What constitutes the most wonderful fun filled Christmas ornament exchange party? Is it the planning and coordinating, or the attention to detail? Perhaps it is the thrill of anticipating your guest's enjoyment...
Whatever the answer, our very own E-Trender Angela has accomplished just that!
Let's fast forward to the conclusion of an evening that kicked off the holiday season...an evening that sent each gal home thrilled about the experience. What could be better than that?
No detail was left to chance but each aspect of the event carefully examined.
I was honored to have been invited and thought it would be fun to interview Angela afterward to gather behind the scenes prep work and ideas she so brilliantly executed. The primary question I was curious about was what elements did Angela focus on to create the evening and did she have any thoughts to pass along. Angela shared with me that since she is a Party Planner by career, every so often she wants to share that passion with the people she loves...her family and friends. She enjoys having guests in her home and wanted to create an atmosphere where they felt special, spoiled and indulged. And, she did just that!
Some of the interesting touches were the Jingle Juice station set up in Angela's inviting kitchen along with the hot chocolate and topping station!
Each station was so appealing that many of the guests felt compelled to try both throughout the evening. The juice bar consisted of an elevated display of three different beverage dispensers, each with an appealing juice or holiday cocktail concoction. The hot chocolate station included mini marshmallows, crushed candy canes, cinnamon and refrigerated whipped topping, perfect for a December evening.
The aroma of brewing coffee with holiday flavored creamers added to the atmosphere.
Each guest brought either an appetizer or dessert to share and placed it on a special table in the lower level for easy access. The flow of people, beverages and food was festive and well planned!
The highlight of the evening was, of course, the exchange of the Christmas ornaments. Each guest had been asked to bring a wrapped ornament of a minimum $10 value to exchange. Angela had set up an area in the lower level, where we set our decorated boxes and bags so that each gal could easily choose, open and display their ornaments for the others to check out.
Angela had each guest draw a number in order to start the exchange. When each person’s number was up, they could either pick an ornament from the display or "steal" another's. This element added lots of humor and strategy to the game. Great for socializing!
More variety included an upstairs space where Jewel Kade jewelry representative Nikky Palmeri showcased one of Angela's favorite lines of jewelry. Guests could browse through and try on the Jewel Kade jewelry on display or take home a catalog. Another vendor, a delightful woman Angela met at a craft show, Diane Moody setup a table with feathered adornments, tutus and other accessories for women and little girls, certainly adding to the diversity of the night and some quick and easy holiday shopping!
E-Trenders - check out this simple reindeer dessert - too cute!
SO, what then creates a perfect ornament exchange party?
In my opinion, it is keeping your guests in mind when doing the planning, decorating and setup. It is the gracious host and her obvious enthusiasm for this special time which is contagiously transferred to each person there. It is the spirit of the season. We all thank you Angela for a memorable event that we will remember all through the year.
Happy Holidays E-Trenders!
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