Theme Parties for Tough Times

Yeah, I know, times are tough economically. Everyone is feeling it in one way or another. Contrary to some opinions, this is not the end of the world.

An economic crisis does not mean the end to theme parties, costumes, and good times. It’s just time to get creative and do things a bit more cheaply. Here are a few theme party ideas to grease up the gears of your imagination.

Color Party – pick your color and have everyone come dressed in that color.


Wig Party – everyone wears a wig, the crazier the better.

Shades Party – everyone wears glasses of some type or another. Big, brighter, wilder is the way to go.

Mustache Party – Draw on the mustache or buy one. This is guaranteed to bring smiles and laughs all the way around.

Clash Party – take some of this and some of that from your own closet, costume chest, or anywhere you can find stuff. Mix and purposely don’t match. Go out of your way to create the most conflicting, clashing, eye-assaulting outfit possible.

Drag Party - guys go as girls and girls go as guys.

Homeless Party – this is only for those who aren’t totally freaking out about the economy. Have everyone dress like the homeless. For those who want to go all the way with this theme, just skip showering and shaving and you’ll nail it. Another way you can really do the homeless look in a big way, and not be offensive to other’s noses, is to arrive with a shopping cart in tow.

Top 10 Creative Ways to Celebrate Valentines

In case you didn’t know, the standard American date of “dinner and a movie” is really boring, uncreative, and overdone. So why is that when Valentine’s Day rolls around we just supersize the standard American date – dinner at a fancy, expensive place and a romantic movie? Is that any way to show your Valentine how special they are to you? I say NO, it is not! Doing something special, something creative, something out of the ordinary – now that’s the way you show someone they are special.

So here you go! I’ve provided the Top 10 Creative Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day. Use one of them, all of them, or tweak them and make them even more unique. Just, please, in the name of all things romantic, don’t settle for dinner and a movie.






1. Heart Shaped Foods – Make a pizza, a cake, some brownies, or cookies for your sweetheart. You can pick up heart shaped pizza pans, cake pans and cookie cutters at almost a nystore that carries baking pans and utensils. Deliver your heart-shaped creation to your Valentine’s office or to his or her home in person. You might even want to show up all decked out in something sexy and fun (lingerie would definitely be an attention getter), unless, of course you are delivering them to the office. (That might get all the wrong kind of attention.)



2. Serve it with Love - Prepare a wonderful, homemade meal of your honey’s favorites. Then serve the meal on heart-shaped plates or plates with hearts or other Valentinish designs. Of course, the rest of the place setting should be Valentine-themed as well – the silverware, napkins, wine glasses. Don’t forget the candles and romantic music. Top it all off with by serving this meal while wearing something totally hot and irresistible.










3. Romantic Games – Game Daze carries a variety romantic games that will help you make this a Valentine’s Day to remember. They’ve got everything from card games, kama sutra games, and board games that will leave you anything but bored. Let go of your inhibitions and have some good old sex-filled fun.









4. Chrome Bedroom Dice – Head for the bedroom and leave the rest to the roll of the dice.














5. Professional Massage at Home – There’s nothing like a full-body massage by a professional. Arrange for a masseuse to come to your home (or hotel room) – one you’ve prepared with romantic candlelight, soft music, and other accoutrements. Arrange for one and watch your beloved get all relaxed and de-stressed. Or hire two and get your massages together, side by side, holding hands.







6. Romantic Picnic or Meal Outside – Prepare (or buy) a fabulous picnic lunch or dinner and take your sweetie a beautiful setting such as a hillside, a beach, a mountain top, the rooftop of a building, to a river or lake. The locations possibilities are endless. Pick a place with gorgeous, yet peaceful scenery – a place that isn’t too crowded.








7. Karaoke Serenade – Get up on stage and sing a love song to your sweet heart. Go all out as you proclaim your love using the perfect song (choose wisely). Do more than just sing. Present flowers to her/him, give him/her a lap dance, use a boa and sensuously drag and drape it across your Valentine. If you are into marriage and this is “the one,” take this moment to propose. If you are going with the latter idea, substitute a ring for the flowers.








8. Romantic Settings – Take your heartthrob to a romantic setting and just enjoy it and each other and the moment. How about beach walk at sunset, a scenic drive to a great sunset spot, a sunset cruise, a walk through a romantic park or town, a horse-drawn carriage ride, a gondola or canoe ride (You don’t have to go all the way to Venice, Italy for this one. You can also do this at Coronado in San Diego, Naples in Texas, and San Antonio, Texas, just to name a few). How about a horseback ride, a scenic train ride. You could arrange for this to end at a romantic hotel to spend the night. Just make sure to have the room prepared with romantic extras like candles, rose petals, wine, music, and clothes for the following day.







9. Pamper – A bubble bath has got to be the ultimate pampering. So pamper your Valentine and prepare the ultimate bubble bath. First get rid of any and all distractions (kids, dogs, phones). Set the scene. We’re talking candlelight, wine, soft music, and favorite bath oils or bubbles. Have a brand new, extra large, ultra-soft towel ready and the sexiest lingerie possible ready for post-bath fun. This could be a great thing to give your sweetheart to enjoy all alone or something to indulge in together.











10. Surprise Romantic Getaway – This year, Valentine’s Day happens to fall on a Saturday making it the perfect time for a getaway. I think these are better when done as a surprise, though I admit it does take a bit more work on the planner’s part. Location, location, location. Pick one that will thrill your Valentine. Get it all ready – from the romantic flower petals on the bed to the practical clothes for the weekend. Get a friend to help if you don’t know what to pack or if the location is local enough that the friend can prep the room ahead of time. Hotel staff are also pretty helpful when it comes to getting the room ready.

This is the Party that will be all the Rage in 2009

I have the secret inside scoop. So please handle the following highly classified information with extreme care. I can’t give you names and dates – that would put my life in jeopardy – but I can tell you this. Through a bunch of random, serendipitous, and chance meetings, emails, and conversations I have discovered what THE big celebration/party event is for 2009.

Disco Roller Parties will be all the rage in 2009. So if you want to be hipper than hip, the coolest of the cool, on the very cutting edge of all things awesome, make your next party a Disco Roller Party. Rent out a roller rink. Apparently this is quite easy. Hire the roller rink DJ, then either supply the funky 70’s tunes or see if your DJ can dig them up. Get some cool disco party decorations and have your guests wear their best disco, 70’s or 80’s outfits.

When your friends arrive whether wearing their flared pants, afro wigs, and sequined shirts, or tube tops, short shorts and striped socks, they’ll be ready to get down. Just have the drinks ready and the funky music blasting and the rest will be party history.

Top 10 Romantic, One-of-a-Kind, Valentine’s Day Gifts

The day of love and romance is fast approaching. Do you want to settle for flowers and chocolates this Valentine's Day as the gift to show your special someone how wonderful and loved and important they are to you? Sorry, but in my expert opinion, while flowers are beautiful and chocolates are sweet, they really show no imagination. You gotta do something at least bit different to show someone they are really special to you. The idea is to show your valentine, that of all of the people on planet earth, they are the only one you are interested in. A one-of-a-kind gift is the perfect way to tell your sweetheart that they are unique, matchless, and one-of-a kind in your heart and life.

I’ve scoured the web, consulted the most gifted minds, and even done some brainstorming all on my own, and here are - my Top 10 Romantic One-of-a-Kind Valentine’s Day Gifts. Any one of these will show your heartthrob just how much you really care and how lucky you are to have them in your life. Just a note: I’ve left out all the “gifts” that are more experience-oriented. I’ll cover these on the Top 10 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day.

1. A Bottle of Memories. Memories on a Bottle will etch a personal message on a bottle of wine for you. Even better, for couples who have some history together, take an elegant bottle (perhaps the champagne or wine bottle from a special night out) and fill it with slips of parchment on which you have written individual memories of your time together.

2. A Romantic Bouquet of Cookies. You can buy custom cookie bouquets of heart-shaped cookies that are brightly iced with fun or romantic messages that you can personalize. This makes a thoughtful (and yummy!) gift.

3. Jewelry Done Right. If you are going to do jewelry (a long time favorite and an old stand by), make yours extra special by making it very personal. Choose a style or design that really fits your sweetheart. Or have it custom made with two interlocking hearts, or other symbols that are particular to the two of you. The best way to make a gift of jewelry really romantic is with a special inscription – and not “Valentine’s Day 2009.”

4. Framed Photo of You. Oh, but you can’t stop there. It has to be one of a kind. It has to be romantic and special. So add a lipstick kiss on the photo, a message, a favorite line from a song or poem, or a saying or quote that means something special to your valentine. The saying could be something that just the both of you get the true meaning of.

5. Framed Photo of You Two. Choose a photo from a special moment, place, date, or trip. Put the photo on one side and a piece of parchment on the other. Use your computer or have someone handwrite out a poem, saying, lines from song or poem, something about special a moment or milestone, or a special message.

6. Love Note in a Bottle. Pour your heart out on paper (a nice piece of

parchment), roll it up and place it in a decorative bottle. You can really go all out with this idea, by offering to draw a bath for your sweetheart then floating the bottle in a bathtub you’ve prepared. Picture this - a tub filled with nice warm water, bubble bath, candlelight, a glass of wine, soft romantic music playing, and a flower arrangement or petals surrounding the bath Now you can complete the moment by having a super-soft brand new towel, and some lingerie to slip into afterward. You can also go to Love Notes Messages and choose a really great bottle and have your words put inside.

7. Love Reminders. Engrave small stones or pewter shapes with words or a short phrase. You can give a single stone that will fit in the pocket or purse – “pocket rocks”. Or make bigger ones to be displayed around the house. Beach rocks are great for this. Or create a collection of engraved river rocks, each one listing a trait or feature you love about your sweetheart. Place them in a very cool glass dish or bowl and, presto, you’ve got an amazingly cool gift that tells him/her what you think about them.

8. Journey Journal – Put together a small journal that holds pictures of events from your relationship. Include things you love about him/her, favorite memories, milestone events, trips, concert, airplane or movie tickets from places you’ve gone together. Include your words, thoughts, and feeling along with inspirational or romantic sayings, song lyrics or lines from a poem.

9. Photo Book – With just a few clicks, you can create a high quality, totally professional photo book. Upload photos of the two of you at different stages of your relationship, maybe even include some photos of places you want to go together. Check out Kodak or Shutterfly.

10. Compose It. If you have a particular talent – let’s say in music, singing, writing, drawing, painting, sculpture, etc – use it to create at totally unique gift for the love of your life. Write and record a song just for him/her, write a story or poem, draw, paint or sculpt something just for her/him.

Yep, creating a personalized, unique gift takes more time. Your words and thoughts are the best presents. These are ways to capture them and preserve them. The time and effort you take to put them together will speak volumes about the way you feel about your valentine.

Jack-O-Licious

Love it or hate it, I bet you watched at least some of it. The Rose Parade takes over television sets across America on the first day of every year. It wouldn't be a new year without it. There's always something in the parade for everyone. Personally, I take the marching bands and equestrian processions as my time to visit the bathroom. There are two things that I really like - really creative floats and totally cool costumes.




The Jack-O-licious float got my attention. It had the big (headed) man himself, Jack, in the middle of a floating Disco Party. Perfect for the New Year since disco parties are such a popular theme for New Year's Eve parties. You had to just love Jack's band, looking all Saturday Night Live-ish! This is the ultimate disco suit - it says shake your groove-thang like no other. Next time you are heading for a disco theme party, keep the Jack-O-Licious float in mind. Dress yourself up in a disco suit, in a glitter shirt, or a wild disco dress and you'll be ready to go.

Holidays from Your Pets Point of View

The holidays? Oh, yeah, I love the holidays. My person brings a tree in the house, which is weird because when I bring stuff in from outside, I get in trouble. Anyway, I love the tree. I sniff it and, when she’s not looking, I pee on it – don’t tell her that part. I don’t understand all of the traditions of Christmas, but I like the one where she puts a water bowl under the tree for me. Very tasty. I like all the extra yummy foods too. I sort of help out with the cooking. It’s my job to look for falling crumbs or drops. But my favorite part of the holidays are the fun outfits I get to wear. I’m sort of a skinny girl, and I get a bit chilly in the winter. I just love my warm and, in case you didn’t notice, very sexy, Santa Paws outfit. It keeps me all cozy. And I am the best dressed dog on the block, if I don’t say so myself.

The holidays? You must be kidding. Bah-humbug, the whole thing is a waste of time, if you ask me. That freaky little dog gets all excited and bounces around non-stop. Why can’t she just settle down and act mature like me? Okay, I’ll admit it, there are two things I like about Christmas. I always get a special can of cat food. That is something I look forward to all year. And I get to look all intimidating in this hat. I pretend not to like it, but I do. I look pretty good huh?

Add this to your Jersey

We’re getting to the best part of football season, folks. You’re either a die-hard fan, know someone who is, or you may be of the more mild variety (a fan, but not a fanatic). I know this next statement will sound utterly crazy to those of you who fell proudly into category one, but bear with me here. There are even some who, and it pains me to say this, are not football fans at all.

For those of you who aren’t into throwing around the pigskin, there are other sports you may be more excited by. It happens to be basketball season as well. Even if you aren’t a particularly huge sports fan, you can bring a big old thrill to your sports-lovin’ partner, spouse, family member or friend by heeding, and putting into practice the following tips.

Here’s a fun simple way to show some spirit, to support your local team, to cheer on your fave. Throw on your team’s jersey, or t-shirt, then add that little extra touch that goes soooooo far.
Wear something that relates to that team’s mascot or area. Let’s think about a few of the football teams looking play-off bound.

For example, how about them Panthers? (Stick with me, Panther rivals). Throw on your Carolina jersey, some black panther ears, tail, and “claws” and you are one fun, sexy Panther fan.


Jets fans, wear a jet on your head. Can’t find a hat that looks like a jet? Make your own. Glue some little plastic jets to a baseball cap. Or wear a pilot hat. This one is stretching it a little, but the sharp folks will get it. Pilots fly jets.

Those Giants are making a run at the Super Bowl again, but, alas, they don’t actually have a mascot. How do you spice up that jersey? Wear an oversized head mask?



Tennessee Titans have a raccoon as their mascot so you could paint a raccoon mask on your face, wear a raccoon mask, or at least wear some raccoon ears and a tail.



Just for pure simplicity, you might want to consider being a Viking fan. How easy and how cool is theirs? Just wear your jersey and a Viking helmet.

I suppose the Cowboys are just as simple. And there are a whole lot more cowboy hat choices than there are Viking helmets. If you want to be a sexy Cowboys fan, try pairing a cowboy hat with this outfit.

Personally, I wish those Buccaneers would do a bit better and get into the playoffs. I’d love to cheer them on, even though they aren’t really my favorite team of all. I could be easily persuaded to cheer them on like a nut, with the idea of wearing a Buc’s jersey and a pirate hat.

Whether it be at home, or at your local sports bar; whether you a are true-blue, died-in-the-wool fan, or a part-time, just-for-this game enthusiast, have some fun with the NFL. Even if you choose your teams solely based on the colors they wear, or if you don’t even know the rules (you might want to keep this last one to yourself) dress it up, yell and scream.

Don’t know a thing about football – not the teams, not the colors, nothing? You don’t have to be left out. Use this sexy football player outfit when he’s sitting down to watch the game and he may call time out.



And if you can’t come up with what to wear with your jersey, there’s always a crazy wig out there for you or face/body paint! These work for any sport, any team, any event.