A 60's Mystery Party!

We (I) decided to make this a super fun birthday party for Sari. Sari is so easy going and laid back that we just don't usually do a lot of unique stuff for her birthday. So this year, since she turned 14, I decided to be original. I planned a 60's themed mystery dinner. I worked for a couple of weeks almost non-stop. I wrote out a script and had everything planned down to the smallest detail. Craig and I had fun shopping at the goodwill stores looking for decorations and hippie clothes to wear! On the day of the party Craig took the girls to get their hair cut and that allowed me a couple of hours to do those few details that I couldn't get done with her around. I had asked my sister to be the "maid" that night and my friend Debbie filled in as "Mimi the Butler"! When the guests arrived everyone hung out in the front room, gushing over Sari's new hairdo, playing a game I had ready and snacking on rolled lunchmeat and cheese I had on toothpicks and then stuck into a pineapple. We had changed a few key lightbulbs from white to red and green to help create a more cozy atmosphere, we had 60's music playing in the background and had made a beaded doorway separating the two key rooms. After everyone was here we brought them to the dining room where we served dinner - homemade mac n cheese, crabbies (crab and cheez whiz on toasted english muffins) and jello salad. During dinner they played games where they all earned alternate identities and learned clues about each others personalities. After dinner was done and everyone was just talking around the table (we had waited until it was completely dark outside) the "power went out" and went the lights came back on Mimi the Butler had disappeared. The rest of the party the kids had to follow different clues that had been left and solve puzzles to help them figure out who took Mimi and where she was at! The activites included hoola hooping, musical chairs, word puzzles and a lot of laughing. At the end they discovered that I had kidnapped Mimi because I thought she was trying to break up my family. After more clues they had to search the house and finally found Mimi hidden in the garage and tied up. While they were searching the house, Craig, Tyler, Jennifer and I all went to the garage with Mimi so when they came through the door we all yelled surprise. We had decorated the garage with balloons and streamers to actually look like a birthday party. I had set up a table and filled it with cookies and cupcakes and all of the presents. It had been so hard to keep all of the details away from the kids during the planning stages but I didn't want them to know anything or else they wouldn't of been able to participate during the party! All of the hard work was sooo worth it! They all had a blast, especially Sari! And even the adults had fun. In fact, I told Craig when it was over that it had been one of the funnest parties I had been to in a very long time!