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

source

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' 

source

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