This past weekend, I celebrated my one-year anniversary of becoming a homeowner! It’s not every day you choose to spend all of your savings and become hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt–so if that isn’t a reason to celebrate I don’t know what is! I live in an adorable lime green townhouse that I fondly refer to as the Mesa Verde (don’t ask). So naturally, the theme of my Houseiversary party was verde!

I wanted the party to be laid back and elegant, so I planned a fairly simple menu and expected most of the activity to be centered around grilling and enjoying time outside on my balcony. Plus, it gave me an excuse to order a custom Notre Dame grilling set.

The Scene

I may or may not went a little overboard with decorations for the event, but it’s my party and I can do what I want to…right?! First thing I did was procure two Big Ass Balloons. I first saw these beauties a the Sugar and Cloth Color Wall  Launch Party and fell in love. Not only are the balloons adorable and customizable in a million ways tassels, letters, confetti, etc., but the it’s a Houston based company is run by two bad ass female entrepreneurs! I worked with owners, Katie and Kathy, to create two fantastic balloons with custom lettering to spell out “Mesa Verde.” I also went a bit crazy at Target (seriously, that place is a black hole) and stocked up on other lime and gold decorations.

To top everything off, I created a snapchat geofilter for my party. But actually, best five dollars I’ve ever spent. I hope all the neighbors within range appreciated my artistic skills and snapped accordingly.

The Drinks

Possibly the greatest summer drink of all time is sangria. It’s easy to make, everyone loves it, and it’s also easy to be coordinate with a green theme. My simple foolproof recipe for sangria is box wine (quantity over quality) + frozen lemonade mix + fresh fruit and plenty of ice. Serving suggestion includes an unfunctional decorative straw and lime wedge!

Also, one of my go-to party moves is a fat batch of jello shots. I think people like jello shots even more than sangria. It’s important to have a proper container to make the shots. But the real secret to making a good jello shot is using the proper amount of alcohol to water. I like to do one part vodka, one part flavored schnapps, and one part water. The schnapps is a total game changer and makes the shot actually bearable. It also has a lower alcohol content so you know your jello will solidify as well.

The Snacks

No one has ever gone to a party and said: “Man, that sucked. There was too much guacamole.” You can’t go wrong with fresh bowl of homemade guac. And if you’re throwing a green themed party it’s a must. I jazzed up my traditional guac recipe with one of the items in the Mostess Summer Box, Jacobson Salt Co.’s Guacamole Seasoning. Using the Mostess recipe suggestion that came in the box, I served the guac with plantain chips and toast. If that doesn’t make me the hostess with the mostess then I don’t know what does!

I’m a big party planner (and blogger) and love hosting events and this one was definitely one of my favs to plan and host! One year in and the Mesa Verde certainly feels like home.