As much as I like the princess parties, the pirate parties, and the fairy parties that seem to make up about 50% of my business, my favorite parties are the ones that come out of left field. I adore the parties that are totally unexpected, and challenge me to get super creative. These mean more to me than all those standard themes rolled into one. Sometimes it’s a theme that I’ve never done before, like a “Natural Disasters” party, or sometimes it’s having to accommodate two very unique kids, as with my “Mind and Body Olympics” party, or sometimes it’s a combination of ideas that just don’t seem to fit... at first, anyway.
Case in point, my “Kiss under the Sea” party. Now before you think I’m talking about a bunch of racy mermaids with puckers at the ready, I have to clarify that the aforementioned “kiss” is none other than the 1970’s rock band, who, believe it or not, are still going strong, thanks to the impressive staying power and marketing genius of Gene Simmons.
When the mom called, she said that her son was way into the band KISS, and way into sharks, and was there some way to incorporate the two? Excited by the possibility of creating something totally outside the box, I set about putting together under the sea rock band idea. I’ve worked for this family for years, and they are obsessed with music, to the point where they have a full recording studio complete with speakers, monitors, a mixer, multiple guitars and bases, and a full drum kit in their home. Oh, and did I mention the repurposed step aerobics platform that now functioned as a stage?
Read more...
