This May I turned 28.
Not a particularly special birthday marked by a milestone celebration, but unique nonetheless.
Every year around this time, I feel sentimental and thoughtful about all the ways in which things have changed since my last birthday, and the 26 before that.
May 2011-2012 was a CIRCUS of events; many new professional opportunities & successes, the birth of this new blogsite, new friendships, crazy adventures, personal highs and a few lows along the way.
This past year of my existence has been a blessed one. When I really thought about turning 28 and what it meant, naturally I had many fantasies and questions about how my life would turn out and wished I could slow down the clock. It all seems to be going by so fast!! Somewhere along the way, I entered my late 20′s and hardly noticed. Priorities changed, expectations increased and reality set in, big time. As my career took off this year, I found it increasingly difficult to compartmentalize work, friends, family and trying to get my photography business off the ground. This left little to no ‘Tara-Time’ and had me feeling a little disconnected from that excited, youthful & ballsy girl I remember from ten years ago.
Following these whiplashes of reality, I decided to take a breather from the twangs and pangs of adulthood and reconnect with the kid I was many, many moons ago………………….
I decided to throw a party and concentrate on giving my guests the ultimate out of the box, quirky and fun experience. I wanted them to enter into a world that I created and escape their adult life for a night.
And then…A Very Vintage Circus Party was born.
The first step into my little land was to rummage through a wooden chest full of dress up clothes, mustaches, hats, boas, face paint and GLITTER and get creative!
I used my backup camera to create a photo booth with handmade props that my guests could have fun with. My tripod and wireless shutter release BROKE just hours before the party, but boyfriend and I quickly created a funny silver robot of stacked boxes and books (covered in silver) and made it work just before everyone arrived.
Circus patrons sipped on a signature cocktail fondly named Circus Punch, which featured vanilla vodka, pink moscato and strawberry soda. The delicious libation was served in mason jars with frozen berries on cute little sticks as a garnish.
Peeps noshed on:
-Chicken salad two ways-
-In homemade filo dough cups with chives & radish moon garnish
-Sitting atop celery bites with dried cranberry and cherry tomatoes on the side
-Three kinds of hummus, chips and dip
-A fully stocked snack table complete with many of my childhood faves; cotton candy, popcorn, circus peanuts, sixlets, vanilla meringues, ring pops, humongous suckers, rock candy, paper dot candy and orange dreamsicle & red velvet cupcakes!
Guests were given goodie bags as they left that were filled with late night snacks, bubbles, MORE candy and toys like squirt guns, whoopie coushins, finger traps and those sticky things you throw at the wall and they climb down. haha *Who didn’t LOVE goodie bags as a kid right?!?*
In sum, the event was a complete success! My vision was brought to life by the help of: Dan the man, Sandia Beatriz, Momma Wick, Phil ah si mo, Stephanie ‘Marisolllll’ and Amanda ‘Mama Elllllsa’ Ortiz (who did NOT come to this country to have paper flowers!) and all the lovelies who went with my crazy theme and got into the spirit I tried hard to create.
For my readers:
When you scroll through my photos, remember to take time every now and again to let your freak flag fly.
RULES ARE FOR FOOLS… Especially when the circus is in town………….
Until next time,
Tara
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