Hi, friends! Koselig & Ko. is back after a short break! These past few months have taken an emotional toll on our family so when my husband and I realized my birthday landed on a Saturday we jumped at the chance to celebrate something happy. Fall is a beautiful time of the year to throw a fabulous outdoor party. I wanted the birthday celebration to feel—yup, you got it—koselig yet with some added glamour.
I began with choosing seasonally appropriate fall decor inspired by nature. Budgeting inexpensive centerpieces was important to me so I made my first stop the Dollar Store. I knew I wanted glittering gold to add the glamorous touch so these holiday decorations were the perfect finds.
To me, finding elements at the Dollar Store is never challenging. It’s all in how you incorporate them. Even if I don’t have a plan when I see something, I know I can always find creative ways to use interesting little treasures in a design scheme. I mean, gold disco balls? Yes, please!
I found these amazing rockstar studded pumpkins at Target. They had black and white pumpkins as well as varying shapes and sizes. I purchased many options knowing I could make assorted centerpieces for different size tables. A priority for me in choosing these elements was that they be reusable. I can incorporate these pumpkins into my indoor fall decor for years to come.
Each centerpiece was created with vases and pillars I had already in my stock. It was super easy to fill this glass vase with small pumpkins, add a few gold disco balls and finish it off with rustic floral sprays.
In my closet I found black candle holders I had bought from Ikea. I took some putty and stuck pumpkins on the top of the Ikea candle holders to add some height variation to the centerpieces. It’s so important to discover creative solutions with found objects to make your decor come together and save on expenses. Simple, affordable and easy is my motto.
For the exterior of the tent we didn’t go crazy. I added few flameless candles and some balloons to welcome the guests to the festivities. 
My husband wanted to add these waving skeletons…so I let him! I think it actually looked cute!
When building our house, we added heaters underneath our deck. This created the perfect passageway from indoors to the outdoor tent. We covered our outdoor table with a tablecloth and added a few high-top tables to give guests a place to gather.
Drinks and food are paramount at a party yet we wanted the affair not to be weighed down by a sit-down meal. We opted for mostly passed hors d’oeuvres and hired bartenders to serve signature festive drinks.
I created menus in Adobe Illustrator and printed them on nice card stock. Then I displayed them in some glitzy gold picture frames borrowed from a friend.
With so many festive centerpieces, we didn’t really have a need for flowers, so I opted for only one floral arrangement. I actually put this together myself using flowers from the great selection at Trader Joe’s. It is my go-to place for inexpensive flowers that always look fresh. I added gold foliage and some glittery mesh ribbon to tie in with the theme.
When entering the party, our guests were greeted with gold-rimmed flutes of Champagne…cheers to us!
Our most enjoyed drink was the Spiked Apple Pie. We added a fall-inspired touch to one of our signature drinks using Fireball Whiskey, fresh apple cider and apple slices. We found this delicious recipe on the internet, and I made it in large batches before the party began. The bartenders added edible gold glitter to our drinks to keep the glamour going! (Edible glitter and edible sugar were both purchased on Etsy.)
As the sun fell, we lit the outdoor fire pit to add coziness and warmth to the outdoor tent. It was so inviting. One of my favorite moments from the night was sitting around here reminiscing with old friends.
We had indoor tables set up as well for guests in case people needed to warm up. The shimmer of the sparkles and glow of the candles cast a warm, festive atmosphere all around.
My sweet husband even purchased coasters as gift-able giveaways at the end of the evening.
(Jed Smith Photography)
(Jed Smith Photography)
The party was topped off with—of course—a glittering cake, which my husband ordered (he did great, right?) plus a few chocolatey treats.
This cake is called a kransekake. It is a show-stopping Scandinavian cake served at special occasions such as a wedding or Christmas. This particular cake was served at my mother’s recent repass service, and I froze it for my own special occasion. It was important to me to feel as though my mom was somehow present at the party, and this cake was truly enjoyed by all. 
Guests were sent off toasting a great time with martini-shaped chocolates detailed with golden pearls.
(Jed Smith Photography)
This birthday was one to remember and felt especially meaningful to me. I am so grateful to all who came to share in the spectacular time!
Tusen takk, thousand thanks, and thank you for coming over!
Torill
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2 Comments
Outstanding! Thank you for sharing!
Omg Torill that was soooo beautiful!!! you are so talented..i loved the hole concept!!!your house is amazing an the way you put everything together!!! breath taking…so happy your party was fabulous i know it was bitter sweet but like you said your mom was definitely there with you always!!! hope all ur wishes come tru!!! an its the best year ever!!! ty for sharing your talent!!! xoxoxo