| Ask Martha Stewart about the best way to prepare the house for a party, and she may offer lessons in dusting (try a paintbrush on the pleats of a lampshade), scrubbing (circular motion, light pressure) and organization (keep essential toiletries, not medications, in the medicine cabinet). Comic actor and writer Amy Sedaris takes a different approach: Start by putting marbles in the medicine cabinet. (``Nothing announces a nosy guest better,'' she says. ``Plus you'll know which guest is a junkie whore.'') For post-party cleanup? ``On the off chance that you have children, don't clean up at all. As children, my brothers and sisters and I loved waking up early and playing cocktail party with the leftover debris.'' As we continue with prime party season, the Los Angeles Times posed the same set of questions to Stewart and Sedaris, who wrote back with their insights on the finer points of entertaining. Some sage and subversive advice from the authors of ``Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook'' and ``I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence'': e all have different ideas of what makes a home welcoming and warm. What three words would you choose to describe the perfect ambience, and why? Comfortable, functional and pretty. If you have those elements, you can live well and entertain graciously. Lighting, rabbits and baking. Lighting sets the tone. It can project whatever feeling you are going for. A rabbit hopping about is joyful and amazing to watch. The smell of something baking in the oven will provide comfort. roper preparation is essential to being a good host and housekeeper. If we were to peek in your pantry, what stock items would we see that we might not find in most kitchens? What are your special ingredients? You would find imported sardines, 20 different kinds of salt and 13 varieties of olive oil, and a drawer full of many types of tea. You'll also find four large shelves filled with cat and dog food. I don't have a pantry, and I can't stock a lot of items because of the cockroach problem I have and the lack of space. I keep a lot in my refrigerator and freezer. I always have vodka, Nat Sherman party cigarettes, frozen beer mugs (people love frozen mugs for their beer), plenty of ice, and a cherry Popsicle so I can pre-stain my lips before applying lipstick. In my refrigerator I always have
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