It’s been three years since I’ve actually celebrated my birthday, but this year, it was time to do something special! For turning 27, I wanted to celebrate with my family- I moved back to Michigan six months ago, where all of my extended family lives, and am so grateful to be close to them. So I invited all of the troops, and somehow fit 20 people into my apartment. I haven’t had a good ol’ fashioned family birthday party since I turned ten, so getting my family together meant a lot.
My parents moved from Michigan to Cleveland, OH when I was in college, so its always a big deal when they get to join in any family celebrations here in Michigan. My Mom, Dad, and 2/3 of my brothers came in from Ohio to help me get ready for the party and to hang out.
For food and drinks, I kept it super simple: my family is pretty low-key, we just need each other and it’s a party. Bottled water, White Claw, and Bubly sparkling water were on the drink menu. I don’t keep alcohol on hand at my apartment anymore, so I didn’t want to do a full bar set-up. I also don’t drink soda, so basically the entire family just had to get on-board with my healthier drink options.
My charcuterie board is quickly becoming my favorite party piece. And by charcuterie board, I actually mean my extra-large pizza pan that my Mom stole from our favorite pizza place (sorry, Mother’s Pizza on Five Mile and Sheldon in Plymouth, MI- if you’re from the area, this is my plug to support this bomb local business). On this very giant pizza pan, I did a fruit tray, veggies, cheese/meat/crackers, and a spinach dip with pita chips. Creating an appetizer tray made it just a bit more interesting than having the traditional separate fruit and veggie trays, and is a great way to save space on a tabletop when hosting in a small space. I put all of the dips into small bowls to add depth to the tray. I bought a pre-cut fruit tray, a bag of sliced carrots and celery, and a basic meat/cheese/crackers tray to minimize prep. It was also less expensive than buying each item individually and then having tons of leftovers.
For dessert, I chose a cake from Zingerman’s- an Ann Arbor-based chain that’s known for quality ingredients and a quirky pairings. This one was a buttermilk chocolate cake with layers of strawberry butter cream inside. It was chocolatey without being too sweet. I also did frozen eclairs that we frosted with strawberry frosting for a finger-food dessert option. Lastly, my Mom made a chocolate chip banana bread in a bundt pan for guests who didn’t want a super-sugary dessert. If you’ve noticed a theme here, my family eats pretty healthy so I didn’t want my birthday to just be a bunch of junk food.
Not pictured: six pizzas from Dominos, chicken wings, and breadsticks. There was nothing photogenic about that set-up but there were pizzas all of the rest of my kitchen.
I had a little coffee bar set up so my brothers and parents could refuel before heading back to Ohio. I also needed a cup of coffee after blowing out the candles on my cake because this hosting business is exhausting!
Sometimes you just gotta throw your own birthday party! It was fun to host my family in my own space; most of them hadn’t been to my apartment before so it was a good change of scenery. I kept the party decor simple: I broke out the Christmas lights, found a cute banner on Amazon, and snagged a disposable glittery table runner from Target. The “K” cake topper was an Etsy find. I also switched out my letter board quote to fit the occasion. The banner was easy to fold up and store for the future, and the table runner came in a roll that I finished off (it lasted for two events)- I wanted a couple simple decorations that wouldn’t take up a lot of storage space (apartment living), and still make it feel like party!
Even my dogs made the trip in to celebrate! This party ended up being a great start to being 27. 27 is my lucky number so I’m going into this year optimistic for new and fulfilling adventures ahead.
xoxo,
Kaitlyn, Zoey (dog on the left), and Teddy (right)
