Any good ideas for a theme for my Grams 85th Birthday ?

Question

We are having a party for my grandmother in June for her 85th birthday party and I was going to go with the 30-40s theme, but I'm not coming up with too many ideas in that direction - Can anyone think of any other themes for someone of this age? She has had 12 children, goes to Florida a few month in the winter, but really not prominent interests besides watching tv and reading (hey she's 85..lol)

Answer 1

What if you decorated each table with nostalgia from each decade of her life?  For instance, one table would be the 20's. You could have pictures of her as a baby and a young girl on that table, along with maybe a copy of a newspaper from that decade, a long string of "pearls", that kind of thing.  Another table could celebrate the decade she married with photos of her wedding.  Other decades could have photos of her kids as kids, etc.  Go to antique shops or thrift stores and you may be able to find mementos, old magazines, etc. from the different decades.  You could also ask family members to scour their closets for treasures.  You could take all of your guests down "memory lane" with your decorations!

Answer 2

I would make her like a tropical theme. It sounds like she likes the beach and the ocean so maybe you could have little games like ringing the cups in a little plastic pool filled with sand with a ping-pong ball. I really think she would enjoy that.

Answer 3

Does she collect anything or have a preference for a certain type of flower? Does she have a favourite colour? You can base a simple theme there.  Every big birthday like that should have lots of photos of the birthday person, their family and friends.  Have a guest book for well wishers to sign and ask them to include some of their favourite memories of your grandma.

Answer 4

I'm not sure about the party, but did you know that you can fill out a form and have the White House send her a birthday card?  It might be a nice surprise.

Answer 5

Yes, do a musical tribute to the 1940s:  Have all guests, male and female, dressed up either as one of The Andrews Sisters or as one of the era's "bugle boys"; and make sure all of the music is The Andrews Sisters' recordings and other big-band music from the era.   But keep the food country style and simple:  Rolls and biscuits, chicken of some kind and lots of vegetables and salads, including cole slaw and potato salad.  Keep the dessert selection classic American:  apple pie (or the same a la mode, with ice cream, at one's option).  If having trouble getting a hold of 40s music, find a decent recording of Lawrence Welk and his orchestra:  It will likely go over just as well.