Absolutely Mad Men Recap

Renata's Mad Men Party was a success! These pictures are making me seriously jealous. Look at all the candy cigs! I threw Renata (top left) some post-party questions and here is how the night unfolded:

TSS: How did the party turn out?

R: The party was great. I had a blast! Everyone was in a great mood.

TSS: Did everyone dress up?

R: Pretty much everyone did. Most people went out of their way to wear something that would put them in the mood. The awesome thing about it was that once people changed into the fancy clothes, they started acting different - playing the part - and that was half the fun.

TSS: What did you serve?

R: We had martinis, lime gimlets, brandy alexanders, and manhattans. Plus OJ and grapefruit juice for screwdrivers and greyhounds. I put the juice into carafes and french soda bottles - nicer presentation (great idea!). We set all the fixings out on a tray along with a bowl of oranges, limes, and lemons, plus some nutmeg for the brandy alexanders. (How about this bar setup? I LOVE the drink ingredients typed up on recipe cards.)

For food - My friend Nina made a couple yummy quiches and Sarah made meatballs. I wrapped up little squares of cheese with peppered salami and a toothpick. We also put out mixed nuts and some spinach artichoke dip and crackers. Next time I'll make a jello mold. I made a batch of cookies but didn't end up cooking them before the guests came - but that worked out great because we popped them in the oven later in the night and it made for some super domestic apron moments! (And who doesn't love  cookies right out of the oven?! +500 hostess points)

TSS: What about decorations?

R: JFK picture in a frame, of course, set next to the old analog telephone by the front door to set the mood. Nina also had a bunch of old black and white photos that she put in frames around the house - a super nice touch. A few spray roses dotted around in little jars and vases. Candles. My roommate also made pins- she glued images from some old National Geographics onto buttons she got at the thrift store. We got the duraflames and lit a fire in the fireplaces (fireplaces? lucky). Our apartment couldn't have been a better setting to start with, down to the checkered tile in the kitchen.

Another key for the evening was the right music - Sarah's friend made up a couple cds that were songs from the Mad Men soundtrack and we had a second iPod playing other music. Lots of Dean Martin, Sinatra, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, some swing.... there was a lot of dancing in the kitchen and living room, for sure!

A big thank you to Renata for sharing her party with us! Photos are by Dan Brazelton - aren't they awesome? Really makes me want to throw a big bash for next season!