So, let’s review. Company is coming very soon and your place is a mess. Now what? Pay attention to the details:

• Candles and flowers are your friends. For candles, I like vanilla and cinnamon (note: go for bitter cinnamon, rather than the sweet, artificial cinnamon scents, which can be cloying). Most people like those smells and they blend together very well. Apple cinnamon is also a big favorite in my house. Please take caution when blending scents in your home. As I learned from the Great Allergic Episode of 2004, rose, vanilla, and pine are three scents that should never meet.
• Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. There’s a lot to be said for the diamond pattern Mom yearned for in the 70′s. To many, those little marks say “clean house.”
• Nothing undermines your efforts at assumed cleanliness like dusty knickknacks. Break out the Swiffer duster and be done with it.
• Speaking of dust, toss the dusty potpourri. There is nothing sadder than a dingy bowl of dried flowers.

Later, I’ll go over a couple of tips that will help you avoid getting sued and make you look like a brilliant hostess in the process.