Planning the Party: Bucket List

To organize debs' party, I emailed back and forth with Tracie and debs' two sisters.
Debs husband wasn't in the loop as often because we couldn't take a chance that debs would see my name on the computer (we couldn't have her sniffing out the surprise), but I did talk to him on the phone on occasion.
We started talking in February. The party was August 29.
We all decided that for the 50th, we'd give debs 50 gifts.

Some of the 50 gifts were $50 certificates.
I gave her a 50-cent piece.
We thought of (but ended up not giving her) 50 truffles, or a certificate for a
50-minute massage (the possibilities are endless).
Some of the fifty gifts, were actually several gifts, in buckets.
You know, "kick the bucket", and "bucket list".

Tracie took mini buckets and stuck Tootie Pops in foam, and made little labels on each pop that said "Fifty Sucks".
She wanted to use Blow Pops and say "Fifty Blows", but I nixed that idea ;).

I gave her three buckets.
One was a mini metal orange-colored bucket, tied with an "over the hill" ribbon, and filled with "old people" stuff: reading glasses, cat butt gum, gummy maggots, a little Maxine pillow, saying "Old age is a state of behind", Mood lipstick, and a concealer that featured a wizard on the front of the package with a magic wand (purchased at Target).
Especially funny is its message "break open in case of emergency".

Another bucket was a pink plastic sand pail, with its own little shovel.
This was her whimsical bucket.
Inside: bacon-flavored dental floss, a lady robot wind-up toy that danced, pig-shaped paperclips, post-it notes saying "When Pigs Fly", and a package of windmill-shaped cookies to celebrate her Dutch heritage.
I can't remember what else was in there.

Her sister gave her a bucket filled with retro candies, like Poprocks.
She also found one of those flip signs that used to be popular in the 80's, where drivers flash other drivers messages.
She also gave debs a crazy book called Furverts, about stuffed animals having sex. Um, it's not a normal family, lol.

For an inspirational bucket, I filled a larger metal Ikea bucket with paper filler (all the paper filler I used had inspirational words printed on it. I bought it at Tuesday Morning).
I tied the bucket with cute pink ticking fabric stamped with crowns and Paris
(from the etsy shop of Homestead Treasures).

Inside I put a blank journal
,
as well as a little book with a photo of the Eiffel tower on the cover and inspirational sayings within.
I had "wish" magnets of a dandelion being blown
(from the etsy shop of Craft Madness).

Following the bucket list theme, the chick-lit book, Next Thing on My List, plus a Disney bookmark saying "Get your sparkle on".

A book about Wishing Traditions around the World.


A Mary Poppins Pig pencil case
(from the etsy shop of Rohmer), filled with a drawing pencil and portable watercolor brush, to entice her to bring art back into her life.

I had glittery gold and pink pencils, and several fun ink pens.
I included star-shaped stickers, in sparkly gold and in a glow-in-the-dark.
I had so many ideas for candy, like whimsical candy necklaces, or star-shaped gummy candy, but instead opted for making "magic wand" cookies.

A separate gift, two more books (gosh, I gave her a lot of books, huh?), these by Keri Smith of the wonderful blog, Wish Jar Journal.
Keri has several books, but I got debs How to be an Explorer of the World, and Living out Loud.
I thought she might enjoy doing the exercises with her kids.

I didn't see all the gifts debs was given, but I know she got a tee shirt with an image of Audrey Hepburn on the front,
a magazine from the month and year of her birth,
mugs, magnets, and shirts from places she used to work, as a nod to her history.
She got a Victorian-style cat ornament in glitter, wearing wooden shoes.
A collection of pinback buttons: "I see Dutch People", "Will Write for Chocolate", "Guac the Casbah" (all from Cafe Press), and a handmade brooch with the model Twiggy's face.
She got make-up, clothing store gift certificates, restaurant gift certificates, a little album for photobooth strips...so many fun things.

I wanted to emphasize wishing, and hopes, and dreams, along with "wishing on a star".
If you plan a party with this theme, other possible ideas: rose-colored glasses, shooting for the moon, twinkly lights.

The point of these posts is to show you how much fun it can be to develop a party theme, and to be detail oriented about finding gifts and decorations to mirror that theme.
It's so important to really think about what the birthday girl wants.
In the beginning of our party discussions, the party planners had very differing opinions about "hip" places to hold the event, and what the evening should entail.
In the end, we discussed how important it was not to be swayed by the kind of things each of us would think was fun...what was important was what DEBS would think was fun.
Debs loves travel, and Paris, and writing, and inspirational dreams.

Still more posts about the party soon.