The very first party will be “Shameless Self Promotion”. A birthday party for me! As far as my parties go it is pretty straight forward. Not really themed---just going for colorful and happy. My house is set up for parties in ways that others may not be. I have 26 hooks in my dining room ceiling. I have people ask, “Do you know that you have hooks in your ceiling?” This situation is very unlike having spinach in your teeth. Yes, I know. I put them there. Often it is followed by the inevitable, “Why?” For years I taped things on the ceiling for parties. The upkeep on this was repainting a couple of times a year. This seemed like a more elegant solution. So to “Why?” my best answer is “Why not?”




It may also be fairly evident that I like lanterns. They are colorful and happy (criteria #1 and #2 from above). Also they are reusable and store very easily. Balloons make me a bit nervous so I tend to use them judiciously. They are stinky, people can be allergic, and I read recently that the world’s helium supplies will be depleted in about 8 years. Having a party is decadent enough I want to be mindful about not generating a lot of waste or depleting resources in the process. I will try to use non-disposable tableware when possible. I will recycle decorations/components as I am able. I have also been known to create food that matched the theme of the party, but I know no one will eat. I will keep an eye on that too.