Check it out–the Chicks are back. Authors of It’s a Chick Thing, with 110,000 copies in print–“A must book for the reader who knows that chicks rule” (Publishers Weekly), “a smart and sassy compilation” (Chicago Tribune)–Ame Mahler Beanland and Emily Miles Terry celebrate chicks nesting, or what it means to have a home filled with laughter, good friends, lovingly prepared foods and crafts, all with personal style.

Seasoned with attitude and packed with stories, history, how-tos, quips, advice, recipes, folklore, and crafts, Nesting is all about finding personal style and showing it off, putting an entirely fresh, it’s-a-chick-thing spin on entertaining, decorating, cooking, and gardening. In “Chicks and Chow,” the food chapter, there are unexpected stories by M.F.K. Fisher, Ruth Reichl, and Erma Bombeck; a Spice, Spice Baby! guide to spices; sixteen recipes for great Chicktails; and Towels That Snap Back (how to make personalized dish towels). “Flocking Together {hen parties and sassy soirees}” has Sally Quinn on being a guest while in labor; Ina Garton’s “The Worst Party I Ever Had”; the How to Be a Hostess Cupcake guide to party girl preparedness; Upper, Lower, and No-Crust hors d’oeuvres; Monotony Killers; and decorating inspiration from Elsie de Wolfe: “I believe in plenty of optimism and white paint.”

Nesting is totally un-Martha in its approach–it’s easy, it’s light, it’s like your best friends hanging out and offering advice with a quip–and it’s illustrated throughout with hilarious retro photos and illustrations.