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Tuesday Tips

I am in no way think I'm an expert on party planning, but if I were to give my younger self some tips it might go like this...

When planning a party I always think of a) theme, b) decor, and c) menu. 

A few tips about theme...
Classic themes like "Luau", "Fiesta", and "Western" are always fun, but I like a theme to be a bit more personal. Even if you choose some classic party theme, you can put your own spin on it by coming up with a cute party name or a quirky detail. For example, a friend of mine had a Quarter of a Century birthday party. Sounds more fun that a 25th birthday party does it not? Another example of quirk- I once threw a "Back to School Beach Party" in which I covered my (tarped) kitchen floor with sand.

You can of course come up with a theme on your own. If you know the person you're the party for, focus on incorporating their likes/hobbies. For example, I threw a Carnival themed wedding shower for some friends of mine because the groom was into magic and the bride liked mustaches. I created some homemade banners and threw together a photo booth with rabbit eats, a magician's cape, a top hat, and all sorts of mustaches. The menu focused on hot dogs, popcorn, cupcakes with mustaches, and other carnival-like treats. I find that once I have a theme the rest of the details come pretty easily. This is part of what that particular party looked like…
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If you have a theme idea, but don’t know exactly how you want to use it/what details you can integrate, try searching for the theme and see what you find. When I was looking for Rainbow Owl inspiration, I actually found rainbow colored owls (not real of course). Who knew? I must not be the only one whose mind goes down tangential paths...
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