My niece, Noel, turns 18 this October and I'd love to have a surprise party for her. I'm looking around at how much it costs to rent a room at different places, but that kind of thing is easy. What is going to be hard is finding a theme for her and things to do. Anyone have any ideas??

I was recently at a Pices party that was AMAZING! All fish and water themed. Maybe you could do something similar. What's her sign?

i just graduated from high school last year and i'm 18 (i know i know i'm probably the youngest member here lol ) but maybe you could have a luau i know i spelled it wrong but i know it's pronounced loo-ow lol and maybe you could secretely invite some of her friends too? aaaahhhh it's so hard to think when you don't have a brain!

You spelled it right.

And that's a great idea. The Oriental Trading Company has a lot of great luau supplies for really cheap. Grass skirts and everything!

Japanese High Tea? It kind of depends on the 18 year old. My daughter is a reader (like her mother) So if she has read about it she loves to try it. The regency romance period was real fun. I'm so glad our menus have improved soooooooooo much from back then. i.e. cucumber sandwiches, ragout...

Jenn, how about an American Idol party? Rent a kj and recruit a couple of neighbors to be the judges...

Dianna

Hmmm...I dunno if these are things she would like to do. Its soo hard to figure this age out! She wants a party, I know that, but she's soo self consicous....I don't know if she'd go for the American Idol one....and I don't know if she'd like the laua idea. Noel is the kind of person who is a little on the prissy side. She does the marching band and is on the bowling team...I thought about maybe incorporating those things into the party?? Any ideas along those lines??

Of course you could do something that is a music theme. You can find that stuff everywhere too.

Please remember that, even though she's turning 18, there is always still a desire to be silly and childish if only for a couple hours. I recommend looking up the Oriental Trading Company online. They have a plethera of party favors that might help you make some decisions.

Oriental Trading Company

Thanks...I will look at that right now. In the mean time, will you look at this place and tell me what you think? Its a nice place and I recieved a list of packages that they offer...from 16.99 per person to 19.99 per person. I don't know how much my sister is willing to spend on this...anyways, here's the link...

The Works at Wyomissing

I LOVE BIRTHDAYS!!! here in the NC mardi gras themes are all the rage this year!! if your interested i can get you the name of a company that sells mardi gras masks and what-not. come to think of it i believe the Oriental Trading Company sells those as well. it really is a great company. BEADS* costumes * oh! i wish i wish my birthday was here.
p.s. your a great uncle for doing this for your niece

Oh! how about a costume ball! not to be mistaken with costume party. Have a theme like famous people, or famous couples, etc. people love to play dress up. I know i work for a company that rents costumes. Oh how about a mystery muder party!
okay i'm going to stop posting. i'll be back though to see what you decide. and i think that place is lovely. good luck

I just had a surprise party for my friend who turned 18. My b-day was two days after his so my other friends ended up having a double-surprise party for both of us. I thought it was all my idea but I was just playing into their hands. Anyway, it was held at another friends house. We just pretended it was going to be a regular get-together kinda thing. It worked perfectly, he was quite surprised.
I personally think simple is better. We just had food, a movie and hung out for a couple of hours. Personally, I wouldn't want something really big. But that's just me. Maybe your niece would rather have her friends over and simply hang out. Just a thought...

Ok, so we're visiting this thread again. So I got a catelog from Oriental Trading and liked some of the things for the luau theme. Yesterday I took my niece to Party City to just look while some bead work was being done on her prom dress. I mentioned that I wanted to do a party for our friend who is in the Army and because his BASIC was delayed, he might not be around until the beginning of October or end of September and asked what she thought about the luau theme. She thinks its a little cold outside and late in the year for that theme. Then she said "you need to throw me a party this year, Aunt Jenn". "Oh really" I say "what kind of theme do you want?" "I dunno....just....something fun". She didn't like a single thing that was in that store.......except for a pack of candles that were lime green, ice blue, purple, and pink. So...is there a theme that we can do using those colors??? Can the colors themselves be a theme???? I was thinking like a Flower Power type of thing...but she's not into that either. So, please, HELP!!!

With those colors I'm thinking glacial ice. It sounds wierd, I know. But there was a tv program on the about an ice motel that is built every year. The designer had choosen that theme for redecorating 3 roommates livingroom. It really came out nice. I was very unimpressed when I first heard the theme, but the end result was elegant and still fun. The roommates were early twenties.

Where I live October is mid indian summer. lol

Here, early October can be really nice out, but it can also be pretty cold. So, I don't think it would be a good idea to have it outside....so that means it'll be inside somewhere......probably where decorating would be minimal-ish. Her parents aren't going to want to put too much $$ toward this because they go on vacation in September. I thought maybe something like....cups and plates in those colors...some balloons (not many b/c she's really afraid of balloons), some nifty treats....I dunno...I just don't quite know where to start...I guess that's my problem. Once I get started, I should be fine.

Hey Jenn ~

My son was also very into bowling. Did you know you can go to bowling alleys and ask if they have any bowling balls or pins that they are getting rid of? Most will give them to you for free if they have them. If you get any, you can paint them the colors you said she likes, and use them for the centerpieces on the tables.

Just a thought...

Oh!! GREAT idea, Lynne!! Thanks...ok...so I have one idea to go off of....anyone else have anymore??

When I heard the colors that she liked my first thought was a funky psychodelic 60's theme party. Tie-dye tablecloths,blacklight posters,beads,lava lamps,etc.

G-Mom

That's what I thought of too!! You think I could do like a glow bowl themed party??? Like if I use the bowling pin idea that Lynne had?

Jenn ~ they actually do that at the bowling alleys these days - they paint things with glow-in-the-dark paint and use blacklights. Then they blast loud music and the kids have a ball! (pun intended! )

Both my daughters when they turned 18 wanted a hang out with friends party. They didn't want a theme, they wanted to be treated as they thought adults would be. So I had a BBQ for one and an italian dinner for the other and their friends. They were happy to have family there too. It was actually pretty low key and I let the girls dictate the direction the party went under my supervision. I had a headache from the music after the night was over but otherwise it was ok.

Lynne, I know about the glow bowl...we've been to them a couple times. They do it alot on the weekends late at night. We thought about doing that for the party, but the packages are a bit more expensive than what we wanted to pay and you can't bring in any outside food other than a cake.

I also thought about just letting them hang out somewhere, but neither of our houses are big enough for that and I don't know where else to go with that. Taking like 30 people out for dinner is just not in our budget. She keeps on saying "I want to do something that I can't do now!" And I keep on saying "Your mom wouldn't approve of a stripper!!"

Kareenas 18th B-day was held at a local nightclub that had the "Male Danccers"...all of us old folks took her and her friends to it I hate to say it...but we all had a ball...age 18-45

Hee,Hee,Hee...I've got some great pics from it too!

As a matter of fact she was gonna post about it last night and I stopped her.

G-Mom

Haha...we come from a church-going family and her mom is going to want to invite some people from church to the party.....so....dancers are out. Although, I did say that BZ might be willing to do it if he was around...he's gonna be ripped when he comes back from BASIC.

What about separate parties...proper and ...wellllllllllllllllll?



G-Mom

While male dancers would be more fun, I know of one family that had their daughter's party in a local Native American casino because she was dying to see the inside of one of these dens of iniquity. That might be starting a horrible habit however.

Sorry G-mom, she's not really interested in it...and I don't think her boyrfriend would like the idea either. Haha....we had a good laugh about it, but she was like... hahaha...haha...ha....ummm.........no

So, back to the drawing board. There are restaurants around here that have rooms that they cater to.....do you think places like that would let us just rent the room and not have it catered?