OK, you finally have your date set and your best gal pals invited! If you don’t, then go back and read Part 1 of “You’re My Favorite” blog series and all of the setup details are there for you in three easy steps!
Now what? This is my favorite part, deciding on the decorations and food! I always create a signature cocktail for events, it ties in the whole theme and makes a great impression on guests. For the Galentine’s Day Favorite Things Party, I wanted to make a drink that was simple and pink with hints of red. I decided to mix pink lemonade, sprite and of course Champagne and it accomplished all of my goals of being simple and delicious. Frozen fruit is also another great way to add color to your drink, keeps it cold and it won’t dilute the drink. I’ve made a cheat sheet for you to save for your next event, just right click and save!
Each guest brought their favorite dish (appetizer or dessert) and I decided to make my meal prep super simple by outsourcing custom sugar cookies. I have a friend who has her own cookie business, Sweets by Elise, and she makes cookies almost too beautiful to eat! Having a signature dessert that went with the theme of the party was totally worth it because my guests just loved the “we go together like” themed cookies. It was definitely a conversation starter!
And true confession time, I had great intentions of making Larry’s Famous Pinwheels, but I flat just ran out of time. This is one thing I’ve learned about hosting, I just don’t stress out anymore. If I can’t make a dish or the decor isn’t perfect, I go with it because at the end of the day it’s all about friendship and getting together to celebrate life. Trust me this wasn’t overnight, but I’ve learned to just go with the flow. Making the pinwheels are super simple: in a large bowl mix together two 8 oz cream cheese with a jar of hot pepper bacon jam (this stuff is so good I could lick it out of the jar), spread the mixture over a large tortilla and roll it up like sushi. Slice into bite size pieces of heaven, put in the fridge to cool and serve right before your guests arrive… they wont be able to stop eating them, I promise! And here’s a cheat sheet for later…
Ok y’all, I have to brag about the decor, I set a small budget for this party since it wasn’t scheduled too far out from the crazy holiday season. I did some bargain shopping and I had tons of fun getting great deals on party supplies. It was almost a game to see how cheap I could get… I know that sounds crazy. On Valentine’s Day I went to Dollar Tree and found tissue paper balls, red plastic silverware and gift bags. They have really stepped up their party supply aisle and they will now be my go to place for basics. I used mason jars to hold silverware and chalk board signs to write cute valentine’s messages. And the big deal of the day was my $4 find on the Marquee letters at Hobby Lobby. They put the lights on clearance and I luckily found an “X” and “O”, major score! The deals are out there, it’s just a matter of time
Join me next week when I reveal a complete product list of all of the gifts my friends brought to the Galentine’s Day Favorite Things Party! Spoiler alert, beauty products stole the show! I will also share with you a beautiful hostess gift I received from a friend that literally took my breath away and made me cry… no joke if was truly amazing.
xx Jennifer
