tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24619880.post6804120594528543633..comments2024-01-09T02:28:04.962-07:00Comments on Simply Radiant: Valentines Exchange 2011Stephanie Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02860771061981553752noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24619880.post-83756726664055974952011-02-19T18:53:35.105-07:002011-02-19T18:53:35.105-07:00thank you steph! you have me more and more excite...thank you steph! you have me more and more excited to have a party of my own----stephanie style. :)<br /><br />one more question....do you have all your "party posts" labeled here in one category that i could reference?taniawillishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14913589739176314819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24619880.post-34770603603139121492011-02-17T20:42:28.185-07:002011-02-17T20:42:28.185-07:00Tania, you're not nosey at all! I wish there ...Tania, you're not nosey at all! I wish there was a simple answer that I could give you, but you could really spend as much or as little as you wanted. I often buy drinks for parties like this at Costco if there are a lot of guests, but for smaller groups I just check sales. These bottles of milk were under a dollar each.<br /><br />That said, when Larry was in medical school and I hosted baby showers I did simple drinks like making lemonade and dumping in a bag of frozen raspberries to make it feel fancier. I don't think it's how much you spend, it's the thought that goes into it that makes the guests feel special. I could have just used glasses that I already had and tied the same cheap paper doilies around them and served milk from a pitcher and it would have been a lot cheaper and I think it still would have been really cute.<br /><br />I basically provided drinks, cookies that I made, and some fruit so this party was really cheap. You could go crazy decorating and making your own valentines, but I think it's possible to keep those things pretty affordable too.<br /><br />The factor that limits how many people I invite is usally the space (my house is really small). I try not to let the budget be the limiting factor because you can always figure a way to do things more affordable. In fact, my mom hosted a valentine exchange but hers was potluck and several of my friends asked if they could bring anything to my party so you could always try assigning things out to those who offer to help.Stephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13398777077691536122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24619880.post-15423841118605220182011-02-16T10:57:38.831-07:002011-02-16T10:57:38.831-07:00steph, i totally adore all of your party ideas and...steph, i totally adore all of your party ideas and would LOVE to use them as inspiration for my own. here's the problem, i have this bad habit of getting in way over my head, LOL. is it too personal to ask how much should someone, who wants to do parties similar to the ones you throw, budget for such a thing. do you have tips on how to buy individual drinks that you can make cute without breaking the bank? is the key to keep the party invitation list small? i'm not trying to be nosy, i just want to have a successful party on a small (very small) budget. tips?taniawillishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14913589739176314819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24619880.post-7515315783123119852011-02-16T09:55:30.335-07:002011-02-16T09:55:30.335-07:00I loved the party you had in Ohio. I still have a...I loved the party you had in Ohio. I still have all my Valentine's from that day! Miss you lots!Megan C, Columbus, Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24619880.post-81006982960915800312011-02-15T07:11:22.381-07:002011-02-15T07:11:22.381-07:00Love it. I copied your idea and hosted my own exc...Love it. I copied your idea and hosted my own exchange this year. Turned out fabulous. Thanks for the inspiration!Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05713429259524328027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24619880.post-87146186729986952942011-02-14T14:35:01.275-07:002011-02-14T14:35:01.275-07:00looks sweet steph! I held a party like this in you...looks sweet steph! I held a party like this in your honor - thanks for the inspirationHeatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10024985524026623873noreply@blogger.com