I will fully admit – I am a Momma’s girl. Always have been always will be. So when it came time to celebrate my mom’s 50th birthday, I knew I wanted to throw her a memorable birthday celebration with all of her family and friends that mean so much to her. And although her 50th birthday party was over 3 years ago, it is still one of the most cherished memories I have with my mom.
The surprise birthday celebration was orchestrated by me with help from my mom’s best friend, better known as Aunt Mary and of course with support from my Dad. When planning the party, the first order of business was to pick a theme and color palette. I wanted to steer clear of anything dark, dreary and “over the hill” and really wanted to pick something that reflected my mom’s cheerful personality.
We decided on a Madhatter’s theme with an array of bright jewel tone colors. The theme was brought to life through a gorgeous topsy turvy cake created by a local vendor. The patio was strung with dozens of colorful paper laterns and the tables were decorated with jewel tone satin table runners. Other decorations included: colorful balloons, DIY photo garland, floral centerpieces with a glittered “50”, white chocolate sprinkle pretzel rods and of course we supplied extra hats for anyone who didn’t come dressed for the occasion.
But the element of the party that made it even more memorable were posters with quotes from my mom hung throughout the house. But these weren’t just any old quotes. These sayings are better known as “Sharon-isms”. A “Sharon-ism” is a funny mixed up cliché that Sharon, aka “mom” uses in everyday life.
For example:
“I don’t want to rock the feathers” =
“I don’t want to rock the boat” + “I don’t want to ruffle the feathers”
As you can imagine, this was a great conversation starter and many of the guests shared a laugh together since most had experienced a Sharon-ism at some point during their friendship with my mom. It brought a smile to everyone’s face, but most of all it brought a smile to the face of the one who mattered most on this day – my mom!
When planning a party, I truly encourage you to think about what is unique about the person you are celebrating and find a way to weave it into your theme and decorations. I guarantee this will make your party so much more memorable and will mean so much to the person you are celebrating!
Ryan says
I was lucky enough to attend this wonderfully thoughtful and successful party for mama Sharon. The details all throughout the decor, food, drinks, conversation starters, theme, and so on really made it a personalized party that Sharon and all of her loved ones will never forget. I appreciated the theme of Madhatters because this was a fun and festive way for everyone to participate and really get into the celebration. As always, wonderful job Tara!