“Oh it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.” My girl and personal lady friend idol, Leslie Knope has inspired many a things in my life but my favorite is Galentine’s Day.
An evening to celebrate the wonderful women in my life, surrounded by yummy food and yummier drinks, is a great night in my book. Last year was the first year I hosted Galentine’s Night and this year, my sister and main BFF and I hosted it together. Not only does she have the cutest new house on the block, she’s a pretty awesome party decorator.
I feel like a good party is only as good as its’ snacks. In honor of Girl Bosses everywhere, we obviously had to have Darista Dips newest dip on the menu. The owner, Dara, is probably one of my most favorite people in the entire world and she’s one hell of a Girl Boss. She’s a self-made entrepreneur, mother, wife, and a definite inspiration to ladies near and far.
Plus, her newest Gooey Chocolate Espresso hummus is unreal. “You’re looking at the creation of five women-owned businesses. Freshly ground espresso from Minneapolis’ City Girl Coffee. Single-source sesame tahini from Philly’s Soom Foods. Cocoa powder from Askinosie Chocolate. Custom artwork by Columbus’ Natterdoodles. And culinary vision by yours truly. Join us as we take a dip for women everywhere.” My suggestion is to eat it with Teddy Grahams to feel like a classy toddler.
I don’t always think you have to be super on theme for a party but for Galentine’s Day, it’s not the worst thing in the world to be extra adorablely pink and heart-y. You could definitely make some of your own cupcakes and buy some heart shaped sprinkles but these ones also work pretty wonderfully too. Okay and these cookies are from IKEA and they are delicious and super cute.
Now for the beverages. I firmly believe in DIY beverages and food for parties with more than 10 people. There is no worry about people having to eat around something they don’t like and cocktails can be easily made non-alcoholic. We set up a pretty fun mimosa bar for our Galentine’s Day party featuring Simple Time Mixers. These Columbus grown cocktail mixers are freshly made and go perfectly with Champagne, vodka, or really any other type of alcohol you enjoy!
To keep with our local theme, we also had some really tasty dipping oil and vinegar from Olivina Taproom in Delaware, Ohio. This maple balsamic vinegar is actually amazing. It sounds kind of weird but I loved it! Serve alongside your favorite baguette or just ripped up pieces of fresh bread.
Are these not the cutest? My sister just used a cookie cutter to slice out some heart-shaped cheese. Hello, sooo festive. We also served up some olives because the Whole Foods Market olive bar is a magical place.
Okay so for the main event which I barely took pictures of, we had a DIY waffle bar! We had some heart shaped waffles, dipper waffles, fresh whipped cream, syrup, chocolate syrup and strawberries. You could serve more fruit or even a homemade blueberry syrup. “We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third.” Yes, Leslie, yes.
Obviously, food is quite important to a quality party. But, we also decided to channel our inner teenager and make some vision boards. Seriously, I think the last time I made one of these was in high school for an “about me” portion of a class. I actually still have it and it’s not quite different than the one I made at Galentine’s Day.
If you’ve never made a vision board, there are tons of ways to make them. I usually like to pick sayings that are fun, people who I admire and words, phrases, or pictures that are inspirational or something I love. This would be why I have a picture of America Ferrera cut out because she’s flawless. If I found a quote from Leslie Knope like “You shut your mouth, you have all the strengths,” I’d definitely cut that one out too.
In addition to a good vision board, we snagged a few good games from the Dollar Spot at Target. Can we please take a moment to respect that part of Target? It’s actually my favorite, a mini dollar store inside my favorite store. I mean where else can you find MASH in this day and age? One of my favorite ways to spend art class in high school. I mean I didn’t marry Justin Timberlake nor do I live in a blue mansion but I’ll take the life I have now. 🙂
I love our Galentine’s Day tradition because it’s always amazing to get all my lovely girlfriends together, drink a little (lot) wine, dance (badly), and talk about all the things in our lives. I think we might have to make it a twice a year tradition or monthly or weekly… hmm. How do you celebrate your ladyfriends? I’d love to hear about your celebrations!
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