This seems all to obvious...but....
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: cooking and entertaining

Hi there, marthastewart.com comes to mind especially for presentation. Your question is really general, though. Do you have a dinner party coming up? If you post specifics, I'll bet people come through with good ideas and advice.

Cheers, from
SwampWitch

p.s. To pull everything together for dinner party, plan the menu so that you can make almost everything ahead of time because you will want to visit with guests and not be stuck in the kitchen. Allow only one, or at most two, dishes that need to be done immediately before serving. Make the one that takes the longest first. Don't be afraid to ask a friend for help if you need extra hands. The timing gets easier with practice, I've found.