Well, my half birthday party was last Thursday and it was fabulous fun! Since I gave you all of the pre-party details, I thought I'd take you behind the scenes of the sweet soirée. Here's my post-party thoughts, as well as a closer look at the party. Enjoy!
With its brick walls, shabby chic chairs, and outdoor smoking cage, the decor at Rye is moody, yet friendly. I'll add my own touches to make the ordinary Thursday feel more like a party. However, I'm not going overboard, I want the look of my half birthday to be simple, yet cool. Faux crocodile paper in magenta doubles as placemats. The snacks are served on large white plastic trays. Clear glass votives sparkle when filled with shiny rhinestones. Nestle the candle carefully on top of the rhinestones. Mini bowls will hold an assortment of pink M&Ms and vases will be filled with pink daffodils.
The best thing about hosting your half birthday party — or any party — at a bar is that you don't have to worry about the drinks! My soirée is at Rye — a bar that specializes in classic cocktails made with fresh and fabulous ingredients. Guests can choose and order what they feel like drinking. Rye offers specialty cocktails, wine, and beer.
I will most likely drink their basil gimlet at the happy hour. A lovely blend of fresh basil and lime, this is a refreshingly light cocktail. To see how it's made, read more
At all of my parties I like to provide guests with a sweet treat even if it is only a small bite. At my half birthday — besides filling bowls with M&Ms which is signature to all my events — I will make one refreshing dessert: white chocolate and lime cheesecake bars.
Instead of cutting the bars into squares, I'll use a cookie cutter to cut out circles making mini cheesecakes. To emphasis the half theme, I will cut the circles in half and serve mini half cheesecakes! For the recipe, read more
Since I am hosting my half birthday happy hour at a bar that does not serve food, I plan on making some snacks for my friends to enjoy. However, before I thought about the menu, I spoke to the owner of Rye and asked if I could bring in the food. After receiving his permission, I decided to keep things simple and elegant. I won't have access to an oven so the appetizers will be cold or at room temperature. An assortment of half sandwiches — brie and pesto, ham and gouda, shrimp salad — will be served on mini brioche buns.
Other savory bites include roast beef grissini and gruyere thyme crackers. For the recipes to these scrumptious hors d'oeurves, read more
As crazy as it sounds, I have — for as long as I can remember — always celebrated my half birthday. In my opinion a half birthday is a great excuse to have a fabulous time. The most important thing to remember when hosting a half birthday party is that it's not your real birthday, therefore the shindig should not be more extravagant than your birthday was six months ago. Keeping that in mind, I'm inviting all of my friends to meet me at my favorite bar for happy hour on a Thursday night. To see how I made the invitation, read more
