Party Planning - McKinley's Turning Seven

I am at it again! Party planning. I'm telling ya, it's one of my favorite things on earth. That, and updating my house! I've been on a roll in the kitchen, with just a few more things to do, and then I will share the update with the world! Or, with the few of you who read this blog. But as I wait for those final touches, I am planning McKinley's seventh birthday party. I can't believe he will be seven it two weeks. 

It's getting harder and harder to come with up a birthday party theme. When he was little, it was all about Sesame Street or his favorite Disney show/character. Last year it was a bowling party and we thought about a skating one this year, but decided to keep it at home. But then what do you do to entertain a mix of seven year old boys and girls for a couple of hours? As I was poking around Pinterest, looking for boy birthday party ideas, it hit me. A painting party! McKinley is so into art right now. He loves to draw, color, paint, and craft, so a painting party seemed to be the best option. And, I think it will be so much fun watching the kids create their own individual masterpiece. So what do you do at a painting party and how do you prep for one? Well let me tell you!

We have purchased blank white canvases. You can't create a masterpiece if you don't have a canvas. I headed to Michael's and got a 10 pack of canvases for little of nothing. They are 8X10 which I think is a perfect size. Each child will have their own space at the kitchen table to create. We thought about having a little easel per kid, but decided they can just paint with it laying down flat. I think it will crowd the table otherwise. We have aprons for each child and I will write their names on each one and have them at their work space. From Amazon, we ordered paint palettes and I will add paint to each slot. I'm going with primary colors only. No need to get crazy. And I got a huge pack of paint brushes for them to share. I will also have cups of water for rinsing and towels to clean their brushes. It's going to be so much fun!

Because it's in the middle of the afternoon, I plan to serve colorful snacks. Fruit in rainbow colors, colorful Goldfish, and possibly veggies or cheese. And maybe a fun punch! However, I don't really want red stains all over the carpet.... We'll have cake for sure, and if I can get my act together, sugar cookies in the shape of paint palettes as a take home gift. And because it's a theme not used very often, I'm getting creative with my decor and accents. For instance, we like to have candles on his cake that go with the theme of the party. Well, have you been able to find paint brush candles? Yeah, we haven't either. So, I'm going to take a tip from Maria Provenzano and make my own birthday candles! Check out the how-to video here. I just love the idea of making my own candles that go with the theme of the party. Especially with how cute the cake is going to be. I can't wait to get started!

Oh, and there will be a photo wall! I can't quite figure out how I want it to look, or how I'm going to make it work, but I have the cutest props for the kids to use when taking pics. I'm thinking as they come in, or after they've painted and we're transitioning from art to cake, but honestly it all depends on how the day is going! It's hard to plan something like this. Here are some of the ideas I've found. I'm also thinking of taking a plain white cloth, splattering it with paint, and then hanging it over a wall. We could make a large picture frame that the kids could stand behind, but it could be just as cute with the splatter paint background. We shall see.

I think I'm more excited about the party ideas than McKinley. If he had his choice, we would be hanging out at the local trampoline place in town. However, the more I talk up the fun things I've planned, he's getting a little more excited. He's just happy to be having his friends over and talking all about the fun things they're going to play after the party is over. For that, I've got some ideas of my own. If it's a nice afternoon, early April can be dicey, I'm thinking the driveway will make the perfect palette for some sidewalk chalk fun. A little hopscotch, Monster Jam obstacle courses, and any other idea they can think of that allows them to use their imagination. I love watching little minds at work!

So, what do you think of the idea of painting party? A crafting party would be super fun too. So many ways to get your child creating. Those little minds can dream up wonders, no?

Happy Monday!

XO,

Andrea

All photos courtesy of Pinterest.

McKinley's Holiday Cookie Party

This year I've decided not to host an adult holiday party. Instead, I asked McKinley if he would like to host his own kid friendly party and he immediately said yes. I thought it would be super cute for him to host a holiday cookie decorating party for nine of his friends, ten total with him. I asked him which type of cookies he would like the group to decorate and he insisted on Gingerbread Houses. How could I say no! Gingerbread Houses it is! 

As you know, I love to send out personalized invites for parties, but for this one, I took the Evite route. I found the most darling invite with Gingerbread men dancing in a line. I realize it wasn't a house theme invite, but if you could see these Gingerbread men high kicking like the Rockette's, you would go to for it as well. And besides, the Gingerbread House was something about raising the roof and that didn't seem terribly appropriate. Dancing men it was! 

I've spent time on Pinterest, like I do when it comes to finding inspiration for my parties, and I've found tons of useful information. For instance, I'm making the houses out of graham crackers! Genius, right? I wasn't really going to bake my own gingerbread and then try to cut out house pieces. Nor was I going to invest in a ton of those pre-made houses. This graham cracker time saver, and cost savings, is a savior! However, I will be making my own icing. It's super easy too. It's confectioner sugar, cream of tartar, egg whites, and water. You need it to be a little thick so it acts like glue. I plan to make these on Friday so they have time to dry and harden. Oh, and how adorable is this idea for a tree in the yard. Take a sugar cone and turn it upside down on the board. Darling! (I found the idea from That Mommy Blog.)

I've already purchased all the goodies for the houses. We got round peppermints in red and green, spiced gumball candies, mini candy canes, mini chewy Starbursts, and so much more. Each child will get their own bag of frosting to apply the candies and to create snow on the houses. And, I'm thinking of added coconut for each child to create 3-D snow! I found the cutest idea to place all the candies in a six cup muffin tin and place them down the table. This allows each kid access to candies within their reach. Also, I'm going to take large rectangle cake boards and cut them down to individual boards for each house. That way they have a creating surface and a way to transport them home. 

If time permits, I want to make gingerbread cookies for them to eat either while their decorating or after. I'll have Christmas music playing and I hope to have time for them to watch a classic Christmas movie. Possibly Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer or Frosty the Snowman. And you're going to need something to sip on and I plan to have a hot cocoa bar. I've been inspired by my research on Pinterest to recreate one of these three stand versions. Are they not the sweetest things you've ever seen? My mom found these Santa and Mrs. Clause mugs at Pottery Barn and they are perfection! (I have an antique version I've collected but would never dare use.) I found my three tiered stand at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. And, I can take it apart and lay it flat when not in use. Love the space saver version!!

This is the Pottery Barn version. So sweet!

How cute are these mugs? See the foursome above. It doesn't include the Reindeer or the Snowman.

One last thing. I've asked all the parents to stay so we can all toast in some holiday cheer. I'm thinking of serving a mulled wine, but I did just see a peppermint vodka hot chocolate that just might make the cut! Nothing like a little warm drink to help keep us in the holiday spirit.

I'm pretty sure I'm more excited than McKinley for this party. And I hope the kids coming are as well. I think it's just as important for them to have a special event to attend during the holidays as it is for adults. Now, I may find time to throw something together last minute for friends. But if I don't, this will last me all season long!

XO,

Andrea

Party Planning: All the Prep

So, the dinner party is set for Saturday night and the invites have been sent. I've made several decisions since I last shared. We have a dinner menu, signature cocktail, and dessert. I've got an appetizer that is going to be amazing and I've done plenty of research on the best antipasti platter I can find. I've been planning dinnerware, flatware, glassware, and dessert glasses and I love it all! And, I've created my trusty timeline that you know I love to make. Lists are my jam!

Let's recap. I have my inspiration for my tablescape centerpiece, but I have to truly decide on the one I love most. I'm leaning toward the pumpkins. So simple yet so chic.

I'm thinking I'm going with the peacocks! I've never used them and now is the time to introduce them to the world! I've purchased a linen table cloth in a very neutral taupe with napkins to match. However, they only had four, so I'm on the hunt for another set, possibly in a contrasting color like chocolate brown. I'm using the grapevine chargers to offset the fancy dishes and using simple glassware. Keeping it rustic is key!

So now we have the menu. I'm going to serve an Italian fest. I'm making my mom's famous, famous to us, lasagna. I'm going to have a hardy salad with homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette, and simple hunks of bread. But up first, an antipasti appetizer that will hopefully look as glorious as these!

And with the apps, we're serving up a signature cocktail of a Spiced Pear Moscow Mule. It sounds define and easy to make. That's key. You don't want to be making a bunch of drinks all evening. One simple cocktail, with ingredients written for refills, keeps you engaged in the party and conversations. What I can't decide is where to have the bar. I've got a dry sink at the entry of our front door and a buffet in our living room. Either would be the perfect space. I just need to decide which space would be easier to use. 

Can you see the dry sink by the front door? It is one of my favorite pieces in my house. Aside from my Hoosier Cabinet and Pie Safe. (My living room has changed a little since this photo was taken. Old pieces removed and new ones updated the space.)

Here's where I am so far! I have a lot to do, but at the same time, I feel prepared. I've made my list, started the cleaning/straightening process this weekend so I'm not overwhelmed come Saturday morning. And with Friday being my birthday, I won't be doing too much party prep. Instead, I'll be doing some celebrating! I'll keep you posted this week on how things are coming along!

XO,

Andrea

Party Planning: Rustic Dinner Party

I am at it again! I'm in party planning mode and I'm in heaven! Aside from constantly updating my house, and running around town with my family, party planning is one of my all time favorite things to do. And this one stems from the fact that my birthday is coming up and it's on a Friday this year. Now, we will be celebrating with family on the actual day, but the next evening is completely free. And we are filling in the evening with a dinner party with our friends. I'm so excited!

If you followed along last year during my holiday party planning posts, you know that I love to start with a theme and build my party from there. It's fall, so with all the gorgeous browns, burnt oranges, and creamy neutrals, I'm going totally rustic! Think nature inspired decor like pumpkins, wood, pine cones, acorns, and whimsical florals. And candles! You have to have candles. But unscented because you don't want to interfere with the aromas that will be coming from your dinner! 

I've been doing my Pinterest research and I've found some amazing inspiration for my table decor. Honestly, there are so many gorgeous settings that I can't decide where to begin! And how to decorate. But, I've narrowed it down to the centerpieces I like and that's a start!

How incredibly romantic is this? I love the subtle glow of the candles and the simplicity of the greenery and wood slices.

This screams rustic fall!

This is beautiful, but probably not right for a centerpiece. However, I thinking it will help dress up the bar or the buffet.

And this would last all season long! Perfect for your Thanksgiving table later in the month.

So now that we have some centerpieces to work with, let's look at our dinnerware. It just so happens that I have plenty of pieces to chose from! I've got stunning teal plates with gold peacocks, sweet salad plates with darling birds (you know how I feel about birds in decor), and my vintage Iroquois Harvest Time dishes. Placed over grapevine chargers, the rustic vibes is incredibly vibrant. Earth tone stemware and gold silverware are perfect compliments. And I'm going to use neutral a tablecloth and napkins. And the pitcher would make a darling floral vase.

With all of this inspiration, it's time to go out into natural and see what I can gather! I know from experience that pine cones are gorgeous decor and so easy to prep. Yes, you have to prep your pine cones if you've picked them off the ground! Head here to see how! Tiny pumpkins can be picked up at the grocery store, but I better stock up now! As for the other supplies, I will just start filling in as I find what I love! 

When you think rustic, how would you decorate your table? And would you do it all yourself or head to your local craft store and hit up their amazing fall sales? I'm thinking a little of both! 

There is so much more to discuss. We have the dinner menu, the signature cocktail, setting up the bar, what dessert to make, and so much more! I can't wait to share it all!

XO,

Andrea

Party Invitation - Basic Invite

This comes as no surprise when I tell you that I love to host a party! Any party, but especially one in my backyard. There's just something about having your friends and family around the patio, playing fun games in the yard, sipping on cold beverages, and just soaking up those last minute rays of the day. And with summer coming to a close soon, I'm thinking of nothing more than a Labor Day weekend bbq!

When Basic Invite asked me to do a little post about their invitation service, I jumped at the chance. You know the expression, "You only get one chance to make a good impression"? Well, that's how I feel about a party invite. This is your first chance to grab your guests attention and having them RSVP the minute they read party! I know that there are so many ways you can invite people to parties these days, but I'm super old school and will always pick a paper invite you can mail. I love getting personal things in the mail and a party invite is right up there! Who's with me?

I played around with the Basic Invite's website this weekend, creating a couple of samples, and this site is incredibly user friendly! And I love that you can make any invitation suit your personal event by changing the font and size, color, and background. You can choose from over 40 different colors when it comes to your envelope. What's even better, is that all of their envelopes are peel and seal so the envelopes can be quickly and securely closed. Yes please! I hate licking envelopes over and over. That glue becomes gross after a while! Also, use their free address collection service to request your addresses with just three simple steps. Share a link, collect addresses, and get free envelope printing. And, you can add return address info! I love that! This is definitely a win in my book! 

These are the two invites I liked most for a Labor Day themed party. The top invite was the standard font that came with the invite. The second is one I liked more. Play around until you get the visual you want!

And if this one doesn't get your point across, then nothing will! Hands down my favorite!

Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows you almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. I loved being able to see what I was creating within seconds of adding my verbiage. Once you select a design, you can change the color of each element on the card to over 180 different color options. This can seem overwhelming, so if using the ones provided helps, go for it! If ain't broke, don't fix it, right? 

A lot of times, I'm leery of what the end result is going to look like in person. It can appear like the perfect invite online, but what if it comes and you just don't like it? Well, Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows you the ability to order a printed sample so you can see exactly how it will print. How awesome is that? Don't like it, go for another one? Or create a couple and decide after they arrive which one you like better! I love this option!

Labor Day weekend seems to be the kick off to the upcoming holiday season. Up next, Halloween. Followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.... You can see where I'm going with this. If you have an upcoming event, why not check out Basic Invite. There is something for everyone and they offer an incredible selection! What are you waiting for? Head on over.....

XO,

Andrea

This is a sponsored post, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Holiday Party Planning - The Day Before

Well it appears that this party planner got bogged down by the day to day tasks of getting party ready and didn't get around to blogging! How are you doing? Is your party date close? For me, it's the day before the soiree and I'm feeling really good! Normally, I'm in a panic right about now, but thanks to my checklist, I've been steadily working away at checking off those tasks. 

For today, I have a few things to do. I need to iron my tablecloth and get my tablescape set. I started working a little yesterday, but it was only one detail to the whole look. I am going to set the table with my serving pieces and then add the refrigerated items to their respective platter and then store until tomorrow. I also need to chill my mixers. Oh, I need to wrap the party favors!

Later this afternoon, I'm taking a slight break and get that well deserved manicure. As I've been scouring the nooks and crannies of kitchen and bathroom cabinet moldings, with Clorox wipes to scrape away dust and grime, my nails look horrendous! I'm so looking forward to a few minutes of pampering. Here are some Pinterest nail inspirations that I'm considering!

When my husband asked what he could do to assist on Saturday morning, I only need help with the dusting and vacuuming! I can't believe it! Normally, I'm still baking, straightening, and deep cleaning the house. To only need help with the surface cleaning is huge! 

I am so excited about hanging out with family and friends tomorrow night. I haven't seen a lot of these people in months so it will be to good to be in the same room with them for a few hours. I truly believe that this is what the holiday season is all about! 

I'm going to leave you with this image. If you haven't tried the original Champagne Cocktail, you must! Simply soak a sugar cube in bitters, add it to a champagne flute, poor your fav bubbles over that, and add a twist of lemon! So good. The perfect cocktail for the season!

Cheers!

XO,

Andrea

Holiday Party Planning - The Menus

I've been doing a lot of research when it comes to a retro cocktail party. I'm trying to be as authentic as I can possibly be with the menus. And when I say menus, I mean the hors d'oeuvres, the cocktails, and the desserts. I've used Pinterest and Google and I've received a ton of information back! And, I've used my parents as reference guides, although they weren't old enough to attend or throw a cocktail party in the 60s. 

As it turns out, I've been throwing a semi-retro party all these years. The only difference are things like deviled eggs and marinated olives. I generally reserve deviled eggs for BBQs and I've never really thought to serve marinated olives. And I love olives! The other interesting things I've discovered is molds of all kinds! It doesn't have to be a Jello mold, which I'm not unfamiliar with, but there are sold food molds. Apparently, my mom has a recipe for a shrimp mold which will make its way to the table this year. Speaking of food, here's what I plan to serve:

Meatballs

Mini Quiches

Deviled Eggs

Marinated Olives

Shrimp Mold

A specialty cheese on top of a Crostini drizzled with honey

Cheese Platter with Crackers

Sounds pretty delish, no? There's substance and there's lighter eats as well. You don't want to fill up and miss out on dessert!

My desserts are going to be pretty different this year. I generally go with the same baked goods every holiday. I will find time to make the chocolate chip cookies, the sugar cookie cutouts, and Seven Layer cookie. But for this party, I'm going old school. 

Fruitcake Cookies

Chocolate Fudge

White Fudge with Green and Red Candied Cherries

Pecan Tassies

Peppermint Bark

Brach's Old Fashioned Candies

Then there's the drink menu. If Sandra Lee has taught me one thing over the years, it's to serve a signature cocktail. And I always do! This year we will have two. I know I'm serving a Champagne Cocktail, but I need to test the others. I'm looking at a Sidecar Martini, an Old Fashioned, or a Manhattan. I'm leaning toward the Sidecar, sounds like something I would drink verses the others, but I'll let my parents to do some taste testing for the final vote.

And there you have it! I've finalized all of my menus and I'm set with the grocery list. I plan to start baking fudge tomorrow and a few other goodies before Friday. Fudge will stay the freshest longest. From there, I will just continue to follow the food portion of the checklist to have it all prepped before Saturday afternoon!

What are you serving up? Have you done as much research as myself or just going with what works? How much will be store bought verses homemade? I'm a little mix of both. It's so much easier to same yourself some time when throwing a party! 

Meet you back here tomorrow!

XO, 

Andrea

Holiddy Party Planning - The Check List

Hey! How's the party planning going? It's going fairly well over here. How close are you to the party date? I don't know about you, but I work so much better with a checklist. A do-to list. A master party planning activity sheet. Whatever you call yours, do you have one created? I just put mine together because the party is less than a week away! EEKK!

When it comes to checklists, I'm not a super fancy girl. I just use plain old pen and paper. Cute little notebooks to be exact. But when I created this one, I wanted to stay in the festive mood, so I went with red and green pen colors! And in true task form, I put all the to-do items in red so that I can could check them off in green. The red is staring back at me saying "Stop watching Hallmark movies and get to work!" But the green is jolly when I'm marking off the items I've completed. 

So what do I put on my checklist? Well, I break it out by days of the week. I add tasks to each day so that I'm not overwhelmed on any given day of the week trying to get way too many thing accomplished and feeling defeated when I don't. Plus, you don't want to do certain things too early. Like vacuuming. Sure, you have spill, you clean it up. But if you vacuum on Monday, you're going to have to turn around and do it again the day of the party, so I have this as a to-do for the day off. For today, Monday, my items are fairly simple. Continue to clean and straighten the house, dust ceiling fans and the light over the kitchen table, and finalize any last minute holiday decor around the house. Simple rule of thumb when it comes to straightening, stick to one room at a time. I'm horrible at this, but it really does make life easier. Today, I'm working in all three bedrooms. Putting shoes and folded laundry away that didn't get done earlier, clearing off the spare bedroom bed that becomes a catch-all for things like gymbags and McKinley's too small clothes that I cleaned out but haven't stowed away for the spring garage sale. And when it comes to things that need to go downstairs, I make stacks to take down later. If I leave this space to take things to another space, I start cleaning that space and now I have two disorganized stories in this house!

Other things on the list are to finalize our menu, sample the drinks we will serve for the evening, begin baking some of the desserts, wrap party favors, and ironing the tablecloth. And they all have a day assigned to them. One thing I really like to do is to set the table the night before. I put together my tablescape and then place all the serving pieces on the table to make sure there is enough room. I also like to put the refridgerater items on their platters and then store them back in the fridge until the party. It just helps with party prep the day of. If you're going to have a floral arrangment, wait and do that the day of. Keep your flowers in the fridge or garage to stay cool and then place them on the table a couple of hours before the party. They tend to wilt from heat of the oven or overhead lights. You want them looking fresh for your guests. 

Speaking of fresh, after all this cleaning, baking, and planning, these fingers will have been worked to the bone. It's been over a year since I've had a mani and I'm splurging this year. With our holiday party, an Open House the next day, a Stella & Dot Pop Up Shop and trunk show, another holiday party, and other activities taking place in the span of a week, I'm going to need to have the nicest looking nails I've had in ages. And while we're on the subject, on the morning of the party, make sure you take time for you. Relax, have that cup of coffee (or two), make sure you leave enough time for you to get ready so you don't feel rushed in those final hours before the guests arrive. To be the hostesses with the mostest, you have to be party ready, and the only way to do that is to ensure you've taken time to breath!

Lastly, but not on the list, enjoy the party! Once everything is in its place, the guests have arrived, and everyone has a drink in hand, have fun! Talk, laugh, be present in the moment, and cherish this time with family and friends. That's what the holidays are all about. And if there is something out of place, don't sweat it. I'm sure your guests won't notice it at all!

Coming up this week, menu creation, drink sampling, desserts, and so much more! 

Happy Monday!

XO,

Andrea

Holiday Party Planning Guide - Tablescape

Earlier in the week we talked about picking a theme for your holiday gathering. Do you have one? I do! Remember, I'm going with vintage. A retro cocktail party, to be exact! My love for Mid Century Mod is bleeding pink and avocado green this season and I can't get enough of it. So, we've picked our theme, sent out the invites, and now it's time to start checking things off our master checklist.

Up next is decor. My house is decorated in fairly traditional Christmas flare. Green tree chocked full of Hallmark ornaments, handmade ornaments by mom when I was younger, and now handmade ornaments made by McKinley in school. Those are my favorites! But, I've added a little something old to this years decor. I put up my antique aluminum tree and all the antique Shiny Bright glass ornaments that we've found over the years. It's gorgeous! Oh, and did I mention that I have an old light color wheel? The whole look is perfection!

I have so many pins from Pinterest to share regarding a vintage inspired tablescape. And guess what? More than half are pink! I've never been a pink girl, but this year, I am over the moon for it! Maybe it's the whole Mid Century Mod thing or maybe it's the fact that Michael's has totally fed my obsession. I went in for ribbon the other day and walked out with an entire holiday decor of everything they had that was pink. Okay, not everything because there are still pieces I want, but let's say about 50%! Needless to say, I'm covered in pink glitter and I couldn't care less!

So here are the inspiring tablescapes I found on Pinterest.



 

And here are all the things I bought at Michael's!

I'm sorry, but there was no way I was going to pass up a pink Santa, at half off, wearing white fur! 

 
Isn't my aluminum tree gorgeous!!

So here's what I plan to do. I will add a white tablecloth to the kitchen table and arrange the bottle brushes, church, and a large glass hurricane full of pink and avocado green ornaments in the center of my table. I may even add candles. I have lovely silver candlesticks that hold tealights. And I plan on hitting up my local Home Depot to dig through their evergreen scrape pile like I did last year. The greenery lasted through the remainder of the holidays and allowed for a subtle hint of pine. I will arrange the greenery throughout the tablescape as well.

I will place the serving pieces around the table, black and white Christmas pieces I received as a gift from my aunt several years ago. And it just so happens that the pattern is very Mid Century Mod inspired, even though they came from Target! I plan on bringing out my bar cart, even though it's red, and decorating it as well. I may have to give that some thought regarding the clashing of colors. As Tim Gunn says, I will make it work.

Oh, and I found the coolest website that gives a tutorial on how to give everyday tumblers a little Mid Century update as well. Definitely going to have to give this a try! 

Lastly, here's a little sneak peek into a DIY drink stirrer I found that would look darling on the bar cart!

There you have it! My tablescape inspiration and the pieces I picked to create mine. Now that you have your theme, what would you use to decorate your table? Would you go completely DIY? Scour the amazing sales at places like Michael's is currently offering, or go brand new with your purchase?

I can't wait to hear what you're up to! What do you think of my party so far?

XO,
Andrea

Holiday Party Planning Guide - Picking a Theme

Well, the holiday season is finally upon us. I don't know about you, but I've been ready for this for a long time. Especially after the events of the election. This mama was in need of some cheer! And it's here. I have vowed for the past 15 years that I would never put my tree up before Thanksgiving! And guess what? I put up my tree a week early. I guess you could say I needed a little Christmas....

And with the holiday season comes party planning! By show of hands, how many of you are planning a gathering of some sort? Whether it be big or small, a gathering needs planning. I love to plan. And I love to party plan even more! Aside from birthday parties, we haven't thrown an adult party around here in quite some time. We had a holiday party the year McKinley was born, five years ago, and we haven't had one since. It's hard to plan a party with a child. Especially when you have a smaller home, and your child goes to bed early, and your parties tend to go long. And trust me, I love a party that never ends. It means my guests are having fun, feel at home, and never want to leave. Just the thing all hostess want to achieve.

I started thinking about party planning and wondered if anyone needed advice. And if you do, then maybe this little series is for you. Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to talk about all that's involved in planning a party. Again, it doesn't matter if your gathering is big or small, you still need to plan. You need a plan of attack. And the first thing you need is a theme!

I love picking a theme for all of my parties. Whether it's McKinley's birthday, an outdoor BBQ, a Halloween party, or a school classroom party, a theme is always in order. Right now, or should I say forever, I've been obsessed with Mid Century Modern. The house designs, the furniture, the minimalist esthetic, the clothing, and the dinnerware. All of it speaks to me. And I own so much of it. I've always said that if I had the room in my home, I would design one space specifically to Mid Century Mod! 

So in thinking about a holiday party, I am immediatly drawn to the theme of a retro inspired cocktail party. No, not because of Mad Men (I never watched the show), but because who doesn't love a cocktail party! I turned to Pinterest for inspiration and scoured the internet for possible Mid Century invitation designs. I found several sites, but found everything I possibly needed at Zazzle! I discovered their Retro Urban Christmas designs and fell in love! And the amount of products available is amazing! I settled on an invitation, after narrowing it down to about five, and went to town! Here are some of my favorites.

Upon picking my theme, Retro Cocktail Party, and the invitation, it was time to start gathering all the other necessary party supplies. And Zazzle helped with that as well. Because everything can be customized, I was able to "design" my own paper goods. And yes, I use paper goods, First off, I don't have enough dinnerware to use for larger parties and I don't want to be up all night doing dishes! I use ceramic platters for the hors d'oeuvres and serve cocktails out of glass stemware, so I have my hands full of suds at the end of the night! Okay, back to the paper goods. I found the most adorable plates and napkins that I could make my own and can't wait for my guests to use them! 

So what's ahead? We've picked our theme, our party invites, and the paper goods (although we stumbled on those). Now it's time to start thinking decor. You know, the tablescape, serving pieces, stemware, and other accessories. And it just so happens, I've been thinking about those all weekend! I can't wait to share.

If you weren't planning a gathering before now, are you thinking of hosting? What would be your theme? Would it be a big soiree or just an intimate group? I would love to hear your thoughts! And, if you have questions, please don't hestitate to ask! I'm no expert party planner, but like I mentioned earlier, I do love to host them!

Happy Monday, party goers!

XO,

Andrea