Prisoners of Love Bridal Shower

I recently had the honor of hosting a bridal shower for my friend.  She works as a Victim Advocate and is marrying an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.  So, these are two people who have dedicated their careers to catching criminals and getting justice for victims of crime.  I thought a law enforcement themed bridal shower would be pretty fun, especially since almost everyone attending the shower would be their co-workers.  The official theme of the shower was "Prisoners of Love".  We had a blast!

The Invitation-  As the followers of this blog know, I am a big fan of creating a PDF or image file and emailing the invitation to guests.  This saves paper and maintains the integrity of your design.  If this had been a more formal shower, I would have printed out the invitations and mailed them, but as we all work in the same office, email was the perfect way to get the word out.  The benefit of the image file was that I could also print a couple color copies to hang in the office as a reminder.

 

The Decor - To go along with the theme - basically a mix of love and crime - I incorporated the colors from the invite, turquoise and red, to come up with a centerpiece.  All the tables had red roses in a turquoise vase surrounded by handcuffs or shackles (that the probation department kindly let me borrow for the afternoon!) 

 

The Activity - The guest of honor wanted NO GAMES.  And, of course, I listened to the bride-to-be!  But we had to have something fun to pass the time and make this more than just a luncheon with presents.   It was decided to have a photo booth.  I'd seen photo booths at weddings, run by professionals, but as this was a lower-budget affair, the co-host and I created our own photo booth with a twist.  We made a WANTED poster out of a cardboard display board.  I found a bunch of crimes - some from the Ohio Revised Code that were actual crimes, and some that we just made up for fun.  The "crimes" people could choose from were: Assaulting a Police Horse, Running an Illegal Gambling Ring, Hoarding Fabulous Shoes, Doing the "Footloose" Dance in a Public Place, Swearing in Front of Women and Children, Public Intoxication, Misuse of a Public Transportation System, Driving Too Slowly, Stealing Doug's (the groom's) Heart, etc.  Actually, at the shower, the bride-to-be started looking through the crimes and assigned them to different people, which in itself was pretty funny.  Plenty of props were around so people could be as silly as they wanted to be.

 

The Bonus - I edited all the photos from the shower and put them in an album for the bride as a keepsake of the day.  I also posted all the photos on an online site so that all the guests could laugh at the photos.  I filtered some photos in sepia tone or black and white so they would look more old-timey. 

Olympics Party Ideas

So, it's party time again.  This time, it's a London Olympics themed birthday party for yours truly.  My birthday is during the Olympics!!!!!  That's too fun to miss.  But you can have a London Olympics party at your house, whether it's your birthday or not.  Here are some ideas.

1.  English food - I'm thinking Cornish pasties (made ahead of time and frozen for easy party prep), Welsh rarebit (look it up - it's not rabbit, it's basically cheese fondue), and Pan Haggerty (potatoes, cheese, and onions - the perfect side dish!).  You could always serve some English cheese with chutney and table water crackers as an extra appetizer.  Add some scones or shortbread if you need something sweet!  English beer (Boddington's, Newcastle) would be a nice addition.  Or maybe go with an "around the world" approach to beer and get a six pack from imports of several different countries.

2.  The GAMES - Have your own mini Olympics.  Here are some event ideas to get you started:

Beerathalon – Contestants will drink a 12 oz beer and then run approximately 1/10 mile to the finish line.  First person to cross the finish line gets the gold.

Pistol – Competitors will use Super Soaker water guns to try to knock a ball off of a traffic cone from a distance.  To add a challenge, the competitors will simultaneously be shot with water guns from spectators as they try to hit their target.  First one to knock the ball off the cone wins.  May require several elimination rounds to determine the gold medalist.  (Competitors may want to bring an extra shirt to the party.)

Greco-Roman Arm Wrestling – Men and Women will have separate competitions.  Opponents will face off across a table at the ancient sport of arm-wrestling.  All competitors may be given a toga to wear during competition. May require several elimination rounds to determine the gold medalist.

Rhythmic gymnastics – Athletes will be given a ribbon on a stick and must make up and perform a short rhythmic gymnastics routine to music that may be chosen ahead of time by the competitor (or will be chosen by the host on the day of the party).  Routines may contain various gymnastic moves and ribbon tricks.  Points for creativity, form, choreography, and use of the ribbon. Points will be deducted for dropping the ribbon, cursing, and stepping out of bounds.  Highest score wins.  

3. Judges/Refs - Some people at the party need to be judges and referees.  Recruit people if they won't volunteer. 

4. The Awards - So, the winners have to get something, right?  Make gold medals or give out some other gold prize to the winners (Gold Tequila?)  You might choose a "national anthem" for each contestant and play it if they win.  My personal anthem would be "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News.  (Don't you dare judge me.)

5.  The Actual Olympics - You've gotta have the Games playing on a couple TVs.  NBC promises great coverage this year.  Maybe even get a projector to have them play on the side of your garage for some fabulous outdoor viewing. Leave out some rules for Olympic drinking games.  (Examples: every time they play the Olympic theme song you drink, every time a commentator makes a really obvious observation you drink, every time you pick the winner all the other people in the room have to drink.)

6. Decorations - Clearly, you've gotta have Olympics rings on everything.  Also, flags of other countries would be great decor.  I like DIY water bottle labels to bring your theme to the people.  And be sure to label the bar the "Official Bar of the 2012 Olympic Games"  and the bathroom "The Official Bathroom of the 2012 Olympic Games." 

Party like an Olympian!!

Length of Baby and Bridal Showers... A Rant and Some Solutions

The Rant
Baby and Bridal Showers that last longer than 3 hours are unacceptable. Baby and Bridal Showers that last longer than 4 hours are torture. Long showers are tedious and boring. I can’t tell you how many showers I’ve been to where I’m had to force myself to suppress a cry of utter weariness when the hostess announces, “Okay, we have another game to play!”

I want to tell these hostesses, “Showers are not considered “better” than other showers if they last longer.” (They are considered better if the food is fantastic and you serve cocktails.) You don’t win any prizes for hosting the longest shower ever. So please, keep it short and sweet.

If you are planning a baby or bridal shower, please come up with a schedule that allows everything to get done in less than three hours. Actually, two hours seems to be the perfect baby/bridal shower length.

Showers are NOT like other parties. Why? Because there are no men. You can say what you want about the menfolk, but they can make a party more fun. Also, showers are typically held on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, not a “party all night” situation. Women have stuff to do/ errands to run/other parties to go to/kids to watch on their weekends. They don’t have time for a five hour bridal showers. (I attended a bridal shower of this length last weekend, thus igniting my desire to compose this post.) Therefore, shower timelines are not the same as other party timelines. Short is perfectly fine and much appreciated.

How to Shower the Bride in Three Hours or Less

1. Tell guests NOT to wrap presents. Sure people want to see all the gifts that the bride or mommy receives, and they want to see the look of joy when the guest of honor opens the present that was so lovingly selected for them. But, they don’t like to sit through two hours of gift opening! It's as boring as watching CSPAN through the congressional lunch hour. Plus, am I the only one who gets a little guilty watching all that wrapping paper waste go into bags of trash? Trees gave their lives for this cruel end? As a guest at these things, I would rather spend the $6 I spent on that sparkly gift bag and fancy tissue paper on a better gift (or on a mani/pedi for myself.)

So, how to make it clear that guests should NOT wrap? My girlfriends threw me a baby shower and this is poem they wrote on the invitations:

Please don’t wrap your gift,
We’re trying to be “green,”
And leave more time to socialize
With Kate and Poppyseed.

(We called my fetus/inside baby “Poppyseed.” Recognizing that is probably not very universal, you could substitute “With the Mom-to-Be”)

Can I tell you how many guests at the shower LOVED this!?!? One guest either couldn’t read or just loved wrapping paper, so I did receive one wrapped gift at the shower. It was no big deal. As the “showeree” I really enjoyed not unwrapping presents and having all that extra time to sit down and talk to my guests, many of whom traveled pretty far to be there.

So how does a no-wrap shower work, exactly? At my shower, all the guests put their unwrapped gifts on a table. Most had cards attached. Some guests even made cards out of recycled/repurposed items! After all the guests arrived, I went over to the table, picked up a gift, held it up, said whom it was from, said how cute the gift was and thank you, then put the gift back on the table. I went through all the gifts this way and it took ten minutes. TEN MINUTES!! Guests hung out by the gift table before and after to see all the gifts up close.

2. Serve dessert while presents are being opened. If your bride insists on wrapped presents and you want to save some time, serve dessert while she’s in the middle of opening presents. Guests may get pretty bored about halfway through the presents, and some cake and coffee service will give them the sugar and caffeine buzz they need to make it through ‘til the bitter end.

3. LIMIT THE DAMN GAMES. Sometimes it feels like the host is trying to make us play every shower game ever devised. Stop the madness. If you asked a random sample of women what they like least about going to showers, I bet the top two answers would be “watching someone open presents” and “the games.” Hey, I get it, playing games at showers is a tradition. Games can be fun, and they can be good ice-breakers. And let’s face it, people like winning prizes. But as a host, you need to limit the shower to ONE or TWO good games. I can hear you now, “Two games – what will the guests do with themselves?????” Umm, I don’t know, eat, drink, socialize with their friends, look at your charming décor, and enjoy themselves free from the stress of sampling various baby foods or pondering what candy bar is melted in that diaper?

And you thought telling your Mother-in-law that her son impregnanted you would be the most awkward moment of this pregnancy.

PS – DO NOT make guests play that baby shower game where guests have to cut a piece of ribbon to as long as they think the circumference of mom’s belly might be. I know lots of mommies-to-be who are sensitive about their weight while pregnant and just dread that game. And it’s the most awkward feeling in the universe when the guests have to try to wrap their arms around your baby bump to check if their guess was correct.

Co-Host Post

Not all Co-Hosts are created equal. Just ask Seacrest
and Dunkleman from FOX's American Idol Season One

Reality check, my dear Hostess: you only have two arms, you only get 24 hours in a day, and you can’t be everywhere at once. Therefore, your party, and your sanity, might benefit from a co-host. This post was created to tell you everything you need to know about selecting a co-host and delegating tasks to them.

Should I have a co-host?
Co-hosts are generally wonderful sources of ideas and help. Many of the ways they can be helpful are detailed below. However, not every hostess has the temperament to deal with a co-host. I can admit that there are some parties where I get very “control-freak” and just can’t stand to let anyone else lift a finger! If you know you are the type of person who feels like life is easier when you just do everything yourself, rather than explain what you want to someone, then maybe you are better off hosting all by yourself. Or if you have a vision for an event, and you really don’t care to have anyone else’s input, by all means, go it alone. You might lose friends if you enlist co-hosts just to boss them around. However, if you are willing to give up a little control, a co-host can be a wonderful addition to your party strategy.

Additionally, you may not even need a co-host for some types of parties. If you are throwing a small birthday party for a child at an off-site location such as a Chuck E. Cheese, you can probably handle it by yourself. Additionally, if you have already hired help for the party, such as a caterer or party planner, a co-host might be superfluous.

Who to choose?
There is a certain etiquette to choosing the right co-host. Picture a bridal shower you are hosting for your sister. You may want to ask the bride’s best friend or future sister-in-law, or both to co-host. As to the best friend, well, her feelings might get hurt if you don’t want her help. As to the sister-in-law, it would be a nice sign that you consider her part of your family and that you are making an effort to get to know her before the wedding day. Just consider who you "should" invite to co-host.

Practically, you want someone who will work well with you and has some skills to contribute. Do you have a particular friend who always calms you down when you get stressed out? A friend who has hosted a ton of parties and will have great ideas? A friend that has a knack for just pitching in without complaint?

Finally, and very practically, you may choose a co-host because his or her name on the invitation will be enough to get more people to show up. Let’s face it – some people are more popular than others. We get all excited when one of these “cool” people invites us to their party and wouldn’t miss it for the world. This may be important for a fundraiser, a direct sales party, or a work party. If your feeling is “the more the merrier” you may want to choose a co-host who comes with their own extensive guest list.

The Benefits of a Co-Host
1. They can bring food. Work out the menu together and divide cooking responsibilities according to skill, kitchen space, and personal preference.


2. They arrive early. Do you hate that feeling of being at your house, waiting for guests to show up, and that awkward five minutes when only ONE guest is there for you to entertain? Having a co-host means never having to wait alone.


3. Help you set up and clean up. There are always a million last minute things to do from applying lipstick, to lighting candles, to opening wine, to making sure there is a spoon in the dip. Having a co-host means being able to pawn off some jobs on someone else!


4. Last minute errands. From picking up a stranded guest to running to the store for more dry ice, your co-host can leave the house while you have to stay and wait for people to arrive. Any little last-minute emergency becomes less frantic when you have someone to pitch in.


5. Take on real responsibility. Maybe all the guests call this person to RSVP. Maybe they are in charge of the drink menu. Maybe they will plan the play list. If they've agreed to be a co-host, they are willing to accept important tasks that will make the party great. So delegate already!


5. Brainstorming. Sometimes we party hostesses get a little carried away and our “vision” for the party is actually ridiculous. It’s nice to share ideas with someone. They may have a suggestion you didn’t think about. Consider the following scenario. (Use whatever voices you want for the characters.)

You: “Don’t you think a rental bounce house would be the perfect touch to the Easter party?”
Co-host: “Well, those power lines in your back yard are going to be a problem when some four-year-old bounces into one and gets electrocuted.”
You: “Oh yeah. Let’s do an Easter egg hunt instead!”

See how disaster has been averted by a co-host?

Alternatives to Co-Hosts
If you don't care to give up control of the party and don't feel like you need any suggestions about how things are done, just ask a friend for the little help you do need without labeling them a "co-host". A friend you enlist to bring a dessert to your party is not a co-host, but they are still providing valuable help. You may also consider hiring a caterer, wait staff, a bartender, or a maid to help with pre- or post-party clean up. What you should NOT do is is ask someone to be a co-host and then USE them like hired help. A person who agrees to be a co-host agrees to a partnership. That means that their name goes on the invitations, their ideas are respected, and they don't have to do all the crappy jobs!

And some Co-Host pairings make party history.

Hopefully this post has cleared up some of the murky waters of co-hosting! What do you think? Do you like having a co-host?

Party on,
Kate

Halloween Invitations

I'm not knocking Evite - it's convenient! cute graphics! I have a head count! - but there is something about Evite that feels a little forced. Sometimes when a friend sends me an Evite, I'll sit for ten minutes trying to think of an unoffensive excuse to put next to my name in the "Not attending" column (when the real reason is that I can see that your stupid co-worker Travis just RSVPed and spending a night listening to him tell off-color jokes is my personal version of hell.)

Generally, if I'm taking the time and spending the money to have a legendary shin-dig, I want the invitation to reflect that. If it's something less legendary, like a backyard BYOB party, I'll buy some hot dogs and send an Evite. If you are planning a fancy, high-budget affair such as a wedding, there are whole books of etiquette about the invitations you'll need, and I'm not getting into all that now.

The next party I'm hosting is the best of all theme parties - HALLOWEEN!! We are expecting 45 people from multiple circles of friends. This is our second annual Halloween party and the pressure is on to make it even better than last year's event (which was SUPER FUN, especially considering that we were first-timers who didn't have many decorations yet!)

Invites needed to go out to 60 people or so. Personally, I would rather spend my party budget on better booze instead of stamps. So we did the ecological, economical thing and created a PDF invitation to email to our friends.

PROS to the E-MAILED PDF/JPEG:

• You can also print the PDF and hang it up at work, eliminating the awkward "co-worker party" email, or pass out a flyer to your neighbors.

• It's cooler and more memorable than just typing a few lines of text in an email or text message.


• The invitation will continued to be formatted that way you want, even if friends forward it to other people.


• Design will give the guests a clue about what to expect at the party.
  

Below are my invitations from this year's and last year's parties. They were both designed in Adobe Illustrator (with some Photoshop for good measure). You can also use a program like Microsoft Publisher to create similar effects. We found some inspiration by doing an Image search on Google.

Our party will be a Thriller!

We were in the middle of watching Season 1 of Dexter when we designed this one.