I have an amazing group of ladies that I do a dinner group with once a month. For 5 years now we have been getting together one Friday a month and taking turns throwing a party. It's been an incredible experience to put something like this together and make friends I'll cherish forever.
We've done almost everything it seems! Roller skating, movies, plays, spa night/massages, beauty night, 80's night, cake decorating, tons of games and plenty of wonderful evenings spent eating great food and enjoying one anothers company. It was my turn to throw the party this month and I tried to think outside the box...what would be fun and new? Some friends and Nolan and I have been to some improv clubs and laughed our cheeks off - voila! I based my party around an evening of NUTTY fun...what better to do with friends than laugh?
I chose a color scheme that I love - gray and yellow - and added a squirrel - appropriate for the fall season. My inspiration came from a professional sweet table done here. The result was a fun party that I completely had a ball putting together. We met for dinner and laughs, then headed to this improv club and came back for the dessert bar (Part 2 Pictures coming soon)!
My incredible sister is a Graphic Designer and a pro at Photoshop. Find all the party printables at this store. She helped with all the design and graphics for the paper portion of the party. Here are the darling invitations. I attached them to a can of "pop-up" snake peanuts.


I love the pom-pom trimmed sign that greeted guests at the front door. I just sent the design to Costco and ordered a 16x20 print. I mounted it to a blank stretched canvas and glued on the trim.

For the dining room, I started by making tissue poms and punch paper garlands for the ceiling. I ordered my tissue paper from this source.


Honestly - there are few things I enjoy more than setting a fun dining table. I was lucky to find these gorgeous tableclothes and candles at Target. I ordered the squirrel placecard holders that came ugly brown and I spray painted them glossy white. The zig zag bags held jokes for each guest to read aloud at dinner - it was a fun touch. The straws and bags were ordered here.




One of my new favorite tricks is to spray paint white paper doilies ANY color you wish. I thought they added a great pop of color under the dinner plates.

The mustaches, glasses and lips made great props for candid pictures of the ladies.

All the acorns and nuts were purchased from Hobby Lobby and spray painted in the party colors.


For the dining room wall I made a few dozen paper wheels with scrapbook paper. It's an incredible and inexpensive way to decorate a party wall and make a big impact. I still haven't had the heart to take it down! The party favors were a fun edition to the buffet table.




My bakers rack housed the drinks...raspberry lemonade and citrus water.



Here are few extra pictures of the room lit at night right before the party.



And a few of the gorgous ladies.


Part 2 post coming soon...the Dessert Table!