Ohhhhh yes.
I am always last minute.
Alwaysssss.
Count on me to be the one who texts all my friends on Friday at 1:30 pm to come over at 5 for a quick, casual holiday party. “Wear jeans & a tee- nothing fancy”, I text!
Because of that fun fact, I’m going to share with you guys how you can throw together a party in minutes. I’m all about easy holiday party ideas.
Like let me tell you though: ANYTHING IS DOABLE.
Just when you think you can’t, you can.
BUT be sure you have a few things on hand at all times.
Party essentials I always have: pixy straws, a chic ice bucket, colorful bowls, vintage cake stand, chilled champagne/beer glasses, hummus, some fruit, veggies, cold beer ( you know I love my Stella ), cocktail napkins, & some fake flowers.
If you have these essentials, you’ll be able to go into any last minute party situation.
Set the vibe with some light holiday Bossanova & a couple cinnamon, clove scented candles. The more festive, the better. Everyone loves a spiced pumpkin candle right?
Another idea was I used Stella Artois Cidre to start the party. Instead of starting with beer I gave everyone a little cup of cidre with a few cranberries in it. It was chilled & the perfect aperitif to begin the festivities.
For a quick appetizer I served tomato soup ( it was definitely out of a can…GUILTY ) & added tiny pickles as a garnish. Squeeze a little lime on top & your guests will never know the difference. Oh, & the best part here? I served the soup in shot glasses so they were shooters. FESTIVE.
Drinks are always simple & to the point.
We can all agree there’s nothing better than a cold beer. If you follow along on Snapchat you know Stella is always stocked VERY full in our fridge. It’s a beer that’s masculine AND feminine. Girls & guys both love it. Plus it’s green…so it’s very holiday-esque.
Fake flowers are ALWAYS good to have on hand because they will instantly make any table look better. And of course you know I’m all about different heights. So go for tall fake flowers & short too- dimension is king. To keep the theme of different heights going add a vintage cake stand with beer on top.
If you’re hosting, make sure your outfit is sassy. Nothing boring. I’m wearing a faux fur neck wrap that reminds me of everything holiday. To be real, I’m wearing this with comfy black leggings & I’m sure no one would notice…or care?
This whole set-up literally took me 20 minutes. Of course, Postmates, cold beers, & my secret party stash helped.
What are your holiday party essentials? Anything I’m missing?
…for the record if you haven’t listened to holiday Bossanova, you’re missing out! Give it a try.
CHEERS!
x lauryn
+ Check out my top holiday decor picks to make your space even more holiday-ie.
++ this post is in collaboration with Stella Artois. As always, all opinions are my own.
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Great tips! I’m the same as you, I’m always last minute. 😉 Soup out of a can is something I’d totally do too.
Charmaine Ng
Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
Thanks babe! I love some good tomato soup out of a can LOL. xx
Wow! Thank you for the amazing tips. These are simple ones and very last minute but it looks like it has been prepared for tow days. You have great ideas.
Thanks babe! I always make sure I have some party ready stuff on hand just in case! xx