2009 is Coming... Do it Differently
by T. Lynn Ocean
Forget the Box! Maybe it's a circle, or a triangle or just a kidney-shaped blob. Either way, why not think outside of it for your New Year's Eve celebration?
After all, everyone is pinching pennies these days and extravagant parties with bacon-wrapped sea scallops and hundred-dollar bottles of champagne just don't seem right when so many people are facing economic hardship. I'm thinking that, since America's chant for the upcoming year is CHANGE, perhaps it's a good time to start by doing something totally different on New Year's Eve. Translation: be thrifty.
Staying home doesn't have to be boring. Invite your open-minded neighbors and friends, and provide a bed or sofa for anyone who wants to spend the night. Don't be shy in telling everyone to bring an appetizer and their choice of libations. And come up with a fun theme. A few can't-miss ideas to get you thinking:
Outrageous Polyester Party - A few dollars and a trip to a thrift store, and your guests have their outfit.
Ugliest Dress Party - Tell the women to wear an old bridesmaid dress or the chiffon number their eccentric aunt gave them for Christmas 1993, and be sure to have a prize for the biggest fashion faux pas.
ReGift Party - Who says you can't go ahead and get rid of that ridiculous jalepeno-shaped salt & pepper set or pair of neon green polka dot socks right now? Have everyone re-wrap their worst Christmas gift (no name tags, of course!) Then do a gift exchange by drawing numbers. When it's their turn, each partygoer can choose a wrapped gift, or 'steal' one that's already been opened by somebody else.
And while you're throwing a themed party, play a game or two. Have everyone write down a new year's resolution, put them all in a hat, and then draw them out one-by-one. Your group can try to match the person to their resolution. Or if you're having a retro / polyester party, throw down a game of Twister and see what happens. For that matter, dust off your old game of Operation, Monopoly, or Uno. Get silly. Have fun. Forget about the fact that your 401K has plummeted to 50% of last year's value. And be sure to make a toast to the things that really matter: friends and family. Oh, yeah. And change in 2009.
Cheers to Everyone,
T. Lynn Ocean
www.tlynnocean.com
1 comment:
Live music. Really. It's a lot cheaper than you might think. I run The Handlebar, a concert hall in Greenville, SC. Going out and seeing a band, especially a band you've never heard of, listening to live music, is a visceral experience, a mind-blowing art-expanding, often life-changing experience--which is why I opened The Handlebar 14 years ago--that's a blog for another day. Tickets are often cheaper than a movie (movies can often be bad these days) and if you don't drink (I don't), the experience could well add texture(s) to your life you didn't even know were there. Check out pollstar.com for live-music listings in your town. Trust me; I'm an old guy, and my art thrives on the live-music art committed on my stage!
Post a Comment