopping sources the sexiest little stools and chairs trimmed with swishy fringe, which is the party dress of upholstery right now.

Enjoy the issue.