Carnaval de Paris

For our annual Mardi Gras soirée, we “travelled to Paris” and put a spin on it with a secondary theme of Phantom of the Opera!

Before getting to the decor and party details, I need to share how this year’s Mardi Gras was very different for me. In early January, I took down the Christmas decor “Chic Chalet” in the Dining room and began to decorate for the early February party. I had the table scape, wall decor, and fireplace all completed. I next worked on the Living room, bringing in matching elements – a smaller version of the canvas art, a Paris lamp, Michel Design Works Tourjours Paris candles etc. I set up the 6.5′ Eiffel Tower (found on amazon.com but currently not available) at the entry into the dining room, placed the Paris sign above and added a large rose to each. I still had all the Christmas up in the Kitchen and Great Room, and planned to take it down after all of the outdoor lights, scheduled for January 11th. However, on that day, in the dark of the early morning hours, I didn’t turn on the lights as I went to get my coffee (I know my way to the kitchen). On my way back to the bedroom, I was still groggy and forgot about the large Eiffel Tower at the corner and I tripped on the foot, falling and severely breaking my leg. I lay there with coffee all over the walls and floor, my kitten walking around me wondering what I was doing, holding my leg knowing it was really bad, and screaming for help. Taken to the hospital by ambulance, I was told in the ER that on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the worst), my broken tibia and fibula was a solid 5+. I remarked that I usually do things all in! They reset the bones and surgery was performed the next morning, placing a rod and several screws. After several days in the hospital, I returned home with months of recovery ahead of me. To say the least, this was not on my calendar! My favorite part of my story is when people saw my boot, wheelchair/walker and asked me what happened, I was able to tell them “I fell at the foot of the Eiffel Tower”! I would wait for a few beats and then add, “It’s true, but you need more information”.

Because the event was in February and the Opera has a romance theme, I wanted to use red roses offset with black & white. To represent the theme even more, I wanted some drama with candelabras which play a role in the story as well. I wanted an opulent look for the luxurious theme, food, and music we would experience together.

I will start by talking about the large red roses I used as a focal point in the decorating. I found these extra large foam flowers online and was so excited to use them. I took them out of the box and they were so squashed and wrinkled I was terrified! I found tutorials online and it is an amazingly simple fix. Simply heat up water (not boiling), dip the flower, pat dry, use your fingers to smooth and shape the leaves, and Voilà!

On the table, I started by using square mirrors as the table runner to reflect the red color and faux diamond crystals I planned to use. Next, I placed two large black candelabras. Using Godinger red crystal bowls to stabilize and elevate the large roses, I placed them one in the middle and one on each side. Next, I scattered the various sized faux diamonds. I later added Godinger red crystal salt & pepper shakers at various locations.

I used a black ribbon to hang a large wire Eiffel Tower in front of each mirror and tied on a large rose. On the opposite wall, I placed a large rose on each side of another sculpture. On the fireplace mantle, a large art canvas makes a powerful statement with coordinating sconces to tie in with the table candelabras. (Be sure and wait for their 50% off coupon). The final touch is a white phantom mask at the base of each sconce.

On the table, I used matte black chargers for each place setting, alternating two patterns from 222Fifth for the dinner and salad plates: “Around the City”, Paris icon pattern for Mardi Gras and “Belle Maison”, a chandelier pattern to represent the Opera. I topped off the setting with a red napkin folded into a rose. Godinger red water glasses bring even more color to the table. For the night of the party, all the plates were removed and used throughout the courses.

Guests were sent gift bags with their masks and an invitation in early December. Upon entering the home on the eve of the party, guests were greeted with live classical piano music, featuring French composers. I made sure to take photos of each couple in front of the large Eiffel Tower at the entry of the Dining Room with decor in the background. We visited and enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres and Kir Royale. After a time, we were entertained with live music from “Phantom of the Opera” performed by local professional vocalists. The soprano even wore a fitting gown with large red roses all over the skirt!

We then transitioned to the Dining Room for the remainder of the evening. As piano music continued in the background, guests were seated and perused their personal menus. (These are simple to create and customize for the event using any publishing software. I use Pages on my MacBook Pro. I found the tri-fold paper stock with the rose theme and added the Paris skyline clipart.) We continued to enjoy the evening with fabulous catered French food, French wine pairings, and engaging conversation.

Note on the Dessert: Customized macaroons kept the theme in the forefront to the last bite! Finally, as the guests gathered their belongings to leave, they were presented with a hostess gift filled with custom Eiffel Tower Chocolate suckers and Michel Design Works Toujour Paris room spray (discontinued). What better way to say Bonne nuit and Au Revoir!

Although still in the boot and using a walker, I was able to thoroughly enjoy our Carnaval de Paris!!

Although an elegant decor look, most of the elements were fairly inexpensive from local and online craft stores. The candelabras and sconces were a little more, but for their quality and size, still very reasonably priced. The large Eiffel Tower was a showstopper, so I splurged a bit, not knowing it would end up costing me my entire year’s medical deductible! For dishes, if you don’t have, can’t find, or can’t afford to purchase themed plates, you could use simple white or black plates (or both). The Decor look was also really easy to put together – Just a matter of placing things, with no arrangements or complicated set-ups.

I hope this encourages you to throw a themed party to “travel the world” and use decor to take you there!

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