party

Game of Thrones Party

By Tara in A Geeky Home, Entertaining, Fun Food 4 Comments Tags: , , , ,

GoT Party Collage

Game of Thrones comes back on Sunday…are you prepared?  If you haven’t planned a viewing party yet, it’s not too late! Here are some tips on how to throw a quick and killer party to accompany the premiere of season three:

  • Visit your grocery store and pick up some nice breads, cheeses, salami, olives, and figs to put together a great plate of snacks. The more rustic looking, the better! You’ll eat as the characters do and the foods will perfectly complement a nice beer or wine. If you have the time and are feeling adventurous, you can make your own bread and salami with recipes from The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook!
  • Speaking of beer and wine, make sure you pick up Ommegang brewery’s Iron Throne Blonde Ale, the official Game of Thrones beer. The ale is limited edition, so pick up a few if you find it! I found my bottle at Cost Plus World Market.
  • House pint glasses, shot glasses, and coasters will be an excellent piece of decor or party favor! You can find all of the house sigils and more Game of Throne goodies from Things From Another World.
  • Remember the Game of Thrones Arms Creator I posted about yesterday? Set up a station where your friends can create their own arms and print it out. Hang them up with clothespins during the party, and let them take it home with them as a souvenir after the event’s over.

What will you be doing for the premiere?

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Cabin in the Woods Party

By Tara in Entertaining No Comments Tags: , , ,

Cabin in the Woods will be released on Blu-ray/DVD on Tuesday, and is already available for digital download. This film is one of my new all-time faves, so I knew I had to do something for the release. Check out the details on my “Cabin in the Woods Party” and get planning your own (or use the ideas for a killer Halloween party–pun intended!)

Guests

  • Guests should all arrive dressed as their favorite Horror Movie Stereotype
  • Invite people who haven’t seen the movie as well as those who have–the night is fun for both! Just make sure you tell people to avoid spoilers, and allow those who haven’t seen it to get closest to the tv.
Refreshments
  • S’mores Bar! Put together a selection of your favorite marshmallows, chocolates, and graham crackers (I also included chocolate chip cookies). For added fun, I put out peanut butter and Nutella as well. Guests can put together their own S’mores creations and then microwave them for a few seconds.
  • Popcorn and candy. You’re watching a movie, so make the guests feel like they’re at their own private theater (minus the $10 sodas).
  • Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale. It’s delicious, available in large quantities at Costco, and perfect for the theme.
  • “Blood Sacrifice” Punch. I mixed one part Raspberry vodka, regular vodka and Pomegranate juice to two parts Sprite, and poured over frozen Strawberries. The drink was potent and had a great “bloody” look to it!
Decor
  • Because Halloween decorations are currently in stores, decor was a snap. Grab some fake cobwebs and go to town!
  • Many stores have bloody vinyl clings right now. These were used to decorate bathroom mirrors, the microwave, and the oven.
  • Fake wooden boards decorated the door as people entered, setting the tone of the party.
  • Candles added a fun ambiance–I used fake LED candles on the refreshment table to avoid burnt hands.
  • Mr. Geek made some excellent labels for the S’mores and punch. Label everything with your creepiest font.
Activities
  • Horror Movie Trivia Contest. Once the guests had arrived and settled in, we had a Horror Movie Trivia contest. (You can see the questions I asked here.) Winners had to choose a creepy prize from an assortment laid out on a table. Prizes included a blank mask, creepy picture frame, locket, candle, black roses, fortune-telling playing cards, mysterious spheres, and a music-playing angel figurine with a missing arm that Mr. Geek insisted on getting. As we watched the movie later on, it was fun to see guests find their creepy prizes in the pivotal basement scene.
  • Costume Contest. Your friends are all dressed up, so let them show off their costumes! Our finalists included an Occult Bookstore owner, a Creepy/Singing little girl, a Shark, and a Chestburster. We ended up with a tie between the Shark and Chestburster, but an intense round of Rock, Paper, Scissors saw the Chestburster as the winner. The winner recieved a copy of the Cabin in the Woods Visual Companion.
  • Watch the movie! Allow everyone to grab one more round of food and drink and then find their seats. Turn the lights off and let the fun begin!
This party was the perfect way to get my friends in the mood for the Halloween season and to introduce a lot of them to one of my favorite films. I hope it will help inspire a party of yours!
Are you throwing a Cabin in the Woods party? Let me know in the comments! (Or let me know which horror film you think would make an excellent theme party!)

 

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WINNER of Icons of Science Fiction Party Tickets!

By Tara in News 1 Comment Tags: , ,

Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing for tickets to EMP Museum’s Icons of Science Fiction party. With the help of Random.org, I selected the winner. Congratulations to comment #33:

Kristina Horner!

I look forward to partying it up with you next Friday, June 8th! You have two tickets under your name at Will Call.

Didn’t win, but still want to attend? You can save $5 and get your tickets for only $15 if you purchase them before 5pm today! Purchase tickets here. If the party’s not quite your thing, make sure you still hit up the Icons of Science Fiction exhibition beginning June 9th.

Will I be seeing you there?

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Aspirational Business Cards

By Tara in Crafty Geek No Comments Tags: , ,

An ad agency in Brazil worked with Red Balloon to create business cards for children based on what they want to be when they grow up:

RedBalloon Kids Business Cards from digous machado on Vimeo.

This idea is so cute, and not just something for children. How fun would it be to hand out a business card with your dream job on it? It would definitely be a conversation starter! I’m going to keep this idea in mind for an upcoming “When I Grow Up” party I want to plan (where guests come dressed as the thing they always wanted to be when they grew up).

My business card would probably say “Movie Star and Teacher”. What would you have on yours?

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Game Truck: Easy Party Planning for Video Game Geeks

By Tara in Entertaining 1 Comment Tags: , ,

I had the pleasure of touring a Game Truck last week with the other writers of Zaxy.com, my other blog.

A Game Truck is a pretty simple concept. Giant truck, full of gaming systems:

Four 50″ plasma TV’s, three Xbox 360s, three Wiis, two PS3s, and enough video games to keep you entertained forever greet you as you enter. The games showcased are removable, so if you choose to have a Game Truck party for your 6-year-old, you can make sure he doesn’t end up playing Call of Duty.

Game Truck  drives to you and parks wherever: we played directly outside of a pizza place.

Game Truck also supports system link and has multiple copies of games, so when you want to organize a sweet Halo tourney in your backyard, it’s as easy as having them bring the truck over.

The Game Truck is a quick, affordable, and memorable way to throw a party for your kid, husband, or yourself. Park it outside your favorite bar, if you want!

Want more info or want to throw a party of your own? Check them out here!

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Butterbeer for your Harry Potter Parties

By Tara in Entertaining, Libations No Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Harry Potter and the Deathy Hallows (Part 1) will be opening in theaters tomorrow. Or, if you’re like me and tons of other crazy fans, it opens at midnight.


The cast enjoying some Butterbeer from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

So celebrate in style with some Butterbeer! Below is one of the easiest recipes you’ll find. You’re welcome to add ice cream or milk to make it more frothy/creamy, if you so choose.

-8 oz ginger ale or cream soda
-2 to 3 tablespoons butterscotch syrup (want to make it alcoholic? substitute a shot of butterscotch schnapps)

Mix in a tall glass. Done. Drink and enjoy!

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Pick Your Guests' Noses

By Tara in Entertaining No Comments Tags: , , ,

I’m a big fan of Fred’s products, and one of the first products I encountered were these “Pick Your Nose” cups.

A fun ice breaker for a party, these cups feature different styles of noses that appear to belong to the drinker’s face.

Don’t believe it works? Check out this picture of me from a root beer float party a few years ago. Oh, the confusion this photo caused on Facebook the day it was posted…

Human noses too boring for you? Check out these “Party Animal” cups!

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