Take the first party she hosted at a previous home in New York. Amory planned to serve Cornish hens with winter vegetables, "but the Cornish hens didn't roast, and the vegetables were undercooked," she says. Unable to salvage the meal, Amory ordered pizza, which actually was a crowd pleaser -- until the boxes caught on fire when she placed the pizzas in the oven to keep them warm.

On this April day, Amory's afternoon party goes off without a hitch. The casual luncheon is a welcome respite as Palm Beach's hectic social season comes to a close. "But casualness doesn't mean being unprepared," Amory notes.

Amory began preparations for her lunch with this guiding principle: Keep the party comfy and colorful. "We wanted to bring the inside out," she says, "so we brought out some comfortable chairs from inside." She also provided wide-brimmed hats to protect guests from the Florida sun.

For the color palette, Amory took inspiration from the signature colors of Palm Beach -- pink and green. A celadon cloth dressed the table that was set with a mélange of old and new pieces. "I mixed glasses from Crate & Barrel with 18th-century silverware," she says. "But I made sure the table settings weren't too ornate. If the table is fussy, people are fidgety." Antique vases and a trio of soup tureens run along the center of the table.

Pink and green infused the menu as well. "I wanted the lunch light and summery, using the color palette of the table as the common thread of the dishes," she says. "The soup is made with curry and turmeric and is pale pink. The arroz caldoso is made with shrimp and dotted with parsley."

How each item looks on the plate is another color consideration for Amory. A set of white china trimmed in pink and adorned with flowers perfectly suited the palette and the menu. "The food has to complement the table and vice versa," she says. "For example, if I find beautiful red roses, I might make a roasted red pepper soup, or if sweet oranges are in season, I might serve vanilla-scented oranges for dessert."

For this gathering, Amory chose a menu that could be prepared ahead. Her most important entertaining guideline, she says, is that "all or most of the dishes have to be made before friends arrive. Once the doorbell rings, I'm out of the kitchen."