That Time We Threw A Vintage Paris Party

Absinthe!

Truth time: My skin is nowhere near this glowy in real life. I used Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminzing Veil this night though, and you guys--it is SO good. Candlelight in a compact. Instant dewy skin. Love. (Bracelet by Lulu Frost similar here and here)

You guys know how I love to throw themed kids' parties, right? Well, I love a good adult theme party, too. Case in point: A few weeks back, my husband and I (along with our local Hoboken friends Amanda and Tim) threw a party to help raise money for our daughter's school. 

We went with a loose "vintage Paris" theme, inspired by the "Belle Epoque" period with a little '20s speakeasy vibe thrown in. Perfect, because we were having the party at Amanda and Tim's house, a beautiful brownstone built around the same late-1890s time frame. 

To keep the theme going, we used vintage gold-rimmed glassware and plates (thanks, Amanda's mom!), served French alcohol (French beer, white wine, red wine, champagne, and this absinthe punch), replaced all of the chandelier bulbs with flickering ones, and even added a few taxidermy touches. We encouraged costumes, too, and to our surprise, most everyone dressed up!

My brother is a lighting designer, so he came down from Boston to give the facade of the home a green-fairy-esque glow. He also used some amber-y lights inside, as well as a haze machine to give the rooms a dark, smoky-club vibe. We even put green, battery-operated ice cubes in the beer tub and punch dispenser!

At the end of the night, we sent our guests home with choupettes from the cool new French market Le District in Lower Manhattan. (Fun fact: A choupette isn't just a cat owned by Karl Lagerfeld. It's also a shortbread-like cookie stuffed with filling. Ours had this delicious chocolate inside that tasted like fudge-y frosting. YUM.)

But the best part: We had this amazing three-piece jazz band perform old French songs throughout the evening. They were awesome--and they were actually French! (By way of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, natch...)

What do you think? C'est magnifique or non?

Vendors:

Band: Avalon Jazz Band
Catering: The Secret Chef
Choupette cookies: La Cure Gourmande at Le District
"Merci" favor printables: Ketrina Design
Beverage dispenser: Pottery Barn
Beverage tub: Crate & Barrel (old; almost identical here)
Flickering light bulbs: Amazon
Glowing ice cubes: Amazon