My Hopeful Romantic Valentine’s Eve Party theme was “Celebrating the Many While Waiting for the One.” I wanted to honor the women in my life with a Girls’ Night In. How and why I started these parties to survive…even thrive on V-Day is here and here.
Keep the menu simple: “Let ’em Eat Cupcakes.” Cupcakes stacked on crystal cake plates makes an elegant centerpiece. (I propped a picture from Marie Antionette against the base.) Last year my sister, Penny, made cupcakes for my party. Her cakes are perfection, and if she ever opened a bakery, Gigi (of Nashville’s Gigi’s Cupcakes) would have some competition. A black fitted sheet makes a great tablecloth, especially with a pink and red ribbon as a runner. I used mirrored squares as serving trays (You can buy six in a box at Lowe’s or Home Depot for about $20).
If you are serving more than cupcakes, easy suggestions would be chocolate truffles (boxed), stuffed mushrooms (caps filled with cream cheese, onion, garlic, and fried bacon–broiled a few minutes), chocolate fondue with fruit, pecans (boiled, then tossed/coated in confectionery sugar, deep fried in peanut oil, and sprinkled with paprika), and artichoke/spinach dip with corn tortilla chips or simply cheeses with crackers.
To get to know each other better, have guests draw slips of paper with the following questions. The person has to answer the question and then choose someone else to answer it. (Or have guests write a question they want answered when they arrive and draw from those.)
Suggestions for Girl Talk:
What was your most romantic date ever?
What guy from your past would you most like to run into?
What was your worst date ever?
If you had a time machine, what day would you revisit and why?
If you’re married, how did you meet your spouse?
What did you first notice about your guy?
What’s your movie scene?
What’s the best book you’ve ever read?
Who is your favorite male singer/actor?
What’s your love language–words, touch, gifts, service, quality time?
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
What’s something none of us know about you?
My movie pick to watch or have muted in the background…Chocolat. The only guy allowed is Johnny D.