Maureen and Adria's Vintage Inspired Favorite Things Party

The holiday season may be winding down, but you’re going to want to grab all your friends and relive the fun and flair of the 50s after you see this vintage inspired favorite things holiday party hosted by Maureen Anders and Adria Ruff, owners of AR Workshop and Anders Ruff Custom Designs! This party theme was inspired by Maureen’s collection of vintage Christmas elves and a shared love of that era. The nostalgia of the 50s was creatively brought to life with help from an amazing throwback menu, 50s inspired attire, and party decor from Oriental Trading Company. Keep reading for all the favorite things party photos and fun!

First, here’s a peek at one of the little vintage elves that inspired the party theme!

Attire

Maureen and Adria are theme queens! And what better way to drive home a theme than with attire to match! Check out some of the gorgeous outfits of these 50’s queens and their guests!

Aren’t the outfits fabulous? They make you want to step back in time, don’t they?

Food Menu

A 50’s inspired party calls for a 50’s inspired menu. And nobody puts together a themed menu better than Adria and Maureen. Keep your eyes peeled for gorgeous plates, napkins, utensils, and drink ware from Oriental Trading Company! The stripes and polka dots make me nostalgic for days gone by!

Some menu highlights include a Jell-O mold, pineapple upside down cake, cheese and chocolate fondue, a cheese ball and crackers, mini pigs and blankets, deviled eggs and finger sandwiches. (Oh, and don’t miss the representation of everyone’s secret 50’s vice– pretzel “cigarettes”.) The food items were elevated with printable elements like mini food flags and signs, plus darling vintage tissue paper tree toppers. Which 50’s inspired finger food would you be going after at this party?

Beverage Menu

No holiday party is complete without plenty of holiday beverage options! This beverage station was full of classics with a personalized touch.

Maureen’s Marg was a signature cocktail, while Adria’s Favorite Egg Nog was a nod to a holiday classic. And always in style is the Cranberry Rosemary Water. There was even classic Coco Cola bottles, Santa’s personal favorite. And don’t miss out on the punch bowl. Was this one spiked? Guests may never tell.

How cute are the red wine glasses from Oriental Trading Company? Can you believe they are plastic? Santa approves!

And let’s not forget the red martini glass napkins, complete with personalized foil! Nobody will be forgetting Maureen and Adria’s Favorite Things Party any time soon!

DIY lovers, can you see all the cute custom DIY home decor signs and holiday trays perfectly styled throughout this vintage party? You can make some for your next holiday party at an AR Workshop near you!

Aren’t the addition of vintage Santa posters throughout the decor the perfect touch? (You can find these at Oriental Trading too!)

Treat Station

Our favorite Anders Ruff gals are famous for their elaborate treat tables, but sometimes simple classics are best!

I spy Spritz cookies, red and green candy gems and peppermint nougats in apothecary jars and candy sticks in darling Santa mugs!

Other treats were displayed throughout the event– rock candy, candy sticks, chocolate kisses, and peppermint nougats!

Decor

The 50’s were known for simple decor– sparkling tinsel trees and tinsel garland, plus let’s not forget everyone’s favorite tissue paper honeycomb ornaments in various sizes! (Secret tip–you can find these via Oriental Trading Company!) Maureen and Adria perfectly paired these nostalgic items with other vintage decor like wooden sleds, bottle brush trees, vintage Santas and elves, plus DIY items from AR Workshop!

Entertainment & Gifts

The evening was full of socializing, good eats and drinks, games and prizes! There was no shortage of gifts at this shindig!

Guests were able to win prizes wrapped up in adorable Santa sacks from Oriental Trading during a “Prices Right” pricing game. Then came the best part of the night–the sharing of favorite things!

The main event was definitely the sharing of favorite things! Each guest was asked to bring 3 of their favorite things. Two of the items were reserved for display on the stairs. Guests would put a printable tag on their gifts when they arrived, and each person was assigned a number for their gifts. The third gift was put in the hallway and utilized for a game we like to call “Dirty Santa”. It’s similar to a standard white elephant gift exchange. Each guest picked a number from 1-30 from a jar. Whoever drew #1 got to choose their gift first, followed by #2 and so on. The only catch was that gifts could be stolen from each other a maximum of two times at which point the gift was frozen with its current recipient. Guests had so much fun choosing and stealing gifts and also opening the gift and finding out who brought it and why it is one of their favorite items.