Guest Post: Birthday Bash in the Big Apple

This is a guest post by one of my best friends, Maddie, who hosted an awesome 30th birthday party last month.

I love parties, and I wish I was the type of girl who throws big parties every weekend.  But it can be tricky (and expensive) to throw a party in New York City!  My husband Mike and I both turned 30 last month and we wanted to do something big, but we also needed to keep it affordable.

M&M

Here’s how we did it:

Step 1: Find a Venue

I logged onto New York Magazine’s website to check out all of the vendors that allow private parties in NYC.  As vendor after vendor got back to me, I became more and more disheartened.  Costs ranged from a flat fee of over $2,000 to charging guests $100 at the door.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t in our price range.

Our second thought was just to show up at the door of a bar, and then 40 of our friends would just happen to stop by, too!  That’s what our friend Brian did at Gallery Bar.  The best part about that bar is their super cute photo booth! But I knew that things would get crowded fast, and my grandmother and entire family wanted to come to our party so I needed a Plan C.

The extended fam. (Editor's Note: One of my favorite families in the world!)

So, I went back to New York Magazine’s vendor list and finally found Antarctica Bar. It was perfect for so many reasons:

• It’s free
• It’s huge
• It’s near the train in the hip Tribeca neighborhood
• There’s a pool table
• They let you play your iPod if you want
• If your friends like to drink, they have huge drinks that are super cheap!

Step Two: Make It Cute

Now that we had our venue, we needed to spice things up. I wanted a few inexpensive favors, so I browsed through the vendors at Etsy. I was looking for something fun and unique, so I was excited to find these super cute mustaches from CupcakeSocial’s Etsy page.

Doesn't Hannah look cute? (Editor's Note: No, not really.)

Step Three: Make It Delicious

I got these delicious cakes and cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery (immortalized in SNL’s Lazy Sunday video).

Yum.

I also filled some jars with pretty pastel candies, and filled these popcorn bags with fresh popcorn:

Since people were mostly drinking, it was easy to provide a few snacks for people without spending too much money.

Step Four: Remember It

We wanted to capture the events of the evening with a fun Polaroid camera.  Did you know that Polaroid doesn’t make those ancient cameras that we used to use anymore? But now there is a great Fuji Instant camera. We bought a few of them and let guests take photos throughout the night.

Thanks, Hannah, for coming to our party! Now that I’ve thrown a big NYC party, I’m excited for more parties to come.

Editor's Note: I do not like my hair in this photo, but Maddie looks good so I'll allow it.

Graduating from the kids’ table

This is how Martha does it.

My mother has two sisters, and all three of them like to cook. Historically, when our family has gotten together for holidays, members of the younger generation have been exiled from the kitchen. If we were lucky we were allowed to arrange cheese and crackers on a plate, but for the most part, we weren’t allowed to participate in the cooking.

My sister and I feel we’ve proven ourselves over the years, and this Thanksgiving we’d like to contribute. In a couple of weeks we’re all heading out to Napa, CA where we’re spending Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle. For the first time ever, my sister and I will be equal contributors to the menu. I’m responsible for the stuffing, greens, and some kind of dessert; my sister will be doing sweet potatoes with goat cheese and a Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie with Gingersnap Crust.

But that’s not our only innovation! Check out our other Thanksgiving Upgrades:

• Breaking All the Rules: We decided to fly on Thanksgiving day in order to save money on flights. We’re having our T-giving dinner on Friday. This is a great strategy to employ if your family members are flexible about dates.
• Like that Episode of The Golden Girls: After we arrive on Thursday, we’re going straight to a shelter where we’ll help serve meals.
• Going Local: We’re going to swing by a Farmer’s Market on Friday morning to pick up fresh, local ingredients for our dinner.
• I’m Thankful For…Day Spas: We made appointments for manicures, massages and facials for the day after our Thanksgiving meal. I honestly can’t think of anything better.

I think the younger generation is bringing a lot to the table this year, both literally and figuratively. I’m glad to be joining the ranks of the grown-ups…but I’m still probably not going to brush my hair.

See more entries about Holidays in 2009.

What should I be for Halloween?

Here’s what I have:

• A medium-length blond wig
• Glasses or contacts
• Regular clothes
• A small budget
• A desire to stay warm

Here are my ideas so far:

Penny from Inspector Gadget

Kelly from the "Shoes" video on YouTube

Audrey from "Little Shop of Horrors"

Thoughts? Other ideas?

Ask the Expert: Halloween Costumes

Ask the Expert is a series where I interview friends and others who are experts in a particular party concept.

For this entry, I’ve interviewed one of my oldest and best friends, Cady Miller, who, with her husband Chad, never fails to produce an awesome Halloween costume. See below for her thoughts on offensive costumes, staying warm, and honoring celebrities we lost this year.

Everybody’s Invited!: Scary, sexy or funny. How does one decide?

Cady Miller: Personally I think funny or ‘accurate’ Halloween costumes are the way to go. I think sexy has it’s place but only if it’s a part of a specific character that’s known for that trait. For example, if you want to be sexy on Halloween, go as Jessica Rabbit or Barbarella rather than a ‘sexy’ version of Raggedy Ann or Alice and Wonderland (these are better if you do them accurately in my opinion). Halloween should not *just* be a time for repressed people to let it all out – that’s what Mardi Gras and Spring Break are for.

EI!: Oh no! It’s October 30th and I don’t have a costume! What should I do?

Thrift store Pippi (with gaucho friend)

CM: Of course it’s best to prepare ahead of time, but a successful Halloween costume can be done the weekend or day of. A quick trip to your local thrift store and drug store can usually save the day. A couple years ago I put together a pretty accurate Pippi Longstocking costume the day of for around $15 (I purchased a dress, scarf that I turned into a legging, chunky shoes and a pillowcase at the thrift store. I picked up temporary red hairspray at the drug store). For last minute costumes, think of characters that are iconic and easily identified with distinct traits (e.g. Pippi’s red braids sticking up and her patchwork dress; Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s; Zorro with his mask/hat/cape and all black)

EI!: Dressing as a hobo – offensive or nostalgic?

CM: Every year I see people dressed as hobos… and though some are better than others I think the more accurate you get the more offensive you are as well. I also feel like that’s a bit of a cop out – there are thousands of other costumes out there that can be just as easy to make but take only a little more creative thinking.

EI!: Lots of women like to dress sexy on Halloween and this often involves wearing really short skirts. Should we move Halloween to a warmer month?

If only Audrey and Che had been a couple in real life!

CM: If you’ve chosen to dress sexy, sheer/flesh colored tights are a girls best friend on Halloween. Ones specifically made for dancers are usually more durable and warmer. Also, they’ll make your legs and bum look better in person AND in pictures.

EI!: Sarah Palin and the Joker were popular costumes in 2008. What’s your prediction for the most popular costume of 2009?

CM: I think the Watchmen costumes will be popular (a good choice if you want to be sexy AND be an actual character known for that). Unfortunately, I also think Michael Jackson/Farrah Fawcett/Patrick Swayze will also be popular this year.

EI!: If you find yourself wearing the same costume as someone else at a party, how can you possibly salvage your reputation?

Chad probably ran into a few other Captain Jack Sparrows that year, but only he can do a spot on Johnny Depp impression.

CM: If you’ve made your own costume, chances are yours will be better than someone who just purchased it from the rack – where’s the creativity in that?! Or, if you have purchased it from the rack – make sure to add on some specific details: get the makeup and hair just right, make sure to get your shoes or feet covering spot on, and add a detail that didn’t come with the canned costume. Finally, if you see the same costume (or even a close similarity) just laugh it off and make sure your friends take a picture of you both together so everyone knows your’re not stewing in the corner over it.

EI!: If you were going to MacGyver a costume out of objects and materials that you can see from wherever you are right now, what would you make?

CM: I’m at our home computer right now so there aren’t that many items around besides paper and our bar behind me… but there are a couple ideas I can spot. I see my yoga mat, so I could go as a yoga instructor/fitness instructor and lug that around with me everywhere (a funnier version would be to go as a Bikram instructor and have my hair and outfit wet with my makeup running down my face). Or, there is a pack of Post-it notes here too and someone could get extra creative and completely cover themselves in them like the Office Space movie poster – you’d have to rig a good adhesive method with that though.

Extra points for creativity. Dr. Strange and Sailor Moon!

5 Tips for a Vacation That Doesn’t Result in the Need for Another Vacation

Our Oahu Google Map

I haven’t posted in awhile because I’ve been doing Very Important Things like parasailing and swimming with dolphins. I joined my family on the island of Oahu for our second quinquennial Hawaiian vacation. Despite having skin that burns easily, I have always loved Hawaii – first the idea of it, and then the real place when I went for the first time in 2004. In fact, my family’s very first theme party was an Aloha-themed surprise 18th birthday party for yours truly. We had bacon-wrapped pineapple, fresh leis, and fruity drinks with little umbrellas. I’ll post an Aloha DIY video soon!

In the meantime, I thought I’d share my top five vacation planning tips, based on this most recent trip that I planned with my sister.

1. Use technology, and not just an airplane and digital camera. Google basically co-sponsored our trip in that we used lots of their products to plan our vacation. My sister and I used Google documents and spreadsheets to keep track of activity ideas and booking details, flight information, and our budget. This was useful since my sister and I live 3,000 miles apart and we were able to work collaboratively from afar. One of the smartest things we did was plot all of our key places (airport, lodging, good snorkeling sites) on a customized Google map, so that we could familiarize ourselves with the driving directions in advance. By the time we landed in Honolulu, we were able to drive anywhere without a map!
2. Just like in the stock market…diversify your portfolio. We made sure to plan some early morning activities (to make sure we’d get out of bed by 9 on at least a few days and not sleep our vacation away), some active stuff, some laidback stuff, and a lot of downtime. Having a mix of things to do made every day exciting, and planning for downtime kept the trip from becoming too stressful.
3. Pay as you go. We booked our flights well before the stock market took a nosedive, but the costs of planning a trip can be stressful no matter what the economic climate. My philosophy is to spread out the costs over a long period of time so it’s not so painful all at once. Book flights, hotels, car rentals, and activities early, so by the time you arrive your costs are limited to food and incidentals. Vacation travel is definitely a luxury, but I’ve always found it worth it to prioritize it above things like new clothes and haircuts. I may wear the same thing most days and have split ends, but I sure have gone whale watching in Mozambique!
4. Be flexible. If you’re a planner like me, you’ll have some ideas about how to spend your days before you go because you’ll have done your research, and maybe even made some reservations. But I think the best strategy is to do a bunch of research and prep work, but then throw out your itinerary once you actually arrive. You want to be flexible enough to change plans, be spontaneous, and respond to what’s in front of you! The planning just prepares you to take advantage of more stuff because you know what you’re doing.
5. Find a local. Fortunately, I have a cousin-by-marriage in Oahu, so we were able to get a guided boat tour from his 12-year-old son, as well as the inside scoop on some good restaurants and swimming spots. I’ve found that people are often excited to play tour guide and show you around their hometown, so call up that second cousin twice removed and get the lowdown from someone who knows best. Having said that, if you visit me in New York City, please know that I am not interested in taking you to Times Square or to the top of the Empire State Building.

Happy travels!

This party needs a bailout

The Big Three CEOs beg Congress for funds for more party hats and onion dip.

These are tough times, people. Tough times. The newly opened frozen yogurt shop in my neighborhood has a sandwich board out front reading, “Help Obama help the economy.” I guess the implication is that President (can’t we drop the “-elect” already?) Obama wants me to buy frozen yogurt. Obama must not be feeling the same windchill I’m feeling.

In the midst of these cold, dark, penny-pinching days, there’s nothing like a properly-themed party to lift people’s spirits. Here are a few timely themes you could try after the natural high of the inauguration celebration wears off:

• Wall Street Villains (Guests can dress like Gordon Gekko, Martha Stewart, or even the failed CEO’s of Bear Stearns, AIG, etc. If you’re feeling bullish, serve Bull Shots. On the other hand, if you’re less optimistic, try this Russian Bear cocktail recipe.)
• The 1930s All Over Again (Listen to big band music, play parlor games, and celebrate the end of prohibition with some moonshine.)
• Canned Food Drive Party (If you’re feeling sorry for yourself, it’s probably best to put your energy into helping others. It’ll do wonders. Ask guests to bring non-perishables, and later drop them off at a local food bank.)

And a few tips for saving your cash while playing host:

• Make it a potluck (duh)
• Offer a signature cocktail instead of a full bar. Cheap beer or a full punch bowl work, too.
• Borrow a dress and accessories so you’ll feel like a million bucks without spending a dime.
• Make good use of the dollar store for décor supplies.
• Make your own veggie tray. It’s cheaper than buying a pre-made platter.
• And, of course, you can turn the thermostat down after guests arrive. No one will notice.

Shaking things up at the office.

This year, instead of a traditional after-work office party, my co-workers opted for a casual lunchtime gathering. Here are the pros and cons to this daytime deviation as I see it:

Pros:

• Shorter work day!
• No need to get all fancy. I probably won’t even brush my hair.
• No drunken co-workers to feel awkward about the next day.

Cons:

• No “plus ones.”
• Food probably slightly lower on the Deliciousness Scale.
• No drunken co-workers to provide conversation fodder for next year’s holiday party.

We are doing secret snowflake this year, so I’ll be on the hunt for the perfect $5 gift. If you’re in the same boat, I highly recommend the Che Guevera finger puppet refrigerator magnet that I received a couple years ago.

You could buy a Wii instead.

My boyfriend tells me that the average American spends over $600 on Christmas presents. This year I’m sending my family the following email, because I know they’re as cash-strapped as I am.

Dear Family,
I hope you are all enjoying the cold weather and perks of the season (peppermint hot chocolate; year end Top Ten lists; Oscar-caliber movies). In previous years, we’ve splurged on cookbooks, lava lamps, karaoke machines, and bath towels. This year I’m writing to you all in the hopes that we can skip the presents under the tree, and instead agree to a low-cost holiday gift etiquette alternative. Here are some suggestions for pinching pennies without skimping on the cheer.

• Homemade Hanukkah: cook brunch, bake cookies, make candles or origami…whatever floats your boat, but it has to be homemade
• Round Robin Ramadan: we each buy a gift for exactly one other person, assigned randomly
• Ten Dollar Tet: we all buy gifts, but keep ’em cheap
• It’s a Christmas Miracle!: we can all pitch in and give a donation to a deserving organization (my favorite is Kiva)
• New Year, New Knowledge: we each teach each other something we know how to do – like solve a Rubik’s Cube, or draw an octopus
• Good Karma Kwanzaa: need help setting up your computer? Need someone to touch up the paint in your bathroom? Let’s do a favor exchange!

So, Family, please let me know if you’d be satisfied with any of the above. If I’ve learned anything at all from watching holiday episodes of my favorite sitcoms, it’s that any of these would be more in line with the “real” meaning of the holidays than waiting in long lines at Target.

Love,
Hannah

I’ll let you know what they say.