Party Time: A Gal-entine Chocolate Tasting!

First, let me say that my neighborhood is awesome. The people are friendly, the school is terrific, and it is just plain fun to live here! The local ladies of the neighborhood plan a monthly game of Bunco (involving lots of shenanigans) and there are lots of other gatherings that take place throughout the year from cook-outs to ice cream socials.

 In an attempt to get more involved and make the most of living in this great community, I organized and hosted a Valentine's Day themed event in my home. Since this was open to all the "gals" in the neighborhood. I affectionately dubbed it "A Gal-entine Chocolate Tasting."

The concept is simple. Pick out 6 different types of premium chocolate, taste them, and record your findings. Add in some champagne, and snacks and you've got a party!

I found a roll of chevron print wrapping paper for $1 at Michaels and used that to cover my island area and create the base for my partyscape. Not only did it look cute, it also provided a clean surface to place the chocolates so I didn't need to clutter things up with extra plates.

 

I purchased this large chalkboard with scalloped edges at Michaels in their new "Make Market" section. (I seriously could have loaded up my cart from things in this aisle, but I resisted. When I get a really great coupon, I'll be ready to go back and pickup some more fun stuff!) I used a chalk pen and wrote out the basic procedures for the activity. I picked up the chalkboard standing markers at Gordman's for $3 for a pack of 3. I used them to identify each type of chocolate and to number them from 1 to 6.

The Popcorn Bar made yet another appearance at this party. It is so easy and always a big hit. I lined the basket with more chevron wrapping paper and added a new sandwich board sign to the mix. The sign was purchased at Michaels for $3.99 (but I'm sure I had a coupon so it was slightly less than that.) One side is a chalkboard and the other is a dry erase board. To give the seasonings some height, I placed them on a photo box decorated with metallic hearts and arrows ($2 on sale at Michaels.)

 

 

To balance out the salty popcorn, I added some Lofthouse sugar cookies. If you haven't tried these yet, you need to get some immediately. They sell them at Kroger (and other places as well) and they are delicious. If you don't feel like baking, they are a great option and are one of my go-to solutions when I don't want to get my kitchen messy. 

Another favorite made a repeat appearance: The Mimosa Bar. This time around, I simplified it offering only two types of mixers (orange juice, and Ocean Spray's Cranberry Wave.) The champagne paired really well with the chocolate and it just made the whole affair feel extra fancy. I sliced up some strawberries and raspberries to be used as a snack or drink garnish (or both!)

I placed a tray with both the tasting mat printables and the scoring page printables along with a cup of sharpened pencils on our ottoman. These printables were created by www.thedatingdivas.com (and they are FREE!)

To carry the Valentine's vibe into the living room, I switched out one of my square pillows with a red chevron cover (I also use this at Christmastime) and added two new "love" throw pillows (purchased at Kohls) and couple of heart shaped pillows that I had picked up in the Target Dollar Spot a few years back. It turned out really cute and festive (please ignore my son's over the door basketball hoop in the background lol!)

The Gal-entine Chocolate Tasting was a successful gathering with lots of chocolate, champagne, and fun had by all. In fact, I ended up taking the tasting on the road by request to both my book club meeting as well as a friend's spa night she hosted in her home this past week. Needless to say, I've hit my chocolate quota for awhile. Not that I'm complaining. ;)