Welcome Back

The last thing you need to worry about when hosting a party is the music. That's why it's incredibly important to set aside time before the party begins to create a playlist. Oftentimes I delegate the song selection to a more musically inclined friend like BuzzSugar so I can focus on the other aspects of the party (invitations, food, drinks, decor, etc.). But if you have to make a soundtrack yourself for a party like the welcome back one I am hosting tomorrow make sure you have several hours of good tunes to groove and converse to. For my musical choices (ok with help from Buzz!) read more

When hosting a welcome back party use the location where the guest of honor is returning as your inspiration. For example, I'm planning a welcome back party for my gal pal and the event will ooze all things San Francisco. To get the theme started I sent out watercolor map invitations, created a menu consisting of recipes by famed local chefs and will serve up sangria and clerico inspired by the wine country. San Francisco was the first city in the US to ban the use of plastic grocery bags, making it one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the nation. I'll take this as my cue and create a super easy eco chic incorporating shades of forest, olive, and key lime. To see how I'm making over my living room and patio, read more

Know someone who is coming back from a stint away? Host a welcome back in their honor! I'll be doing that for the return of my dear friend Melissa with a San Francisco themed cocktail party. Melissa has created a guestlist, and I made/sent the invitations through email. The soiree will be at my home and all of the food will be local, fresh ingredients that highlight the SF Bay Area's most delicious dishes. Wine country will serve as the inspiration for the drinks, but if you think I'm taking the easy way out by pouring bottles of wine, think again! I'll be offering two types of sangria the classic red and a refreshing white wine version (known as clerico). Even if you are not hosting a welcome back party, your summer will not be complete without these sangria recipes so, read more

My girlfriend Melissa is moving back to California and I'm in charge of planning her welcome back party. This morning I made invitations inspired by the route Melissa and her boyfriend will travel from Seattle to San Francisco. Now I have to put together a menu of passed appetizers that includes both vegetarian and meat-friendly hors d'oeuvres. The party not only celebrates the return of my friend, but it also highlights the local cuisine, culture, and atmosphere of the area that Melissa has desperately missed for the last two years. I'll be buying all of the ingredients for the menu at the farmer's market to ensure the produce is local and the cheese artisan. I'll use recipes from some of the Bay Area's most celebrated chefs so check out what I'll be cooking, just read more

A welcome back party is one of my favorite types of parties. While annual celebrations are always fabulous, a welcome back is about the joyous return of a much missed friend. Whether your sister is coming back from a year long study abroad, or your friend is moving home after graduating from college, a welcome back party is a wonderful way to warmly embrace their move back to your every day life. One of my best friends, Melissa, is moving back to San Francisco after living in Seattle for 2 1/2 years. I hosted her going away and it's only fitting that I host her extravagant welcome back. So come party with me and read more