Get the Party Started!

In addition to planning library programs, I love to help my friends and family plan their special events – whether it’s a big wedding or small backyard barbeque.  While some folks are overwhelmed by the seemingly endless decisions to be made, I enjoy taming the chaos.  There is something so satisfying when the theme, decorations, food, and ambiance all come together just right.

In order to bring all of those elements together, I use a number of common tools.  Excel spreadsheets hold all of my menus, decoration supplies, and to-do lists.  A couple of years ago, I started using Pinterest to keep track of all the great, inspiring things I find online.

One of my go-to resources is Canva, an online graphic design site which has a lot of great templates, images, and fonts for creating invitations and social media posts.  Many of the selections on the site are free, though there are some fee-based options.  For more casual affairs, the die cut collection in Youth Services has plenty of options for making your own paper invitations and decorations.  If you need some ideas, or instructions on how to use die cuts, just ask the desk staff.

The library also has a great selection of books on planning menus, table setting, and decorations.  Instructional DVDs, like this hilarious one from John Cleese about selecting and serving wine, are easy to squeeze in while I do daily chores like folding laundry.  The selection of themed music CDs (think Luau, St. Patty’s Day, and first-dance songs) save me tons of time (and money!) over pouring through millions of songs on iTunes.  The books on gift-wrapping also come in handy.

So, what do you think…are you ready to get your party on?