We had an interesting time coming up with a theme for my hubby’s 40th birthday party. And by interesting I mean me making a lot of suggestions that were met by fairly unimpressed shrugs by the birthday boy in question. But when he mentioned ‘cocktails’ and I mentioned ‘karaoke’, we knew we had a match made in heaven. The retro cocktail lounge vibe was exactly what we wanted, with a sprinkling of mid-century aesthetic thrown in. And a few bright colours of course!

We had platters of sandwiches, sushi, and smoked salmon blinis — which we handed around while guests whipped up cocktails and perused the karaoke song list — as well as a buffet table with a mix of sweet and savoury nibbles.

The karaoke was as popular as the cocktail bar, with almost everyone belting out a tune or three by the end of the night (or, rather, the wee hours of the morning). Seriously good fun!

Yummy treats for big kids!

The birthday cake — a fabulous retro TV by Clair at Calamity Cakes. Absolutely brilliant, right down to the wooden feet and handpainted floorboards. And it tasted divine! Check out the last photo in this blog post to see how we devoured it!

A very well-stocked cocktail bar!

Speeches and cake time for the birthday boy. 🙂

Karaoke, baby!

And this one’s for you, Clair! 🙂  This is what happens when a bunch of cocktail-fuelled adults devour a cake. It was spectacular!

Party Credits

Party Styling, Food and Photography: Crackers Art

Party Invitation and Printables: Crackers Art

Retro TV Cake: Calamity Cakes