DIY Chili & Grilled Cheese Party

Last year I threw Andrew the ultimate 40th birthday bash - A BEER themed party complete with a Budweiser jacket, Budweiser cake, and "Beer Me" glasses. Can you guess Andrew's favorite brew?!?!

This year wasn't really a monumental birthday for Andrew, but in my book, every birthday deserves a celebration, no matter the number! For me, I'll make any excuse to get our friends together and entertain at our house. A fall birthday party seemed like as good an excuse as any! My sister and brother-in-law even flew in from Virginia for the occasion. We grew up with a mama who loves any excuse to throw a party and it turns out her girls are no different!

We spent the weekend soaking in the last "warm" days of fall, eating greasy brunch food, raking leaves, drinking mulled wine, and prepping for Andrew's birthday celebration.

I knew it would be hard to top last year's party, and honestly I didn't want to. I just wanted an excuse to light candles in my house, steal some ideas from Pinterest, and share some vino with friends while their kids terrorized my house.

I settled on a DIY chili & grilled cheese bar as I've recently been in the fall spirit. It turned out to be fantastic!! Who doesn't love chili, tomato soup, and grilled cheese?! Its a kid AND adult friendly meal for sure, so it was perfect for our mix of guests. 

For the grilled cheese bar I set up 2 panini makers (Big score on the Bella Panini Maker on sale at Macy's), 5 types of cheese, bacon, basil, tomato and lots of bread & butter.  It was DIY and added creativity and fun for guests. The chili I made with a super easy recipe - 4 ingredients - ground beef, black beans, diced tomatoes, and kidney beans (and spices). And the tomato soup was homemade from Trader Joes:) Thanks TJ! 

For dessert I opted out of the traditional birthday cake. Honestly, I just didn't feel like flour and icing this time around. So again, I went with the fall theme and set up a smores' bar, rice krispie treats & caramel apples. Another epic success with our guests of all ages. In fact, I think the adults enjoyed the gooey smores' more than the kids.

After the last guest had left, I surveyed the scene - beer bottles & chili mason jars scattered the table tops, kid's handprints smudged every surface and Andrew sat on the couch with a big grin on his face.  It was the birthday celebration that everybody deserves for a new year of life. A successful party celebrating my love, our friends, and this house that we now call home. I don't think Pinterest can capture that feeling, that wholehearted thankfulness for those who will come and celebrate a non-monumental birthday with chili & grilled cheese.  Happy Birthday Andrew!