I am lucky to have three wonderful women in my life that I can call mom. All three inspire me by the lives they’ve led, the people they love and the parties they’ve thrown. So, this party inspiration post is dedicated to these lovely women and the people in their lives that support them (that means you dad, grandpa, T, father-in-law E and the rest of my lovely family!)

Let me introduce you to these wonderful women.

In the upper left corner is my mom. (She doesn’t look like me at all does she?) Just below her picture is my grandmother. And, pictured in the lower, right-hand corner is my mother-in-law.

Each one of them has helped developed my love of parties and my ability to execute fun-filled events. One event from each of these women that really inspired me includes:

My Mom
My mom loved to throw parties while I was growing up. She enjoyed the details, the crafts and the fun. She often had champagne tastes on a kool-aid budget and always made it work.
The party: One party I remember distinctly is a Halloween party she threw for me, my sister and brothers, as well as several families from the neighborhood. Everyone was in costume. Everyone played games. And everyone got a sack full of goodies to remember the party by when they left.
How this shaped my party philosophy: 1. Encourage costumes or certain attire for some of your more special parties. Wearing a costume or a certain type of attire helps people get into the party and anticipate it well before the party begins. It will also help people feel more at ease in the “theme” of the party. 2. Send people home with something to remember the evening– make the event live on and on. Even if the favor is a 4X6 photo sent in the mail a week later… the guests will always remember the event when they look at that photo, trinket, etc.

My Grandma
My Grandmother often tells me how she thinks the things I do with parties are so amazing and impossible to do. What she doesn’t know is I probably would never have wanted to throw a party if it wasn’t for her.
The party: Every year growing up Christmas Eve was my grandmother’s night. She decorated the house for weeks and hung stockings for everyone in the family by the chimney with care. The tree was always filled with gifts that everyone brought over that night. People would randomly break out in carols or the kids would act out a Christmas play. We looked forward to this night every year.
How this shaped my party philosophy: Parties are so much more than a group of people getting together to celebrate. They can be an EVENT. They can be TRADITION. They can be a bright spot in a dreary week. My grandmother taught me the importance of meaning in a party. Personalize it to your guests and put yourself into the party.

My Mother-in-Law
My mother-in-law is a practical, organized and hard-working woman. She is always the one to come through with thoughtful actions–driving 12 people the 2 hours to the coast because she is the safest driver, staying up and cleaning the kitchen after a night of cooking, sending notes of well-wishes every holiday and birthday.
The party: I didn’t know what to expect for my rehearsal dinner the night before I got married. But, walking into the venue I saw the effort and details that my mother-in-law had put in place to make our rehearsal dinner just as memorable as our wedding. My husband’s family live in Japan and my mother-in-law put so much of that culture into this beautiful party. She cooked traditional Japanese food and brought us traditional kimonos to wear throughout the evening.
How this shaped my party philosophy: Parties are fabulous gifts. Putting the effort into making a memorable and personal party can be one of the best gifts you can ever give someone. Instead of giving a sweater–give a memory, it will last a life-time.

Thank you to the wonderful women that help shape my life. Happy Mother’s Day!