She Blinded Me With Decorations

Ahh, here we are at last. Our hot tub time machine has brought us to the best part of any 80s themed party: the decorations and music! Might as well jump (in and get started!)!

Decorations
Since it's an 1980's party, this is a key area to focus on in order to make your party shine. Sure, lots of other sites will tell you to ask your friends to cake on the blue eyeshadow, but I think it's always a teeny bit risky to leave the fate of your party's theme in the hands of friends (especially if they're shy and don't like dressing up!). Here are a few things I did to make the night more memorable:

• Balloons




• Crazy color combinations lend themselves well to all things 80s. Here are a few sure fire ways to inject some totally rad color into your party:




• Teal, Black, White


• Hot Pink, Black White


• Neon Green, Black, White


• Peach, Mint Green, Beige


• Napkins




• Sounds crazy, right? Well I hunted around on ebay and found LOTS of vintage (unused people, unused!) napkin sets from various tv shows and movies. They don't cost much more than standard napkins, and if you get one set you can surely mix them in with solid white or neon colored ones. This was a great touch that my guests really enjoyed. I even saw a few people take a couple napkins home! The ones I purchased included:




• He-Man


• ET


• MASH


• Rainbow Brite


• Video




• I was super lucky because my venue had a dvd projector to use for free, so I took advantage of it and put together a great montage of 80s movies, tv shows, cartoons and video games which we played on repeat the entire night. I think my friends enjoyed watching Mario run by just as the Growing Pains clip ended.


• If you don't have a projector, don't worry! You can rent your favorite 80s movie or tv series from your local library and have it playing (on mute since the music is the star of the show!) on your tv in the background. I promise. It will be a giant hit!

Music
Like any decade, music of the 80s is purely iconic... everyone remembers Michael Jackson, Van Halen, Tiffany and The Cure, right? Instead of my usual list of 10 songs, here is the entire playlist I used for my birthday bash. You're so lucky to have it all in one place!

Tell us in the comments - do you have a favorite 80s song you can't live without?

Well, this brings us to the end of our 80s adventure. I hope you enjoyed the tips and if I've forgotten anything, post it below!

event planning

Our Journey Through Time Has Taken a Most Excellent Turn!

The Neverending quest for a perfect, two penny 1980s themed party continues. Today we tackle food and drink (it is Thirsty Thursday afterall)!

Food
I know you're tempted to go all out and inject the 1980s into every nook and cranny of your party, but food might be the one area where your money may not be well spent (and remenber, this is a two penny party!). Yes, it might look fun to bust out a bucket of fruit snacks, Nintendo cereal and Cool Ranch Doritos, but tone it down...just a little. Instead, serve finger foods on bright, neon colored platters to channel your 80s spirit properly and ensure the food you spend your money on doesn't go to waste.

Suggestions include:

• Chicken Tenders


• Fruit or Veggie Platters


• Hummus, Salsa and Pita Chips


• Bacon Wrapped Figs (always a crowd pleaser!)

Dessert
For dessert, I kept it short and sweet. I loaded up a few bowls filled with retro candy (jawbreakers, sweet tarts, etc.) and placed them neatly around a lovely tier of cupcakes. I was fortunate enough to work with an etsy seller named Frosted who made me 1980s themed cupcake toppers with various movie/tv/cartoon characters on them.

Drinks
Once again, while it might sound like a fun idea to load up on Bartles and James wine coolers, the novelty of it will wear off very quickly and you'll be stuck with grumpy guests. For my fiesta, I picked out some of my favorite beers (easy to find and easy on the wallet!) and a few bottles of wine (make sure you get red and white!). Also on hand, some sodas and an easy fruit punch made of juice, gingerale and ice cream kept the non-drinkers properly hydrated. (Hey, what can I say? There was a lot of dancing going on!)

Two Penny Upgrade: As an added birthday touch, I concocted a signature drink (basil gimlets with gin) which conveniently had a green tint to it. I lovingly named it "ecto-cooler" in honor of my favorite Ghost Buster, Slimer. It. Was. A. Huge. Hit.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the icing on top - the decorations and music!

event planning

The 80s Strikes Back!

If you took last week's poll, you may be pleased to know the most popular theme party was dedicated to the 1980s. (The 50's sock hop was a close second, so I'll tackle that soon!) Last year I threw an 80s bash for my birthday, so I'm excited to share my tips and tricks with you!

First things first - the invitation! As usual, I headed over to mypunchbowl.com (you know, my favorite site) and created a detailed invitation for my guests. Here it is; feel free to tweak it for your 80s fiesta!

I'm turning 30 (yikes!) and can't wait to celebrate with my fabulous friends (*nudge* that's you) at my being-a-kid-in-the-80's themed birthday party!

Members Only jacket and Jordache jeans feeling a little snug? Outgrown your hot pink jellies? No problem! Start fresh and come as your favorite 80s icon instead! Movie/tv characters, music, cartoons, toys, game shows (no Whammies aaaaand...stop!), sports stars... You get the idea. :-)

Ahhhh...the possibilities are Neverending. You know, like the Story. Ghostbusters, Marty McFly, Rainbow Brite, Johnny Quest, Inspector Gadget, Molly Ringwald, Jem (or a Misfit, their songs are better!) and the Smurfs (Gargamel, anyone?) are all welcome to party with me! I pity the fool who doesn't dress up.

Get creative 'cause the two best dressed guests (one guy, one girl) will definitely go home with very rad surprises! Seriously. They're so cool you *will* have to pry them from my paws.

Snacks will be served alongside a hosted bar.

See you there!

PS: Parking your DeLorean around the venue will be tricky, so public transportation is strongly encouraged. Especially if you'll be enjoying grown-up beverages...

Be sure to send out invites for costume parties at least 3 weeks in advance so your guests have time to assemble and perfect their outfits! My wonderful friends certainly came through - check out the totally rad costumes from the event!

Some Costume Ideas (Inspired by my wonderful friends!)

• 80s Prom Queen


• 80s Breakdancer


• 80s Tennis Player


• 80s Heavy Metal Band Member


• 80s Preppy Guy/Girl


• Vicky from A Small Wonder


• Richie Rich


• A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle


• Miami Vice


• Magnum P.I


• Mario & Luigi

Party Favors
I also started working on the party favors, which were homemade! I made party themed fortune tellers out of neon craft paper. If you haven't made fortune tellers before, here's a great tutorial. Here were mine!

Tune in tomorrow for more tips on this fabulous party! You won't want to miss it!

event planning

GreenPost Giveaway!

Last week I brought you a fabulous etsy shop - GreenPost! This week, I'm giving away a set of gift tags from her awesome shop! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post, telling me one thing you do to be green.

Be sure to use your first name and last initial so we know who you are! 

Extra entries will be given to the following:

• Tweet this contest to your followers by including #twopennyparties in your tweet - 3 entries
• Announce this contest on your blog and link back to http://www.twopennyparties.com - 3 entries
• Join Two Penny Parties' Twitter and/or Facebook Page - 2 entries

Please visit the Promotions & Contests Page for the official rules!

This contest ends May 4th, so enter today!!

event planning

Etsy Sunday Cherry on Top: baked!

According to Wikipedia,

" Yin yang are complementary opposites within a greater whole. Everything has both yin and yang aspects, although yin or yang elements may manifest more strongly in different objects or at different times. Yin yang constantly interacts, never existing in absolute stasis. "

Also according to wikipedia,

"A cookie is a sweet dessert made from flour. Cookies are made in an oven. They are also called biscuits in many English-speaking countries, except for the United States and Canada."

Hmm. Somehow, neither of those definitions describe how awesome this week's etsy seller is. Hailing from San Diego, baked creates beautiful and delicious yin-yang shaped cookies, perfect for your next two penny tea party. These would make great party favors packed in a Chinese takeout box with fortune cookies and red tissue paper, no? Check out the shop for more delicious treats!

Do you have a favorite etsy seller you'd like to showcase? Or, are you an etsy seller who's just getting started? Share your site and I'll feature it here!

Earth Day Contest Winner!!

Thank you to everyone that entered the first ever Two Penny Parties Earth Day Contest! I loved seeing the interesting ideas that came through and am pleased to present the winning idea, brought to us from Australia by Tania M. She coordinated a scavenger hunt for her daughter's 6th birthday party - check out her email since I couldn't have described it better myself! Congratulations Tania!!

Winning Entry:

My party entry is my Autumn (Fall) Scavenger Hunt, which featured at my daughter Ruby's 6th birthday party last weekend. 

Not only is it eco-friendly (recycled paper from The Border Mail newspaper where I work was used for the photo and recycled Kraft bags for collecting) but it was also 'green' and educational.

The children loved it; it was by far the most successful party game we have ever had.

My daughters and I had a great time collecting the specimens first from the park to make sure they were easy enough to find. And on the day my husband led the hunt with a few other parents (who didn't want to miss out on the fun).

When they came back, I judged everyone's bags and gave out prizes. One girl did find a feather and she was over the moon.

The left- over bags will be put to good use next Autumn when we head to the park for a play date with other friends.

Tania, I've reached out to Green Post's etsy shop and your prize should be coming soon! If you haven't already checked out the etsy shop, definitely head over there and pick up, oh, I dunno, about a million of those awesome plantable gift tags. They're unique, green, adorable and two penny party perfect!

Stay tuned for more great party tips and another contest coming your way soon!

event planning

Hooray for Birthdays!

Hi fellow partiers! I must admit, today is my birthday so I'm going to enjoy a cupcake and continue to sift through all of the wonderful Earth Day contest entries. The winner will be posted here tomorrow!

event planning

Earth Day Contest Ends Wednesday! Enter Today!!

Send us your best eco-friendly party idea (an organic recipe, a party favor, an inspiring picture, etc.) by 5pm EST on April 21st.

The top 5 entries will be featured in a special post and the grand prize will win a fabulous set of PLANTABLE gift tags from GreenPosts' fantastic etsy shop!
 

Introducing... GreenPost! A GREAT etsy shop that takes papers (junk mail, etc.) and recycles them into fabulously adorable gift tags. The added twist? Your recipient can plant them in their gardens (or windowboxes!) and grow a beautiful bunch of wildflowers!
 
Here's a perfect summary from her etsy page:

"Green Post was initially created with the intentions to re-use, recycle and upcycle all the "junk" paper that comes into my life: junk mail, useless bills, receipts, tags etc. It has now expanded to include recycling paper for other people and businesses. Paper is one of the easiest materials to work with and to recycle. Paper is everywhere and can be re-used (possibly) infinitely. I hope that my work will stand as an example for others to follow- ANYONE CAN DO WHAT GREEN POST DOES!"

Come on people, how can you NOT support something so awesome?! If you're not the lucky winner of the Earth Day Contest, don't fret! There are tons of tags available for sale on her etsy page. Check it out today!

Piñatas!

Let's cut to the chase: piñatas are great because they provide high doses of fun (and beautiful color!) to a low cost party. If you're worried about kids (and adults!) wielding a bat while blindfolded, never fear. They also make string-pull ones which have many strings hanging from them, yet only one opens the trap door to let the treats out. Brilliant, eh? You can buy them in any shape, size and color so they'll always match your party. Here are some ways to fill them!

Kids' Parties

• Wrapped Candy (Tootsie Rolls, Jolly Ranchers, Starburst and Hershey Kisses are my favorites)
• Small Bouncy Balls
• Whistles
• Plastic Jewelry (rings, bracelets, etc.)
• Yo-yos
• Play-Doh Cans (the tiny ones!)
• Stickers
• Crayons/Markers

Grown-up Parties

• Everything in the kids' piñatas plus...
• Candy (For adults, use a bag of Lindt Truffles)
• PLASTIC mini liquor bottles
• Wine Charms
• Gift Cards
• Lotto Scratch Off Tickets

Etsy Sunday Cherry on Top: T and C Bakery!

This week's etsy find is a sweet treat for you and your guests. Allow me to introduce, T and C Bakery! In addition to Oreo truffles and cookies, this lovely bakery makes fantastic birthday themed lollipops! They're hand painted and are made in either milk or white chocolate.

At less than 2 dollars each, they'd make a great addition to any birthday party table scape (ahem, I bet they'd look delicious next to the cake!) and can be sent home as party favors!

Check out the shop for more tasty treats! Do you have an etsy seller you think I should showcase? Send them over!!

Two Penny Party Games - Pictionary!

Ahh, it's Day 5. You've made it through the week, presumably exhausted from all those party games, right? Right?! Well, I've saved the best for last. Ladies & Gentlemen, Pictionary is here to save your party.

I think this video of Win, Lose or Draw pretty much sums it up. Sit back and prepare to be amazed.



Do you have any other Two Penny Party Games you're dying to share? Send them here, stat!

Two Penny Party Games - Drinking Games!

Thirsty Thursday will return to it's regularly scheduled time slot next week, but this week, let's pay homage to its distant cousin. I'd be remiss if I didn't at least add the broad category of drinking games to this list. Instead of going down the list of my favorites, I'll just point you in the direction of BarMeister, who seems to be serving up quite a selection to choose from. As always, please drink responsibly and make sure you have lots of treats on hand for your wonderful designated drivers.

If drinking's not your thing but you love playing similar games, slice up a lemon or lime and every time the game instructs you to take a shot, eat a slice of lemon or lime instead. No, it's not the same as an old-fashioned drinking game, but it's a lot more sober!

Two Penny Party Games - Charades!

Day 3 is in full swing with Charades!

This game is universally popular and can be easily played by all ages. To start, print out a list of words or phrases, cut them up and place them in a decorative basket.

Guests are split up into two teams (or three if you have a large crowd) and during their turn, players act out the words while the remaining team members guess.

Tip: If you don't have a stopwatch handy, just use the timer on the microwave!

If you're a Charades novice, here's a detailed explanation of the game. You'll love it!

Two Penny Party Games - Who Am I?

Let's jump right into Day 2's pick! If you tuned in last Wednesday, you got a sneak peek of this game in the Disney Princess posting. Who Am I? is a great ice breaker for parties (especially singles parties!) where your guests may not know each other well. Better still, it costs next to nothing to pull off!

Using either Post-It Notes or name tags (I love using those, "Hello My Name Is" stickers), write out a variety of famous, household names. Suggestions may include, Madonna, Elvis, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Aniston, Shakespeare, Snoopy etc. Stick a tag onto each guest's back and let the fun begin! Guests must approach each other and ask yes-or-no questions to determine the famous name on their back. To keep things short, guests can be limited to 10 questions... or you can let folks guess till it's time for dessert!

Either way it's a great ice breaker guaranteed to serve up lots of laughs!

Two Penny Party Games - Trivia!

Welcome to Day 1 of Party Games Week! This week, the goal is to bring you low (or no) cost party games that are guaranteed to deliver high dosages of fun to your party. Yay! Sure, you can go out and buy a million board games, but here are some two penny ideas to save your wallet instead.

Trivia
Everyone's good at something, right? Host a trivia night with a theme! Pop culture, sports, movies, music - whatever grabs your attention. You can play using Trivial Pursuit, or make up your own questions (Google is a great fact checker for questions, natch.) Be sure to have a silly gag gift on hand for the winning team. Pocket protectors with a gift card to Best Buy are always a hit!

Etsy Sunday Cherry on Top: Two Sugar Babies!

Life's hard for a dinosaur. They run through the jungle all day, chasing cavemen and fighting pterodactyls. *Sigh* There's not much else for them to do... besides look adorable on these cupcake toppers!!

Brought to us by Two Sugar Babies, these fondant dinosaurs make THE PERFECT edible cake toppers for your next dinosaur themed birthday. Oh heck, who needs a theme? Just buy them for your next anything party! Fondant toppings easily hide frosting mishaps, so your cupcakes will look flawless without effort. Check out Cupcakes 101 for more tips!

Hurry! The Ice Cream Truck's Coming!

Here's a low budget, high impact office party that's sure to raise morale without breaking the bank. For an afternoon reward on a hot day, bring in some ice cream for your crew! Ice cream socials can be costly (and messy!), so an easy and cheaper way to get around them is to buy ice cream truck inspired treats. Buy a few boxes of your favorite Good Humor treats (suggestions below) and watch the crowd go wild!

For an added touch, grab an iPod and small speakers and play Ice Cream Truck music. MP3s are available here. If your speakers are portable, definitely take advantage of it and distribute your treats on the mail cart. This low cost afternoon break is sure to turn any frowns upside down. The best part? This entire thing can be done for less than $25 dollars!
 
How's that for Two Penny Morale?
 
Ice Cream Treat Suggestions (Pick 3-4 types)

• Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Klondike Bars
• Popsicles (includes creamcicles, fudgcicles, and fruit pops)
• Drumsticks
• Haagen-Daz Bars
• Single Serve Ice Cream Cups (they come with wooden spoons!)
• Snickers Ice Cream Bars
• Chipwiches
• Pudding Pops

Thirsty Thursday: A Twist on Beer!

This week's Thirsty Thursday suggestion is plain and simple: beer. Instead of scouring the trusty internet for specific suggestions, this week I'll focus on taking a standard (preferably pale) beer and dressing it up. The beauty of this is you will win over non-beer drinkers with these simple, two penny recipies, saving you time and the trouble of whipping up alternative drinks for say, a barbecue or other low key event.

Are you with me? Let's go!

Shandy
This classic drink from across the pond consists of 1/2 lemonade and 1/2 beer (Budweiser or Coors Light works fine just fine). Sounds crazy, but tasting is believing! Add the lemonade (or lemon flavored soda such as 7-Up) to the glass first then top it off with the beer. It's quick, refreshing and delicious!

Fruit Additions
Adding citrus fruit slices such as lemons and limes are pretty common, but have you tried watermelons, apricots, raspberries, cherries or oranges? Just add a small amount to your beer glass before adding the frosty stuff. If you're using raspberries or cherries, crush them ever-so-slightly so their flavor can be absorbed.

Cheers!

Disney Princesses... All Grown Up!

I'm the first to profess my love for all things Disney. I love the movies, theme parks and characters - especially the Disney Princesses! Oh yes, Belle and the gang hold a soft spot in my childhood... and my parties! The magic of Disney means never growing up. And never growing up means you can throw a two penny Disney Princess party any time you want. Lots and lots of blogs have parties dedicated to Disney's Princess posse, but here's my twist on a standard Disney theme!

Invitations
Instead of going all fluffy and bubblegum pink, go chic and sleek. Check out mypunchbowl.com (the Two Penny preferred e-invitation maker) and create something sophisticated. Like this:

A tea party theme (inspired by none other than Alice, of Wonderland fame) works perfectly for your grown-up Disney Princess party. Food and attention to detail is what makes this party a true hit.

Drinks
Since it's a tea party, serve appetizers and, well, tea. If you're in the middle of a heat wave, a nice pot of boiling earl grey probably won't hit the spot, but fresh iced teas will! Dress up plain iced tea with mango, mint, or raspberries for the perfect afternoon refresher. Lipton has plenty of recipes here, and for an extra (grown-up) twist, add a bit of vodka. Have some juices and spahhh water on hand for the non-tea partiers. Pink umbrellas would be an excellent touch here, but they're purely optional.

Food
Keeping the Disney Princess theme in mind, here are some appetizers inspired by each of the ladies themselves. Be sure to serve them on silver and gold platters and bowls, and if you have the time, print out labels for each princess and place it next to each snack. Again, it's all about the details:

• Belle (Beauty & the Beast) - Since bookworm Belle is from France, brie and french bread is the perfect snack. Can't you just picture her eating this while she's reading a book in her provincial life? 
• Ariel (The Little Mermaid) - Goldfish crackers. Sounds simplistic, but you'll need a few bland things to throw in here and there. Think of it as a palette cleanser!
• Jasmine (Aladdin) - Hummus and baked pita chips. The genie would be oh so proud. 
• Tiana (The Princess and the Frog) - Crab dip. Very New Orleans-y. Weeeell, and they go with the pita chips!
• Mulan (um. Mulan) - Chinese Cucumber Salad. It's crisp and fresh. A perfect warm weather treat.
• Pocahontas (again, um. Pocahontas) - Roasted Corn Salad. Ahem, it also goes very well with pita chips.

Once the main appetizers have been noshed on, it's time to bring out the big guns... Snow White, Cinderella and Princess Aurora (also known by her street name, Sleeping Beauty).

• Cinderella (Cinderella!) - As an homage to her gorgeous "only-till-midnight" ride, serve a decadent pumpkin pie. Store bought will do just fine.
• Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) - If you've seen the movie, you'll know that two of her fairy godmothers can't seem to agree on the right color for her 16th birthday cake. Serve multi-colored cupcakes in their honor. 

Snow White (Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs) - By now your guests will be stuffed to the max with cake, snacks and tea, why not send them home with a party favor? Enter Snow White. Candy Apples wrapped in cellophane (or kitchen plastic wrap) and tied with a black and white bow will be the fairy tale ending to Alice's Wonderland Tea Party.

Ice Breaker Game
In case your guests don't know each other well, a game of Disney "Who Am I?" always seems to do the trick. Using Post-it notes, write down the names of princesses, villains or other Disney characters and as your guests arrive, stick them on their backs (or foreheads, whichever looks sillier!). Guests approach each other asking yes-or-no questions about their characters. Am I a person? No. Am I an animal? Yes. Am I a lion? Yes. Am I Simba from The Lion King?! Ding ding ding!

Music
Skip the sugary sweet Disney music and go for something sassier. Here's a playlist to get you started!

1) Why Can't I? by Liz Phair


2) Take it Off by The Donnas


3) You Can't Hurry Love by Diana Ross & The Supremes


4) Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, Pink, Mya & Missy Elliott


5) Rich Girl by Gwen Stefani and Eve


6) Someday by Mariah Carey


7) Around the Bend by Asteroids Galaxy Tour


8) That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings


9) Irreplaceable by Beyonce


10) Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage



Be sure to send pictures of your party! Best ones will be posted here!

Stay tuned Friday for the Two Penny Treatment of Disney Villains!

Too Easy, Two Pennies

As I was watching my favorite Monday night TV show yesterday, it dawned on me that TV watching could make for a great party! Hear me out before you head over to facebook to check your page for the umpteenth time. Invite some friends over for a quick dinner, thow on some tv, and gab away! If you can stand the suspense, tape the shows and have your friends over for a low-key Saturday night instead! Here are some thoughts:

Food
Stick with something simple. Normally I wouldn't advocate take out, but this might just be the perfect night to order Chinese food or a pizza. It's easy to serve and almost always a crowd pleaser. Plus, who wants to clean up a four course meal on a weeknight, right?

 (Photo by 1_feather)

Cherry on Top: Microwave Popcorn

TV Suggestions
Obviously, if Law & Order or Keeping up with the Kardashians is your show of choice, watch those! Here are a few watch-as-a-group friendly shows to flip through:

• American Idol
• NBC's Thursday Night Line Up (Community, Parks & Recreation, The Office, 30 Rock)
• Chuck
• The Real Housewives of Whatever County
• LOST
• CSI (pick a city!)
• Ugly Betty
• Desperate Housewives
• 24

Stay Tuned...

Next week's posts will be devoted to the bestest two penny party games so be sure to tune in each day for some top notch ideas! Do you have any low cost, high fun party games?

Send your suggestions over today and see if they make the list!

(Photo by KillR-B's)

Etsy Sunday Cherry on Top: Twillypop!

Spring 2010 (that's the hipper sounding twenty-ten, not two thousand and ten) is all about girly, vintage-y fashion. Florals are in and so are bold colors and fresh cuts. This week's etsy seller Twillypop, offers jewelry in just that style! Her stuff makes the perfect gift for a spring birthday (just make sure you pick a color you love so you can borrow the necklace constantly!).

Strands of pearls strung together with ribbon... these Ribbon Necklaces are genius! Wouldn't this necklace would look perfect with a simple t-shirt and some great denim jeans? The answer is a resounding yes!

Check out her shop for more jewelry in bold colors that are guaranteed to match everything. But go soon, because I might just go buy everything first!

Do you have an etsy seller you adore? Well, what are you waiting for? Send it this way so we can feature it already!

Thirsty Thursday: Peroni

Readers, meet Peroni. Peroni, meet your future fans. This week's Thursday pick pairs perfectly with all things March Madness. This pale lager is crisp and light, making it pizza's best friend. Weeeellll, pizza has a lot of friends, this just happens to be a tasty Italian one. Check out the March Madness Pizza Party post from Tuesday for more pairing information!

Do you have a Thirsty Thursday suggestion? Send it over!