“Celebrate” by Pippa Middleton
This week, Pippa Middleton’s party planning guide “Celebrate” came in the mail. I noticed the UPS box after walking back from CVS with my dad, who happed to be telling me about the British genocide against the Irish, from Oliver Cromwell to the potato famine. So I felt a little guilty about being excited about Pippa’s book.
Currently, “Celebrate'” is being panned in online reviews. I’m not so sure that is fair. Sure, there’s a fair amount of NSS (No Shit Sherlock – burgers at a barbecue? Groundbreaking). However, that’s not what I took as the point of the book.
Because Pippa’s real work goes into doing this. She has basically given us the formula for doing the bare minimum but still get maximum credit. We know she was a party planner- so she had to get the job done while using her time effectively. This later part is what makes the book valuable. Because using time effectively – that is increasingly a valuable skill in a world where 90% of all data was generated in the last few years.
Who will use Pippa’s book? I will for one, because effective immediately I’m taking a break on pinterest till the holidays are over. I have enough information and am now editing. Pippa’s guide gets you covered and to good enough. She doesn’t give you a million christmas cookie recipes she gives you three. I will make her three cookies this Christmas (albeit probably from the joy of cooking) rather than spending hours pinning or sorting magazines for unique cookie combinations and ideas. I’d actually rather make just 3 cookies and get to done, and then have a cup of tea and maybe give my hair a conditioning treatment – or go to yoga or something. I think I can manage three types of cookies. Last year I think I made 2 (short bread and gingerbread) and didn’t get to the other 13 or so I had planned and felt like I really missed out on Christmas cause I didn’t get to it. But if I spent all the time thinking about what cookies to make actually making cookies I could have made way more than 3. The most important thing about a decision is that is made. So this year I am going to use her guide as protection against decisions of these sorts. There are lots of good ideas out there, but quite frankly I feel (and I’m sure others do too) like I’m in information overload.Plus, I think for all the lifestyle advice and food magazines out there, I don’t think people cook or bake that much- how can they? It takes up too much time to read it all! All those people panning Pippa’s book probably haven’t hosted a dinner party recently. Because the basics for a year really does need a 400 page book. But even 400 pages is still more manageable than endless incoming TV shows, magazines and pinterest boards. This year and into 2013 will be the year of the basics and editing down. Three Christmas cookies and that’s it! Pancakes for a brunch and that’s it! Thanks Pippa!
That said, I did end up liking Pippa after reading the book (half reading, half looking at the pictures). She starts off her chapters with quotes from British Literature which makes her a girl after my own heart. The down side is because Pippa is a Brit she’s not helping you on Thanksgiving or St. Patty’s Day. I disagreed on her suggestion of turkey for Christmas and ham for Boxing Day but that’s by virtue of being American (Turkey for Thanksgiving, Ham for Christmas, back to work the next day). The pictures are lovely. She’s strongest on the New Year’s Eve party and the camping and picnic suggestions. The girl knows her mixed drinks and her signature martini looks lovely.
As for her capitalizing on her “connections”, she’s a classier Kardashian. She didn’t make a sex tape but happened to bend over on television on a day when half the world was watching. If she wants to parlay that into a lifestyle career, more power to her. I don’t get personally insulted by other people’s journey in this world, If I learn something or find a way to improve in the process then that’s all I care about. I did learn a few things reading the book and it was inspiring to look at. That’s good enough for me.
