Elle Entertains: Mad Men Party!

pic--lovely ladies of MM

My favorite show, Mad Men, is having its season finale this Sunday. And you're invited to my Mad Men Party! Why do I love this show? The writing! The acting! DON DRAPER! It's the best show on tv right now (my opinion!). Also, the early to mid 60s is one of my favorite time periods. I remember watching my grandmother's old 8mm films as a kid, and thinking how fancy the parties looked. And I've always thought Grace Kelly was the most elegant, beautiful woman--she reminds me of Betty Draper on the show. Ok, in all honesty I actually had my party at the beginning of the season and never posted the pics. Put on your fedora, mix a martini, and come along!

First, since I wanted this to be a Mad Men party, I knew I wanted cocktails to be the theme (no peace & love grooviness at this soirée. We're talking early 60s here). I called my guests (how retro, right? As opposed to e-vites or texts?) to invite them. 

I decided to keep my party on a small budget. I did a gathering of 4, focusing on finger foods and cocktails.

Next was the menu. I used this site as my 60s food motivation. 

The spread. Notice the fedora!

Hors d'oeuvres were a popular choice and super easy to do (and cheap), so that was my menu. Plus, my party was later in the night--the show starts at 10pm so I didn't want heavy food.

 Veggie tray with ranch and blue cheese dips--the only pre-made purchase

Olives stuffed with bleu cheese. Don't worry, I had plenty for martinis!

Toasted, sliced baguette with humus

Apples and grapes with cream cheese + confectioner's sugar dip

Cheese, crackers, and sliced & rolled salami

The cocktails are a definite must of any Mad Men party. I consulted the Mad Men website and found a bevy

of cocktail options.

Polynesian culture was very big in the 60s, and Trader Vics is my FAVORITE place for fruity cocktails. I had to use my coconut cup from there to drink my Mai Thai. The Martini was a popular choice at the party, followed by a Manhattan.

I kept decorations simple. I had several "silver" trays from the Dollar Store. I filled glasses with candy cigs (I can't stand smoking) since it's practically a character on the show. I used some pink, low-wattage bulbs to make it a little more romantic and cozy. I made some easy tissue paper flowers and rosettes that I hung around the living room.

The best part of any Mad Men party is dressing up! A simple Google search gave plenty of ideas. A thrift store is a great place to find dresses and other 60s items. I used what I already had in my closet. I wore a black sheath dress I had with a pearl necklace (my great-granny's). The guys wore suits (very dashing) and hats. As for my hair, I found this great site on how to recreate those amazing hairdos. I also wore red lipstick--very out of character for me, but I loved it! And I made sure my nails were painted.

As far entertainment, I created a 60s-theme playlist (see below). We also played a Mad Men trivia quiz. For a fleeting moment, a MM drinking game was an idea (like take a drink every time someone smokes) but was quickly abandoned, due to alc poisoning concerns! Another option could be a photo op--like a puesdo photo booth. Have plenty of MM props (rotary phone, candy cigs, typewriter, martini glass) and have guests act out their MM alter egos.

We had a simply smashing time and enjoyed ourselves. I hope you enjoyed it too!