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Tue 15 Jun, 2010 10:19 pm
Dads' turning 70 next month, and I had the bright idea of bringing up to my mom that it might be kind of a big one, so maybe we should do something a little extra to acknowledge it. So the ball is now rolling. But what should we do?
No trips or extravagant gift ideas, please. I'm mainly looking for clever ideas that have something to do with being seventy, or having made it to a ripe old age, something in that vein.
I have this skeleton of an idea, involving my mom sending me pictures of him from various ages through the years and making something out of that at work. Maybe one of those big birthday cards. Maybe we could make t-shirts with a baby picture of him printed on them with the words, "Holy crap, you're SEVENTY!?" under it, and all the party-goers can wear them. Hmmm...that might be fun. I like that. Ooh, I just remembered, I have a great picture of him from when he was like six years old. I have go find it!
Anyway, anyone have any great ideas for how to put on a good 70th birthday party? Or stories of 70th birthday parties you've been to? Anything you'd like to say about 70th birthdays? This is the place. Thanks.
@kickycan,
are you getting a stripper?
@kickycan,
seventy strippers? but maybe that's the only kind of 70th bday i would have.
You should ask him why he's in such a hurry, allow everyone else to catch up.
Seventy trips around the sun and still have not gotten anywhere.
Structure something around his personality is probably the best. Since i don't know him i can't really make any suggestions.
@kickycan,
I have some ideas:
Ask your father if he wants a party.
Download pix onto dvd and run them on a continuous loop big screen.
Water down the grog.
Only get catering - which doesn't require mastication.
Beware of pensioners that kiss you on the mouth and stick the tongue in.
Be away that week.
@kickycan,
Quote:I have this skeleton of an idea, involving my mom sending me pictures of him from various ages through the years and making something out of that at work.
I did something slightly similar to that for my mom (BBB) for one of her milestone birthdays, don't remember which one at the momentum may have been her 70th or 75th.
I used SiteKreator and made a website for her with family photos, her poetry and recipe archives, copies of some of her biographical/family history posts from A2K and a few other things.
@Rockhead,
My dad is not the stripper type. And since my whole family is kinda born-again Christians, I'm pretty sure that won't fly at all.
But thanks for the idea! Remember it for
my seventieth!
@kickycan,
kickycan wrote:
Maybe we could make t-shirts with a baby picture of him printed on them with the words, "Holy crap, you're SEVENTY!?" under it, and all the party-goers can wear them. Hmmm...that might be fun. I like that. Ooh, I just remembered, I have a great picture of him from when he was like six years old. I have go find it!
That sounds really good!
I attended a 90th birthday party a bit ago, there was a slide show with many, many pictures from her life that turned in to a bit of a monologue (which might sound boring but really wasn't) from the birthday girl as she explained various not-obvious things about the pics, or told stories associated with them. If he's 70, there's lots of opportunities for people to be embarrassed by pics of themselves in hideous clothes and haircuts of various eras. Always fun. ("Whoa Uncle Mike, check out those stylin' sideburns!")
@kickycan,
I like the T-shirt idea. Maybe a baby picture with the tag
Circa 1940 Aged to Perfection along with a gift of some good wine bottled the same year. I would avoid the term "holy crap" when dealing with Christian Fundies.
He was a teenager in the 50's.
If you do a slide show, play some ol' time rock 'n roll in the background.
@George,
It depends on your father. I was a teenager in the '50's, loved the music then, but am deathly sick of it now. So that's either a great idea, or...
@kickycan,
Hi, and welcome back! Nice to see you got your login issue sorted!
@ossobuco,
[quote="ossobuco] . . . So that's either a great idea,
or...[/quote]
You can say it. I'll be brave.
@Green Witch,
Thanks. Good tip on the "holy crap" idea.
@George,
George wrote:
He was a teenager in the 50's.
If you do a slide show, play some ol' time rock 'n roll in the background.
I like that. Thanks! I don't know if I'm going to do a whole slide show though. I think it's going to be more like a book or a poster or something. But yeah, I will definitely incorporate some 50s/rock'n'roll images if I do that.
@ossobuco,
He likes it. No problems there.
@sozobe,
Thanks. I like the tee-shirt idea too. I'm still debating about the slide show, mostly because I don't know how to make one.
@kickycan,
I think chai tea 2 is a power point expert.
could be wrong...
(she's not a stripper anymore)
@kickycan,
Where will the party be?
Laptop, Powerpoint, projector, you're good to go. If it's anywhere vaguely hotelly or businessy you should be able to procure a projector and screen.
@kickycan,
I went to a neighbour's 80th birthday event a few years ago.
Her family had collected photo albums and individual photos from friends and family. A couple of daughters-in-law went through the albums and photos and made up what I'd call decade stations. Albums with pix from each decade were beside tables with desserts representing the appropriate decade. One photo from each decade was blown up LARGE poster-size and posted behind each dessert table.
After Rita came in and there were about 15 minutes of short speeches, she walked from table to table, sharing her memories of the years.
It was a very pleasant afternoon of tea, champagne and desserts. Friends, family and neighbours mingled easily.