Party Planning Do's and Don'ts !

Hi all! Esty here on a Sunday. 

Recently my friends and I have had multiple occasions to celebrate, thank god. With all the birthdays, milestones, and get-togethers, a partnership with Paperless Post couldn't have come at a better time! 

Paperless Post is a company that designs customizable online and printed stationery, to show that communication can be personal and well-designed regardless of the medium.

Paperless Post has partnered with several world-famous designers and lifestyle brands, including kate spade new york, Oscar de la Renta, Jonathan Adler, and Rifle Paper Co., and has delivered over 85 million cards to date.

Above is a screenshot of the cover of an invitation I designed. As it turns out, my mom had used Paperless Post for my brother's Bar Mitzvah just a year ago! We had fun comparing notes and playing with all the beautiful options offered by the platform. 

So in honor of the opportunity, I decided to put together some Do's and Don'ts I learned from my recent spree of hosting and party-going. 

Do it together. I organized a surprise party for my boyfriend and 3 good friends volunteered and helped me so much that I wondered how I even thought about doing it on my own. (Mind you, I'm talking about a simple BBQ and cake get together) 

Don't be too upset if it's not exactly a surprise. That's hard to do these days. They'll have fun and love it all the same. 

Do invite a lot of people. (Ones you genuinely like, yes?) There's never a night that everyone can make it, and you usually err on the side of caution when making food, meaning you have enough. Also, the more the merrier! I was stingy on who I invited once and regretted it later. 

Don't worry about different friend groups and social circles. It's weird in the beginning but then great. Introduce people - most have fun and thank you for it later. And if they don't want to mingle? That's fine too. 

Do make sure everyone has a friend. You (the host) can't be the only one a guest knows, as you'll be running around a lot. Have them bring a +1 if needed.

Do have music. No-brainer. And yet, a mistake I once made. And let your friends DJ. It serves as a great activity. 

Don't buy everything! Put aside the time and enlist a friend or two and you'll find yourself saving a lot of money making things you would have bought prepared. For example, instead of buying ready-made skewers, my friends helped me buy chicken pullets and cut them up and make our own! We added vegetables and made them fancier, yummier, and cheaper. 

Do allow your guests to bring something! Don't expect them to, but if they offer, great! People like to contribute, especially to smaller, low-key and more intimate get togethers. It can be something simple, like candy or a dessert. It saves you money and work, widens your variety and allows your guests to feel more a part of the event. Besides, complementing each other's stuff is good conversation starting. 

Do (cuz there are definitely more do's than don'ts in parties) have a little something to do. I was at a friend's just last night and we played Kahoot - this quiz that everyone connects to on their phones. You need to prepare it in advance and a projector. Sooo fun, great for all ages. It's simple and easy and free. 


So that's it folks! I hope you check out Paperless Post here and have a wonderful event! 
Esty

My Magical, British Room

Hey all! Eight months ago I moved a town with my family, and while you'd think 8 months is enough time to finish organizing and unpacking your room- I guess it isn't for me. *cue monkey covering eyes emoji*. As I'm only home every other weekend or so, I'm still choosing furniture and decorating.

So naturally, when I heard about Loot Crate's fun project, I had no problem coming up with ideas! Loot Crate is a crate subscription service that sends out all different kinds of pop culture theme crates. Different aspects of pop culture they tackle are movies, games, TV shows, books, anime, pro-wrestling, etc. Every month they send out a box of 4-6 cool items with more than $50 value! Recently they've been asking everyone to put together a list of what your dream crate would look like- and they may even make one a reality! 

As you can see from my blog theme, I love London. Be it Sherlock's home town, or the city The Infernal Devices takes place in, or because in it is King's Cross station that first takes Harry to Hogwarts- I've always been enchanted by this city. As I started to brainstorm and google things for my dream crate, it fused with my shopping list for my bedroom and behold, here is some English- themed merch I'd love to have. 



1. London Bridge bookends - I desperately need something nice to hold up the books on my shelves, and what better idea for bookends than a bridge? 

2.  Big Ben clock - what's more appropriate than a clock to represent London?

3. Rainy curtains- every local I've ever spoken to ABSOLUTELY HATES the constant rain in London, but as curtains that can be open and closed at will I think it's beautiful. 

4. Gryffindor hangings - while there are many great soccer clubs that are easily identifiable as British and are well-loved, I am a book lover who grew up on Harry Potter and my room is not complete without this. 

5. Harry Potter lights - I PROMISED myself I wouldn't be so typical and make my whole list about Potter, but I can't help it on this one. I mean, who wouldn't want to light up their bedrooms with a row of floating candles?? That's what I thought. Barring that, I absolutely loved the following stickers. 


So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, my Dream Crate! Go crazy with your own and let me know in the comments! 

Have a wonderful week and wish me luck in my roommaking, 
Esty