Sweet Sixteen Party Theme - Sweet Sixteen Glitzy Fashion Luncheon
My niece, Kate, just had a fantastic Sweet Sixteen birthday party. It was a luncheon where glitz and glamour were the theme and the all-girl party was designed to spoof the filthy rich and make us feel like a million bucks. Well, darling, it was such a success that I’d love to tell you how much fun it was.

The invitation I received in the mail was both elegant and gaudy. It was an engraved invitation on 5x5 inch white cardstock. The headline read, “Your Invited To Kate’s Glitzy Fashion Sweet Sixteen Luncheon.” The details of date, time and place were simply put and then there was a request to come dressed as hoity-toity as possible – evening gowns with feather boas, gobs of diamond jewelry, high heels, big hair, etc. The invitation was trimmed with rhinestones and gems and sprinkled with silver glitter.

When I arrived at my sister-in-laws house, I was greeted at the door by a handsome, young butler. He was dressed in a tuxedo and grinned from ear to ear to welcome me, his sparkling smile matching the party theme. He reached out for my hand as I entered the door and welcomed me to the party. He asked my name and announced my arrival to the guests gathered in the living room. Then he asked if he could take my fake mink stole and I readily gave it to him. He was so cute he could have asked me for anything and I would have obliged.

The living room was brimming in showy decorations. There were large crystal vases with gold trim filled with beautiful red roses. There were several lamps with beaded lampshades. Jeweled knickknacks were placed on the coffee and side tables. And small treasure chests with pearls and diamonds spilling out were placed here and there.
The guest of honor looked stunning in a pink sequined gown. She wore lots of jewelry and her hair was in a perfect up-do. She was giggling with a few of her friends and directing their attention to the corner of the living room. There sat another handsome young gentleman playing the piano. He would occasionally glance over his shoulders and smile at the girls. The music added just the right touch of formality. On top of the piano was gathered red satin and several thick, round gold candlesticks with candles lit.

Once all the guests had arrived, we were escorted to the dining room. The dining table was dripping with glitz. A shiny silver satin tablecloth started things off. The place settings were gorgeous – china, silver tableware and crystal champagne flutes (for sparkling apple cider). Around each flute was a silver charm. In the center of the table were three silver tin buckets overflowing with goodies for the birthday girl. Included was champagne bubble bath, sequined t-shirts, fluffy slippers, DVD’s (like Breakfast at Tiffany’s) and of course, jewelry. Atop each lunch plate was a small beautiful silver satin box with each person’s name written in tiny rhinestones. Once everyone sat down, Kate thanked everyone for coming and told us we could open our gift. Inside was a pretty silver beaded bracelet, each a little different than the next. We all giddily put them on and waited for lunch to be served.

The butler began by serving ceasar salad to everyone. While we dug in, he walked around with a basket of warm rolls for each of us to choose. After the salad, we received a plate that included fillet of beef in a mushroom sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus. The service was impeccable and all the girls really enjoyed the first rate attention. (I suspected the kitchen was a bit more harried, but we weren’t allowed to enter that room.) After lunch we were asked to join Kate in the family room.

We took our seats on the couch (covered in jeweled pillows) and chairs (that were adorned with large satin bows) and Kate’s mom, who, by the way, looked like a million in a backless black gown, said a few words of praise about her daughter, and then asked us all to relax and enjoy a fashion show. Yes, a fashion show! Young women came out one at a time in the latest trends and fashions and did the whole runway thing. A knowledgeable woman gave a description of each outfit being modeled. While the clothes were geared to Kate and her friends, it was still so much fun to watch. Hip music played through the stereo speakers as the models did their twirls and struts and I felt like I was on the sidelines of a Tommy Hilfiger fashion show. We all applauded when it was over and Kate was told she’d get to pick a few of the outfits she liked best.

We returned to the dining room for dessert. The table had been cleared and set for a sweet end to a swank afternoon. The butler brought out an enormous cake (at least 12 inches high) frosted in pink and covered in tiny silver balls. On top was an edible silver jewelry box filled with small decorated cookies. “Happy Sweet Sixteen” was written across the top. We all sang Happy Birthday to Kate and took turns having our picture taken with her.

After dessert we all returned to the living room where the piano player played and Kate opened her gifts. I wrote down some of the incriminating things Kate said as she opened her gifts then read it back to everyone when she was done. I prefaced my speech by saying it was Kate’s acceptance speech after winning an Academy Award. We weren’t all dressed up for nothing!