Party Challenge Finale

Back in June, I had come across a blog where a woman was planning 30 parties before her 30th birthday. I was turning 30 in 7 months, so I knew I couldn't do 30 parties. But I could do at least 1 per month. That was the challenge. Last week I posted my final "party challenge party". I have completed my goal, and have to admit, its been a lot of work, but I might be addicted. I've already planned another get together next month, and have at least one or two more ideas in mind that I'm too excited to put off. I really need to make this my full time job or my brain will burst from all of my ideas!!

Anyway, lets recap the last several months....

January 2011: "Age of Aquarius, A Peacock Paradise" for my 30th birthday party. After so many parties I kept it simple, fondue and a few of my favorite desserts. It was still too much food, I haven't mastered that yet.

December 2010: Holiday Party. I used a PVC pipe frame to create a hanging buffet. It looked awesome, but most people didn't notice the cupcakes hanging there, so they were neglected.
November 2010: Parisian Inspired Wine Tasting. This may be my favorite party. The gingerbread eiffel tower was so fun to make. In fact, its February and its still in my living room!
October 2010: Sookie Turns 2! A birthday buffet for my little puppy. We had an assortment of people treats and pup treats!
September 2010: Autumn Harvest Celebration. I had a blast with this party. I adorable autumn, the flavors, smells, colors and the foods. We had a chili feed, mulled wine, and tons of autumn inspired desserts. When it got dark, we huddled around the fire, and made smores. It was a really great night!
August: 4th Anniversary Picinic. David and I celebrated 4 years together at this strawberry inspired backyard picnic. I love picnics, and obviously love strawberries. I might make this a new tradition for our anniversary! Perhaps find new locations every year to set up a little strawberry festival just for us.
July 2010: Baby Culver's Jungle Safari. My best friend Kelly was having her first baby, and I was lucky enough to do the dessert table for her shower. We went with a jungle theme. This was my most popular party, I still get emails on this one asking for details. I loved how it came together, and it was one of the "easier" tables I did.
July 2010: Birthday Brunch. I had my girlfriends over for brunch one morning to celebrate a friend's birthday. I wanted something non-traditional. No pastels or frills, something different and unique, like the birthday girl. So I took butcher block paper and made my own design for the table. I also tried Maple Bacon Cupcakes, which were deeeeelicious!!
June 2010: A Buffet Fit For An RN. Kelly graduated from college and was officially an RN! We had to celebrate! We chose a red and white theme, and used her nursing books as displays on the table. I think my favorite foods from this party were the cheesecake stuffed strawberries and the strawberry shortbread sandwich cookies.
June 2010: Enter Eden. My first party challenge party. I had just planted tons of plants around my garden and wanted to celebrate what would become my own private garden of eden. I tried macarons for the first time and was surprisingly successful at making them. We also had a fun bellini bar which I called "berries and bubbly".

This challenge has been a lot of work, a lot of time and money, and I faced a lot of challenges. However I have learned a lot, and have not grown tired of it. My planning strategies have evolved, I still have plenty to learn, but I've really enjoyed this. Thank you for reading along and checking out all of my projects!
There might not be one every month, but there is plenty more where these came from!