How To Have a Mad Men Party - The Mod Years

On Saturday we had (yet another) Mad Men Party, (yet another) fundraiser for the kids' school. This time is was The Mod Years - 1968. It was the most enjoyable party we've hosted in a long time. We couldn't quite pin down why; must have been a combo of the 40 guests and how easy and organised were our six co-hosts.

I got a "messy updo" only took ten minutes, maybe too messy?...my kids say this selfie makes me looked crazed.

Goober! The dress was my "Heathrow Airport purchase" aka "le Mutton dressed as lambe"- what the hell was I thinking? My husband was there at the time, so I blame him.  

YSLs, most comfortable evening shoes apparently (all relative). OK off to pick up the dog poop  before the guests arrive!

All the hosts

Prep: One of the most dangerous things you'll do in your life is bring back balloons from Safeway. I have bungy jumped in Queenstown and backpacked through Syria by myself and neither was as life-threatening as driving party balloons around town. Every time I blopple-bob 12 balloons into my car I think: this could be it, someone comes at me from the side and I can't see them because of all the pink, blue and yellow. The good news is that at my funeral everyone will say: "She went out with a bang! It was how she would have wanted it..."

Another narrow escape from death!

Food and Booze: From the other Mad Men party (and my birthday was 1962-themed) we learned - Keep it simple...no, even simpler than that. I knew I had some good co-hosts when I was considering the chicken and someone said: KFC! Rule of catering... even if your guests are the ultimate gastrosnobbes, fried chicken always gets eaten first.

Cindy chillin' in the livin'

Cindy's iceberg quartettes

Starters was chex mix, cheese straws and meatballs. Dinner was macaroni cheese from homeroom, a restaurant in Oakland that only serves mac'n'cheese and has lines around the block at every minute of the day. Fried chicken from Safeway (I bought 150pieces and we were left with 75 - people don't eat as much as you'd think at parties) chunks of iceberg lettuce with bacon and tomatoes and salad dressing over the top. Dessert was homemade brownies, flower cookies and cake.

Shhhhugar...I spelt the word wrong (Zou Bizou Bizou)

We've learned from our two others two Mad Men parties that many of the Sixties drinks are disgusting. We narrowed it down to Gimlets The Roger, Manhattans The Don and  Cosmos The Joannie, plus wine and kegs. Fresh is important for drinks, so there was a lot of lime squeezing before guests arrived.

Cindy, Laura and John squeezing limes, Barry supervising

Portrait: We took Poloroids of all the guests so they can take a photo home.

Lesley taking the poloroids, she wore her grandmother's  jumpsuit

Games: We had hula hoop competitions and a quiz about the show. Other sixties games to try: Twister and Pass The Lemon (if people know each other well)

A incredibly relaxed technique meant this guest took home First Place

Ali and Sarah,  the eventual runners up, hotly contested the title

Quick quiz question - prize is free subscription to my blog!
Don Drapers' wife is called Megan. Her clothes, hair and (maybe eventual fate) are believed to be modeled on?
a. Sharon Tate
b. Jane Fonda
c. Julie Christie
d. Elizabeth Taylor