Last Minute New Year's Party Plan

Want to do something for New Year's but didn't get on the planning wagon and you don't want to go to a faux-fancy New Year's Gala that's really expensive and you have nothing to wear anyway? Why not host a bowl-a-thon - find a local bowling alley or host your very own bowl-a-thon on your new Wii that you got for Christmas right at home.

What could be better - no fuss, no fancy outfit, and guaranteed laughs all the way until midnight?

For favors: buy the ginormous cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon (tres bowliscious), tie with a stripey ribbon to a bag of peanuts and a tiny bowling trophy that you can find at any party supply store (giggles guaranteed)!

For food: Keep it simple and in-line with your bowling theme with a nacho bar or meatball sandwiches. Have simple crudite with ranch dip, caramel popcorn served in paper cones and cheese and crackers done 70s style on a foam ball (like the one above).

For Music: There's a fun band called Let's Go Bowling, but you can put together your own tunes...remember Take The Skinheads Bowling, Let's Bowl (from Grease 2...I know you watched it), Let the Good Times Roll etc...

For decorations: Draw three dots with a sharpie on lots of balloons to turn them into bowling balls. Create a bowling lane table runner with brown kraft paper, draw in lines and white diamonds or do like The Hostess did above.

mood board credits: top row: bowl-o-rama print, vintage bowling bag from Lisa's RetroStyle etsy shop, Have Fun Bowling poster. second row: The requisite PBR, Rae's Diner on Pico in Santa Monica, Bowling Balls. Third Row: Fun and lovely painting of bowling shoes by Lorraine Mesh, Janeane Garafolo as The Bowler in the hysterical movie Mystery Men (one of my favorites), Bowling Cupcakes by jahendy. Last Row: Bowling Lane Photographed by Friendly Joe, awesome bowling shoe invitations found at PlumParty, KaPow Photograph by Friendly Joe.