Last week i had some friends in to celebrate the New Year! You might be scratching your head a bit…I realize it’s a little late for a countdown party, but better late than never I say! During all the festivities of the Christmas holiday I realized there just wasn’t time for me to squeeze in a New Year bash…but I rarely follow entertaining rules so I decided to go ahead and have a past-due “Girl’s Night In” gathering to not just celebrate the arrival of 2017, but our friendships as well! And I even added a touch of early Valentine fun to this little event…nothing wrong with combining the best of both celebrations! Another fun twist to this girly gathering…I invited everyone to show up in their sweats or jammies! Girlfriends, pink drinks, sweet treats, & jammies…it doesn’t get better than that! So have a peek at how simple it can be to have a special night in with friends! It’s always fun when you serve up…
cupcakes & cocktails!
even though this was a comfy and casual party, i still wanted to go a little bigger with the festive touches…it was a New Year party after all! and since everyone was bringing an appetizer or favorite, non-bubbly beverage to share, i could spend a little more time focusing on the sweets, bubbly options, AND the decorations! i gussied up my bar cart with some simple supplies that look grand when displayed all together…
paper globes look so cheerful spilling out from the bottom shelf of the cart. it’s an effortless addition that really pumps up the festive-factor! i keep an under-the-bed storage box filled with all my leftover globes that are still in good condition. i now have a pretty good collection of colors and holiday patterns flattened out in that storage container! it’s a great way to save some serious cash if you don’t have to go buy extra supplies…or at least not buy that many! all i did was pick my colors, put them back together, and scatter them about! then to add more color and sparkle, i tied some ombre tassels to the front of the cart and wrapped it loosely with white & pink fairy lights…
i filled the cart with some sweet sips for the occasion: champagne, chocolate wine, and pink malt beverage cocktails…
i’m still in love with the big mirror that stands behind my bar cart! i found it at the endless yard sales a few years ago and gave it some much needed TLC. it looks so festive draped with white lights and a “bubbly bar” banner! and it was easy to add some Valentine touches with paper hearts and arrow clips that are simply attached to the cords!
i always serve plenty of non alcoholic choices when throwing a party. good old H2O is a must but since this was a “bubbly” celebration some sparkling Lacroix waters were perfect! i chose all the flavors that came in pink cans! and nothing makes a beverage seem more festive than serving it with a fun, paper straw!
i made some strawberry chocolate cupcakes, popped some festive toppers on, and scattered them throughout the treat tables! they were a sugary and PINK accompaniment to the bubbly!
it was really hard to resist these macarons in shades of pink! one of my favorite sweets!
i just loved the message on these New Year napkins and had been waiting a LONG time to use them!
the buffet, which is just steps away from the bar cart, holds the sparkling waters, bite-size treats, and one of the stands filled with cupcakes! the Valentine’s Day decor is front and center on this display! i really enjoy having the opportunity to decorate with plenty of pink! (something that doesn’t happen often in a house full of boys!)
so if you feel like you’ve missed the boat on a certain holiday celebration…don’t! even if it’s a little on the late side, who cares? combine it with the next holiday, or just be fashionably late…never pass up an opportunity to mingle with those you love! i hope you found some inspiration for your next gathering…so you can call up your friends and
bring on the bubbly!
bubbly bar banner, ombre tassels, cupcake picks, coasters, & napkins all from HomeGoods; arrow clips, heart & tassel garland, xoxo garland, “love” stir-sticks, and twinkle lights from Target; glitter cupcake wraps from Simply Baked
check out the crafty blog stalker for plenty of inspiration!