Rock and Roll Birthday Party

I am going for the total flashback moment today, I realized I never, ever got to share what i consider one fantastic, fabulous, awesome…. party.  OK yea I am tooting my own horn, totally, but I did throw one amazing Birthday Party for Kent. I never shared though because it was before I started blogging,  I know right, I did have a life before blogging and actually did some pretty fantabulous things.

Lets go back a little bit to the year Kent turned “50” , never one to shy away from a celebration he wanted a party, not just a little get together but an all out soiree with invitations sent out far and wide.  An occasion to remember, so whats a gal to do but start the planning right.  I thought long and hard, how about a catered event, how about at a bar, where should I hold this… well about three weeks before ( OK maybe I am not a great advanced planner”) I found out the boys were bringing their girlfriends so out went the Bar/club idea,  with the under 19’s I  decided to move this to home base.

The theme was pretty easy, Kent loves music and with his boys coming..what else would work so well right?

A Rock and Roll Birthday Party to celebrate a half century of living and loving Music.

well brace yourselves for a ton of pictures because sometimes words just need illustration right?

I contacted a local Party Company ( who were awesome) and rented a tent for the driveway plus  tables and chairs so we could all be seated and just in case the weather turned bad, added a hot dog machine and a popcorn machine, a bar and a sound system.  Contacted a local brewery ( Beau’s for a keg and arranged for pulled pork and chicken from the most awesome caterer I know ( Fadi who is an event caterer in Ottawa and supplies our food at the Festivals)

Started looking for music decorations in any shape I could find and turned the garage into a club

For the party I stuck with a red and blue theme and hit up the dollar store for toy instruments, then to Value Village for Albums and Cassette’s ( anyone remember those)

I created centerpieces with instruments, albums and cassettes, add a candle holder ( filled with “rocks”)  and a champagne flute and confetti and I think you have a pretty amazing centerpiece.

( rockets, pop rocks, chiclets)

I added pictures of Kent over the years to the tent walls and for the guest book I used an Album cover and had everyone sign with a sharpie.
Hello ” RUSH” 

I made a ton of music cupcakes large and small and shortbread guitar pick cookies.

Albums were used as coasters and I created album bowls to hold the cutlery.

The food was all music themes, Snoop “hot” Dogs, Celine Dijon mustard, John  Mayernaise, Sound Garden Salad, Buns and Roses, Pulled Bjork….
Cake from ” Cake” 

 and made chocolate guitars

The boys played three sets so lots of music, drinking and dancing

Kent did not want presents but what he did ask is for those who needed to do something to make a donation to Do it for Daron.  Daron was the young daughter of one of the Ottawa Senators Coaches who committed suicide.  A lot of people were curious about this but Kent explained in his thank you speech that his Dad commited suicide when he was 49 so turning 50 and reflecting back on life, he felt he needed to give something back, to help try and address the issue of mental illness and depression.  We donated over 500.00 to the cause that day.

So an awesome party, Kent got his celebration, a worthwhile charity received not just money but recognition and a fantastic time was had by all.

( and yet another great picture by ur friend Steve Gerecke of Kent and his boys)

and when it was over I then had a chance to party and enjoy the day ( photo compliments of Steve again)