7 Fabulous Parties I Am Dying to Throw Someday!

I often daydream about throwing parties. (Hey, you know you do it too!) There are tons of parties I have been dying to prepare for but have put off due to lack of time, resources, inspiration, occasion, space, or any combination of the above. And then there is the constant interruption of holidays I “just have to” decorate and party plan for. I keep saying “when I get a bigger apartment” or “when I get the right group of friends who will make this theme really fun,” but it seems like the list of parties just keeps growing and all of the other factors i.e. space and time, remain constant.

Some parties I am dying to throw are topical or based on something I’m really into at the time. But there are others that I have been dying to throw forever, I have just lacked the motivation, inspiration or resources to actually execute them. If you are anything like me you have a list like this too so read mine after the jump then feel free to add your list in the comments!

1. Twilight Movie Watching Party

I recently became Twilight obsessed in November when my friend Kate brought me a bag with all four books and demanded that  “read these!” It only took me about three weeks to sail through all four books AND Midnight Sun, the partially complete tale of Twilight from Edward’s perspective. My friend Tiffany and I unashamedly attended the midnight release party for the DVD at Borders a few weeks ago and we have been talking about getting together to watch it ever since.

Why I haven’t done it yet…

Timing and inspiration have been the only things holding me back on this one. With the recent inspiration from Jen at Hostess Blog, I have nothing holding me back! In fact, when I sent the Hostess Blog link to my other Twilight-crazed friends I immediately had three unofficial RSVPs (I hadn’t even set a date yet!) and offers to help host. The only mystery that remains: Why is this considered a teeny-bopper book?! I thought it was way mature and any 13 year old of mine would not be allowed to read it!

2.”Who done it?” Murder Mystery Party

My sister’s senior year in high school her the mom of her best friend (and one of our best family friends), Mrs. Doering, threw an awesome murder mystery party her daughter and their classmates. Everyone was mailed an invitation and given instructions on their “character” and how to dress/act. Throughout the evening, drinks, dinner an dessert the plot unfolded and left the guests guessing “who done it.” To this day, all of my sister’s friends still talk about the party and how much fun it was.

Why I haven’t done it yet…

This is one of those parties that I have been waiting for the perfect occasion and right group of people who would really have fun with it. It also takes a lot of prep work in assigning characters and fleshing out the plot. Mrs. Doering kept all the info from her party and has offered to let me use it which would help, but it still takes a lot of work. Invitations in advance is not usually something I do for my parties. I’m an evite addict. Plus the hostess knows the plot and has a key roll in the production so I have been trying to figure out how I could balance that on top of all the usual hostess duties (food prep, serving, drinks, etc.).

3. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Couryard Bash

I live on the first floor and outside my apartment I have a lovely, newly landscaped courtyard complete with a huge gas grill and picnic table. Since the yard has been re-landscaped I have met so many more of my “back door” neighbors, especially those on the first floor. It is a cozy U-shaped area with four floors of units with balconies facing into it. I can imagine perfectly how it would look with big round party lights strung across it and lined with tiki torches. I think it would be a great “Welcome to Summer” party and a great way to get to know more people in my complex!

Why I haven’t done it yet…

There are so many people invited/involved it would take a lot of planning and collaboration, especially with fellow first floor friends since it would be our bathrooms/kitchens/living rooms that would be open to everyone. There are about 50 units that face in our courtyard, making for a pretty large guest list. I have envisioned a sort of pot-luck BBQ dinner with burgers, dogs, etc. to reduce costs but to do it the way I want to would involve bringing in tables and chairs.  Also, I don’t know if we’d have to let our apartment complex know about it.  Any suggestions?

4. Sophisticated Wine Tasting

All of my “wine tasting” parties end up turning into “wine drinking” parties. I’d love to actually hide the labels, guess which are most expensive, and have everyone rate the wines. It would be fun to have people actually learn something and have a good time!

Why I haven’t done it yet…

I’ve tried; it just hasn’t worked out! It will take more planning/coordination than I have attempted in the past. Someday my friends and I will mature and begin to appreciate the unique taste of our wines but until then, we’ll have fun drinking out of a box and watching the Bachelor!

5. Bridal Shower & Baby Shower

I cannot wait for one of my good friends to get married or pregnant so that I can throw a shower for them! I am constantly seeing tons of great inspiration from all my favorite blogs but I have no occasion to use the themes I see!

Why I haven’t done it yet…

Simple. None of my best friends are getting hitched or knocked up!

6. Eco-Fabulous Party

Going green is all the rage right now and I’m dying to put my creativity to use in throwing an eco-friendly party! I have to admit that I’m far from the perfect example of living green but I have picked up a few good practices. For instance, I don’t remember how I lived pre-reusable grocery bags. (I now use Whole Foods recycled plastic bags; they are durable and hold so much more than those dinky plastics bags!) I’m excited to throw this party because it will challenge my creativity and ingenuity!

Why I haven’t done it yet…

Let’s face it, being green often requires more time and effort. I want to do this party right and so I’ve been slowly collecting ideas and am waiting until I have enough inspiration to give this party the flair it deserves!

7. Texas Hold’Em/Poker Night

My sophomore year of college Texas Hold’em was all the rage. In fact, I met the two boyfriends I had that year at intramural/Greek poker tournaments! (Neither worked out; go figure!) I remember coming home over Christmas break and having big tournaments orchestrated between all of our friends. My parents even went to a few of parties centered around the game.  I have fond memories of these tournaments and think all my Dallas friends would really enjoy it!

Why I haven’t done it yet…

The main reason I haven’t done this one yet is space. To me, a poker party is more fun when you have multiple tables and winners from each table move on to the final table because it promotes conversation and allows for more mixing and mingling. I’d ideally like three tables but two would work. In my 650 sq. ft. apartment this just isn’t really an easy feat to accomplish. First, I’d need a second table and second, I’d need to rearrange furniture or remove my coffee table for the evening to make space. Plus, I’d like to have areas for people to hang out when they are “out”. Maybe I’ll just wait until summer when the weather is nice enough to have people mingle outside.

Are there any parties you’re dying to throw but just haven’t gotten to it yet? Add them to the comments below! Your ideas will help me round out my list to an even 10!