10.13.2010

Elle Entertains: Mad Men Party!

pic--lovely ladies of MM

My favorite show, Mad Men, is having its season finale this Sunday. And you're invited to my Mad Men Party! Why do I love this show? The writing! The acting! DON DRAPER! It's the best show on tv right now (my opinion!). Also, the early to mid 60s is one of my favorite time periods. I remember watching my grandmother's old 8mm films as a kid, and thinking how fancy the parties looked. And I've always thought Grace Kelly was the most elegant, beautiful woman--she reminds me of Betty Draper on the show. Ok, in all honesty I actually had my party at the beginning of the season and never posted the pics. Put on your fedora, mix a martini, and come along!

First, since I wanted this to be a Mad Men party, I knew I wanted cocktails to be the theme (no peace & love grooviness at this soirĂ©e. We're talking early 60s here). I called my guests (how retro, right? As opposed to e-vites or texts?) to invite them. 

I decided to keep my party on a small budget. I did a gathering of 4, focusing on finger foods and cocktails.

The spread. Notice the fedora!
Hors d'oeuvres were a popular choice and super easy to do (and cheap), so that was my menu. Plus, my party was later in the night--the show starts at 10pm so I didn't want heavy food.
 Veggie tray with ranch and blue cheese dips--the only pre-made purchase
Olives stuffed with bleu cheese. Don't worry, I had plenty for martinis!
Toasted, sliced baguette with humus
Apples and grapes with cream cheese + confectioner's sugar dip
Cheese, crackers, and sliced & rolled salami

The cocktails are a definite must of any Mad Men party. I consulted the Mad Men website and found a bevy
of cocktail options.
Polynesian culture was very big in the 60s, and Trader Vics is my FAVORITE place for fruity cocktails. I had to use my coconut cup from there to drink my Mai Thai. The Martini was a popular choice at the party, followed by a Manhattan.

I kept decorations simple. I had several "silver" trays from the Dollar Store. I filled glasses with candy cigs (I can't stand smoking) since it's practically a character on the show. I used some pink, low-wattage bulbs to make it a little more romantic and cozy. I made some easy tissue paper flowers and rosettes that I hung around the living room.

The best part of any Mad Men party is dressing up! A simple Google search gave plenty of ideas. A thrift store is a great place to find dresses and other 60s items. I used what I already had in my closet. I wore a black sheath dress I had with a pearl necklace (my great-granny's). The guys wore suits (very dashing) and hats. As for my hair, I found this great site on how to recreate those amazing hairdos. I also wore red lipstick--very out of character for me, but I loved it! And I made sure my nails were painted.

As far entertainment, I created a 60s-theme playlist (see below). We also played a Mad Men trivia quiz. For a fleeting moment, a MM drinking game was an idea (like take a drink every time someone smokes) but was quickly abandoned, due to alc poisoning concerns! Another option could be a photo op--like a puesdo photo booth. Have plenty of MM props (rotary phone, candy cigs, typewriter, martini glass) and have guests act out their MM alter egos.

We had a simply smashing time and enjoyed ourselves. I hope you enjoyed it too!


  

Get a playlist! Standalone player Get Ringtones

13 comments:

  1. I love Mad Men! Great party idea :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yum, the snacks look delicious! I never tried a cream cheese and sugar dip... or maybe I have, but I just didn't know it. It all looks so YUMMY (and healthy)!

    ReplyDelete
  3. OMG...That is such a cool theme party:)
    Kisses,sweetie

    Ps: I am hosting a sweet GIVEAWAY later on today :) Hope you will join in :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love Mad Men! That party looks like so much fun.

    Leia

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've never seen an episode of Mad Men, but every time I fall upon a picture from the show I'm very impressed with their costumes!

    You put a lot of thought into your parties...you must be a great hostess!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good idea! I love the dresses, the hair, to make-up, the heels,... And the food looks yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  7. You know me and my Mad Men!! Such a great show. What a fun party idea!

    ReplyDelete
  8. You are the hostess with the mostest lady...What a fun party!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love your apps! Very swingin' sixties. Sounds like you had a ball.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This looks like so much fun, Elle! I love Mad Men too :)

    ReplyDelete

I respond to comments via email, so make sure I can respond!
For a faster response, please use Twitter or email: elleseesyou@gmail.com

More ways to keep up with me: Bloglovin, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram , Youtube or email: elleseesyou@gmail.com

You made my day by visiting! See ya tomorrow :)

Disclaimer:

All products mentioned are purchased by me unless stated.
All pics, thoughts, etc, are mine unless otherwise noted. Publishing or redistributing any content from this blog is strictly prohibited. Please seek permission first. Thank you.




Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...