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Unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with a Maid-of-Honor of the gods – sometimes we just have to handle things ourselves. Here are some great tips to make the big day before the Big Day…as glorious and fun as it can be!

Create a budget and stick to it

When you are planning a bridal shower, it is easy for your imagination to run wild. You may embrace visions of serving $200 champagne garnished with red raspberries. But even if you only invite a dozen guests, the costs of the occasion can quickly add up. Moreover, you and your family are likely simultaneously dealing with the costs of the wedding itself.

Choose a theme that reflects your personality

You throw a bridal shower not simply to celebrate your betrothal but also to show the women close to you a good time. Throwing a spring wedding? Then celebrate the joys of spring somehow in your theme. For instance, you could have a gardening motif - enjoy fresh treats prepared from a local garden or picnic in a park full of wild flowers. Your theme need not be seasonal, of course. It can reflect your personality or the personalities of your guests. For instance, if you are a sports fanatic, weave the relevant sports motif into your shower. Setting a theme will not only help create a specific mood for your shower, but it will also make it easier for your guests to get you appropriate gifts.

Get out your invites ASAP

The longer you wait to invite guests, the lower your turnout will likely be. Plus, if you obligate people at the last minute (relatively), you can frustrate their schedules and cause resentment. Many of your guests will likely have family or work obligations that they will need to set aside to come to your shower.

Choose a fantastic menu for the day

Your menu ideally should tie into your shower’s theme. But it doesn’t have to. You need not hire a top-of-the-line caterer to prep your meals. Browse Martha Stewart Living for cost-effective and fun ways to set up a meal for your girlfriends. Aim for the simple over the fancy and costly. That said, don’t be afraid to pamper your guests — after all, they are taking time to celebrate with you, and now is the time to indulge.

Choose games and/or activities to enliven the party

A bridal shower is traditionally more “tasteful” than a bachelorette party. However, it need not be a prudish affair. You and your girlfriends can play fun pre-wedding related word games, quizzes, or even pin the tail on the donkey. Or pin the something on the…something. The games should be tailored to the crowd that shows up. You don’t necessarily want to divulge naughty, secret details about your husband to be in front of your 85-year-old Aunt Esmeralda — nor do you really want to hear her naughty party tales from her youth.

Pick a good location for the shower

Aim for a central location, so that your guests can easily make the date. If you have girlfriends on both the east coast and the west coast, you can throw two separate bridal showers. Otherwise, you will have to exclude many close friends and relatives.

Give out gift-bags to guests

Everyone enjoys getting fun, free gifts. Choose giveaways that reflect the theme of the day, and tailor your gifts to individual parties and guests, if possible. You don’t have to spend tons of money here — a little thought goes a long way.

Use the internet to organize and hunt for new ideas

Are you stuck on a theme? Are you having trouble drawing up a budget for your bridal shower? Are you unsure how to plan the perfect menu or decorate your aunt’s porch in preparation? Websites and web forums abound to help brides to be with these matters of taste and etiquette. Read. Talk to other people who have gone through the experience. Don’t be afraid to ask silly questions.

Send thank you notes

Get your “thank you note writing” out of the way as soon as possible. You will likely be distracted by tons of pre-wedding logistics, and if you don’t attend to this time consuming but crucial task relatively soon after your shower, you will likely push it back on your queue. This could offend people. You need not print up fancy cards or stationary. But you probably want to avoid sending thank you notes via e-mail. Be formal but simple.

Indulge yourself and your guests

Your bridal shower is meant to be a time of bacchanalia. Once you’ve got all your ducks in a row in terms of planning the affair, let your hair down and be present for all the fun and mischief. You only get to do one of these parties (for yourself) in your lifetime. Have a few drinks, ruffle a few feathers, and embrace all who show up with love and affection.

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The Secret to Choosing the Perfect Halloween Costume

Halloween’s the one time of the year adults get to play dress-up. Whether you are attending a raging Halloween Block Party (like the West Hollywood Street Fair held every year on Santa Monica Boulevard) or a subdued house party (while the kids go out trick-or-treating), here are some ideas to help you fashion the ultimate costume.

Let your inner id speak. Even if it’s been 30 years since you actually went door-to-door asking strangers for candy, you likely harbor secret dress-up desires. Maybe you want to be a wolf because that costume “speaks to your inner totem.” Maybe you want to dress-up to terrify your roommate. Whatever you choose, let it be an expression of some fundamental desire that you keep repressed during the other 364 days of the year.

Aim for the satirical. Halloween is a great opportunity to send up popular politicians or cultural figures or otherwise make commentary about modern life. During the height of the recent North Korean nuclear standoff, for instance, one couple dressed-up as Kim Jong-Il and his nuclear weapon. Of course, you don’t need to make a political statement with your outfit. But you will get a lot of laughs if you do something original and unexpected. For instance, you might want to dress-up like the personal injury lawyer you see advertised on the back of the phonebook.

Go cheap. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on a prosthetic arm and a leg to have fun on Halloween. You can do a lot with duct tape, glitter, old clothes that you were going to give away to the Salvation Army, and makeup. Unless your costume depends on exotic special effects or sartorial accoutrements to make its point, you don’t need to burn through your wallet to make it come to life. Of course, if you do plan to do something involved, give yourself plenty of time, so you’re not scrambling on the day of Halloween to get everything together.

One of the big worries for Halloween costumers is coming up with a costume that everyone else at your party or parade is doing. To avoid these “run of the mill” costumes, is not so hard. After all, the big-ticket costumes are usually easy to guess. In an election year, they will include the major political candidates, for example. If there is a national villain on the landscape — Saddam Hussein was popular for many years — chances are that thousands of people around the country will dress-up like him (or her).

If you are worried about being copied, add a little something extra to your costume to distinguish you. Wear weird boots or oversized glasses or crazy jewelry to enhance an otherwise dull costume. Whatever you add should compliment the costume’s aesthetic. If you just throw on a bunch of beads, makeup, and homemade sheets, you will end up looking more like a mess than like anything that makes sense. And you don’t want to have to explain your costume all night — that can get old, fast.

In the rush to build new costumes, many people forget about functionality. You are going to be walking around all night, drinking, and dancing with friends. So don’t wear a costume with tons of extra fabric, which can trip you and make you uncomfortable. Don’t go out into the rain or freezing cold in a skimpy little outfit. Check the weather conditions and wear a costume that’s appropriate for your occasion and your venue.

There is a difference between sexy and slutty. Halloween can be a time to show off your bod. But it is easy to make a faux pas. If you expose too much skin (or expose it in a non-aesthetically pleasing way), your costume may earn ridicule as opposed to praise. There are also issues of decorum to consider. If you’re attending a Halloween party with a bunch of children, obviously you don’t want to wear anything too lewd. Similarly, if you are partying near a dangerous neighborhood, avoid dressing overly provocatively.

At the same time, however, you can focus attention on attributes that make you look good. If you have ribbed abs, for instance, wear a shirt with no stomach. If you’ve got amazing hair, style your hair to draw attention — for instance, you might want to dress-up as a mental patient who has been zapped by an electric shock and wear your hair frizzed-out in a wild mane. Experiment with different costume ideas before you settle on your outfit. If you’re going with a friend or partner, coordinate so that your costumes compliment each other in a funny or sexy or otherwise interesting way.

About The Author

Costume Alibi is a leading online retailer of adult halloween costumes and halloween masks in the US.  Visit them today for their complete line and have some fun !

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