Tuesday, October 28, 2014

a 'my favorite things' party

last february, i threw a 'my favorite things' party for my girlfriends 
where we each gathered a gift focused around items we love most
i decided to do it over valentine's day weekend
to express my love and appreciation for friendships 
today i am going to share some of my ideas with you all…
it was a lovely evening spent with wonderful friends
here are some ideas for you:
decor: 












a lot of my decor items were from various etsy shops; however, i also found some great finds at ikea, world market, and michael's. 
my goal for the event was for it to be inviting, feminine, and hopefully beautiful- 
i wanted it to show my love for each one of them.
...
some fun straws, rustic candles, baby's breath {$3 from the grocery store}, and vintage cards were a few of the things i decorated the event with. 



the rose gingham napkins were from ikea
food, drinks, and treats: 
{left} my favorite store bought sprinkle sugar cookies and {right} some homemade ruffle cupcakes 
{i am such a lover of ruffled bake goods}
i found the hearts and boho flag toppers on etsy 
here are some lovely ones from manniatitta
the fruit skewers were supposed to represent and symbolize 'cupid's arrow' 
i chopped up about three different colors of fresh carnations
and then applied a small amount of honey {with a small paintbrush} 
to one side of each champagne glass 
and then attached the florals
...when each guest arrived, i greeted them with a glass of bubbly for toasting...


an ombre cake with a tassel topper:
-bird plate from sweetmeas-
easy appetizer recipes that people always love:
a baguette- cut thin
put olive oil and bake for about 15 min 
then spread with goat cheese, fig butter {trader joe's}, prosciutto, and 
top with fresh basil 
the white dip above was a huge hit
esp. with jalapeno chips 
&
just four ingredients:
1 cup shredded cheese
16 oz sour cream 
1 can original rotel 
1 packet of hidden valley fiesta ranch 
when picking a menu
i decided to make/buy my all time party favorites
to share with all 

 i served wine, champagne, my two favorite beers, and pink raspberry lemonade 
{served in vintage milk glasses from micheal's}:
 gifts:
everyone brought such thoughtfully amazing gifts
the price range was around $30 
...
i have also seen a similar concept, but where people bring one small item that they love
{maybe around $3-5}
bringing enough for every person who plans to attend
everyone would then have a bag- possibly with a cute tag that says, 'favorite things' 
however, i decided to have everyone bring one larger gift
the amount of items varied per gift 
and then we picked numbers and did an exchange
… 
i loved seeing everyone's favorites!

the gift i gave:
 a wooden necklace, a hobnail candle, and a beautiful mess' amazing book 
{my biggest inspiration/favorite blog ever.}

i wrapped my gift in paper from world market
here is the cute gift that i received- loved- so much: 







some other items that were given:
wine, chocolate, bakeware, an apron, blueberry luna bars, k. cups, candles, headbands, an eco- friendly water bottle, a ceramic egg tray, skinny girl margarita mix, fun socks, soap, a chalkboard frame, cards
and so many other cute items!! 
...
i hope you enjoyed my suggestions for throwing a 'my favorite things' gathering
always here if you have any questions 
now go ahead --spoil your gals
 show them you love them, relax, and enjoy some time together
...
*i would love to know...
have you ever attended/thrown a 'my favorite things' party? 
…. any other ideas? i would love to hear-
 please comment below and inspire us all! 
xo