Today I am sharing with you one of the most AMAZING weekends I have EVER had!!!  Last week, I turned the big 4-0 and celebrated it in NYC with my northern girlfriends.  We stayed with dear friends of Maureen & mine in a gorgeous Manhattan Penthouse over-looking the city.

I flew in Tuesday ahead of the girls so I could be there a little longer, and the rest of the gang came in Thursday and Friday for a weekend full of shopping, fabulous food & cocktails!  Little did I know that Maureen had something up her sleeve… she and my girlfriends surprised me with a Foxy & 40 themed birthday party on the PH rooftop with exquisite food & champagne!!!  The theme song was “What does the Fox say” because I constantly make up words and phrases…. and no-one ever understands what I’m trying to convey. If you haven’t seen this video, you can check it out here!

Maureen started with designing brilliant Fox graphics (Kate Spade inspired) along with finding fox earrings and necklaces…. matching desserts, designing printable decor and custom coordinating pajamas! I had begged her from the beginning stages of us planning the trip, not to work while we were in NYC – I just wanted Maureen and everyone else to enjoy girl-time in the city.  However, she didn’t listen (I should have known better) and what they did for me is a night I will always cherish forever!

Before the surprise party (which was Friday night), we kicked it off on Thursday with a leisurely lunch at Bergdorf Goodman’s on 5th Avenue.  Thursday was my actual birthday, so later in the evening as some of the girls started to trickle in, we celebrated at a Greek inspired restaurant Ethos.  The fabulous part about Ethos, is that whenever it is someone’s birthday, they turn down the lights in the entire restaurant and blast a crazy song and bring out a cake with a lit torch.  It was HYSTERICAL… and several people that night had Oct 2 birthdays which was also fun to see.

You can view my crazy birthday dance here – I loved it so much, that I asked the waiter if we could do it again… unfortunately he said no.
The next day (Friday) we had a slow morning (not sure I went to bed before 3 & 4 AM the entire trip) and then we were off to shop!!!  These were the daytime views from the PH.

We started our day on 5th Avenue… then ended up in Soho.

Maureen came with us for a while, but then went back to the apartment to help my BFF from kindergarden, Kaye, and her husband Sudha, prepare for the party as well as greet the other two girls who hadn’t arrived yet. I knew Kaye & Sudha were going to cook dinner and we would be having a champagne toast that evening – however I had know idea to what extent the celebration would actually be.  Jaci, Cindy, Nicole & I continued on shopping that afternoon while the Anders Ruff Fairies were busy setting up and cooking. (A shout-out to Ann and Kris… you had no idea what you were in for when you asked Maureen if you could help) LOL.

See below for the party decor details – so freakin’ cute… Maureen’s designs were to die for!  Trendy, clever and totally over the top!

I couldn’t believe she found fox necklaces and earrings… (I heard she sent her mom Kathy, in search of finding 9 pairs of earrings in Michigan)!!!  Maureen even created printable earring labels for them…. so fantastic!

The custom coordinating PJ’s by Great Stitch were so adorable and made all of the guests feel so special!  We often have custom embroidered goods made for kid’s parties… why not have them for grown-ups too???  I just LOVED them!!!

Maureen set up a simple yet festive dessert table that included gorgeous coordinating desserts from Flourish Sweet Shop and local specialty desserts.

The Bouqs sent these gorgeous Pink and Yellow Roses and they complimented the color palette so perfectly!

Maureen used a bright pink, yellow, black & white color scheme with modern patterns.  She even had an embroidered table runner to match the graphics from the fabulous Great Stitch (Brenda Byers! We highly recommend her work!).

Here’s a funny story…. while Maureen and gang were setting up for my Foxy 40th Birthday party, I picked up a fur vest in Soho.  I had no idea of the theme and just so happened to purchase a fur to wear for that night.  I didn’t know Maureen was also going to be wearing a fur vest – great minds think alike!  Is that crazy, or what???

Kaye and Sudha cooking away in the kitchen (below)… and for the record – there is no need to eat out, when you are among such talented cooks.  They put some of New York’s best restaurants to shame!

I had a little something up my sleeve for the night as well…. I wanted to create a special thank you gift for all my friends who traveled to NYC to be with me, as well as the ones who lived there and hosted, organized the weekend, etc.  I wanted the gift to represent me, something I could travel with, yet be completely over the top…. so I create a Party in a Box.  I wanted to throw a thank you party for my girlfriends, and since we were traveling I thought the best way to do it was to create a take home version.

Here are all the items you need to create a Party in a Box!  (And a special thank you goes to my girlfriend Ali who helped me back in SC assemble them!)

Once you open the lid, I created personalized messages that were attached to the lid.  Then inside the box, were all the items you need for a party including:  a party hat, a balloon, a party quote (by Coco Chanel, one of my favorite designers), a hangover kit, a bottle of pink lemonade vodka, gum, and a little touch of sparkle (a gold bangle by another favorite designer of mine).

The hangover kit I put in the pink envelope included: emergen-C, band-aids, headache medicine, stomach medicine and earplugs (in case you needed to go back to bed)Since I couldn’t throw them a thank you party, I created one they could always keep!

Now onto more party pics!!!

Nothing better than dancing on the roof top, overlooking NYC, listening to Hi-Fi along with wigs and musical instruments!  That’s my kind of party!

Once the party was over, it was jammie time!  Brenda of Great Stitch does custom jammies, t-shirts, table runners and more! Be sure to check out her shop!

We had one day left (Saturday) and we shopped all day with a final dinner out at Acme.  If you ever have a chance to eat out in NYC, you MUST go to Acme… amazing beyond words!

Just a couple more pics of the AR girls!

Hopefully from all the pics you can see how incredibly special this weekend was for me – I have never felt so loved and honored by so many amazing people… I am absolutely grateful to have these friends in my life…. I am so blessed to have met Maureen and none of this would have happened without her.  Maureen is not only my partner in the work world, she is also my partner in crime and partner for life!  All my girlfriends (and cousin Kris) who were able to be a part of this Foxy and 40 Birthday celebration are so important to me… each friend has a special place in my heart forever & always.  If this is what 40 is like… bring it!!!

I want to personally thank the following people:
Maureen, Kaye, Cindy, Jaci, Nicole, Kris, Ann and Coco & Hi-Fi (you know who you are)!!!

Find the Foxy and 40 Birthday Party Invitation in the shop.

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VENDOR CREDITS:
Printable Graphics & Styling: Anders Ruff
Pajamas & Table Runner: Brenda from Great Stitch
Cookies: Lori from Flourish Sweet Shop
Flowers: The Bouqs

Additional SOURCES to create your own Fabulous and Foxy Birthday Celebration:
– Gold Bangles
– Pink and White Twine
– Black Glitter Photo Frame (5×7 picture frame here, glue here, and black glitter here)
– Tissue Paper Fans (black, white, and pink)
– Black and White Striped Fabric
– Black and White Straws
– Black and White Twine
– Gold Glitter Ribbon
– Pink Earplugs (to add to your Hangover Kit)

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You may also want to check out THESE theme ideas that would work great for a 40th birthday:
– Wine Tasting Party
– 40 and Fabulous – Party throwing while traveling
– Sex and the City themed party
– A Glittery Glam 40th– Neon Bridal Shower