accommodations of your venue,you can organize the good stuff: your guest list and the atmosphere.
It's probably best to figure out the decoration details before spreading the word to all your friends. Advance planning is key."For something big, you need at least two months," says Vacek. Also consider splitting up the work with some trusted friends.
Hurst had the original concept for Dance! Dance! Revolution but says it wouldn't have been as successful without his help from Riley and Vacek. "By working with Justin and Meredith, we came up with something I never could have imagined by myself. It turned out amazing and wonderful," he says. The group plans to host another dance party this semester.
For A-plus atmosphere, consider the attire for your guests, the decoration of your venue, the music, if needed, and the must-haves: food and drink. For her massive pudding requirements, Wille plans to purchase the pudding in bulk from Sam's Club in Overland Park, 8300 W.135th St. Be sure you have plenty to cover the projected attendance - you want your guests to be happy, right? Lawrence has plenty of retailers to suit your party-planning needs. Paper Warehouse, 1441 W.23rd St., Fun and Games, 816 Massachusetts St., and the trustworthy, wallet-friendly discount stores such as Target, 3201 Iowa St., and WalMart, 3300 Iowa St, all should suit your needs. If planning the party-to-end-allparties empties your pockets, consider charging a reasonable cover. People will be willing to help you out for your hard work and allowing them to have a great evening.
And finally, spread the word. Decide if you would rather have a select list of invites, or if everyone and their dog is welcome. Fliers are a best bet, but beware that anyone can get their hands on them. And there's always word of mouth or chalking it on the sidewalks of Jayhawk Boulevard. Just remember that theme parties are meant to shake up the normally mundane party scene. Just keep it safe, legal, and most of all, fun.
-Kim Elsham, Jayplay staff writer can be reached at kelsham@kansan.com
theme:
GREEN
This idea has nothing to do with R al p h Nader or
marijuana. Did you ever think a monotone world could be colorful? Throwing a party centered on just one color takes creativity and a strict dress code. Think of all the colorful ways you could deal with the color green.
You must be strict if you want to throw a color-themed party.It's easy being green:
Invites: Stick to green paper and make sure your invitees know you have a dress code. Encourage guests to bring any green accessory or music.
Dress code: This is the most important part of a color party. You have to enforce it. Footwear might be tough, so be lenient.
Decorations: You'll need to buy a few green light bulbs unless you happen to have a bunch of green sheets to drape over everything. Slide the color bar on your TV all the way over to the green end of the spectrum and leave the sound off. Be creative with the music; you have options such as Al Green, Pat Green, Green Day and Weezer's green album, Green. Spray your apartment with glade evergreen scent. If you want to have jade-colored activities, you might struggle, but don't rule out green Jell-O wrestling or Green Hornet videos.
Food and drink: Options include chips and guacamole, olives, mint ice cream and all green Skittle's. For drinks, think about lime margaritas, green Jell-O shots, nonalcoholic punch and shamrock shakes. Don't forget to pick up some extra limes and food coloring just in case. Search "green" at www.allmusic.com for emerald-flavored melodies.
—Eric Braem
theme: MURDER MYSTERY
Sultry dames, conniving detectives, and a shady butler. These ideas probably bring to mind the old Hasbro favorite "Clue". Be your own version of Tim Curry adapting everyone's favorite murder-inspired board game by throwing a murder-mystery party-
a simple excuse for a bit of role-play.
Invites: Perhaps some aged-look-
be able to interpret the character as they wish. Just make sure they are in character before letting them in.
Decorations: Depending on the plot of your murder-mystery, you can decorate it according to the theme and era. Be sure that the dining area is properly equipped for a complete meal and space for dialog.
Supplies: Love the idea of murder-mystery but not creative enough to build your own plot? Many pre-fab murder-mystery dinner party packages are ready for purchase in retail, entertainment stores, such as Fun and Games, 816 Massachusetts St. They are also available to download online, from www.mysterygames.co.uk and www.murdermysteryparty.com.
Mood: Take your participants out of Lawrence and into a house of suspicion corruption and lies just no real murder weapons, please.
Kim Elsham
thursday, september 11, 2003
theme:
GRAFFITI
Have you ever thrown a party and noticed that at the beginning, it's sort of like middle school with the boys on one side and the girls on the other?
photo illustrations by Eric Braem/Kansan
Well try a graffiti party. It's great for outgoing people and a good icebreaker for the shy type. For this theme, you will want all of your guests to wear a white T-shirt - probably one they won't mind ruining. The object of the theme is to have your shirt be your wall and for everyone at the party to graffiti your shirt. Sign whatever you want from your name to a message. But watch out, the graffiti can get crazy as the night goes on.
What you need: Start off with a white T-shirt. This can be a plain undershirt. White is the easiest so you can see the graffiti but go for a solid color if you want to be bold. You'll also need a marker or, for the creative type, a set of markers. I recommend permanent sharpies so they won't wash off with your next party foul. Plus, they come in black or an assortment of colors.
Where to get it: You can find both these items at either Wal-Mart or Super Target and make it a one-stop deal.
Cost: The T-shirts cost about $5 for a pack of three. The markers run less than a dollar for a single black one, $2 for a pack of three including red, black and blue and $5 for six-pack of multiple colors.
What to do: That's it! Just have your markers ready and be prepared to get creative and sign away.
—Ashley Arnold
jayplay 17