Margaritaville Party -60yr- Hawaiian Shirts & Buffet

I planned and hosted a surprise Margaritaville party for my mom's 60th birthday. 

Invites:  I designed the invites myself using clipart I found on the web and laid the invite out on power point so that it would fold in fourths.  The front of the invite had palm trees and parrots on it and said..."You can hear 'em on the coconut telegraph.  DeAnn's growing older, but not up!!"  On the inside I had "So join us in "Margaritaville" to celebrate her 60th birthday".  For time, date, etc I used parts of lyrics.  For the time the invite said Only time will tell: Jan 17th, 2004, for place it said One particular harbor: our address, and then a last reminder of Keep it under your hat it’s a surprise. 

Gifts: I asked that no gifts be brought but instead for people to bring pictures they had and funny stories, etc.  I said these would be put into a scrap book for my mom.  I also had some scrapbook supplies out for those that wanted to make their own page and let everyone know the book I’d be using so they could bring a page all done if they wished. 

Decorations: We had gel margarita candles set up, a big inflatable Jimmy Buffett Corona airplane hanging from the landing, I found some flip flop and Hawaiian shirt candles which I arranged on platter with brown sugar ( to look like sand), and a bunch of foam parrots hanging everywhere.  We also had Buffett music playing the whole time. 

Food & drinks:  One e-bay I bought 2 Cuervo margarita balls and made plan margaritas in one and cranberry in the other.  Also on e-bay we bought 10 corona metal pails, filled those w/ ice and put coronas in them.  We also had soda available.  I made mini cheeseburgers in paradise, shrimp cocktail, tortellini kabobs, fruit kabobs w/ chocolate fondue (these were stuck in a pineapple), a cheese tray, and a veggie tray.  We used bright orange, lime green, and bright pink plates, cups, silverware, etc. 

Everyone arrived 30 minutes prior to my parents and everyone wore Hawaiian shirts.  My parents always come through the back of our house so I had raided their closets the night before and gotten them both wild shirts to wear.  I placed them in the laundry room w/ a sign saying change before you enter.  (My dad was in on this and had told my mom they were coming over to baby-sit because we were going to a party next door which explained all of the cars.)  Everyone had a great time and the surprise was pulled off.