Months ago I thought about how I'd like to celebrate my birthday. I thought it would be nice to celebrate with Meg, who turns 40 on the 27th. So, I presented the idea to her with a theme - Roaring Twenties! She accepted the challenge and added that we should incorporate gambling in some way.
For about six weeks I obsessed about the party. I bought five affordable (real cheap on Amazon) dresses, and none were quite right. Fortunately, I was able to sell one each to Amanda and Christina, saving them from the trouble. Two more were returned (now what to do with that leftover one). Finally, I decided to go for it and splurged on a dress off Etsy. You only turn 40 once, right?
I researched how to do my hair right, and my make-up, I searched for just the right shoes. I searched for decoration ideas as well as the cheapest places to find items to help with those decorating. I looked up phrases used in the era, quotes from The Great Gatsby, and searched for and downloaded art deco fonts with which to make signs to put up all over the house.
Mom was a huge resource, as always, loaning me anything silver or glitzy that I could fit in my car.
Meg and I would talk regularly about our plans. What drinks did we want to serve? We landed on "signature cocktails" The Taurus (Kir Royale) was her choice and The Aries (Mojito) was mine. Her husband Aaron took over the bar tending.
I rented a table for a song to be the poker table, and we re-arranged the house completely to accommodate it. I set-up a photo booth upstairs and made a trade with an acquaintance - a night of heating and distributing the food in exchange for a family photo session. I also decided I'd take the night off from shooting and hired my student photographer to cover the evening. That was money well spent. For a student, in tight quarters with a really tough environment to shoot in, Allie did a fine job. And I enjoyed not worrying about taking any pictures at all.
Meg showed up Friday afternoon just as I was arriving home from three days away for a BU trip to photograph and alum in New Orleans. We went straight to BJs to search for all our necessities, and as we wrapped up there we looked at each other and agreed, we were both exhausted! No time for that though, still too much to do.
On Saturday we decorated and garden lights, and went for more provisions. Mike assembled the fire pit I got for Christmas, made wine and ice runs, among other things. Aaron joined us in the late afternoon and began to set everything up.
In the end, the place looked great and I think all 35 or so of our guests had a great time. The food was great, the drinks were delicious, the 20s era music was fun, the poker table was full, the fire outside roaring and s'mores being made too.
After everyone left around midnight, Meg mentioned something about Turn Down For What and Aaron proceeded to find the song and crank it. Meg and I danced around, running on fumes, in our fancy dresses.
Meg's family has a tradition of picking a Rose, Thorn and Bud tradition. Meg's Rose was pulling off our party without a hitch. Her thorn was that she was hungover for 3 days following the party, and her Bud was doing it again in ten years.
Sounds good to me.
Happy 40th to me and Meg! from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.
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