Themes give parties 'oomph'

MELISSA HIRSCHL
Special to Jewish News

Parties, like martinis, are best shaken, and what better way to shake up a party than by having a theme? This is the time to cut your imagination loose and brainstorm your heart out. After all, you did it for your children's parties, so why not for your own?

If you've tapped out your brain and can't possibly think of another clever idea for a soiree, take heart. We've put together a collection of some nifty ideas to give you a jump-start.

Ellen Fox, of A.J.'s Fine Foods' catering department in Phoenix, recommends the following themes for having a superb party: Mardi Gras, Around the World, Southern Ball, Atlantis/Poseidon, Sci-Fi and Mexican Fiesta.

Tiffany Neely of Southwest Props in Phoenix also has some great theme ideas: nautical, Moulin Rouge, Jungle and '50s themes. Her company has a plethora of terrific prop ideas including a Cruise party - you can rent a cruise ship that is 60 feet long, 21 feet high, and comes with lighted portholes. There is also a captain mannequin you can rent - complete with a moving mouth that announces greetings to guests. If you really want to be authentic, you can use a wireless remote to individualize greetings. The theme package also comes with a canopy entrance, luggage, palm trees and pier docks.

For die-hard party animals, there's always a toga party. Deb Startup, a Tempe wife and mother, recently graduated from the University of Phoenix with a bachelor's degree in business administration. To congratulate herself, she and her husband decided to throw a bash reminiscent of the immortal movie "Animal House" - an all-out toga party.

"We wanted it authentic as possible, so we had a fraternity sign out in front of the house," explains Deb. "For food, we served classic dorm fare like beer and pretzels thrown in bowls, which made prep time easier. We also decided it would be fun to play a game, so we had a girls vs. boys game of trivial pursuit. It provided lots of fun for everyone and really enhanced the party."

To complement everyone's toga costumes, Startup had a supply of vine leaves at the front door that were pre-cut for head adornments. The music? Seventies and eighties, of course, including the "Animal House" compact disc.

Startup shares some of her thoughts on planning a successful theme party. "It's important to keep with details," she says. "Also, you need some kind of game or activity to keep everyone busy. Theme parties add an 'oomph' to your gathering and everyone usually loves dressing up. At our party we finally figured out why everyone was on the late side - they were busy tying up their togas."

The following ideas are suggestions from Diane Warner's "Big Book of Parties: Creative Party Planning for Every Occasion" (Career Press, $15.99 paperback).

Casino Party

As an invitation idea, Warner recommends sending new cards with invitations inserted inside the wrappers. Hostess or host wears dealer's attire - black slacks, white shirts with black bow ties, green visors, etc.

For décor, display giant dice, giant playing cards, token-filled cups and a money wheel. After giving out play money, have several games going on at once such as poker, bridge bingo, board games, etc.

A clever idea for prizes is, of course, a lottery ticket. To top the evening off, have a white elephant sale where guests spend the play money they have left.

Tacky Party

For this party, everyone comes dressed as gaudily or tastelessly as possible. Naturally the invitations, décor and attire live up to the title. The invitation should be made by hand, including misspelled words, smudges, torn corners, etc. Warner suggests mailing in old envelopes that have had the old addresses blacked out and new stamps attached.

Naturally guests wear the most hideous items they can put together - boots with evening gowns, loud polyester pants, etc. Thrift shops and garage sales are great places to get costumes.

For decorations, how about some plastic flamingos in the front yard, toilet-paper streamers, a dirty tablecloth, paper towels and unusual glasses? The possibilities are endless...guests can also exchange tacky, tasteless gifts. For dessert - junk food, of course!

Big Apple Party

For this party, Warner recommends visiting The New York Times' Web site (www.nytimes.com) and printing out copies of the page to use as invitations. You can then paste a headline over each page that reveals party information. Guests can be asked to come as typical New York characters - a cab driver, a Broadway show character, a Wall Street banker, etc.

For decorations, you can use travel posters, playbills and a mural of the Manhattan skyline. For other ideas, you can set up a hot dog or souvenir vendor stand on your patio, show a travelogue video of NYC, rent a karaoke machine so guests can sing Broadway tunes, or have several small TV sets showing Broadway hits.

Game ideas include playing instrumental versions of Broadway hits - you can even give a prize to the guest who can name the most correct titles. If you really want to make a statement, how about splurging and hiring a horse and carriage to give rides?

We hope we've given you plenty of food for thought and ignited your imagination. So, start planning your special party, and have your guests in awe, talking about your event for years to come.

Resources:

Party People: 5740 N. Seventh St. Phoenix. 602-264-0062
Southwest Props: 1010 N. 22nd Ave., Phoenix. 602-253-6339, www.southwestprops.com
A terrific Web site for a huge listing of party prop vendors: www.partyconsultant.com.
Advanced Graphics: (925) 432-2262. This company provides life-size stand-up cutouts of celebrities for your party.
Oriental Trading Company, Inc.: 800-228-2269. Call for catalog, which features party favors, decorations, name tags, invitations, place cards and affordable gifts.
Michael's Stores: www.michaels.com. Craft instructions for your party.
Wilton Enterprises: www.wilton.com. Great ideas for cake decorating.

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