I’m a kids party planner.  I’ve never been interested in throwing “adult” events.  It’s just not my thing.  However, the longer I am in this business the more often my adult clients request their very own grown-up, “Sophie Party”.  Now, what that means is they embrace the notion that their party is going to be silly.  No stuffy, black tie affairs.  Unless of course the ties light up.

Recently, one of my clients (who often jokes that given the number of parties I’ve done with him over the years, should just make me a member of the family) turned 60. He asked if I would bend my rules.  I was hesitant, but when he told me what he wanted to do, I decided to make an exception.  

The party was to be a catered dinner party  But the decor was to be devoted entirely to “over the hill” gags.  This included me and my team taking old photos from history and superimposing our client’s 20 year old face upon them.  We hid these, randomly, amongst the family photos, to create a sort of “where’s Waldo meets Forrest Gump” effect.  There was a massage chair, to relieve one’s aching bones, and my favorite - the “Old Fart’s pharmacy”.

The client gave us carte blanche to create whatever we wanted. We set about turning silly items like wax lips and syringe pens into Instant Collagen and Portable Botox.  There were extra thick “reading” glasses, hot flash rings, estrogen patches (peace sign stickers that said - “just chill”), and hot flash cures.  My favorite item on display was our pain free “hair plugs” box - which my sister Freda brilliantly created.  Each “plug” was a cork sprouting a different type of hair - it was a true piece of art. Funny, but slightly disturbing at the same time.

The best part was when I discovered this online pharmacy supply store, where I was able to buy pill bottles in every shape, size and color, along with their classic white bags, and get this, prescription pads!  I designed a simple label for the containers, and then set about coming up with 15 different medications.  Each was an actual med, but we gave them funny descriptions. 

We filled each with a different candy - M&M’s, Mike & Ike’s, Good and Plenty, Sweetarts. Lemon Heads.   If it was small and pill-like, we used it.

“Nurse Jane” in her bejeweled cap was on hand to dispense not only prescriptions, but a healthy dose of wry humor, laced with a touch of sugar.  We stopped short of serving drinks in specimen cups.

There is no shortage of ideas for using medical supplies in outrageous ways.  Let your imagination, sense of humor and guests determine how much or how little you do.

This would be an awesome party for a graduating medical or nursing student, a retiring doctor, or perhaps a fun take on a “get well” party.  To quote the famous line, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”.  It also makes, when treated in the right spirit, for a very fun party theme.

 Photos courtesy of Nano Visser