Hopefully by now you’ve all realized what I mean when I call myself a “party girl”. This blog is more about my adventures in dinner parties and fun gatherings than social escapades around NYC. Don’t get me wrong, I used to be the ULTIMATE party girl – I went out at least 5 nights a week – to bars,  warehouse parties, you name it. These nights usually included at least four vodka sodas with a splash of lime juice (VodSoLime) and dancing until the sun came up (bonus points if they played “Party In the USA“). In fact, the name “Party Girl’s Perspective” was thought up (by yours truly) after a drunken evening debate. I can’t remember what we were talking about, but I interjected with my own opinion, stating firmly, “Well, from a party girl’s perspective…” and my friends never let me live it down. I pretty much was the MOST FUN.

I even threw my fair share of (if I may say so myself) EPIC house parties (back in the day when I lived with three boys and our house was in a constant state of trashed). Even though I now live with FOUR boys (a little misses dog) my house tends to stay in a state of relative cleanliness and I hardly ever “rage”. Though some of my favorite party spots have shuddered their doors (RIP OG Coco66, Paris London New York, and my very first apartment 541 Lorimer – which is now an AirBnb Hostel that YOU can actually stay in), the downfall of my party girl ways had way more to do with owning my own business, in particular my own bar. After working five to six days a week, serving drinks, the last thing I want to do is go out drinking after a ten hour shift (though, strangely this doesn’t have the same effect on my desire to cook in correlation to running a restaurant, TG). 

Now a days, I still enjoy a good evening out (though the boyfriend and my friends would agree that I should probably go out more) but I definitely no longer hold a “Party Girl” title. In fact, just last month, I was out and about on a Saturday night (at Call Box Lounge to be exact – I highly recommend you check out their website, by the way), when my good friend saw me and freaked out “OH MY GOD, you’re actually out! You never come out!”. She was totally right (and I was totally sober). SO when my roommate Al and his bandmate Taka wanted to throw a house party their band could play (it might have been just a little bit of my idea too) I was TOTALLY DOWN. We had only thrown two house parties since we moved in last August and it was time for me to show off the other spectrum (e.i. a RAGER) of my party planning abilities!

The boys rented some pretty serious sound equipment and in addition to their band, the OG Van B Boys,  they got two excellent DJs to played before and after them. We invited (via enticing email penned by yours truly including a little flyer made by the boys) pretty much everyone we knew, and they all came PLUS about 100 people I straight never saw before. The party was an ALL OUT SUCESS (as I think the pictures will prove!). One of my craziest friends even sent me and the boyfriend one of the best texts I’ve ever gotten the next day. He said, and I quote, “You guys know how to party”. I still got it! Sometimes.

Below are some photos (mostly in focus) and some tried and true tips for throwing your own house party! ENJOY!

TIPS!

Hosting house parties, where people drink too much, dance, get dirty foot prints on every surface, spill, bring strangers, and in general abuse your HOME, is a difficult situation. Much more difficult than hosting a dinner party (in my opinion). On top of opening up your home to friends (and strangers), you are pretty much committing to HANGING OUT all night long, until the very last person leaves, because you can’t just Irish Goodbye and fall asleep at midnight if half the people you know are raging on your roof. In order to not go crazy, I’ve learned some tricks to having a guaranteed good time at your own house party.

• Stock the bathroom with loads of cheap toilet paper, there is nothing worse than running out of toilet paper after all the nearby bodegas close. Don’t waste money on the nice kind (no one’s judging your toilet paper choice at 2 a.m.)
• Buy plastic cups
• Duck tape all cabinets shut, so that drunk people don’t use and most likely break half of your stuff. Even if you buy the plastic cups, they’ll still try and use all your mugs and ball jars and you’ll have to do dishes on top throwing out 200 wounded soldiers in the morning.
• Eat before anyone comes over, pizza is always a good idea
• Label things. Where are the bathrooms? Where is the actual party at? It sucks trying to go into your own room and come to a locked door and the entire girls lacrosse team telling you not to come in (okay that only happened one time in college, but I learned my lesson.) Either way, signs help people know which rooms are appropriate to enter and which ones aren’t
• Supply at least some booze. Have a couple cheap racks of beer in the fridge, buy a handle of Evan Williams, or if you own your own bar like me, take some of your shitty well vodka home and donate that.
• Always have a secret stash of beer (or booze). In college I would just keep at 12 pack of PBR in my closet. I’ve since upgraded to a cooler of Pacificos. If people bring more beer over, replenish your secret stash, because you will most definitely be giving half of it away.
• Have a good sound system. (Props to Al and Taka for our last party)
• Always have someone in charge of music. Whether it’s a playlist, friend’s taking turns on their iPod or a band and live DJs (like my last party)(props again Al and Taka), it’s important to designate someone to be in charge so that some weirdo doesn’t start playing really bad house music and ruin the party.
• When the neighbors complain, stop the music, the party will die down but your friends will stay and chill.

***Always be a good guest and BYOB