Stranger Things Themed Party and Cocktail

The minute Stranger Things season 2 was announced, we knew a binge-party was absolutely necessary. We marked our calendars, sent out invites, and started planning themed playlists, food, drinks, and decor.

We wanted to share some of the details juuuust in case you're thinking about having a Stranger Things party of your own (and for the record, you ABSOLUTELY should!)

The best part about it is that a lot of it was done with REALLY simple everyday type objects.

To Drink:

1) The Eleven: I found the recipe for this drink online, so I can't take an ounce of credit. However, I would recommend adjusting the ratios slightly to tone down the sweetness. This version provides modified ratios and is also scaled for a larger group. The ratio I would recommend is:

2 cups Jim Beam Maple Bourbon

3/4 cup Licor 43

2-3 TBSP maple syrup

Ice

Mini waffles to garnish

*For the waffles, I used a classic waffle recipe but added some pumpkin and cinnamon to the batter to make it a bit more autumnal. I used this lovely silver dollar waffle griddle to get them just the right size and cut them in half to garnish the drinks.

 To Eat:

1) Chicken n' (Eggo) Waffles:  we kept this very simple - frozen chicken tenders were served with toast-your-own Eggos and maple syrup.

2) Cupcakes:

The Dustin: a chocolate "pudding" cupcake (just a classic chocolate cupcake really...) with peanut butter frosting and a nilla wafer garnish

The Christmas Lights: a snickerdoodle holiday cupcake with a cinnamon spiced whipped cream frosting, decorated like a string of lights.

Decor:

We didn't do a ton of decorating, but there were a few key pieces that we felt would create the right ambiance:

1) "Castle Byers" Sign over the entrance: we debated a "welcome to the upside down" sign, but realized we didn't want to overhaul our apartment into a chamber black slimy stuff, nor did we want to hang our furniture from the ceiling.  As an alternative, making our home into "Castle Byers" was a fun touch

2) The Christmas Lights: To keep it REALLY easy, we wrote the alphabet on kraft paper. then we strung lights across it.  No special walpaper needed. Nor any paint on your actual walls. 

3) Spider web table cloth: ok... so this wasn't totally related to the upside down... but it's also halloween!

4) And finally I couldn't pass up this Upside Down tee from Indy Brand!

With love from Chicago, 

Jennifer and Daniel