Birthday Bash in a Flash: Tips for a Last Minute Dinner Party

Jenny and I are thrilled to welcome our friends and aspiring party planners, Danielle and Alicia who will be writing a series of guest posts about hosting the perfect gathering this spring! The four of us lived together in college and after attending some gorgeous events hosted by these two ladies over the years we asked them if they would be willing to share some tips and DIY projects on the blog. We are excited for what they have in store, hope you enjoy!

If you’re like us, every birthday, half-birthday and holiday in between is a fitting cause to go all out and celebrate life (or at least that’s what we ever-so convincingly keep telling our husbands).  But every now and again, an event sneaks up on us between the toddler, cat, job, food and laundry. For example, we found out a good friend was coming to town for her birthday and we wanted  to do-it up right for her. The problem? It was already Wednesday and nothing was planned. We decided to dress up a local restaurant for a stress-free, eye-catching birthday bash. Here are a few tips for an easy, last minute dinner party:

Go With What You Know

When you don’t have the time or space to host at your place and have a moderate sized guest list, hosting a birthday dinner at a restaurant is an easy and festive alternative…especially when you dress it up. For this particular event we picked a restaurant that we knew and loved. Phinney Market Pub and Eatery has a beautiful, long table right in the middle of the restaurant. It’s ambiance and décor work well with our style and we knew the menu would be perfect for our guest demographic. Sticking with what you know can save you precious time otherwise spent researching the décor, cost and layout of a new space. 

Create Tabletop Drama

The table is your focal point in a restaurant, but it’s important to keep it simple. You want to excite the guests when they arrive but not compete with the food. We've found the best place to start is with a few small floral arrangements. We swear by Bellevue’s Flowers for the People for a fresh take on evening floral arrangements.  Given our birthday girl’s obsession with Glassybaby’s, we used them to add a personal touch and a punch of blue-green color.

Even in a restaurant, we think place cards are a must. They quickly add décor to a table and people love seeing their own names (Instagram favorite for the night).  A fancy pen with some glitter goes a long way. For a final blast of color, we dressed up the table by using a large hole puncher to create some metallic (gold & copper) confetti accenting our coordinating colors; peaches, teals, and eggplant.

Our new obsession: 36-inch balloons. They need little else to make a statement, but adding  tassel flair never hurts.

Leave On A Sweet Note

For last minute occasions, mini cupcakes from Cupcake Royale are a fast and inexpensive way to leave your birthday guests with a sweet treat to remember the evening. Pick out cupcakes that have frosting that coordinates with your color scheme, and then place them at each place setting. If you’re Betty Crocker and have the time, making your own works too!  We feel when hosting at a venue where guests pay their own bill it’s nice to offer something-- drinks and/or desserts are a great way to show appreciation for their presence.

Quick Hostess Gifts

I've been seeing a lot of hostess gift guides in the world of blogs these last few weeks and while there are some awesome ideas out there, I am not one to a) spend 5.5 months knitting my neighbor an afghan or b) spend $250 on dirt. When I'm looking for a hostess gift to bring to a party, I want something fairly quick, but something that looks like I've put at least a little though into it. Here are three options my friend Danielle, an amazing party planner and gift giver, suggested:





Rosemary Tree
I picked this guy up for under $20 at Whole Foods and added a twine bow. These smell amazing, are wonderful to cook with and will last long enough to add a bit of greenery and cheer to your house into the bleak months of winter once your Christmas tree and decorations are gone.

Microplane & Nice Cheese
Have you ever used a Microplane? It's he best grater ever and the type of kitchen gadget that anyone can use, not just a serious chef. This guy was $18 at Whole Foods, super easy to pick one up along with a nice cheese on the way to the party.

Tea Towel Wrapped Wine
This is a quick and easy way to make it look like you put in a little more thought than just showing up with a bottle of wine. Anthropologie has some super cute towel options and Noonday Collection has some great fair trade choices too. You could just keep a couple on hand and to whip out when you need a quick gift.

Also, if your friends aren't drinkers, put a bottle of something else fun in there!




Happy holiday party hopping!

Go-to Appetizer: Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

This time of year, when we start attending a lot of family gatherings and hosting holiday get togethers, I like to have a couple of go-to appetizer recipes in my back pocket that are delicious but easy. My favorite from this year are simple goat-cheese stuffed dates. All you do is slit open fresh dates, stuff with high-quality goat cheese, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes (or until toasty) and top with balsamic vinaigrette  Wah-la!

What are your go-to recipes for the holidays? We'd love to hear in the comments!