Growing up 80's!

This past weekend I celebrated my 34th birthday and though I don't usually do this, I decided to throw myself a party! If you know me personally or follow me on Facebook, you might already know that I'm absolutely obsessed with the 80's and have always wanted a themed party to celebrate this decade! I thought this would be the perfect opportunity now that 80's and neon style is TOTALLY back! Since it was MY birthday, I opted for self-indulgence and focused on all the elements that brought me back to when I was growing up. This really was the most fun I've ever had shopping for party supplies because of all the AWESOME memories they evoked!!!

For the invites, I decided to re-create one of my favorite and essential items as a kid growing up in the 80's: a Trapper Keeper! Utilizing graphics that I purchased from the "Awesome 80's" collection on Etsy by Maree Truelove, I designed the binder, which I printed on photo paper to give it more construction and sheen, and added a small adhesive velcro. The details of the party were printed inside on lined paper that was attached to a stack of 4x6 index cards to add to the thickness. I had fun with all the colors and fonts that I downloaded for free on the internet!

The dessert table was centered by a cassette stereo and a red lips phone I found at local thrift stores. I created some stands with VHS and cassette tapes, along with some Mead Trapper folders, which I found in the supermarket stationary aisles... exactly where I did back in the day! Additional decor included miniature etch-a-sketches, slinkies and koosh balls. I created food labels with a denim digital paper from Granny Enchanted's Blog {lightened to give it a more acid wash effect with some paint splashes}, then added some colorful designs and buttons and placed them on mini rubix cubes. I also found some RAD "Footloose" and "Flashdance" glasses at Ross Stores that were just perfect!

One side of the table included Cabbage Patch cake balls, Tetris rice krispies pops on silly straws, 80's toys cake pops {pogo balls, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Popples) and popular candy from the era.

The Cosby chocolate cupcakes {perfect for any 80's breakfast with the eggs, flour, milk and all!} included iconic 80's items, such as a Teddy Ruxpin, rainbow roller skates and an L.A. Gear tennis shoe!

The other side of the table displayed 80's button Oreo pops, slap bracelet candy strips, bubble gum and 80's electronic "bytes"! I was inspired by some Screech marshmallow pops I had seen in the Saved by the Bell party from Nicole at Million Dollar $mile Celebrations {one of my fave parties!}, so I dipped marshmallows in chocolate and confetti sprinkles and styled them with different fondant hair styles of the 80's! Can you identify the do's: the hair band, the Flock of Seagulls, punk mohawk, the rattail, the side pony tail and, of course, the mullet!

I wanted the background to resemble school lockers to display some 80's memorabilia, so I came up with an idea to draw them with chalk and have one open with the actual items coming out of it. With the help of my dad and husband, we created an 8x8 blackboard by painting two wooden boards with chalkboard paint and attaching them together, along with a shelf and hook. The "inside" of the locker included my personal faves that I either owned or purchased at thrift stores, from toys to books to electronics. I purchased the super cute 80's photobooth props from paper & cake and utilized a couple of the buttons to decorate the backpack with safety pins.

The open door of the locker was decorated with cut-outs of 80's teen magazines, buttons utilized as magnets and photos of moi and my young friends!

I couldn't have an appropriate 80's party without dressing up! I set up a "Bodacious Beauty Bar" in our guest bathroom, which offered all the make-up, accessories and hair products needed {inside a Caboodles box, of course!}. Choices of sunglasses, press-on nails, jelly bracelets and sticker jewelry not only made me giddy, but my daughter was beside herself with excitement!

For dinner, we served cheeseburgers with the Wendy's "Where's the Beef?" 80's slogan in little neon school bins, along with chicken nuggets. I wanted to re-create the McNugget Buddies toys from the 80's McDonald Happy Meals, so I downloaded the photobooth props so generously offered by Oh Happy Day {thank you so much to Creative Juice for the fab tip!} to dress up the little nuggets! Refreshments included Ecto-Cooler Hi-C and Pac-Man energy drinks!

For activities, I had a Slam Book from the Sweet Valley High book series to fill out our picks for the most popular, most like Jessica Wakefield and make predictions in the "Crystal Ball" section! I also found paper "Swatch" watches to be decorated with neon puffy paint and cans of neon silly string for "graffiti"! The favors included neon pens, miniature note and address books and erasers.

We couldn't get all gussied up in our RAD 80's outfits and not have a photo booth! We had a TOTALLY AWESOME time with the fun props from paper & cake and took some GNARLY polaroids!

I had such an incredible time strolling down memory lane, re-living my childhood and celebrating my birthday! I have to say that one of the best parts was how my daughter, Anabelle, was so excited to dress up, sing and dance to 80's music and said to me, "I wanna have an 80's party, too!"... I guess my work is done. ;)