Creating an Occasion

It is rarely difficult to create an occasion or to find an ingenious excuse to host a celebration. From lazy Summer garden parties to kick-off the farmer's market season, to bringing friends together for a themed book club evening, or even a cozy "hygge" game night gathering for Winter Solstice and the holidays. You can receive so much joy and energy from the creative process of planning an event. First, you get to decide the occasion and possible theme. Then, there is the designing of the invitation and any handouts or "props" per se. Of course, you can't forget the menu, libations and treats. Finally, decorating alone can fill your creative well. 

Otherworldly Birthday Parties

One of the easiest ways to jump in to creating memorable occasions is to host a child's birthday party. When our oldest son turned six, he was enamored with Harry Potter and magic, yet he also really loved the beach. So, I designed a mash-up "Harry Potter Beach Party" for him and his friends. The children had a ball designing their own magic wands, drinking cream soda "butter beer" out of frosty mugs, playing our version of quidditch in the garden, enjoying a Hogwarts sandcastle cake, and making Hawaiian paper leis.  

The following year our son was fascinated with ancient Egypt, so I designed an Ancient Egyptian Expedition party for him and his friends. They took turns wrapping one another up as mummies, made their own bookmarks with hieroglyphics, enjoyed green "beetle juice" and mini pyramid cakes, and played hot potato with a tiny black stuffed Anubis. 

Even the boys' grandmother, who is a huge Harry Potter fan, was thrilled with her surprise Hogwarts birthday party. Our boys each drew her an owl on butcher paper, they made her "mermaid glass" (sea glass we collected here in the Puget Sound) that allows you to breathe underwater, and granted her a Certificate of Magic.