NEW FRONTIERS

Happy graduation season! With me back from my final year at Elon and Georgia off to college, we had to celebrate somehow. A grad party was just what the fun doctor ordered. Georgia is headed to the University of Colorado this fall, and her friend Julia will be going to Colorado State University. With the two headed for the Rocky Mountains, a Colorado theme seemed perfect for sending the grads off with “happy trails.”

Guests knew right away they’d been transported to a mountain wonderland when greeted with the classic Colorful Colorado sign. Our mom found this one at an antique store, but there are plenty of versions online like this one.

The entire porch was lined with paper pennants to celebrate the girls’ future schools. The patio was studded with pinecones, deer, and trail signs to set the scene. My favorite touch was the Christmas tree on the porch, which I thought was there as Colorado-themed decor. Apparently, it’s actually been there since our COVID outdoor Christmas, and couldn’t be moved because of a bird nest… the more feathery guests at the party, the merrier!

SHOP THE LOOK
Ellie’s set: Boutique Moschino (rented from Nuuly) | Annabelle’s dress: Rahi (similar) | Georgia’s dress: Free People

With plenty of mountain munchies to choose from, the guests did not go hungry. Our dad put together a dizzying spread of charcuterie, crudités, bon jour, and whatever other French words fit here. I felt like Emily in Paris (er, the French Alps?). The real star of the show was the sweets, though.

Besides the themed cookies, we served up our family’s favorite s’mores trail mix. The not-so-secret recipe includes Golden Graham cereal, marshmallows, and chocolate chips. It’s perfect for morning hikes, movie marathons, and Colorado-themed high school grad parties. Of course, we also had to offer the signature waffle bar – the same Kansas City food truck, The Waffler, has made an appearance at all three of our grad parties. I guess it’s a tradition at this point.

Before guests could escape to some other grad party, we tried to pawn off another bag of the s’mores mix on their way out. We knew if we didn’t get rid of them, our family would eat them all!

We wish Georgia and Julia happy trails in Colorado! In case you didn’t get your Rocky Mountain fix, click here to see our ~TikTok~ for even more coverage of the grad party.