This post is sponsored by Glad. Glad asked me to put together a One-Bag Party, which means all of the waste only goes in one bag. I love this concept. Visit Facebook.com/Glad for more details!
We moved in almost a year ago but a lot of our friends hadn’t seen our apartment yet so last Saturday we decided to host a giant housewarming party. If you remember we live in a 500 square foot apartment so I wasn’t sure about entertaining all those people until we decided on an open house style party. We told guests to stop by for a visit any time between 11am and 6pm. I was still a little bit nervous to throw a party for everyone we know in such a small space but we have an excellent backyard and a really fun stoop so I figured we could always overflow into the outdoor spaces. Honestly, I think it might be one of my favorite parties I’ve ever thrown. It had a very relaxed vibe. I liked that people didn’t feel like they had to stay very long and that people stopped by on their way from one weekend activity to the next. We also had guests that stayed for a few hours and guests that stopped in more than once. It was great because we actually got a chance to have good talks with almost everyone that came through. When I’m planning a party I like to focus on a couple things that make the party feel special and keep the rest of it simple, for the housewarming I decided on Florals and Food.
For the Florals: Since it was a housewarming party I wanted to keep the house pretty close to its original state so people could see our apartment but I decided to put up a garland on the front door to welcome people in. I ordered a eucalyptus garland from the Flower Mart and picked up some peonies, tulips, and wax flowers that I added myself. It wasn’t cheap, it cost a little over $100 but considering it made such a big impact it was a good tradeoff. It only took about an hour to make and hang and I was really happy with the results. I hired Julie Manwaring to make a “come on in” sign that we attached with wire. (Watch for a DIY post coming soon.)
For the Food: I asked my friend Andrea Pimental to cater the food. She is a genius and is so great to work with. I told Andrea I wanted most of the food prepared before the party so I could just bring out a few new dishes every hour. I bought a bunch of small pots and bowls for $1-2 (mostly from CB2 and Crate & Barrel) and handed them over to Andrea to work her magic. The food was amazing. It was so fun to bring out new fun things to eat through out the party. For breakfast we had yogurt parfaits, scones, baklava, avocado and grapefruit salad. Then in the afternoon we got out strawberry tarts, shrimp skewers, panzanella salad and few other things I’m forgetting now. You should’ve heard the oohs and ahhs when I brought out the tray of Butterscotch Pots de Creme. The last few hours we mostly sat on the stoop and ate homemade popsicles and watched the people walk by on our busy street. (Andrea posted the whole menu with recipes here.)
For the One Bag Party: I chose elements that were reusable recyclable and compostable to reduce on waste. San Francisco has an excellent compost program so a the cups and the paper napkins were compostable. The little pots and bowls were reusable but came in cardboard boxes that we recycled. In the end our one bag of trash consisted of the bamboo plates and utensils and some of the food packaging. Not bad for a 50 person party! Glad wants to challenge everyone to have a one-bag party. And they asked me to select some items that a reader could win at home.
(Giveaway is now CLOSED. Congratulations to our winner, Cindy #913!) There are two ways to enter to win all the item pictured below. Winner will be chosen on Monday April 29th!
1. Leave a Comment Below describing what kind of One Bag party you would host and if you want to enter twice then
2. Enter on Instagram (you must have an Instagram account to enter this way) see details on the @ohhappyday instagram account.
Photography by Paul Ferney + a few iphone photos
Florals by Jordan Ferney, assisted by Irene Yu
Food by Andrea Pimental
Debbie K.
April 25, 2013
I am currently the President of my sons school PTA, so I would love to host a “Thank You” party for all the moms who helped me out this year. This would be a great way to show my appreciation for all their time they gave to me and the school. My thought is, it would be fun to have a tapas style party with the addition of some great wines, cheeses and of course…great desserts! The list is endless!
Jaime
April 25, 2013
Wow! I’m opening a Pilates and barre studio in the next month and planning on having an open house/studio warming party. I am going to DIY a version of that table cloth. Your party is such an inspiration for the one I would like to have.
olivia
April 25, 2013
my daughter’s red egg and ginger party when she turns 100 days old.
Stephanie Joy
April 25, 2013
So lovely! I would have a housewarming party to celebrate our first home together!
Harriet S.
April 25, 2013
I would love to have a one-bag summer taco party with amazing toppings on a large tortilla…
kara
April 25, 2013
A garden party {in our vegetable garden} a chance to use our outdoor sink. Use my “real” plates, cups and utensils! Grandma’s tablecloth {un-ironed pretty please} Fresh flowers that we grew and some of the food right from the garden!
Annie
April 25, 2013
We are having a birthday fest to celebrate my daughter’s first birthday. Her first year started as a challenge with premature birth and corrective heart surgery, but a year later things could not be more rosy and delightful and we are so pleased to be able to celebrate how far she’s come with friends and family. Her birthday is in June so the weather will be nice enough we can open up the house and have people spill out into the deck or front porch if things inside our rowhouse get too cramped. No ideas on food yet, but there will certainly be cake and lots of balloons! Our city has a pretty great recycling program so even if birthday wrapping paper I think all our trash should fit in one nice bag.
Massarra
April 25, 2013
My birthday’s coming up and I want to throw a garden party for my closest friends.
Gen
April 25, 2013
We’re moving soon, so I’d host a going away party.
Kimberly Richter
April 25, 2013
I want to have a hello summer party on our little balcony! The party would have to be pretty small for everyone to fit, but it would be so fun.
Amanda
April 25, 2013
I would love to host a one-bag craft party with all of my besties- of course these party accessories would just put it over the top!!
Kjerste
April 25, 2013
Now that we live outside the city and we have a backyard I’ve been dying to host a Backyard Movie Party! Those cafe lights are literally PERFECT for our deck rail, we would make a marquee sign using your adorable tutorial, and serve bourbon lemonade with that carafe (what else!?)
Christy
April 25, 2013
Your Open House party sounds perfect! We just returned from 8 months of traveling overseas and it would be great to host a party inviting friends and family that we haven’t seen in several months.
Ellen
April 25, 2013
How lovely! I would host a Mother’s Day brunch with my favorite ladies in my life!
Emily
April 25, 2013
My fiancé and I are getting married in June and are doing all of the catering/decorating for the reception ourselves! It’s going to be a very casual celebration with just our closest friends and family members. We are totally taking the one bag challenge!
Kate
April 25, 2013
How lovely! The floral arrangements are wonderful. I am moving back to Portland in July from being in Istanbul for a year. Although I’ll miss this crazy big city, I can’t wait to be back in Portland..and with that will come the welcome home/house warming/Turkish night/just because parties. This collection of party essentials looks like a treat!
lisa
April 25, 2013
I would love to a one bag party for my husband’s birthday! he would love it too and we could keep it on the smaller side with close friends and family.
Courtney A
April 25, 2013
I would totally host a lemonade and popsicle one bag party. What a great way to kick off the new season with the kids and adults in the neighborhood. I LOVE this idea. Thanks for the chance to win such lovely items.
beka
April 25, 2013
every year, we host an ethnic potluck with a group of friends! this would be the perfect motivation!
Rebecca
April 25, 2013
My beautiful daughter turns 15 soon, I’d love to host her friends with a one bag party. We’re setting up the Tee Pee in our back yard. My dad used to take us camping everyweekend in it. That was 7 kids 2 dogs and one stressed out Mom!
Amanda R
April 25, 2013
I just moved from San Francisco to Omaha. I’d love to host a party to invite all my new and old friends to meet in once place and see my very own big-kid apartment. It’s the first time I’m living alone in 5 years and have complete control over decorating. It’s lonely, but oh so well put together! 🙂
Lauryl
April 25, 2013
My husband is graduating in a few weeks—I would love to celebrate his new MD with a casual picnic party for family and friends in the park nearby. Picnic blankets, cloth napkins, make-ahead food served on bamboo plates, and maybe a pinata!–perfect to clean up in one bag!
Marae
April 25, 2013
i was going to say baby shower, but that might be a lot of wrapping to cram into one bag. 🙂 i’d love to have a picnic with siblings and all of their families before we move away.
Olivia
April 25, 2013
I would throw an end-of-the-school-year, “Bonjour, Summer!” party to celebrate the sun, complete with lots of bright flowers and mini cakes.
SuzyMcQ
April 25, 2013
I believe I’d host a “It’s finally Spring” party! It’s been chilly in the East and when it finally warms up I’d love to host family and friends at a pretty and delicious brunch!
Flora R.
April 25, 2013
I would host an It’s finally Spring bonfire party!
Rose
April 25, 2013
Every year, I throw at Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) party and it is the best fun EVER! Love the great ideas for reducing waste! It always makes me cringe how much trash a big party makes.
Mandy
April 25, 2013
a summer feast under our pergola
Michele @ Intrigue Design Studio
April 25, 2013
I would probably host a “back to {home} school” party for my son who’s concerned about not attending a “regular” school next year. I think it would be fun and encouraging for him.
Dayamis Veliz
April 25, 2013
We have just moved in to our new home! So excited! I have a 2 and a 3 year old whom are loving the bigger space.
I want to have my friends and family come see our new place and give us their blessing.
It’s truly a new start for our family!
stephanie
April 25, 2013
i’m throwing a graduation party / birthday party together in may and these would be the perfect pieces for my party! I would love to win!
Trilby
April 25, 2013
What a lovely housewarming party! I so love your taste and cleverness and always look forward to your posts. My “one bag party” would be to celebrate 30 years of marriage this year with my fabulous husband:)
Heidi
April 25, 2013
I would love to throw a BBQ birthday party for my sister in the summer. We also love to have fire pits so we can burn all the plates and napkins! Also mason jars for cups works great!
Stacy M.
April 25, 2013
I would throw an engagement party! I just got engaged a couple of weeks ago to my boyfriend of 3 years(today!), and would love to celebrate with my family. I would make mini chicken pot pies in ramekins so everyone would get their own portion! All utensils and plates would be reusable, to reduce on waste. I’d have to clean up after the party, but it’d definitely be worth it! (:
precious douglas
April 25, 2013
If I won the prizes above I’d through an amazing graduation party. I’m graduating middle school this May and me and my friends wanted to host our fist big party. We’d make adorable cupcakes in a graphic theme as the pitcher, table cloth and napkins portray. Oooh and the lemonade just gave me the idea of ginger lemonade. Oh and the food would all be made of stuff from the farmers market cause that also seems to be what the prizes display as their theme. For example I’d make some dish with heirloom tomatoes or fresh figs from my tree in the back area of our condo. Yes this sounds great! Okay I know i probably won’t win so I wont keep my hopes up but even if i don’t win i’ll still host this party and maybe even start a blog just to post this event. Ok thanks bye. 😀
precious douglas
April 25, 2013
PS: i usually don’t talk this much it’s just i’m not sure what to write. I also love your outfit in the picture of i’m guessing you, with the Butterscotch Pots de Creme, which i must say look absolutely divine.
Nicolette
April 25, 2013
I love treating every get-together like a party. It makes it that much more special. I just moved into a house a few months ago and will probably be finishing up the decorating by the end of summer. I think I would also throw a housewarming/end of summer one bag party. I really don’t like using paper and plastic at parties so I’m all about this one bag party idea!
Dani White
April 25, 2013
I would love to host an evening wine and cheese party! My fiance and I have a circle of friends that love doing this, but we have yet to host ourselves. Now that it is finally getting warm in the Midwest, it would be so fun to host our own soiree outside!
Kendra
April 25, 2013
I’d love this for my child’s birthday!
Nicole
April 25, 2013
I’d love this to host a party in my new home!
Anna
April 25, 2013
I would host a housewarming party as well, because my roommate and I are moving into a new place in the Haight this weekend!
Lisa | Happy By
April 25, 2013
I’d plan a DIY with everything leftover party. After the food and drinks the real party would start with guests creatively managing every waste. They either get to take home their creations or I get to keep them if I like them too much 🙂
amber
April 25, 2013
LOVE this. I am prepping for my son’s 3rd birthday. You can see some of the progress at my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Obsessivision/
Corey
April 25, 2013
i really want to host a pre-summer bbq- living in south FL it gets wayyyy to hot to party outdoors after may, so i want to have everyone over for some backyard fun. plus, we have an amazing patio that doesn’t get used nearly enough – my focus was going to be on food and florals too, so maybe a garland might just pop up outside our front door! i loved seeing your party! so incredibly lovely, as always.
Elizabeth
April 25, 2013
Definitely a summer get together.
Rachel
April 25, 2013
Pop-up dinner party!
Ana G
April 25, 2013
I will be graduating in the fall but dreaming of
a floral and fauna graduation party on
Earth Day in the spring.
Kate
April 25, 2013
I would have a sibling reveal party for our 8 year old daughter…she’s finally going to be a big sister after all these years and is over the moon!!!
Cari
April 25, 2013
I’d host a “welcome summer” party outdoors!
Alicia {Giving The Good Life}
April 25, 2013
It’s barbeque season so we’d love to host a Summer Kick-off one bag party!