the essentials : Vivien from The Eclectic LIfe

There are a lot of blogs out there that talk about parties but when you read Vivien's blog, The Eclectic Life you can't help but come away with the impression that for Vivien, life is a party. Oh and she loves her a good dance party. So with that in mind, I asked Miss Vivien to share some party goodness. Please leave her some love and go visit her blog!

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Hello olive & a readers! I am thrilled to be guest posting today and Heather has graciously asked me to share my tips on one of my favorite topics: parties! Today I'm going to share with you three tips on creating a lovely party that is mindful of both your guests and your budget.


1. Consider a photo booth.

- It's fun! It's fun for you to have the photos to look at afterwards and fun for guests to view later on Facebook or Flickr to remember both themselves and the party by. It's also a blast to see what creative photos your guests come up with!

- It's affordable! The backdrops and props above are a little more pricey, but you don't need an elaborate set up to make a fun photo booth. When I hosted a party back in September, I opted for a simple streamer background and this DIY chalkboard bubbles tutorial all of which costed me under $20, but if you wanted to spend less than that then all you really need is a camera, picture taker, and a tripod (optional but preferred).

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2. Make a plan for the party then ask friends to help!

- A well planned party will always cause less stress for you and more enjoyment for both you as a hostess and the guests you're hosting. I suggest creating a plan for your party with a general theme (fiesta, dessert, vintage) and your top three essentials for the party (food table, decor, invitations, etc.)

- More often than not, friends want to help. I say capitalize on this and help your budget out by delegating responsibilities for people who are willing to contribute towards your partay. For instance, I planned a dear friend's 30th birthday and secretly e-mailed 20 of her friends asking for help with desserts, flowers, photos and set up and had 15 of her friends more than excited to volunteer ( two of whom offered to give money!).

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3. Make the party personal.

Your party should be unique and it should reflect the personality of the person or event that you're celebrating. If it's for your birthday, add in touches of your personal style (vintage, eclectic, contemporary) to the decor, serve your favorite food (Breakfast for dinner? Sounds like a ball) and offer entertainment options that you would love to be a part of (photo booth, a dance party, a talented friend drawing caricatures).

Lastly visit sites like Pinterest to collect inspirational images for your party and consider Sweet Lulu's, Olive Manna and shops on Etsy for affordable partyware. I hope these few tidbits helped and encouraged you to throw your own shindig! To see more photos for advice and parties I've thrown feel free to visit here, here and here.

I'd love to know what kind of party you are dying to throw? Where do you go to for inspiration and supplies?

Thanks again for having me Heather, and I hope you have a fantastic vacation!

{photo booth by Smilebooth, dessert table photo by Our Labor of Love, breakfast photo by Kim Vallee, fruit and veggie table via Amy Atlas, s'more bar via Birthday Girl, colorful straws photo via Shop Sweet Lulu's}