In 2012, with my 50th birthday approaching in January 2013, my husband offered to do pretty much anything to help commemorate the big day. I decided I wanted to spend it with friends, here at the house, with a 50’s sock hop theme (even though I wasn’t alive in the 50’s). The main reason I wanted to do this, besides the fact I knew it would be fun and easy to pull off, was because of my mom. When mom was 49 she was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), which has no known cure. At the time she was also suffering from sleep apnea which made all of her symptoms worse, and we all thought she might not live much longer (she did, thankfully, live for 4 more years!). So we threw mom a huge surprise 50th birthday party where everyone dressed up and decorated with a sock hop theme….we even had a poodle skirt made for mom that she could change in to when she got to the party. Repeating the theme for my own party and wearing my own poodle skirt that mom had made for me many years ago made me feel like she was a part of the celebration.
Even though this theme was 50’s sock hop, you can use some of these ideas and tips for any themed party you might want to throw. By making some of the decorations, buying items at the Dollar Tree, searching for bargains and using items I already owned, we were able to save money in some areas, allowing us to splurge in other areas and keeping the price of the party under control.
This is what our guests saw as they first walked in the house. I had a ton of 45’s that belonged to my mom, which I’ve added to with garage sale and thrift store finds. I found the hanging mini 45’s at Party City. These tangle easily and in my rush to decorate, got quite a few of the strands so tangled, there was no way I could get them to hang straight. Instead of throwing them out, I cut the records of the string and hung them on the wall for even more impact. For the most part, double-sided tape kept everything hanging great.
Construction paper is cheap and you can pick up a whole pad for a dollar at the Dollar Tree. Instead of spending money on a pre-made birthday greeting, I cut out Happy 50th using the construction paper. And even though my letters aren’t perfect, it still adds color and fun to the decor. I bought party blowers and confetti after New Year’s on clearance and used those for added fun. The music note on the table came from the Dollar Tree and I used pictures to show the passage of time, including a recent one, a couple from when I was young, and a picture of my mom and her siblings from her 50th party.
Two of the most helpful and important people who help make 719Woman better! Ashley, my makeover fashionista pro and sometimes cooking partner and Trig…who makes every post and video look as good as they do!
The “Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay” (on the mirrors) were cut out from black construction paper. I bought a package of black music notes at Party City for $4.93 and then traced more on black construction paper. The crepe paper was actually less expensive at Party City than it was at the dollar store….only a difference of eleven cents per package but it all adds up, especially when you’re buying multiples. I mixed up the balloons, buying the “50” balloons at Party City and the solid colored ones at the Dollar Tree. We bought a helium tank at Party City for $39.99 which aired up about 60-70 balloons…a lot cheaper than buying them already filled AND much easier than trying to transport them! My ribbon on the balloons were bought on clearance after Christmas and the tablecloths were only a dollar at the Dollar Tree (some stores wanted anywhere from $1.99 to $3.59 for the same exact ones).
This was a “splurge”….food my husband had catered from The Cliff House. I think this is the first party I’ve ever hosted where I didn’t make all the food…it was fabulous to not have to prep or cook any of it! If we had simply had pizza, I believe our guests would have still had a blast….but this was super special! I mixed up plate and napkin patterns with the “sock hop” themed coming from Party City and the plain black ones coming from the Dollar Tree. Thanks to Executive Chef Scott Savage from The Cliff House for all this delicious food.
My son (on the left) and our friend Pat (on the right), both chefs, came early and heated, plated, and basically made sure the food looked fabulous on the table, cleaning up as they worked and keeping the buffet full. They would have totally done all of this for free but we did give them a good “tip”. If you have teens or older kids who want to make some extra cash, you could have them help out this way. I can’t even tell you how nice it was to not have to “worry” about the food situation all night! Or if you have friends who wouldn’t mind taking care of this or bartending, ask them to help out.
We provided wine, sodas and my “famous” bourbon punch (that’s a Southern Living recipe and there’s never a drop left!) and asked guests to bring any other alcohol they might want to drink, which helps to keep the liquor costs down and we’ve never had guests who minded bringing something. The cups came from the Dollar Tree and can be recycled.
Thinking for “old women”, we all look pretty darn good! HA! I found these cute shoes at Payless for $19.99 and my “pony” was $24.99 from Sally’s….and I will totally wear this again, it matches my hair and it’s just fun. Two of my dearest friends, Patricia in the middle and Cindy on the right.
Our kitchen cabinets were totally covered with pictures of me, organized by the decade. I chose pics that showed all my different hairdos (and colors) and all the fashion from years past….think huge shoulder pads. All our friends loved looking at them and it was an easy way to show the passing of 50 years. We have thrown Halloween parties where we hang up pictures of guests from past parties and everyone always likes looking at them. I did the same thing when my son turned 21. It’s easy and fun. If you have a printer, another fun thing to do at parties is to take pictures of your guests, print them and send a copy home with them. Family get-togethers are other occasions it’s fun to hang up pictures from past celebrations. Everyone likes looking and making comments. Another idea that will have everyone laughing at your next party or get-together is photo shopping past pictures and displaying them….like putting a picture of grandma in leather on a Harley or photo shopping mustaches on all the women. It takes some planning but it’s worth it when your guests are laughing and looking and having fun…and it’s easy.
Everyone had a good time and to me, that’s the purpose of throwing a party…..
Our friends…Pat, me, Crystal and Eric (who came as Hugh Hefner and a Playboy Bunny-huge in the 50’s) and my hubby, who found his “letter jacket” at ARC for $7.99.
Me, Brett and his wife Kristin….loved her outfit!
To me, laughter and smiles are the best way to celebrate!
Chef Savage was out of town but his lovely wife Mel was able to join us. (Love how the background looks with the lights dimmed!)
My best friend Sarah and her husband Andrew.
Modeling one of my presents from Paul. The window clings on the windows came from Party City ($9.98 for two clings). We bought colored lights 5 years ago and add to them whenever we see something on sale. They add to every party we have.
Jr. Sous Pastry Chef at the Broadmoor, Jeremy Garcia, made my fabulous and delicious birthday cake….LOVED IT!
It was a fun-filled night, filled with laughter and friends. Hopefully you can look at some of the decor, which will spark a money-saving idea for your next party.
What a FABULOUS birthday party! And that cake, oh my!
Looks like a blast! A very Happy B-day to you Tammy!
Awesome. Wish I could have attended. Yes, gal you are a party animal!!!
Pat…I hope to be as energetic and motivated as you when I hit a couple more years!