Party! Party!

We love hosting parties!  Ella just became a Bat Mitzvah and we had a party at SmogShoppe to celebrate.  It was a magical June evening and we had an intimate affair with some of our closest friends and family.  Our theme was black and white + classic Mickey Mouse.  It was artsy, eclectic and welcoming.  We wanted to share our photos of the entire evening with our readers.  The event was planned by myself and Nicole Hirsty of Cobalt Events.  I am so pleased with how it turned out. 

Ready to greet our guests.  Photo courtesy of Cobalt Events.

This place is very unassuming from the outside. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

The inside is a magical oasis; the perfect escape from the rush of the city. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

Cobalt Events created a variety of seating areas which made it easy for our guests to visit. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

The Decor...

SmogShoppe has a lot of great furniture that we used.  The long zig-zag sofas, the wood benches that we turned into coffee tables, the bentwood chairs and much more came with the venue.  For the florals and additional decor elements, Nicole and I worked with Caryl at TLC.  I gave her a bunch of mood boards about what I was hoping for.  She definitely understood my vision and ran with it.  My big requests were: a variation of centerpieces (I didn't want to see the same thing on every table), black and white striped runners, lots of herbs and leafy greens, anemone flowers, stacks of books, NO pink and only one accent color... a dark, deep red.  As inspiration, I showed a piece of artwork that I had purchased from a gallery a couple of years ago...

Street art by artist Gary John.  This image inspired everything.

When we got to SmogShoppe, I couldn't believe my eyes.  Everything exceeded all of my dreams.  As a person who has planned A LOT of parties, both in my professional life and personally, it was hard for me to not be the person doing everything.  But Nicole and Caryl really understood what I was hoping to see and they took it to the next level.

The arrangements were truly breathtaking.  I felt very glamorous, surrounded by such beauty. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

I loved the glass bell jars, mercury candles and succulents. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

The room was eclectic perfection.  Funky, yet comfortable. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

We created low seating areas for the teens to have a place to themselves. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

A few days before the party, I delivered 2 van loads worth of stuff to TLC.  I took them stools and lanterns from Aladdin, as well as other items that I had been acquiring for months in preparation.  The black and white cushions were purchased at IKEA.

Absolute perfection. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

Birdseye view, table-scape. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

TLC also brought in the light strings, adding additional pixie dust. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

These guys clean up pretty good! Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

In our party attire.  I am obsessed with Ella's Doc Martins. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

The Vibe...

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Our DJ, Ian from Red Shoe, spun a great set of Electro Swing tunes.  We played classic Mickey cartoons on the screen, as the kids lounged below.  The mood was very chill and relaxed.  We had a henna tattoo artist, an aura reader, a photo booth and a Japanese candy sculptor. 

DJ Ian of Red Shoe. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

Amezaiku artist, Shinoba Ichiyanagi, aka "The Candy Man" whose creations were too good to eat. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

The Food...

We did not want to do a formal, sit down dinner.  We wanted to give people the chance to stroll around and visit with one another.  Nicole suggested getting the Habit Truck, which I was fully on board with.  We also had Wok Star Catering making us a bunch of passed appetizers, as well as a crudite and Asian food station.  But the central focus of the party was the dessert bar.  Everything was done in black and white.  I think it is safe to say that we went a little crazy on this and I joked with Nicole that we would still be adding desserts to the list, long after the party was over.  We had candy, donuts, cake pops, rice crispy treats dipped in black and white candy, cookies, dipped strawberries and a whole lot more.

Caryl was so inspired by the artwork that I gave her that she had it blown up onto two canvases to adorn the dessert table, set against a field of black and white stripes.  The end result was truly a feast for the senses.

Dessert, anyone? Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

So many treats, so little time. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

Randy's Donuts, an assortment of candies and chocolate dipped pretzels. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

Dipped Oreos and Black & White Cookies. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

Custom burgers, grilled cheese, fries and tempura green beans were offered from The Habit Truck. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

Ahi tuna wonton bites from Wok Star Catering. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

Pineapple fried rice served in mini pineapples from Wok Star Catering. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

So many goodies to chose from. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

The party was a huge success.  And the best part was that we could relax and enjoy ourselves, thanks to Nicole and her talented team.  I wouldn't change a thing. 

Dawn, Me, Cici (my Mom) and my glamorous sister Nicole. Photo by Joshua Bobrove.

SO much fun! Photo by Joshua Bobrove.