never let them see you sweat...

happy wednesday everyone!
hope you are having a wonderful week so far...

one of the questions i am asked most often when it comes to party planning is
where do i begin?!?
here are a few quick tips to help you have a stress free event.

choose a theme
even if its a small get together, i always pick a theme.
whether its an italian dinner party

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an ice cream social

afternoon tea

or a 4th of july bbq.

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it helps me stream line my thoughts in regards to the look and feel of the party and the menu.  when i go shopping for party supplies i'm not all over the place buying anything that's cute or on sale. each of the themes above have very distinct color palettes and menus that are appropriate for each theme.

the food & drink
based on how many people will be attending make sure you serve enough food to have satisfied tummies. there is nothing worse that running out of grub!
there are great online tools like food estimators and party checklist to make sure
this doesn't happen to you.

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did you know that you should have a pound, yes a POUND of ice per person at a party?!
if anyone calls and asks if they can bring something...tell them a bag of ice!
then there's the problem of where to store the ice until you need it.
two great ideas: a bath tub or the washing machine.
both will drain on their own and free up valuable freezer space.
here is a great idea if you are making your own beverages:
serve your concoctions out of repurposed wine bottles

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set the mood
as the host, its your job to make sure your guests feel welcomed and included at your home.
put on a smile and let your guest know a good time will be had by all!
introduce your guest to each other as they arrive.
tell one interesting fact about them as you are making the introduction.
"bill just got back from an african safari!"
"mary is getting ready to move into her new home..."
it will help break the ice.

make sure you have back ground music playing.
it should be loud enough to hear but not too loud that people have to talk over it.
pandora and slacker have premade song list that fit any type of theme....and its free.
test the lighting in the room before hand to make
sure people can see each other and their food.

have a self serve beverage station set up in an easy to get to area.

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most importantly, enjoy your self!
it sets the tone for the whole party.
oh and remember to take lots of pictures of your shindig.
post them on a free photo sharing site like shutterfly.

when your friends see the pictures and remember the fun they had
everyone will be asking when's your next soiree!

until next wednesday!