Surprise Birthday Party
| When I got the call to see if I would plan this PARTY I was prepared to refer it to someone else as I was in the throes of launching my, almost a year in the making, WEBSITE - which had been starting to resemble all the DRAMA, REWARDS and JOY you get from being in labor! I offered my client that at least I would come over and meet with her and give her some GUIDANCE but I couldn’t promise anything. After the first 5 minutes of TALKING with her I KNEW I was doomed – despite all common SENSE and the VOICE in my head saying “DON’T! Don’t do it Liza! You can’t do this, you have too much on your plate, you have no time. If TIME were a credit card you’d be DECLINED! Just say NO! No no no!” As I heard these words in my head my mouth was saying “I’ll DO it”…and here’s WHY: My client explained how it was her husband’s BIRTHDAY, she wanted desperately to CELEBRATE the love of her life and this milestone year – yet her husband was ADAMANT about NOT having a party. She wanted to have the party in her HOUSE which was under MAJOR construction and the source of mega STRESS for the family. It was her DESIRE to have the party ANYWAY. It was going to have to be a SURPRISE (in which case she was afraid he may never forgive her) – she just wasn’t sure how to PULL IT OFF. That’s where I come in. I love a CHALLENGE and THIS had ALL the makings-
1. Uncooperative GUEST of honor. 2. Venue in absolute DISARRAY 3. Torrential RAIN, MUD & record breaking CHILL 4. No HEAT 5. No KITCHEN, running WATER or ELECTRICITY 6. No BATHROOM |
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| …but the real REASON I couldn’t pass it up? This beautiful FAMILY needed and DESERVED a break. They were overdue for some FUN and a chance to count their BLESSINGS in their new home. I RELISH the OPPORTUNITY to bring JOY to people’s life through HEARTFELT celebration!
The FIRST thing I did was call the ONLY chef I know who could execute with PERFECTION under these kinds of conditions – MASTER chef, JEAN FRANCOIS METEIGNER! Watch as Jean Francois sees the party LOCATION for the FIRST time and how my biggest SURPRISE was the weather… |
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| My PLAN was to give the guest of honor a chance to flash forward – creating the experience of what it would look like and feel like to dine with family and friends once the new home was finished. My HOPE was to offer a meaningful evening of HEARTFELT celebration that would temporarily wash away the stresses of building a new house!
Now all I had to do was TRANSFORM this construction zone into a beautiful dining room without a single trace or reminder of the mess. I started by gathering a list from his wife of all the things he loved; surfing, hiking, traveling, steak, pasta, Italy, classic rock, family, friends and created a simple but elegant design that integrated all things meaningful to him – then built around that. I chose fabrics and materials that were all natural, rustic and textured to reflect his love of the outdoors. Created a DELICIOUS menu with Chef Jean Francois, www.LaCachetteBistro.com, of all his favorite foods – which was no easy task as an entire rental kitchen needed to be brought in complete with makeshift counter tops, our own water and power – way to go Jean Francois! I put together a playlist of classic rock tunes that would complement the evening – without blasting everyone out of the water! The room was lighted by twinkle lights, candles and the glow of supersonic heaters – making the cold room feel warm and INTIMATE…We only had a few hours to pull this off, the pressure was on and I was excited to get going!…the toughest part was keeping him away from the site! For that we poured a hefty glass of wine when his beautiful wife arrived! |
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| Here’s a behind the scenes look at how the centerpieces came to life… | ||||
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They say a picture says a thousand words! Watch the video and take a look at how it all went down on the day of the Surprise Party.
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| The greatest GIFT to me: A thank you note from my client… |
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As the holiday season began winding down this past December what to do for my husband’s upcoming birthday was increasingly on my mind. During this time I read Liza’s piece on the Christmas party she put together for a small company in Washington, DC. I looked at the pictures and marveled how she transformed a rather drab looking wine cellar room into an elegant, warm, stunningly beautiful setting for an intimate and meaningful celebration. As I looked at the before and after pictures I had an absolute epiphany about my husband’s party…I wanted to have in the dining room of our new home. One problem stood in the way, the home was smack in the middle of construction! Liza sketched out her vision for the room. Intimate, elegant without being fussy, she would use plants, twinkle lights, candles to completely transform the room so that no one would feel like they were on a construction site. I left the meeting thinking who in the world is she going to recommend who could actually pull this off??? From that point on Liza took over. I did nothing. For the first time ever I confidently relinquished control. I truly knew everything would be extraordinary. Liza sent me a “sneak peak” picture about two hours before we were to arrive at the party, and I could not believe I was looking at the same dining room I had left behind only 24 hours before! It was stunning. When we arrived and walked into our home with lighted trees, beautiful candles everywhere and our dearest friends and family seated at the most magnificently set table I have ever seen, that construction site became our home. It all came together at that moment. Liza created the perfect setting to put life, heart and soul into our home. Jeff was speechless. I watched as friends and family chatted, passed food and got into a relaxed festive mood. Liza had asked about music for the evening and I had lamented that Jeff’s taste in classic rock did not really lend itself to a dinner party! With only that to go on she created a play list was just perfect for everyone. Jeff even asked for a copy. With great music, food and wine flowing one by one family and friends said a few words about Jeff… he was deeply touched by each and every word. I watched as Jeff went around and talked happily with everyone and felt a huge swell of gratitude in my heart. Grateful that my husband was enjoying his birthday, grateful for my family and friends, and especially grateful for Liza, she made the impossible…possible. I call her my dream maker! |
