Certain moments in life are meant to be celebrated. I know not everyone will want to throw a party for every little accomplishment that comes their way. But if you want to celebrate a turd after being constipated, hey I’m no one to judge- let’s do it! Parties can be time consuming, take some creativity and of course some money must be spent. I get it. It’s not a requirement. Some celebrate differently, without the big fuss. Not me. I’ll make a party hat out of a Taco Bell napkin. I’m the one that dances on the dance floor all night even if it’s just my living room. I will par-tay all by myself if need me. I live up to this Hispanic stereotype, I love to party and will celebrate just about anything. My love to celebrate and decorate merged into a passion I am currently expanding which brings me so much joy.
2020 has been a tough year with endless reasons why we shouldn’t celebrate anything. Get togethers increase the chances of being infected with this deadly virus. No one wants to party with the Rona! (It’s serious guys and precautions are a must!) Being quarantined not only isolated us from extended family and friends but also deprived us from our usual social gatherings. I’m an ambivert and need my alone time as much as I need to be social. I had to get creative and celebrate with my immediate circle And at times virtually. I accepted this challenge and I made sure we celebrated safely one way or the other.
Birthdays are special and deserved to be honored. While I decorated, cooked, and baked for several holidays this year, (seriously even learned to roll sushi) birthdays took the central focus. Some were drive thru celebrations and others were very intimate gatherings with my immediate family. We still partied nonetheless.
I love to see the happiness on people’s face when they see their birthday cake next to a backdrop of their favorite theme. I love to search for details knowing it will make them smile big! One simple set up of Fort Nite had my eight year old nephew happy for days. Got his favorite characters on a backdrop and on his cake. Cooked his favorite meal. Even if no extra guests were present just to be celebrated was enough to bring him such happiness.
This year my mother celebrated her 64th birthday. Before this quarantine came to play, my sisters and I had planned to celebrate her in grand. Unfortunately the current circumstances did not allow us to do what we initially had in mind. I made sure to give my mom a garden wonderland with hanging wisterias and gold accents that transported her outside the dining room. She was elated when she received phone calls and facetimes from her extended family and friends. It made it seem like we all were celebrating together under one roof. The birthday felt less isolated and a she had the perfect backdrop for pictures to freeze these moments in time.
My younger sister and I have several things in common. When the opportunity presented to plan for her quarantine birthday this year, my mind went wild. We both are die hard fans of The Vampire Diaries and we chose that theme. I managed to bring Mystic Falls to the dining room and even had a smoke machine with the soundtrack blasting to set the eerie mood. I made potions out of ordinary drinks and even did blood bags with cranberry and vodka. I was happy to bring her such happiness in bringing this series to life for her birthday set up.
I had the opportunity to celebrate a gender reveal with the cutest of themes- “What will babe bee?” I enjoyed the neutral color scheme while incorporating bees and sunflowers as the backdrop to reveal the gender of the little hunny bee. These moments deserve to be celebrated whether big or small. I was happy to add on to this joyous moment of this family. It’s amazing what decorations and sweets can do to an event. It sets the ambiance.
This weird year is still not over and neither are the celebrations. I am still in the process of planning more parties even if it’s just 10 of us. I can’t wait until all is safe to party in larger groups! I miss so many faces on the dance floor! Plus I love to see the many faces of people seeing my imagination at play with themes. So stay tune as I have much more coming! This is just the beginning.
One thing I have learned especially in 2020 is to live in each moment. No matter the dire circumstances surrounding us worldwide, take some time and celebrate! There is always a reason to smile. There is always a reason to make memorable memories. Raise up your empty wine glass from the couch, dust the Cheetos crumbs from your shirt and go celebrate your moment! Cheers because we are here able to appreciate each moment given to us. No matter what life throws at us, let’s continue to choose happiness!
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