A Glam 40th Birthday Party

Turning 40 definitely calls for an extra special celebration! Thanks to the help of some great friends and fellow Hoopla gals Heather & Jen, my 40th birthday soiree was full of glitz and glam plus fabulously festive details in some of my favorite colors—pink & gold! Lauren Oliver Photography captured the magical night spent with some of the most important people in my life.

Forty is a milestone birthday, and I certainly didn’t want the day to come and go without some pomp and circumstance. Originally, I hoped my family and I might be able to sneak away for some Arizona sun and some quality family time. With crazy work schedules making it difficult to get away, I abandoned that option in favor of celebrating closer to home. Some sweet friends convinced me that a party was in order. Being a party stylist by profession, how could I let them down?

Once the planning began and I had settled on pairing pink and gold with some dazzling glitter accents, I contacted one of the creative talents behind Anders Ruff, and Maureen began the designs for a gorgeous save the date card, invitation, rsvp card and coordinating décor set.
The celebration was perfect. From a limo ride with close friends, to drinks on the beach with girlfriends to a cocktail party and dancing with more friends and family, I truly couldn’t have asked for a more perfect night. Mingling with family and friends I adore was the best way to turn 40!

The celebration space was beautiful! A little glitz, a little glamour paired with some of my favorite things made party magic. Beautiful tables were set with lovely peony filled centerpieces from Stems Floral Design. In my world, turning 40 definitely calls for a little confetti. How fun is the tabletop confetti from Tutus & Bowties? Notice the coordinating confetti garland and flowers on the fireplace mantle. Stunning! Sparkling glitter votive candles from Always The Occasion added to the celebratory atmosphere, both on the mantle and the tables.

Guests dined on a lovely assortment of appetizers and finger foods. From meatballs with brandy and roasted shallots to seasonal fresh fruit & veggie trays to crab stuffed mushrooms and an imported cheese platter, there was plenty to munch on throughout the night. Folded food tent cards from Anders Ruff's collection helped guests to easily identify all of the food choices.

As a party stylist, one of the things I love designing most is a beautiful dessert table. This was definitely more easily accomplished by some wonderful companies who created absolutely gorgeous décor & edible masterpieces. White tablecloths provided a simple canvas upon which a glamorous gold sequined table runner rested & beautiful tassel garlands from Pom Joy FUN were strung. Color coordinating jumbo balloons with matching balloon tassels (Pom Joy Fun) provided a festive & glamorous backdrop. More lovely fresh floral arrangements from Stems Floral Design added charm and elegance. I loved the touch of glam with the gold rhinestone wrapped vases.

The gold glittered framed (Stems) dessert bar menu alerted guests to the delicious sweet treat options. It’s hard to pick a favorite. There were scrumptious cake bites and cake pops from 4 Kids Cakes, made even more impressive with gold shimmer sticks from Painting Paris Pink. Delicate macarons (also by 4 Kids Cakes), in party colors, looked lovely on a ruffled stand. White chocolate covered Oreos with a beautiful chevron design were masterfully prepared by Sweets & Treats Design Studio. And don’t forget the custom sugar cookies by The Sugar Canvas Boutique Bakery. How does one choose amongst so many beautiful creations?

A cocktail party wouldn’t be a cocktail party without some drinks! An impressive bar area was established and made festive with a sparkly gold “cheers” banner by Four 13 Designs. We created a signature cocktail for the evening—Sparkletini Pink Lemon Drop. It was fun serving up our custom creation on a beautiful serving tray from Cupcake with Character. Each drink was embellished with a custom gold dot straw (The Sunshine Villager) with a custom party flag from Anders Ruff’s collection. Cheers!

Because our party was planned to carry on well into the night, we also planned for a fun “late night menu”. Don’t you just love the custom menu by Anders Ruff? Celebrating works up an appetite and we wanted guests to be able to nibble all night long. We served up: burger sliders, coconut prawns with plum sauce, chicken wings, beer brat bites and golden French fries in cute chevron cups from our shop!

Besides eating, chatting and mingling, we danced the night away to both songs from the 80s and the latest hits! The DJ had to laugh as he played “Let it Go” from Frozen and the dance floor was packed with all the ladies. Having all heard this song so many times from our children, we could all recite it. So many precious memories were made that night! It felt wonderful to be surrounded by so many dear friends and family members.

Fellow women can appreciate just how important girlfriends are! I wanted the special women in my life to know how much I cherish our friendship and how much they each mean to me. As a parting gift, each was given a “Friends Make Life Sparkle” sign by SG Sign Co. to remind them of their enriching influence in my life.

Celebrating a 40th birthday couldn’t have been more fun or memorable! I hope the year ahead is just as blessed.

Hoopla Events- Event Styling
http://www.hooplaevents.net
Hoopla Events- Polka Dot Cocktail Napkins, Chevron Baking Cups holding French Fries
http://www.etsy.com/shop/hooplaevents
Lauren Oliver Photography- Event Photography
http://www.lauren-oliver.com
Anders Ruff- Printables- Save the Date, Invite & RSVP Card, Cocktail Signs, Straw Tags, Favor Tags, Menu Cards
http://www.andersruff.com
4 Kids Cakes- Cake Pops, Cake Bites and Macarons
http://www.4kidscakes.com
Painting Paris Pink- Gold Shimmer Sticks for Cake Pops
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaintingParisPink
Sweets & Treats Design Studio- White Chocolate Covered Oreos
http://www.sweet-designstudio.com
The Sugar Canvas Boutique Bakery- Custom Sugar Cookies
https://www.facebook.com/TheSugarCanvas
Pom Joy FUN- Balloon Tassles and Tassle Garland
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PomJoyFun
Always The Occasion- Glitter Votives
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Alwaystheoccasion
Tutus & Bowties- Confetti Garland and Table Confetti
http://tutusbowtiesevents.com
Four 13 Designs- Gold Cheers Banner
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Four13Designs
Cupcake with Character- White Melamine Serving Tray with Gold Glitter
http://www.cupcakewithcharacter.com/
Stems Floral Design- Floral Design & Gold Glitter Frames
http://kricketc543.wix.com/stems
SG Sign Co. - “Friends Make Life Sparkle” Signs
https://www.facebook.com/SgSignCo
The Sunshine Villager- Gold Dot Straws
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSunshineVillager