Sure, Valentine’s Day is all about love. But who says couples have exclusive rights to that? We have all shades of love in our lives, so why not celebrate one of our most cherished—the friends who stick with us through thick and thin? Grab your closest girlfriends for a laid-back, grown-up pajama party.
[the scene]
> While your significant other might not appreciate an abundance of pinks and reds on Valentine’s Day, surely your girlfriends won’t mind. Embrace the fun side of the holiday and hang strings of pink, red and white hearts. Accent your table setting with lace and themed confetti, and light plenty of candles.
> Ask your florist to create a few bouquets of pink-tinted flowers in various textures: think creamy roses, lacy baby’s breath and fluffy peonies. Order one miniature bouquet for each guest to take home at the end of the night.
> Ask guests to email you their celebrity crush, and place framed print-outs of the hotties around the room.
[the snacks]
> The food can’t be fussy if you want guests to feel completely relaxed. Everyone loves pizza, and ordering a variety ensures each guest can find something she likes. Order pies to go from your favorite pizza place—we love La Pizza (lapizzamenu.com) in University City and Dewey’s (deweyspizza.com) in U. City, Webster Groves, Kirkwood and Ellisville. Pair the pizza with a tossed salad and an antipasto plate.
> Lay out a spread of delectable desserts, such as chocolates from Kakao (kakaochocolate.com) and linzer cookies, madeleines, brownies and petits fours from Cravings (cravingsgourmetdesserts.info).
[the sips]
> Pizza happens to pair perfectly with champagne! Provide a few bottles of Mumm Napa, or something comparable, as well as a few bottles of pink bubbly. For post-dinner drinks, offer fresh strawberries and raspberries to drop in the glasses. Also have on hand a small selection of red and white wines.
[a little something special]
> To keep guests entertained, set up a table for card and board games and a karaoke station for belting out favorite tunes. If the soiree is spanning multiple rooms, play classic rom-coms on one TV, such as When Harry Met Sally and The Philadelphia Story.
> Don’t let your BFFs go home empty-handed! Put together mini gift bags with nail polish, lavender sachets from Winding Brook Estate and brightly colored macaroons.
